Great Waters FF Expo; Strip-Built Rod report

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
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Once again, had a great time at the Great Waters Flyfishing Expo in Minneapolis. Saw some old friends and made some new friends. Can’t get any better than that!

Had a chance to put some different lines on the strip-built ash rod (Thanks to the St. Croix reps! They were very helpful). After a little experimentation we settled on a 4 weight. The rod handled a 3 wt. OK but the 4 wt. loaded a little better and the 5 wt. was a bit much.

Overall, the rod was a little slower and softer than I would have liked but I’m pleased. The most important thing is that it didn’t break! Kathy Scott, Dan Brown (7 Pines Lodge in Wisconsin) and 2 St. Croix reps each cast the rod a few times and all seemed to agree that in was a perfectly functional fly rod.

I got a lot of nice compliments on the rod, although I think most people would have been too polite to have said it was the ugliest thing they had ever seen even if they thought it.

In my next effort I am going to tweak the taper a bit and see what effect that will have on the action. I’ll keep you posted.

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I liked it!

At first wiggle, it struck me like a slow action bamboo rod.

Royce was so patience with me, and when I finally was freed up, found a line again so I could cast. Nice! With a stop and wait in the backcast, it easily laid out the 4wt line for me to a nice fishable distance.

I’d be curious to see if casting on water slows it down even more, and what making the same taper but omitting the last foot (the thinnest part of this rod) would do to the action.

And don’t let Royce’s modesty fool you. He chose a beautiful brown thread which accented the light ash and the reel seat beautifully, a handsome rod. And the wooden case! Beautiful!

Thanks for sharing it,
Kat