The "Natural" fly rod

I am appealing to (relatively) experienced casters here; and the question is this: Have you ever found a fly rod that was such a good fit to your casting style that you would be able to descrivbe the fit as a "natural" one?

Without trying to sound like I'm gloating, but I just purchased a fly rod that just was such a natural caster that I nearly cryed tears of joy yesterday as I took it out on the lawn for a brief session! I won't go on a long rant or review, but I will say that the rod is a Sage 589-3 SPL. Took it out for a good fish today on a local tailwater only to confirm what my gut told me on the lawn. The rod performs just as expected and seems to be an absolute perfect fit for my type of fishing. What a joy to cast a fly rod that just seems to cast itself. Loads deeply and recovers quickly and with buttery smoothness. Enough said. How about you? Have you found your natural rod mate?

aa

I had a custom 3wt rod made up by Kevin and other than being a little fast, feels great. I think if I lined it with 4wt, it might slow it down a bit. The best rod I ever casted is my old Phillipson"Master"glass rod, smooth and slow, just the way I like it.

I probably would never think of putting it in those terms, but I have a Hexagraph Classic 7'9" for 4/5 that fits just fine.

BUT, as a 4/5, it only fills a niche in the range of rods I fish and actually sees rather limited use.

John

This last weekend I was casting a Ross Essence FW, 8 1/2', 4 piece, 5 weight with a Cortland 444 Peach. Everything worked so well I didn't even have to think about what I was doing. It loaded well, recovered well and was smooth as butter. That being said, I once had the opportunity to cast a 7 1/2', 4 weight Channer with a WF4F Sharkskin, and it performed just as well.

Odd way to put it. I have definitely picked up rods, cast them, and immediately liked them. I have picked up rods, cast them, and disliked them. And I have picked up rods and not been quite sure and after some use, decided one way or the other. All the rods I own I like, but I think of them as specialized tools that each shine when applied to their assigned task. I have no single rod, however, that does all things perfectly, so I have never had an analogous experience myself.

I feel that way about the old Sage RPL rods. They just seem to fit my casting style and every cast seems effortless. That being said, I recently bought two Redington Minnow Beginner Fly Fishing Outfits as birthdays gifts for two of my grandsons ages 6 and 8 and I was amazed at how well these rods cast. Complete outfits including rod, reel, backing, line and even a leader for $41.57 each and they are really nice casting rods. One thing I've come to realize is that I've never met a fly rod that was the limiting factor in how well I cast; I am always the limiting factor. You can take a rod that one person struggles to cast with and hand it to the next person who can lay out 90 feet of line with little or no effort.

Jim Smith

We had a conversation recently regarding the idea (Trav's) that the manufacturers could have stopped making any "new" "improved" rods years ago. The old(er) rods were just fine and what have we really gained except increased prices in the current rods on the market. It is an interesting thought, think it through, you might have some ideas on it as well.
As for me personally I cast but did not fish a Russ Peak rod probably 30 years ago that I fell in love with. I could not afford one at the time, and I think Bob Jacklin has the exact rod in his stash. I wonder if he ever fishes it.

I can never undertand the folks who "collect" rods. If I had a Russ Peak, and liked the way it cast, I would fish it. I think builders like Russ, even with their exquisite attention to detail in their builds, would not only desire, but expect the recipients of such to fish them! To me, the only wall hangers out there are the fly rods that are beyond fishable repair. I say if you find that dream rod, buy it! Not just the aestheticly pleasing job, but the one that casts in your hand like the staff of Moses. There is nothing wrong with having a peice of gear that you can cast, fish and just simply admire. Get the good stuff (especially when you can find good used deals!) and go out on the river or lake and enjoy it!

Not to get off subject but, when I was a small child, I lived along the banks of a brackish river and there was a bridge everyone fished from. During the spring, the skipjack blues would come through. I would find a nice piece of willow and a knoted up birds nest of string and untangle it. Tie it on the end of the willow branch and scrounge up a hook and a small piece of bait, which wasn't hard because everyone used a chunk of the first skip jack they caught. I would drop that sucker over the bridge and bammmm, skip jack on. Everyone on the bridge would call me Huckleberry Finn. Man those were the days

The first time I cast a Sage 8123 I knew I had found the best two handed rod ever. To this day I haven't cast anything that works as well as the 8123 for me. The Sage 6126 is a close second.

I tried a Sage One a couple of weeks ago. By the second cast I sensed that this rod was designed for ME.

I thought I had found it in 2004 when I acquired a Winston BIIx (9' 5 wt). Then about 3 or 4 years, I came across an old, unsanded Far & Fine (7'9" 5 wt) and it's giving the BIIx some competition as my "go to" rod. I don't know what they sold for back in the 80's, but I bet the F&Fs have held their value pretty well over time. It's a beautiful rod.

I think most people tend to gravitate to certain rods that particularly suit their style. That is why you have so many different opinions on specific rods and even specific lines on specific rods. It is sort of like the sweet spot in tennis. Once you find just the right rod lined with just the right line for you, everything feels perfect. It is also why, when you lovingly hand it to someone else, they think it sucks.:)

I have an older St Croix Avid 8 1/2' 4wt 2 pc that I really like. I also have a St Croix new Imperial 8 1/2' 4wt 4 pc that I really like. Everytime I pick that rod up I can't get over how light it is. And I have a Pennington 4' 4wt 2 pc bamboo rod that I really like. All three of these rods though made of different material seem to suit my casting style. My Scott G 885/3 isn't bad either but I don't fish that rod much anymore.

My Orvis Far-and-Fine 7'9" 5wt (unsanded) is exactly THAT rod for me. I pick that rod up....look where I want to drop the fly....and it does it.

Greywolf S Glass and the Scott G2

tfo deer creek 12'6" 5/6 for a two-hander, and an old Orvis 6'6" madison 4wt boo for a single hander.

I have an older St Croix Avid 8' 4wt, 2-piece that is that "natural" rod for me. The Avid I have is a pre-IPC/ART stuff with the gray blank. According to the serial number it is a 2003 model. It is my primary trout rod for medium to larger water. I have it matched with a 2nd generation Lamson Velocity 1.5 in the "gunsmoke" finish and a Cortland 444 "peach" WF4F line. It will lay a #18 dry fly on the water like a whisper and casting it is like an extension of my arm. I just look at the spot I want the fly and it's there. This model is well out of production, and if I ever break it, I'll probably cry. But that aint gonna stop me from fishing it!

I also have an older Sage RPL 9ft 6wt 2-piece that is much the same. When I first got the Sage, it was a "love-hate" relationship, but once I figured the rod out (and found a line it likes), it's become the same to me as my 4wt Avid.

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Originally Posted by DarrinG

I have an older St Croix Avid 8' 4wt, 2-piece that is that "natural" rod for me. The Avid I have is a pre-IPC/ART stuff with the gray blank. According to the serial number it is a 2003 model. It is my primary trout rod for medium to larger water. I have it matched with a 2nd generation Lamson Velocity 1.5 in the "gunsmoke" finish and a Cortland 444 "peach" WF4F line. It will lay a #18 dry fly on the water like a whisper and casting it is like an extension of my arm. I just look at the spot I want the fly and it's there. This model is well out of production, and if I ever break it, I'll probably cry. But that aint gonna stop me from fishing it!

I also have an older Sage RPL 9ft 6wt 2-piece that is much the same. When I first got the Sage, it was a "love-hate" relationship, but once I figured the rod out (and found a line it likes), it's become the same to me as my 4wt Avid.

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Darrin that is the same St Croix Avid I own and it is also my primary trout rod. Right now I have an Orvis BBS II with a SA Trout wf4f and when I dry fly or small nymph fish I use one of Kathy Scott's furled leaders. Lovely!

I feel the choice depends on the waters fished.Wide open waters allow longer rods but in my trout streams i prefer rods under 8' because of trees and cover.Out of all the rods i have used i will always keep my loomis 7'6" 2pc 4 weight glx,i pamper that rod,wax it with duragloss polish and after ten years it doesn't have one mark on it after many trips.I have had a few i wish i had kept,T&T lps,Sage xp,Loomis gl3,even a lesser rod a cabelas sli now discontinued and surprise rod that cost and looked great.

I always found that the Gatti rod that Jim Castwell took to the fish-ins to be a great rod in my hand. I have a Sage that I love but it just doesn't feel as right as that Gatti did.
I only ever felt that way about one other rod and that was a Winston that I had the privilege to cast at the Idaho fish in. Loved it , just couldn't afford it.

I Never had the courage to try REE's Channer. Even if she did try to throw the tip of it away in the River

I can say that there haven't been many rods that I've disliked. Then again I'm not that good of a caster, not too picky and less concerned with 'names' then a lot of fly fishers. I feel that if I can cast a rod reasonably well and be comfortable that's all good. Back in 2002(?) this site hosted, or maybe orchastrated is a better description, a Fish-In at the Del. River Club. There was an accuracy casting event that I got talked into entering. I had to borrow a rod from one of the other guys. I didn't particularly like the rod although quite a few people were praising the brand as excellent and it cast well enough.
Oh, I should say that the one rod I truly hated was provided by the host, J.C. who was doing a demonstration with it. Funny little rod - only about 5 feet and probably a 25 weight. Yeah, it was a broomstick - literally! He took a broomstick and taped on a couple of eyes, added a tip top, and taped a reel to the bottom. Not sure about the weight of the fly line on the reel. At least J.C. and a few others could cast it. But me? No way. That was torture.

Allan

I have a Broom stick fly rod that I crafted. I built it, patterned from the rod JC had made.
It needs a 10 wt line (so said JC so is what I have always had on it), and almost any reel. It can not be cast unless one does a double haul. No help from the rod at all. It is a broom stick. Once one gets the casting down on it, one can easily cast a real fly rod.
The reason JC made his was to teach the DH. The best I ever saw it cast for distance was by Hans W
who put it out to 74 feet as I remember. I can on a good day get mine cast out to around 50 feet.
Harry Boyd cast mine down at the Sow Bug one year and got it out to around 60 feet.
It is built on a real broom stick which is multi piece, It takes down and screws together.
I do not have any pic of mine at this time. If any are interested I could take some.
I have actually fished mine and caught fish. Not a fun rod to fish at all.

Denny

I'm still searching for that "perfectly fit" rod. That's why I have so many................. :D

Rod fit?
Go to a fly shop, watch people pick up a rod, wiggle it and that's how they buy a rod.

This rod...

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...WR512-1--1.jpg

Thomas & Thomas Paradigm 9′, 5wt.

and a Scott, 10', 5wt., G Series, are two of my favorite rods...I don't know about the word "Natural", but both of these medium action rods are a joy to use for my casting style...


PT/TB ;)

Subscript:
"Daughter to Father, "How many arms do you have, how many fly rods do you need?"

My thought: To wife or older daughter, "How many arms do you have? How many pocket books do you need? And, How many feet do you have, how many pairs of shoes do you need?"
Yeah, they can ask that with impunity but do you have the ***** to ask these questions, LOL?

Allan

Ally...is a BLACK BELT Al Anon...

PT/TB :lol: