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STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 27 Mar 2013, 21:45 • #1 
Sport
Joined: 07/18/05
Posts: 42
Location: US-CO
I surely don’t want to start any discord among anglers and builders with these two questions. I'm just seeking honest opinions.

How important is the straightness of a glass rod to you if it doesn’t influence the rod’s performance?

At what price-point would it become a concern to you?

Thank you for the input of all who chose to respond.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 27 Mar 2013, 22:05 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
caneson wrote:
At what price-point would it become a concern to you?

I own and fish a few with slight bends and warbles.
For 'glass, I think I would expect reasonably "straight" at $200 and up,
unless it was a very desirable vintage rod, perhaps.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 27 Mar 2013, 22:26 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/22/07
Posts: 871
Location: Out West
Forward. Never straight.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 28 Mar 2013, 06:08 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
Right on Leocreek.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 28 Mar 2013, 06:53 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Almost all blanks have some curvature. If it basically follows the spine, that's about as good as it gets. If a blank is crookedy, with irregular or zig-zag twists, not so good. Some that are like that will perform just fine; they have to be judged on a more individual basis.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 28 Mar 2013, 09:53 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
I dislike fishing with rods that are crooked. That said, all of em are a tad bit off.
Keith


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 28 Mar 2013, 11:04 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/24/06
Posts: 1507
Location: Beautiful View, WA
My rods are all quite straight. At least, they are as straight as you can discern given that the weight of the blank and guides will bend a rod on its own. If I noticed a rod was bent beyond that natural sag (like a Lami honey I once owned), I would be bothered a bit by it.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 28 Mar 2013, 13:14 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/09/11
Posts: 888
Location: Athens GA
I'm pretty much with Lugan except I'd probably pass on such a rod even if it performed well. If it was bamboo, I could tolerate it but only if I thought I could take the set out from time to time with heat and careful bending. Jim


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 28 Mar 2013, 16:27 • #9 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/05/11
Posts: 702
Location: US-FL
I had a yellow Scott 8.6ft 7wt. It slightly curved to the right. Other than that. It was a great casting rod. Powerful too.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 28 Mar 2013, 17:45 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/05/10
Posts: 5229
Location: Mid Hudson Valley of New York
I think the answer depends on whether you are the buyer or seller.

if I were the seller/maker, I would, given that there will always or nearly always be some degree of crookedness to a blank, establish a personal benchmark/standard on what is acceptable for me to build on.

if I were buyer paying hard earned money to have a rod built I would expect a straight rod ... unless I had been advised otherwise.

at the end of the day, straightness is in the eye of the beholder, and in a perfect world honesty is the best policy.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 28 Mar 2013, 20:22 • #11 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/15/06
Posts: 804
Location: Fayetteville, NC
Dennis Franke (Glastech Rods) used to straighten his blanks with a technique he learned from Russ Peak. I believe it involved suspending the sections with weight and subjecting them to some form of heat. Whatever he did, his rods were arrow straight and the ones I've seen remain so after nearly two decades. Keep in mind that most of his blanks were rolled by Mark Steffen to his specs, so they were probably pretty straight to begin with.

In my experience, fishermen tend to adapt to rod curvature and manage to get the fly on target, so this is largely a matter of aesthetics and pride of craftsmanship.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 29 Mar 2013, 11:42 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/29/06
Posts: 4413
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Had a nice McFarland blem with a good curve on the tip. It cast just fine. I sold it and the buyer fishes the heck out of it. Cross Creek is right in that we adapt.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 29 Mar 2013, 12:55 • #13 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/20/12
Posts: 980
Location: Eugene, OR
I recently acquired a one-piece Fenwick FL-72 with a curve to the top third of the rod. The curve goes along with the spine of the rod, luckily, but whoever built this one out has the guides 90 degrees out of whack. Once I get the guides repositioned, I don't think it will be a problem. I am curious about that straightening process that involves heating/weights though. Anyone tried this?


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Re: FLEX FITNESS?
Post 29 Mar 2013, 13:18 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/29/10
Posts: 1048
Location: Osage Orange Range, North Texas, US
Quote:
How important is the straightness of a glass rod to you if it doesn’t influence the rod’s performance?

It isn't just a hypothetical question since I've just received an approximately 7'8" Lamiglas blank (said to have been cut and ferruled by James Green and using hollow spigots) that has some tip deviation. What jumped out at me, though, is 1) "Wow, this thing is light", and, more importantly, 2) "Hey, this blank flexes smoothly and deeply, and it isn't a wiggle-wart." (Next thoughts were along the lines of, "This could be what I've been looking for", and "It's probably an oddity, a one-of-a-kind, never to be duplicated.")

Straight seems easier to find than honest line ratings and appealing flex profiles. Would it be nice to have both? Yes. However, a broom stick is straight, but I don't want to fish with it.


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Re: STRAIGHTNESS?
Post 29 Mar 2013, 21:01 • #15 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
Lunker75 wrote:
. Anyone tried this?

You have to be very careful with applying heat to a glass blank to straighten it. I horrifically broke a tip on a vintage fenwick 7' #5 yellow blank once. I was devastated ...


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