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After earning his master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Combs spent a decade in engineering roles with industry leaders including ExxonMobil 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 Director of Product Design and Development since 2014. Since then, he has been the lead designer on all of Orvis’s very successful Helios rods, and overseen development of all of Orvis fishing tackle products including reels, waders, boots, and packs. There has been no word on his replacement at Orvis.
“Shawn is a lifelong angler with finely honed skills and a proven track record in fly-fishing product design,” said Bartschi. “His passion for innovation, quality, and team building is a perfect fit to help carry on Scott’s fifty-year legacy of handcrafting high-performance fly rods. I’m thrilled to welcome Shawn to the Scott family and the opportunity to work with him and the rest of the team on writing the next chapters of the Scott story.”
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"Jim Bartschi is the most experienced rod designer in the fly-fishing industry,” said Fly Fisherman editor Ross Purnell. "He’s been making hits for more than 30 years including the Sector, Centric, Radian, and most recently the new GT Series. And Shawn’s work on the Helios series resulted in some of the most popular Orvis products in history. It’s fascinating to think of what they might be able to create together. There’s never been a pairing like this in the fly-fishing world.”
Combs, who loves to ski in Vermont, will be relocating with his family to Scott HQ in Montrose, Colorado. Telluride is right next doors. Montrose is a bit of a fly-fishing hub, with Mayfly Outdoors brands Abel, Ross, and Airflo located just a few miles from Scott.
“I am beyond excited to join Scott Fly Rod Company to work alongside Jim and team,” said Combs. "Having grown up fishing Scott rods, I am honored to contribute to the legacy of handcrafting rods that, in my view, embody innovation and soul like no other.”