I spent the 3rd week of June on the Missouri with a handfull of glass rods. Met up with 11 others from my "old" club and drifted with guides for 3 days, waded for 2. I used a ********* 8'9" 5 wt for dries and either a Larry Kenny 8'6" 6 wt or my FF84 5 wt for nymphing. Many 16 to 22 inch fish with all rods, one guide mentioned that having a fiberglass rod in his boat was like bringing a knife to a gunfight but after seeing how the glass rods bent into the grip to fight and lift fish to the net for a quicker release than the graphite rods in the boat that only bent to the 3rd snakeguide, not much was said except "nice fish."

The FF84 with its Medalist 1494 that I've had since high school in the late '60s got a few head shakes too while we were rigging up at the launch but that combo has caught innumerable amounts of trout over decades but this it caught many of the 16-22 inch fish during this week, bigger than it's caught before.

I'd have told him I was keeping his tip so I could afford to upgrade .

Sounds like a great time catching those fish and especially getting together with the guys from your group.

It seems to me many guides have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to fishing gear.

Nice report - nice trip. Congrats!

Love it! Great report!

This is damn good thread.

I get weird looks using old and less technical glass rods at popular locations. They catch fish just fine.

The guides' primary concern is boating some good fish for the client to take their pic with and for that the best tool is a cheap, stiff graphite rod chucking split shot and weighted nymphs under a bobber. Fishing pleasure is way down on the scale of concern.

We are headed up than in early-late September, hope we can have memorable day.