Indeed the Hardy Perfection ... but the Hardy Fibalite Perfection 7ft 8in #5 (or the SA system five).
Or it's shorter lighter 4wt 7ft 2in brother (or the SA system four). Both these were improvements over the original Fibalite (non-Perfection) equivalents at 7'6 (5wt) and 7' (4wt) respectively.
Crisp and authoritative with reserves of casting and fishing-fighting power (sorry if I sound like Marty Keane), but not harsh. Not 'buttah', like the current Perfections, these older classics offer more fly/tippet flexibility.

Tight lines,

Alistair

For me, without question is is the Lamiglas 7 1/2 ft 4 wt. My favorite rod--I admit to owning three of them. One 6 pc, one 3 pc, one 2 pc. They are all slow and sweet and smooth. The only rod I have that is slower (and a better popper rod) is an old Garcia 7'3".

In the 7 1/2 ft length, few know that a Cortland Pro Crest (5 wt) has a very similar action to the Lamiglas for about 1/4 the price--as few look for them in the aftermarket.

My next choices would include a Pflueger Supreme (6 wt, a Wonderod by Shakespeare), Fenwick FF765 Fenglas for 5 wt (but I like a 6 wt on it). Fenwick FF756 (vintage) for 6 wt.

Never have cast a Hardy or any of the retro-glass rods other than the Fenwicks so I can't really comment on several of the high end rods made today.

paveglass

I also have a 6 pc 6 1/2 ft version of the Lamiglas and I agree it is significantly faster. I also have a 6 pc and 3 pc version of the 8 ft 5 wt. They are terrific rods also--especially if the wind is blowing a bit, but the sweetheart of that series is the 7 1/2 ft 4 wt--and the number of pieces doesn't seem to change the action when I compare them.

Did you just get that lami as a custom rod on ebay? The one I saw recently looked nice.

paveglass

My favorite 7 1/2 glass rod is also the 7 1/2' 4-weight Lami. Oddly enough, I think it's a fast rod, not slow.

Thanks paveglass. By the way, I'm talking about the 2-piece rod. I don't know if the others are any different. If you flex the rod, you'll see that most of the bending is in the tip. That's what I mean by "fast action", not necessarily the timing.

If you are looking for an even slower rod than those listed, here's one. Garcia made a 7'3" rod for a 6 that is labeled S-636 Conolon Dry Fly Action. I think an earlier version of it was a 2636. These were manufactured as "three star" rods, or their least expensive rods.

This baby is waaaaay sloooow. I use it for poppers for bluegill and bass from my kayak. Even I (Mr. Do Not Underline a Fine Glass Rod-Man) use it with a 5. Not a lot of reach, a good boat rod, bulletproof, and the kind of rod where you can change you mind halfway through a front-cast and redirect the popper. Deep flexing but enough of a tip that it is still pretty accurate. Haven't seen many around, but I have managed to get two of them.

paveglass

I agree the Parametric is a bit faster. I have one of the 7 ft 5 wt Travel Mates that has 5 pc and it could stand a 6 wt line to slow it down a bit. Plenty of backbone though. I also agree theat the 6 1/2 ft lamiglas is faster than the 7 1/2 ft rods by a fair amount, so some of this may be attributed to length.

I remember the posts Marshall is talking about and I likewise recall that the 7 1/2 ft was considered the sweetheat of the lot and that the 7 ft 3 pc was also a winner but more of a small stream rod.

paveglass

Now here's something different. No one's mentioned Steffan Bros. Although I know next to nothing about glass (but I'm learning) No one has said anything on this thread about them.
And being a newbie, what is the SA system 4/5. I figured out/assuming it's a Scientific Anglers rod built by Hardy? And if so when were they built. Are these rods hard to come by?
Questions, questions, questions ...
Alan

My earlier post recommending the 7 1/2' Diamondglass was a narrow focus with some filters. Horsesho is correct about Fisher. They are a marvelous casting rod but a little harder to find. The Hardy Jet is Fisher along with the older SA rods mentioned above along with the older Winstons. I have a custom wrapped Fisher 7'4" two piece that I would say is rated for a -2 line weight. It is so much softer than a Sage 0 its amazing. It is the softest rod I have ever handled and is a joy to cast to small fish on a small stream. I use a Monic Micro DT2 line on it that weighs in around a 0 weight or the first 13' of a finely tapered silk line (.024) and memories are made.

If you want a 7 1/2' rod that handles a 6wt line its hard to beat a Para/metric or Phillipson that are both easy to acquire.

While I have yet to handle a Steffen rod I would imagine they produce one of the best rods available in the lighter line weights. I try to buy used though and these do not seem to come up like the $175-$200 Diamondglass rods that at that price point are hard to resist and are excellent handling rods.

Marshall