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Post 04 Apr 2018, 05:12 • #26 
Inactive
Joined: 06/01/14
Posts: 190
Location: Pennsylvania
Glassmaster and I were discussing this awhile back and I agree with him!

Yellow Fenwicks are the best Fenwick IMO. Besides just look at my screen name. ;-)

My FL72-6 6'1" 1pc 4wt is what got me into fiberglass rods to begin with!


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Post 06 Apr 2018, 14:25 • #27 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
I remember thinking how ugly tip over butt was when I first saw it. Still think it is unattractive, but while I am catching fish it don't bother me much. IMHO there is no casting advantage to the design. My 8.5ft Fenwick (325 I think?) with metal ferrule is the nicest casting Fenwick I own.

I can't recall owning a yellow Fenwick, so can't comment on that. When we were kids we got Lami blanks more often than not.


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Post 09 Apr 2018, 01:07 • #28 
New Member
Joined: 07/23/16
Posts: 7
Location: CA-BC
I have an ff786 that I use for trout on the wild rivers of Vancouver Island. I love it for dry fly fishing but I don't know what would happen if a steelhead ever hits an offering delivered by this rod.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B073Pz ... sp=sharing


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Post 09 Apr 2018, 18:56 • #29 
Inactive
Joined: 02/16/14
Posts: 618
Location: Roanoke, VA
Image

Image

Image

I like the yeller I rebuilt. A lot! FL96-6


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Post 09 Apr 2018, 19:45 • #30 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
i have an 856 i took in a trade.What do folks here like about it?I only lawn cast it a couple times and it was so so with wf6 line.I only have kept it because i believe it would be a nice rod for dry flies for stream trout which i have never fished for but hope to this fall.I have 6 vintage glass 6wt rods .this is the only one over 7'6.Does this rod like a dt line better?


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Post 15 Dec 2021, 04:47 • #31 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/21/21
Posts: 447
Location: Florida
Well I stumbled upon a great FF 856 on the auction site and got it for a song. Well worth the risk for the price. I’ve cast a Cortland DT 6 and an AirCel Bass 7 and the rod does very well with both. I use it on local lakes and the length makes it cast further than my FF 807. It is a fun rod to fight the Large Mouths on and doesn’t overpower them as fast as the 807 does. Only reason I took a punt on the FF 856 was because of the recommendations on here from people whose opinions I respect and they did not steer me wrong.


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Post 15 Dec 2021, 13:01 • #32 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/09/05
Posts: 2524
Location: US-CO
I'll agree with the FF-786/FL-6 fans. The extra few inches are an improvement over the FF-756, and I have always favored rods of that length...Shakespeare got that right in the 50s. It is not my favorite Fenwick, but is probably the most underrated. Holdover likes my second choice which is the FF-837/FL-7 which is very nice also.

I had an FF-535 just think it is too short to be more than a toy, casts nice though...although Bulldog's positive words about the Phillipsons led me to buy a nice registered one with both a 5 wt and 6 wt tip. It is probably the top rod in my collection since I parted with my Dr Howald Purist a few years ago.


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Post 17 Dec 2021, 19:41 • #33 
Sport
Joined: 12/18/15
Posts: 95
Location: Annapolis, MD
I love my FF856, it's my go-to saltwater schoolie rod for stripers here on the Chesapeake Bay, a Pflueger 1495 1/2 and a 7wt intermediate are perfect for it.


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Post 17 Dec 2021, 21:30 • #34 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/26/14
Posts: 3578
Location: US-MN
Love my FF85, FF79, FF806-4, and FF75-4, but they seem to get a lot of love on the forum. For underrated, I'll go with my FF856-5. Great to travel with and will toss #22 dries to #2 bass bugs.


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Post 18 Dec 2021, 16:41 • #35 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
I don't know if there is an underrated Fenwick or a bad Fenwick. There are rods that are a bit less common or less talked about. The FF90 is very nice and for some reason, the FF80 doesn't seem to get the respect it deserves.


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Post 28 Aug 2022, 22:51 • #36 
Guide
Joined: 07/12/22
Posts: 207
I just picked up an FF86. After recently buying a pre-serial number FF75 , I asked the seller if she had any more Fenwicks. Only an FF86 with a broken guide. $50 dollars plus shipping. Just recently did my first guide replacement and was surprised how easy it was it was and how well it came out. So add another to the list. Will let you know how it casts after my repair.
Mine is a K26851 and will probably do duty tossing balanced leaches under indicators in early spring and late fall Stillwaters.

I thought I was replying to Bloodhounds post but now realize that the data base doesn’t work that way. Sorry for any confusion. Was intending to continue the conversation about the perception that the FF86 is rare. Probably due to it being introduced late in the two digit series. The Fenwick book describes it with an * as new and improved for 1972 in the 1972 catalog. That theoretically makes my K one of those. But what does that mean? Does anyone know of an earlier Serial number year. It would be interesting to compare the “original” to the “new and improved” version.


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Post 29 Aug 2022, 08:50 • #37 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/09/09
Posts: 2796
Location: US-NM
Hands down the HMG 704,there’s one for sale now on the forum.This is the first gen. With the shorter handle great with a 4wt.line........Aurelio


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Post 29 Aug 2022, 09:19 • #38 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
FF70, FF84

are my favorites of the FF2digits


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Post 29 Aug 2022, 10:05 • #39 
Sport
Joined: 05/13/18
Posts: 69
Location: US-KS
I would agree with the FF706-4. You don't see many for sale and not a lot of posts about them. I do fish the one i have with 444 6wf going to give it a taste of SA creek to see how it likes it. The FF706-2 is a little better casting rod but i don't give it as much fishing time.


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Post 29 Aug 2022, 11:47 • #40 
Guide
Joined: 12/29/10
Posts: 131
Location: US-CA
Hey Bulldog,
What line do you like with the Fenwick 535? I have one and I have not felt like I have found the right line for that rod. I appreciate all of your experience and would love to hear what line you like with it.


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Post 29 Aug 2022, 12:55 • #41 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/20/12
Posts: 980
Location: Eugene, OR
aurelio corso wrote:
Hands down the HMG 704,there’s one for sale now on the forum.This is the first gen. With the shorter handle great with a 4wt.line........Aurelio

Yeah, what he said!


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Post 29 Aug 2022, 20:02 • #42 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
aurelio corso wrote:
Hands down the HMG 704,there’s one for sale now on the forum.This is the first gen. With the shorter handle great with a 4wt.line........Aurelio

The first rule of FFR is we don't talk about Graphite.
The second rule of FFR is ....


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Post 30 Aug 2022, 18:28 • #43 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
specialk wrote:
Hey Bulldog,
What line do you like with the Fenwick 535? I have one and I have not felt like I have found the right line for that rod. I appreciate all of your experience and would love to hear what line you like with it.

I’m not Bulldog, but assuming his rod is the same model my Fenglass 535-2, made in China about 1999, I mostly use whatever 5 is on my ok-to-drop-on-the-rocks reel, since it’s almost always going to tightest brookie streams I know. But, in similar situations, it’s received a friend’s 4wt without him complaining any.
I have to agree that it doesn’t get a lot of good mentions, but in the right circumstances, it does a good job.


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Post 07 Oct 2022, 21:41 • #44 
Guide
Joined: 07/12/22
Posts: 207
I am going to say that I believe every Fenwick rod is underrated. A company based on new technology, set out to design and manufacture cost effective fishing rods that mimicked or exceeded the current expensive skill and labor intensive methods of the time. They not only achieved that, but they went on to further develop technology, still debatable if it is superior, that eventually became the industry standard. That in itself deserves recognition. Underrated implies that it wasn’t recognized as above average but doesn’t address the issue of demand. Being superior in a certain category does not necessarily mean that it is something that the economic market wants at that period of time.


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Post 10 Oct 2022, 07:33 • #45 
Guide
Joined: 02/04/14
Posts: 181
Location: US-MA
By far, in my opinion the most under rated Fenwick is the ff80. I’ve owned two. One has a grip that was sanded into a strange pattern so I sold it, which in retrospect was an error on my part. Naturally, I found another. With its stout butt section, it casts into the wind with some force. Large flies can be turned over without that collapsed feeling that occurs with slighter rods. At this point, I’m thinking of picking up a reserve rod to keep stored safely.

The ff806 and ff706 are also great but seem to get more love around here. I wouldn’t call either under rated.

So I’m taking out the ff80 in an hour or so…


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Post 07 Apr 2023, 15:40 • #46 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/21/21
Posts: 447
Location: Florida
How about a Martin MG3 or Ryobi 355 MG to balance the 535?


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Post 14 Apr 2023, 13:07 • #47 
Sport
Joined: 09/12/22
Posts: 30
I’m not a great caster and don’t have not tried a huge variety of rods,but when I fish dry flies with my ff755 I find myself self thing how much better can it be!


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Post 08 Oct 2023, 17:59 • #48 
Sport
Joined: 10/01/23
Posts: 31
carlz wrote:
I don't know if there is an underrated Fenwick or a bad Fenwick.

Ditto that. Everyone had a Fenwick when I began this sport and they were regarded as good rods. I still have a Woodstream 755. I used that rod on trout, Great Lakes steelhead, bass and everything else.


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Post 10 Oct 2023, 21:07 • #49 
Sport
Joined: 08/26/19
Posts: 97
Location: US-MI
The FF805 doesn’t get much love around here. Mine with a 444 Peach DT is my go to soft hackle rod. Pretty special to me.


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