This past winter,I recommended to a member here that they not purchase a popular/inexpensive rod. I was politely told by a number of other members that I didn’t know what I was talking about. I vowed to give this rod an other chance. I even bought a new(used) line for it thinking that a DT might work better than a WF.
I have fly fished for a long time but I don’t consider my self an expert on fly fishing, fly casting, fly rods, or anything else(except maybe cheap beer).But I’m pretty sure this rod is a P.O.S.
As I was sitting in my canoe yesterday trying to make this rod fuction I thought about what I like about my rods that I consider good.
For me it all boils down to false casting.
With my favorate trout rod I can pick up the line, make a single haul on the back cast, and shoot the cast where I want it to go.
With other rods that I enjoy fishing, if I make more than 2 or 3 false casts, I’ve done some thing wrong. This goes for cane,glass, and plastic. Slow, medium, and fast. 4 to 10 weight.
On my inferior rods(like the one in question) there is a lot of false casting just to get line taper out and then it still may collapse as if there was too much slack.
Just my layman’s opinion
“Nick’s heart tightened as the trout moved. He felt all the old feeling” …Ernest Hemingway
[This message has been edited by dudley (edited 12 August 2005).]
Every rod that I have kept (as opposed to bought) has had that “feel” that you describe. From the first cast, they were just right. I would be hard-pressed to describe that “feel” objectively, except to say that an certain effortless level of accuracy is a factor. Oddly enough, they’re all from different mfr’s, and some are high-modulus graphite, some are low-modulus, some are bamboo and one is fiberglass.
While a great caster can make a broomstick work, the rest of us just hope to find rods that suit our idiosyncrasies.
I’m certainly not an expert caster. But excepting one older and really long, overly heavy fiberglass, I’ve never met a rod I actually disliked. I’ve found that by tuning myself into the rod’s capabilities and what it wants to do, I can extract enjoyment and success from just about any fly rod. Even the lowly POS’s. Just my $0.02
I know what you mean, dudley!
I’ve cast rods that I couldn’t wait to give back to the owner or shop keeper or couldn’t wait to sell.
Sure you can make a dead twig cast a line but, c’mon, how much ‘joy’ is that? There is a lot to be said for action, weight and even cosmetics.
I have gotten some true dawgs of rods to work better by fiddling around with different line types but sometimes a dawg is just a dawg and no amount of kicking it will change that!
There is no shame in finding out a rod does not fit your needs or expectations exactly and absolutely no reason to live with it. Between ebay and sites like this that rod will likely easily find a new home and you can go out and get a rod that better suits your needs.
I can make shoes that don’t fit work too, I’m just glad I don’t HAVE to!
[This message has been edited by Jackster (edited 12 August 2005).]
Gandalf,
Yes I have tried other line weights on this rod as I have on most of my other rods.
I have 25-30 fly rods. Most of which are old, beat-up or cheap. Tomato stake stuff. I try to fish them all at least once a year(or else why keep them). Out of the bunch it’s only two or three that I feel are realy poor casting tools.
This is one.
I like a rod that’s well balanced and feels light in the hand. I like to feel the line in the air, and be able to haul even with a little line out. I don’t like to feel the rod flex in the grip, I also prefer a smooth transition of power. I hate a “Hingy” rod that the action is not true.
Do this… If’n ya don’t like it, lose it!
The rod I started out on cost me 30 bucks and it too was a POS. (I know, “…get what you pay for”) I wouldn’t bet I could give it away, but there might be someone out there that would love the rod (not any longer than I did, probably).
My point is that a rod should be to YOUR liking, not the maker’s, your buddy’s, your girlfriend’s, or anyone else’s. I probably don’t have the right rod for me now, I don’t know for sure. But if I cast one that I like slightly more than what I’m using, I might switch… Just for me.
There’s almost nothin’ wrong with the first lie, it’s the weight of all the others holdin’ it up that gets ya’! - Tim
The only thing is I hardly ever give up a rod. What I have found is that a couple I thought were marginal at best somehow these days seem really nice. What changed? Me or the rod?
“if there was too much slack.”
I do not understand this. Will slack not give you fits, no matter what rod you are trying to cast with? Isn’t slack one of the great robbers of casting effeciency?
…lee s.
I made the mistake once posting a question about what type of rod I should buy. Big mistake. You know what they say about opinions and certain body parts. Everyone has them. Bottom (no pun intended) line is fish what is comfortable to you.
When I use a rod that doesn’t throw the line like I think it should, either the guides are too small or the rod has a shocking way of returning to straight (I won’t say dampening, because if it was truly dampening it would be smooth). I think the shocking tip bounce hurts both my arm and the fluidity of the cast. Move that rod along; you just don’t like it.
AlexN, life’s too short for anything but sharing a great love, fine cognac, and 3" thick rare steaks. The rest, including the dog and fly tackle choices are just filler.
