Did’nt want anyone in the thread on fiberglass rods to think I was trying to hijack the thread.
I know less than squat about rods except can I use this one or that to some reasonable degree.
Ive got a cheap Garcia that “works” for me(no, really, a Garcia of all things) a nice Old, Fenwick that I think the world of,
a couple of Orvis’s rods, a couple of no namers and an old, white, Wonder Rod by Shakespeare.
The Question is : Is a wonder rod worth a darn or is it somthing that folkes give a wink and a nod to?
I do well enough with the other rods but have a horrible time with the Wonder Rod and hav’nt figured it out.
It feels floppier than all get out.
I hav’nt been able to do much with it and Lord knows that Ive tried . Jerry on the other hand made the darn thing dance a jig. Is this type of rod for some one with lots of rod handling ability?A couple of hints would be appreciated.
Fly Goddess, I never said that I used the basement bargain stuff, :shock:
I just love a good deal and then hand the stuff off the young, innocent or unsuspecting
Perch…I have cast your Wonder rod. As you know I was able to throw some decent loops with it. You just have to get in time with the rod. Get that reel seat fixed and it should be a decent rod.
I have two Wonderods and I love them both 'cause they’re heavy and have metal ferrules. I consider them to be very close to a bamboo action AND feel. The action of mine would be best described as slow but with a timing stroke adjustment they are sweeeet!
I think that a LOT of people now days have sort of a permenant faster casting stroke due to all the faster graphite choices out there. The secret to enjoying a slower action rod is slowing down and wating for that loop to unroll which takes a bit longer than it does on the latest & greatest graphite.
It’s a 40’s & 50’s sort of r-e-l-a-x-e-d mentality; think Father Knows Best and Ozzie & Harriet; not Family Guy or American Idol.
I have a wonder rod and have revamped it with modern guides and upgrade some thins on it and couldn’t be happier with it. I love the action and use it constantly, it really shoots line when set up just right.
Steve
It is the Royal Coachman of rods. I am glad to hear so many good things about its performance. I knew that because I used a 9 wt Honey Green till recently. It is taking me some time to get used to the snappy action of my new graphite rod.
A couple of years ago I picked up an 8’ 6" 7 weight Wonder-rod off e-bay in absolutely new and unfished condition. It came in a sealed plastic bag. Had I bought the rod 10 or 12 years ago when I was fishing nothing but graphite I would have quickly given it to the first person who asked about it.
Having spent some time fishing bamboo and learning to slow down a bit I find that I really enjoy fishing that rod for bass and panfish. I bought a nice Shakespeare/JW Young “Speedex” multiplier reel to compliment the rod and now feel like Gaddabout Gaddis when I fish it. It works perfectly for what I want to do with it.
I also have a Wonder rod. The first time I casted the rod, I was truly impressed. I casted 40’,60’, and felt that it could do alot better. Pulled off all of the flyline to the backing and guess what? It casted all the fly line out to my backing! I’m no pro caster but that rod make me look like I know what I’m doing. I will be looking to buy a few more. Later.
Bam…I think you were right… haven’t been able been able to pick up a Fenwick for under $100 let alone 150, but don’t think I had anything to do with that. :lol:
Yeah know…I just bought my 1st bamboo for only $80 and it looks pretty prestine… although looking at it again…it’s probably a tarpon wt.
For anybody out there that might be looking for an old Fenwick fiberglass rod, they can still be found for less than $100.00 without having to make auction bids. I purchased my NEW condition Fenwick Classic Glass from Earl Grant in Warminster, PA. He was a pleasure to deal with. He takes only personal checks or money orders, which worried me a little at first, but I thought if he tries to cheat me, I’ll just sic the postal inspectors on him. I sent him a personal check on a Friday, and on the next Friday my rod had arrived. Very quick service considering my check had to be mailed to him. I have had slower service from online purchases. I just checked his web site, www.fishingcollectables.com, and he still has several old Fenwicks available in Very Good to Excellent condition. He also has some bamboo rods. I have no connection to his business and have never met the man, but he does provide quick, honest service and has some very interesting gear to sell.
I envy you. Can you post a picture. I bet it beats the Winstons and Zero Gravities people are putting up on the other thread.[/quote]
Dear Bear,
Here are a couple of pictures. I apologize for the rather poor quality as I’m still trying to learn this digital photography stuff.
I took a moment to lawn cast her before I snapped these shots. I’ve only used this rig once or twice, but that will change this Spring when I float tube in search of largemouth, bluegills, and crappies!
Even in rough surroundings the rod is a star. Picture number 2 gives a better idea of the rod overall. If you build, you know that cork and reel seat hardware are like the tires and rims on your car. As with car tires and rims, they are readily changed. The soul of the rod is somewhere else.
