Kalgrm wrote:
bulldog1935 wrote:
It's a 4-pc rod with two handles. All four pieces makes an 8'10" 5-wt progressive taper.
The extra handle with the tip and mid makes a 3-pc. 6'9" parabolic 6-wt.
Interesting, both rod configurations will shoot about the same length of line, telling how important the mid of a rod is for doing that job.
It also goes to show how small the impact of an extra couple of feet in rod length make to distance casting. It's why I laugh at people who agonise over the choice between a 9' rod and an 8'6" rod due to the perceived loss of casting distance they'll incur. Give me a good rod* that's 8' or less and I'll be happy ....
Cheers,
Graeme
* ... in any material.
Had to grin a bit reading this. It profiles me to a tee I think.
I'm a relatively newcomer to fly fishing, only 20 yrs. in. I began with graphite and figured it was an "end-all" right there. The best rods were FAST...right? Man, how I've changed!!
The first thing a needed was to become a decent caster. I've worked hard at it and maybe gotten about half way there. I had a friend who had a bamboo rod and being a "wood guy", serious hobby furniture-maker/woodworker, the beauty caught me a bit. I couldn't cast my graphites really well, couldn't control the loops etc and like most newbies, I mastered making "wind knots". I figured if I could cast that one bamboo well I'd tighten up my loops on my Sages!!
Well, after a couple seasons in, I did just that! Cool, now I could just zip those graphites as I so chose. Yup, I could but I'd also changed. Now, it wasn't all about speed and 8" dia. loops...!!!
I got taken in by bamboo! Long story short...lots of $$ down the road, lots of nice rods ...more $$ down the road and now a bunch of extremely nice bamboo's by some historical makers, Payne, Leonard etc. Been really costly. And I love 'em!!
I run into a friend on-stream one day in Wisconsin and we had a fine day. Vlad became a good friend and remains so. He also fishes glass, furled leaders (I never would have otherwise!!) and is a superb caster! I found glass thru Vlad and have been very amazed at just how far glass has come sinc eI was a kid in high school and all I knew back then was Fenwick! (Aslo another fine rod, as I've come to realize!)
So, I've totally changed. I'm a fairly/pretty decent line handler. I love bamboo's and always will but I've also found glass and had my eyes opened!! Never knew I'd find a few that I love so much, thanks to a few guys here. And if ya wanna get snarky about it, it's costing me a whole lot less than the bamboo's but....we won't go there!! I'm still a "bamboo boy"!
Back to Graeme's final few words....."Give me a good rod - in any material..."....that just made me grin, bigtime! I couldn't agree more.
I think I love 'em all! With apologies for the blabbing. I really do love a fine fly fishing rod, I really do. And it's cost me...
I'm happy.