How many of you fish fiberglass rods and what is your favorite?
Fiberglass Rods
How many of you fish fiberglass rods and what is your favorite?
Fishing the Great Beyond
Rare, but this might be my favorite glass rod ever made. [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/prorevw/perfection.html:62b1f]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/prorevw/perfection.html[/url:62b1f]
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"How long does it take to learn fly-fishing?
No one knows."
Grand poo-bah
[This message has been edited by J Castwell (edited 04 July 2006).]
I have a few glass rods and fish um occasionaly. I still have the first "good" rod I ever bought in the early 60's a Fenwick 8' glass rod...I'm always pleased when I fish the rod, its a good caster.
I have an old Cortland Pro Crest. Its a 7' 5 wt. very delicate with metal ferrules.
A Lamiglas 6'6" 9 pc (thats nine piece) 3 wt. You can pack that thing in your shirt pocket.
I won it as a kit here on FAOL 4 years ago and put it together myself. It IS a true 3 wt...great rod.
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"The only thing worse than getting old is not getting old"
JC,
Was that the J. Tarantino that was a casting champion from the Golden Gate Anglers Club? As I recall, if it's the same man, he died at a pretty young age.
SweetStreamS
Fishing the Great Beyond
Exactly. Same guy. Fantastic rod. None in it's class.
Glass is one of my favorite substrates, and several are unreplaceable so that I use them only in tame territories. 2 of these, a 7'4wt and 8'5wt are S Glass and outstanding instruments. They are benchmarks for me for what a fly rod should do. My first really good rod was a SciAng SA4, which was the smallest of an outstanding lineup.
I only have a few dozen glass, but I will echo JC re the Hardy Perfections - they are indeed buttery smooth and my 7'6" has a very sophisticated and complex action.
A few years ago I found a JET Hardy - 8'#4 - at a flea market situation. It didn't cost much at all and was a steal. I'm always on the lookout for old Fenwick Feralites, which are a delight to cast and ffish.
The recent models from Diamondglass and Lamiglas are super. The D'glass are actually a modern action, rather quick. The honey colored Brush Creeks are sweet trouters. Haven't quite made up my mind on their current replacements.
Another steal I found was an old Fisher 3wt which is a lot like an original Winston Stalker which I ffish only once in awhile. Also found a Fisher 7'6"5wt which was their more normal action, pretty much like the Winstons of the era.
In a somewhat different realm are the white Shakespeare Wonderrods. They, along with a 7' Silaflex and a Gowdy series Berkeley Parametric are in my -still-to-evaluate-and-understand rack. Maybe I'll try them out with Tricos this summer.
Right now there are custom makers such as MacFarland and the Steffen Bros. which are on my radar. They might have picked up where Russ Peak (which Berkheimer has followed) and the old original Scotts left off.
Hmmm - having a hard time deciding what my fave is - guess it's the one that's in my hand at the time.
... so many rods and waters and trouts - so little time....
tl
les
Fishing the Great Beyond
Les,,, weren't the old SA rods made by Fisher? Would account for them feeling similar.
I would have to give a resounding echo to the older Hardy's. Great rods and a feel all it's own. I have several glass rods and continue to build them as I have found them to be a superb alternative to the slow action that I have grown to love in bamboo. Right now, I have a fixation on the McFarland Spruce Creek rods, having built 2 and another on the way. I also have a Mark Steffan rod that is outstanding as well. I think Les is right on target with both Mike McFarland and the Steffan Brothers, they are destined to infamy. Another neat fiberglass rod is the Diamondglass, which in my opinion closely resembles the action of the older Hardy's and is a good bargain at $295. Recently I also built a few of the Lamiglass 3 and 4 piece fiberglass rods that are a pleasure to fish as well.
When it comes right dow to it though, my go-to rod in fiberglass is my McFarland Spruce Creek, I can only wish I had more time to fish all of them.
[This message has been edited by dleo6446 (edited 04 July 2006).]
I still use a 7'0" glass Fenwick that I bought in 1968. It was "state of the art" then and, as far as glass goes, may still be. The finish and the hardware and construction is much superior to the glass rods Fenwick sells today.
Class Glass!!
Bob
I use an EagleClaw Featherlight 8ft./7wt. that I like paired with a light Scientific Anglers (I think graphite) Model 58 Concept reel. For being heavier lined, its a fairly lightweight outfit that doesn't tire me out casting.
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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL
"Flip a fly"
Robert B. McCorquodale
"Flip a fly"
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