Scott Fly Rods to take on Orvis design chief

Shawn Combs – Director of Product Design and Development at the Orvis Company– will join Scott Fly Rods as its Vice President in January.

“Shawn is a lifelong angler with finely honed skills and a proven track record in fly fishing product design,” said Jim Bartschi, President of the US-based Scott Fly Rods. “His passion for innovation, quality and team building is a perfect fit to help carry on Scott’s 50-year legacy of handcrafting high-performance fly rods. I’m thrilled to welcome him to the Scott family and for the opportunity to work with him and the rest of the team on writing the next chapters of the Scott story.”

After earning his Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Combs spent a decade in engineering roles with industry leaders including the Exxon Mobil Corporation and Lockheed Martin. In 2011, he joined the Orvis Company in Vermont as a Product Developer for fly rods and reels and he has served as its Director of Product Design and Development since 2014.

Combs said: “I am beyond excited to join the Scott Fly Rod Company to work alongside Jim and his team. Having grown up fishing Scott rods, I am honoured to contribute to the legacy of handcrafting rods that, in my view, embody innovation and soul like no other.”