I started with a couple of broomstick-like rods my parents got me at Fleet Farm. I think the first was a 5wt and the second was an 8wt. None of us knew any better at the time. Eventually we found the only fly shop in the Twin Cities at the time, and I saved up my allowance money to buy a Cortland GRF1000 8' 5wt, which was much better. But still I didn't know there were even better options until I took some inheritance money I got when my grandmother died in the late 90s, and bought myself a Sage LL 586. Holy moly, was that a difference! Now that I am a glass fanatic, the LL is the only graphite rod I still have, so I guess I would have to say it was first true rod love...

Bought my first fiberglass rod in 1970 at the local supermarket, Food Basket in Easton, PA. Still see the tag for $19.95 on the rod in plastic bag in with another 50 rods of different shapes and sizes mostly spinning rods. Knew beans about rods but liked the yellow-tan color and the action of the rod. It was "my rod" for 40 years. Not a do everything rod but I used it for everything: mostly trout but also bass, panfish, and even carp. Put it in the trunk of my car at the beginning of PA trout season and it lived there until fall. Went through two sets of guides, cork is now dried out a bit. When I retired in 2010 treated myself to a couple of black Diamondglass rods, 804 and 703 and moved to New Zealand. For a while the rod sat in a corner in the closet. Though I would be a little undergunned with it. But got it back out and had more success, now back in the rotation with the Fenwicks, Steffens, etc. Still can get the job done: Heddon Pro Weight 7ft.5wt.

I liked a 7'9" Shakespeare Wonderod, once I figured out it really wanted a 6 line rather than a 5, but the first glass fly rod that I really loved was a Johnson Profile/Phillipson 6 1/2' rod which Harry Murray, owner of Murray's Fly Shop in Edinburg, VA, had used while writing his book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah Park. It fishes well in close but also has an extra "gear" when you have enough line out to slingshot longer casts with feel and accuracy, a parabolic action. Not to mention the mojo of this rod catching numerous Shenandoah brook and brown trout before it passed on to me.

Harry had Scott design a special mountain small stream graphite rod for him so he let this rod go, although he told me it took a number of iterations before they developed a rod that had the action he wanted.

Kevin



Harry Murray's Phillipson glass trout rod - the tube is dinged from bouncing around in the back of his pickup on rough mountain roads.

There are some great responses on here, this has turned into a really fun thread!

After 14 years of graphite a J Green original series 733 converted me to glass 11 years ago… and counting.

Scott G 856/2.

Great story stream!

I bought my first fly rod when I was a young teenager in the '70s with no clue about rod weights, fly lines, etc. To me it was "a fly rod"! It was a St. Croix 8wt (I still have it) and it was basically just a frustration to me. God only knows what weight and type of line I was trying to teach myself to cast with.

Several years later, I took some work money, birthday money, Christmas money, etc. and bought an Orvis Green Mountain 9' 4pc 5wt. outfit with the correct reel, line, and leader. It was a revelation...

really cool looking custom Scott!