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You and I are creatures of habit. Our favorite things are 'favorites' because
we are comfortable with old shoes, worn shirts, crummy hats ... you know, our stuff.
Soul food for the weary and rumpled mind. Non-threatening. But maybe, just
maybe, boring. We fall into a rut. It may be comfortable, but it's still a rut.
I fell into one; stayed there for years. Mine was a narrow-minded, stubborn
attitude toward anything used to make fly rods that was not bamboo. I even had a
well prepared argument that it was morally wrong to use a fly rod made from
anything that hadn't been alive. I also recall a conversation where I even said,
"they aren't new, been making 'em for years. Called pencils." No kidding.
Then the absolutely unthinkable happened. A friend stopped to visit us in
Montana on his way home from what was then the biggest fly fishing show in the
country at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Home for him was Manchester
Vermont, and he worked for Orvis.
We were teaching a fly fishing class in Livingston, and our friend, Don Owen
had all of the Orvis rods with him. Box upon box of Orvis rods. Don suggested we
take the rods to our class. Everyone there got to try anything they wanted. Fine
Bamboo. Big ones, tiny ones and everything in between.
And graphite!
Try one? Remember the old "I bet you can't eat just one" potato chip
commercial? Unbelievable! This was 1973, graphite fly rods were pretty new, and
sometimes scoffed at. I certainly was one of the die-hards totally against them. But
"just one" made me a believer.
Some of the rods were too stiff, some were noodley. Some felt much like my
favorite Madison. One in particular, a nine-foot, five weight rod was perfect.
REALLY PERFECT. Strange as it may seem, especially well over 30 years later,
that rod measures up to rods made today. I think it was designed by Wes Jordan. I
still have that rod, and also use it in our casting classes.
If you are new to fly fishing, or looking for a new rod, consider this; compared
to the state of the art even ten years ago, rod making has rocketed forward. While
there certainly are design variations, differences in the materials used, you can't
buy a 'bad' graphite rod.
Ask yourself, "what does a manufacturer do different
when they make a less expensive rod." Better yet, ask the
salesperson at the shop who carries a variety
of graphite rods. How many dollars are those
differences worth? Your choice. ~ The LadyFisher
If you would like to comment on this or any other article please feel free to
post your views on the FAOL Bulletin Board!
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