Tiger Eye Revisited
With all the discussion of Tiger Eye blanks about a month ago, I had to buy one to see for myself. I also needed a shorter, light rod for a trip to the Smokey Mountains. A 7'6" 3/4 wt seemed to fit the bill.
I built this rod on the cheap. Most of the components were leftovers I had in stock. Other than the blank, the only purchases were the tip top, stripping guide, winding check and reel seat insert. The wraps are candy apple red. I wanted a garnet look, but I was afraid the garnet thread would turn out too dark. The candy apple thread without CP turned out perfectly. I added gold trim bands to match the gold insert in the stripping guide. I replaced the rosewood insert in the reel seat with a walnut insert, which seemed to match the color of the blank better.
I was really impressed with the way the rod cast. Not quite the elegance of some of my higher end rods, but it cast both the 3wt and 4 wt lines very well. The action would be described a medium. Overall, I am very pleased with the rod for a light weight, small stream rod.
Reply With Quote