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Go cheap or go home! :)
Post 26 Apr 2021, 18:25 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/18/12
Posts: 1712
Location: Bozeman, MT
So I had a chance to get out on the water today. I got to thinking about all the high end rods and reels one has and how I have forgotten about the good old stand by that collect dust in the closet. So today I broke out an old 6'6" solid fiberglass quad. This bugger was made by Wright & McGill in 1953. I strapped an old 1978 USA Pflueger Medalist 1492 to it and laced the reel with an old Bamboo fly line from 1980. You know those lines that don't stretch and make it easy to snap off any trout that strikes too hard. The rod was $20.00, the reel another $20.00 and who knows what the heck I paid for a line that sucks. So a total of about 50 bucks. Well, to my great surprise I was able to find the combination worked amazingly well and I put the steel to a few of these beauties. So I say "Go Cheap or Go Home!" :) Check it out!
Mark


20"s ! Well, "OK" 19+ :)




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Post 26 Apr 2021, 19:36 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/09/16
Posts: 746
Location: Colorado
Love it!


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Post 26 Apr 2021, 19:47 • #3 
Guide
Joined: 02/15/15
Posts: 141
Location: US-LA
Mark, I'm right behind you. On the way is a Phillipson "Sure Strike Special" trade rod, an 8' 2 pc. 6 wt. made on the tobacco colored blanks. Green wraps tipped red, the "no rock" reel seat is anodized red and green. Included is a Sears (Bronson) red reel that's a dead match to the seat. Might need sunglasses inside with it and the only downside is I'll have around twice as much in it as you have in your outfit.


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Post 26 Apr 2021, 22:21 • #4 
Master Guide
Joined: 03/20/07
Posts: 849
Location: US-TX
Good on you. Love it


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Post 26 Apr 2021, 22:40 • #5 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/11/20
Posts: 378
Location: Dallas, TX
All looks absolutely tremendous. Rod, reel, waterway and fish. Bravo.


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Post 27 Apr 2021, 00:45 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/30/11
Posts: 1231
Location: Fresno, CA
This is great!


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Post 27 Apr 2021, 06:09 • #7 
Sport
Joined: 01/01/14
Posts: 49
Location: US-OK
Mark,

You continue to live the good life in MT. I always enjoy your posts, both here and on the
Bamboo Forum. I do have 2 questions. You mentioned the rod as a "quad"; it's really a
"4-sided (square) design? Also--about the 1492. I thought they were RHW, but I notice
your reel is setup for LHW with the small, square line guide facing the rear. Is this reel a
"DA version", or did you make any adjustments to it to use it in LHW mode?

Thanks- Ken


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Post 27 Apr 2021, 06:58 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/09/10
Posts: 1355
Location: US-CA
Sweet!


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Post 27 Apr 2021, 07:42 • #9 
Sport
Joined: 06/12/13
Posts: 26
Location: US-TX
That is so great!


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Post 27 Apr 2021, 09:24 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/18/12
Posts: 1712
Location: Bozeman, MT
Hi Ken,
Yes, the rod is absolutely square and solid. I suspect that W&M cut the blank down from a round blank that was solid. No way to wrap the fiberglass sheets around a square mandrel.
As for the reel. I simply wound the line on in reverse. Then turned the reel around. It's a RHW reel. It's not what it should be but it works. :)
The line was from the Burgess Co. One of the worst fly lines ever created. IMHO. :)
All of the trout I caught this day were on the surface. They were taking a #18 Tan Caddis.
Mark


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Post 28 Apr 2021, 15:03 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/25/16
Posts: 1069
Location: Rocky Mountains - Colorado
Very very cool!

Quick story...when I decided I wanted to try fly fishing my wife just about stroked out. Her boss at the time was a high end gear fly fisherman and talked all the time about his new Simms waders ($800) and the newest Scott Rod ($700) and the classic Hardy Bros reel ($600) and the list goes on and on.....

I assured her I was not interested in the high end gear, and would keep it reasonable. That led me here and to vintage glass and medalist reels and sales at Cabela's and Bass Pro. I got on the water with rod and reel and waders and shoulder bag and for less than $250...AND I was able to use gift cards I had collected for the new items that I needed, so little $$ taken from the household budget...

My wife suggested that I should have fly fished rather than the 20 years I spent as a "gun guy"...

Plus finding vintage/cheap gear is fun and fishing it is even funner!


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Post 28 Apr 2021, 18:02 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/18/12
Posts: 1712
Location: Bozeman, MT
Good on Ya!


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Post 02 May 2021, 11:41 • #13 
Guide
Joined: 02/18/19
Posts: 157
Location: US-ID
Let's see, my two cheap glass setups:

Fenwick FF70 2 piece, with Daiwa 730 reel, which came with 5DT line. $40 rod $30 reel & line = $70.

Berkley buccaneer 8' 6 piece with herter's 709L reel, with SA DT6 line. Rod $25, reel $5, Line $10 = $40

I wish, given my location that the thrift stores and pawn shops would have some nice classic fly fishing gear, but no such luck. The only item I've got from a thrift store was my son finding the herter's reel.

I have to say, I do enjoy the berkley setup as it can go in a backpack with ease. But I really enjoy the fenwick setup at the ponds. While a 5wt, the bend with a fish on is so enjoyable.

When my friends say that you need to spend at least $200 for a good reel, I just smile. It doesn't have to be expensive, but I've spent up for nice fly gear too, but you don't have to.


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Post 03 May 2021, 00:04 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
That’s pretty cool.


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Post 03 May 2021, 10:30 • #15 
Guide
Joined: 10/19/17
Posts: 127
Location: West of the east and east of the west
Hey, some of us go cheap every day; just sayin'! Like...

Browning Silaflex ($20.00) with matching Browning reel ($30; had to join the spey casting site to be able to contact the seller; no charge), River Traditions line ($12) = $62.00
Image

H&I Mohawk rod ($40) with Pflueger 1494 reel ($20), River Traditions line ($12) = $72.00
Image

My all-time cheapest: South Bend #76 ($2.50) with South Bend Finalist 1122 reel with line ($14.00) = $16.50
Long gone and no pic found


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