fenwick fly rod

[herefishy]

Thinking about the Fenwicks makes me think of where we bought them then - the drugstore. Brings back memories of learning to fly fish, and those camping trips when we were young and foolish and willing to fish with ice in the guides and go to bed at 6:00 pm to get warm.

[FishnDave]

I've got a Fenwick HMX 9' 6wt rod. I mostly use it for tossing larger topwaters at night for bass & channel cats, or if I'm using larger flies for crappies.

Its not an exceptional rod, but it IS a good rod...no complaints!

[Bamboozle]

cdpaul:

When I first starting out fishing and was only dreaming of fly fishing, a Fenwick was what I dreamed about 'cause my buddy, the only fly fisherman I knew had a fiberglass Fenwick. They were the top of the line in my world.

Later after I got started, daydreams of a Fenwick HMG were constant after seeing them gleaming in a local tackle shop. Soon after I got one of those new fangled graphite rods and fished it for years.

But as special as my Fenwick was, a fly rod given to you by your grandfather is something extraordinary. I bet it will be your "best" rod too, no matter how many rods you own.

[rockthief]

I have four fenwick rods. Two of them I fish regularly. They are fiberglass and are as good or better than any graphite rods in the 7' - 7.5' length. I believe the FF70 is one of the best fly rods ever made.

[Andrew]

Back in the late '60s or early '70s I saved my pennies and bought a 6' 5 weight fiberglass Fenwick. It came in a triangular rod case and even came with a cloth rod bag - something none of my rods ever had before!

I loved the rod then and I still love it. That rod was high end for its time, I now have many more modern graphite/thermoplastic rods that are great but that old Fenwick still does the job.

I taught my son to fly fish with it and am now using it to teach my daughter.

You've got not only got a fine rod, you also have a family heirloom. Fish it in good health and always think of your granddad.

[cycler68]

I have a 10 wt Fenwick HMX that I bought at a Berkley outlet store last spring with the idea I'd use it for casting heavier flies & fly rod spinner baits. It does cast the spinner baits fine. One evening I used it to toss a deer hair popper & caught several bass when I had been frustrated trying to hooking them with a lighter rod.
This year I plan on using it to try for muskie &, I hope, flathead catfish.

[rockthief]

Is it fiberglass or graphite?
What is scribed on the rod?

[Greg H]

There was at time in the '80s when the best rods were Fenwick. Their rod designer was Don Green. Then Woodstream, who also own the Berkley name, bought them out. At that point they stopped focusing on exclusivity, even though they had some awesome designs (like matrix graphite).
"Founded in 1980 by legendary rod designer Don Green, Sage was created with one idea in mind - to build the world's finest performance fly rods. Using world-class materials and years of experience gained while working with Fenwick and Grizzly rod companies, Don revolutionized the fly fishing world." -from the Sage website - so Sage is the 'stepchild' of Fenwick.
Two of the rods mentioned in earlier comments here are nice (especially the HMG) but were not their top rods. Some liked their Iron Feather best - had one but sold it. I have two of their World Class and they are both med. action rods and very comfortable to cast. I think they were about the end of the 'exclusive' line.
Older rods of fiberglass from Fenwick were made to cast like bamboo, which of course was their standard at that time. Fenwick rods were always known for their smooth feel, I believe - older ones probably are better!
So as requested, what is written on the butt of the rod near the handle? What is the model and what are the specifications on length and line weight?

[rockthief]

I somehow forgot about the two Streamers that I have. They are marvelous graphite rods ya don't see often.
Yes again, what is scribed on the rod?
Cheers!

[fishnski]

I bought an 8wt HMG and paired it with an LL Beam Multplier Reel and went Steelhead fishing with it upstate NY..Love therod..Now I use it to go bass fishing ..it still feels nice..