Lew Childre's quest for a better bamboo fishing pole took him from the heart of bass fishing country, Alabama, all the way to Japan. There, he found the desired grade of bamboo, but also a circle of manufacturers and businessmen who were interested in fishing and the US market. That partnership lead to the introduction in 1970 of the Lew's Speed Stick pistol-grip graphite performance fishing rods, and the first low-profile "teardrop-shaped" casting reel, the Lew's Speed Spool baitcaster, a design that forever changed bass fishing. Decades later, Lew's continues to innovate in the spirit of Lew Childre.