1-1 Premeier Issue FINAL PROOF.pdf Holiday 2013 | Page 6

LOCAL BUSINESS H by Laresa Watkins & photos by Martha Manning

Cashion Custom Rods

W

hen Matt Cashion began fishing as
a 16year-old boy, he had no idea
that his love for the sport would
evolve into what it has today. “My passion
for fishing started with a 12’ Jon boat my
dad had on High Rock Lake when I was
around 16 years old. I was so mentally consumed with bass fishing that I would fish
by myself in weather so cold and rainy the
ducks thought I was crazy for being on the
water,” tells Matt. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a Ph.D. in Chemistry with
a concentration in Polymer Science, he
turned this passion into a successful business: Cashion Fishing Rods.

Matt lives in Pittsboro with his
wife, Jennifer, his 3 year-old son, Connor,
and his 1 year-old daughter, Caroline. Matt
grew up in Davidson County, but is happy
to call Chatham County home. “We love
living in Chatham County because of the
beautiful landscape and engaging people,”
he explains. He and his family live near

Jordan Lake. He says, “Jordan is probably
the most beautiful lake in NC, however, the
toughest lake for me to consistently catch
fish. For this reason, I know God has a sense
of humor because he provided a career for
me in the fishing industry but placed me beside a lake in which product testing can be
very challenging.”

Matt founded Cashion Fishing Rods in
2009 after graduating from Virginia Tech in the
midst of a challenging job market. “This was a dark
period in my life and I was questioning God’s plan
because I could not even get an interview, much
less a job,” Matt says. “Looking back, I know this
was God’s plan, because I needed something to
pursue during this period and this provided an
opportunity to apply my education to something
I love. I was able to apply my background in materials research to designing and building performance fishing rods.” He goes on to explain that
he started to sell a few of his custom-made fishing
rods, and then began to sell so many that he knew
it was time to expand his business.
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