I’m starting to wish I had some fiberglass fly rods. Some of them are so incredibly good looking, and the feel of a fish fighting on a glass rod has no comparison. It kind of feels like a trap I’m falling into. Google some of the rods made by Kabuto or Gray Wolf and you’ll see what I mean. Anybody else feel like they’re falling into the same trap. I wish the blanks weren’t so expensive.
Steffen Brothers make the best glass rods available today, in my opinion.
Their 2 piece blanks are $130.00. Reasonable for the finish, quality, and fishability.
The only drawback being they are only available in one color.
Mark has told me that the glass is special made for them and the minimum order is 500 pounds per color
and they can only afford the one color. It’s expensive!
He also told me he had recently cast a new Lamiglas fiberglass rod and was impressed with it.
Do not know the cost of their blanks. Again, I believe they are only available in one color.
I like well made glass rods. They are definitely making a comeback.
I know what you mean by expensive. The Kabuto rods have my imagination completely surrounded. So far I’ve seen the yellow, white & lemon drop colors. I’m afraid to ask about the price of the blanks for fear of insurmountable disappointment. I’m not a pro builder, but it would be an honor to build rods on those blanks.
Might want to check out the W&M Eagle Claw Featherlight rods.
A most economical but serviceable fiberglass rod.
Don’t know h
ow they build it for the price.
Quite possibly my next fly rod!
(offsite link to my unedited thoughts on the Eagle Claw Fealtherlight here. i like naughty words, you have been warned)
I’m not gonna lie, they’re cheap rods. That’s part of the beauty of them. You can really just get on with your day and not care about swinging 7’ of brittle plastic or dead wood around. I’ve smashed mine with full power back casts into stone pylons and rather than shattering the rod, I just chipped the paint.
Try that with graphite!
They’re chunky rods, I find a 1495 Medalist balances out perfectly for me with one, and there’s three lengths, a 6’6", a 7’ and a 8’ model. I haven’t tried the shortest one of the line, but the 7’ model is FAR SUPERIOR to the 8’ model, which is ungainly in comparision. I’ve thrown both an Aircel 6WFF and a GPX 5WFF on my 7’ rod, and prefer the GPX taper.
Its got a weird, parabollic sort of action. Lots of people complain about a dead spot, but I think that’s the nature of the beast. I don’t know what they’re whining about, but then ignorance is bliss.
I’ve got plenty for more premium rods, and I won’t lie… I goto them when I plan a fishing trip, however, my Eagle Claw is always in the back of my trucklet, with a well worn line, spare lisence and lanyard of junk. There’s something to be said to always having a rod with you that you don’t care about, and its just about indestructable.
$20 changed my views on fishing, dude. I’m low budget, now.
Great post gfen!!
I love the pic of the snow covered rod and reel.
Yep, they’re cheap but they get the job done surprisingly well! As far as castibility (is that a word) they get 'er done with a kind of funky action.
The perfect backup rod. And hell, they look like they cost a lot more.
The 1595 is cheaply perfect!
You could always pick up a couple of vintage glass rods.4 of the last 5 rods I bought are older glass rods,2 fenwicks and 2 Shakespere Wonderods.I paid less than $200 for the bunch.They all cast and fish great with that slower glass feel.Fiberglass rods have a bigger following than most people realize.One of my Wonderods is 2 years older than me and im 59.Its still doing the job like it was brand new.
An excellent perspective Skip!
I own and occasionally fish a 7’ Shakespeare Wonderod. I suspect it’s not older than I but I do
suspect it will be hauling in fish long after I’m toast!
It’s also funkily attractive.
hey joe pm me your address and I will send you one of those wm eagle claw rods. I have a couple that i love to play with i think a 7’6" wt or something in that area. they are cheap, they are a hybrid glass/graphite, they have a slow parabolic action (like those old monty boo rods). they are pretty well built for the price, will force you to slow down and enjoy the day. really lively rod with a fish on. i have caught nice bows (12-15 inch class), 3lb large mouth bass and tons of bluegills on them.
you know from past experience what fishing, any fishing, with glass is like. it will bring back some fond memories i bet.
Thanks Eric. Too cool.
You have a PM.
I fell back into glass rods awhile ago. Glass rods-Gotta luv em!
P.S the 2010 8ft is a good workhorse rod,I like the cosmetics on that year.
It wouldn’t hurt to hunt down a couple of the first batch Diamondglass rods either.
A Diamondglass rod has always been on my want-list. But the price has always been too prohibitive for me.
I’ve always been a fiberglass fan and didn’t buy my first graphite trout rod until well into the '90s
My father built and gifted me a Lamiglas 4wt in '72 and that was main stick for many years.
Nowadaze, I most often fish a late '50s Phillipson Royal along with a '63 Wright & McGill Feather Light, the predecessor of the EagleClaw Featherlight. The old W&M has a normal brass ferrule and IMO casts much better than the funky EagleClaw butt over tip ferrule. But it was a cheap rod even then.
In my opinion, that’s a good one to keep your eyes open for. I “grew up” in this sport on graphite, but always longed for a feel that wasn’t there in most of the graphite rods, a feel for the line when casting and, more significantly, an ability to feel every head shake of the fish on the other end, that I felt like I experienced less as my rods got supposedly more sophisticated (expensive) and faster. A few years ago, before they discontinued them, I bought the Diamondglass in the 8 foot 4 wt. configuration, and it’s probably the most enjoyable rod I fish. If it weren’t for the fact that most of my fishing here is on a big, sprawling tailwater where I’m unfortunately more likely to need to throw a lot of “junk” long distances and/or use a sink tip line, it would easily be my most used rod too. As it is, it’s an amazingly versatile rod. I don’t own any of the older fiberglass rods, but my sense is that this one strikes the perfect balance, for me at least. The “S” glass that Diamondback uses is just a shade faster than the “E” glass that’s more common in the older rods at least. While the “S” is still way slower than graphite, it gives the rod some versatility that I didn’t think I’d have with an “E” glass model. For me, it wasn’t practical, financially or otherwise, to have a rod that was effectively a dries-only rod, even when it comes to smaller waters where I’d use a 3 or 4 weight. Much as I wish I lived somewhere where I could count on a hatch of some type most times I fish, it’s regrettably the exception rather than the rule for me. While I want to enjoy and be able to make those delicate, technical casts when I’m lucky enough to find myself in those circumstances, the realities are that I need a rod that can also capably cast a nymph or two, probably with some weight and possibly with an indicator. When I get to a deep pool and nothing’s going on, I don’t want to be precluded from tying on a modest size bugger because my rod struggles with anything beyond a size 14 BWO and likewise, if the wind kicks up, I don’t want to face a myriad of limitations because of the rod I brought that day. For me, that Diamondglass has been a home run in that it performs beautifully on all those fronts, and the feel as I described it above is simply remarkable.
You might keep your eyes open for used ones. They don’t come up often and when they do, are frequently sold for very near what they commanded new, but once in awhile there’s an unexpected bargain. I noticed recently that Cortland has re-released the line, I think on the same blanks and again with the “S” glass. It sounds as if the blanks may be rolled overseas, but I guess that’s not that big a deal anymore, and I think they are all four pieces now, which is nice. Most of the old ones, mine included, were two piece, which is a little bit of a nuisance, but one I happily endure.
This is a trap you’ll fall deeper and deeper into. I did, and I have zero regrets. I went ahead and splurged on a Steffen and the 8’ 5/6 is probably the most versatile rod I own. It lays dries down with nary a ripple and hucks junk with the best of them, If I feel like throwing a big articulated streamer, it’ll do that as well. Then, you’ll start fishing classic glass…it goes on and on. my Fenwick FF857 is probably the second most versatile rod I own and I’ll steelhead fish with it a fair amount. The FF909 is another fun one, but is a beast…I’ve added an extended fighting butt to it to make it more two-hand friendly and it’ll throw a 300 grain short scandi head really nicely along with a short 320-400gr skagit head with 8.5’ of T11. Then there’s the one that hasn’t even seen the water yet (at least not by me), The Equalizer…the System 12 (SA 9’ 12wt). It’s a fun addiction to have…
Eric’s Eagle Claw Featherlight showed up today. What a charm it is to cast. I lays line down as soft as you please. Thanks Eric.
I’ve noticed no one has mentioned what I personally consider the king of the glass rods, Peak. Russ Peak was way ahead of his time and pushed the design of all wrapped rods. There are some around, I’ve cast a couple and do not own one. The prices are not cheap - but they weren’t when they were made either.
I too just got my Featherlight rod and love it. It has a real classic feel. I also have a Phillipson Master and a Wonderod. Love all three