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General practitioner
Post 14 Feb 2021, 11:31 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
My favorite of Chris’ rods has always been the 70p... until now... I still adore the 70p but the 79 General Practitioner is astounding... a true do it all rod that is so smooth yet with the strength to turn big fish... when casting short it drops them on a dime and when casting long that semi-parabolic-ish butt just wings it into the next zip code... my only question is: do I call it a
Paragressive
Or a
Probolic ?


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Re: General practitioner
Post 14 Feb 2021, 14:30 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/22/07
Posts: 871
Location: Out West
The Barclay Synthesis 7'9" GP sure sounds like a nice rod, from all I've heard. Do you fish it more as a 5wt or a 4wt? Also, do you have the 3pc or the 5pc version?


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Re: General practitioner
Post 14 Feb 2021, 14:40 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
Fished as a 5....3 pc.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 14 Feb 2021, 17:34 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 01/02/12
Posts: 1859
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
The only other person I know has a GP is Aurelio, so you should get with him.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 14 Feb 2021, 18:29 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
I’d love to fish with him but he’s about 1,000 miles away..... maybe some day!


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Re: General practitioner
Post 15 Feb 2021, 11:16 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 11/27/14
Posts: 330
Location: US-NC
The Barclay 79 GP is hands down my favorite rod to use because of it’s combination of versatility and fun factor casting and fighting fish. I like mine with a GPX 4 half heavy to a Rio Gold 5 which will let you feel the butt kick in at shorter range. There has been times where I used a different rod due to worrying about losing it kayaking in deep stained water and wishing I used it instead.It might not be a popular rod to the masses like the 4/5 GP but if Chris developed a 79 GP heavy “ Combat Medic” 6/7 with the same feel with those line weights I would save up every penny to get it.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 15 Feb 2021, 17:31 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
Now THAT is a great idea... maybe if we both bug the hell out of Chris he’ll cave in and build one just like that... good name for it too!


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Re: General practitioner
Post 15 Feb 2021, 19:41 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 07/14/20
Posts: 111
Excited to see this post and the positive comments about the GP. I ordered a 79 3pc from Chris a couple of months back and can't wait for it to arrive. Hoping it will become my go to on the Gunpowder in MD.

I was torn between the 3pc and 5pc, but I've never had a 5pc and something about having fewer ferrules finally won out in my mind. If I was traveling a lot, I'm sure the 5pc would have been the one.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 16 Feb 2021, 13:30 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
Choptanked
Yes mine’s a 3pc (all my rods are)... hope to see you sometime on the Gunpowder... we’ll both be fishing the same rod!


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Re: General practitioner
Post 17 Feb 2021, 10:17 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/09/09
Posts: 2796
Location: US-NM
What reel are you guys using I find my 5pc. is perfect with a EC 11...........Aurelio


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Re: General practitioner
Post 17 Feb 2021, 11:56 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
Hardy LRH


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Re: General practitioner
Post 17 Feb 2021, 21:13 • #12 
Guide
Joined: 07/14/20
Posts: 111
That's funny. I too have a Hardy LRH in mind for the 79 GP. Or, a Ross RR2. Excited to try both. Definitely hope to see you on the Gunpowder. Not too many yellow blanks out there in my experience. Should be easy to identify!


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Re: General practitioner
Post 17 Feb 2021, 22:51 • #13 
Guide
Joined: 11/27/14
Posts: 330
Location: US-NC
I use a Martin MG3 the most but also a Browning Strata. Have a new Bauer SST 4 reel on the way for a deal I couldn’t pass up. I think it is going to be my go to especially on lakes known to have decent size carp in them.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 18 Feb 2021, 10:40 • #14 
Guide
Joined: 02/27/12
Posts: 233
Location: US-AR
I used an old school Ross Colorado 1 on my GP. I have the three piece version. Seems to balance perfect with that rod.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 18 Feb 2021, 19:48 • #15 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/25/07
Posts: 547
Location: US-PA
Curious: I have an early Chris’s build 7’10” 5 weight three piece that has always been one those 5 weights that is amazing fun to fish and for Spring Creeks here in Central Pa is universally do all. BobHa’s 8’1” 5 and McFarland’s 8’ 5 E glass , and even the Orvis Glass 8’5 toss in that grouping.
Love to cast and compared Chris GP to his early 7’10”?


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Re: General practitioner
Post 19 Sep 2022, 20:45 • #16 
Guide
Joined: 08/11/20
Posts: 229
Location: Ontario, Canada
Digging up an older post here but I too would be interested in hearing from anyone who’s thrown both Chris’s older 7105 and the GP 795. Anyone had that chance?


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Re: General practitioner
Post 20 Sep 2022, 08:52 • #17 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
Chris's old 7'10" 5wt is a specialty rod. Good for dries and wets. It has a significant swing weight and is on the soft side.

It is realy easy to overpower the amber 5wt. However when you slow down and get in the groove, it is really magic. I ended up selling mine because when I want a 5wt, I usually want to be able to nymph as well and it isn't as good as that. The 3 and 4wt amber rods are more versatile, with less swing weight and being 3 and 4 wt's, you don't expect as much from them in the nymphing category.

I haven't fished one of the GP rods, but I have cast one. They are nice and a better all around rod. It doesn't quite have the magic of the earlier rod, but it isn't as temperamental.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 20 Sep 2022, 10:55 • #18 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/09/09
Posts: 2796
Location: US-NM
The only fault I see in the 5pc. GP I have is not the best for bow and arrow casts but I don’t fish it that close anyway.The rod has a lot of power and will handle a minny sink tip and streamers.I took it to Idaho last month using a 4wt. SA long belly WF.catching cutts in the 6 to 12” range and still put some bend in the rod.It is hard to over power the rod and get tailing loops.I have caught a few 20” fish and they were easy to turn and get in.Overall I am very pleased with the rod and it does make for a good all rounder like Carl says even though he did not fish it..........Aurelio


Last edited by aurelio corso on 20 Sep 2022, 11:17, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: General practitioner
Post 20 Sep 2022, 12:28 • #19 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
BigHeavy wrote:
Digging up an older post here but I too would be interested in hearing from anyone who’s thrown both Chris’s older 7105 and the GP 795. Anyone had that chance?

Never cast the 7105, but have cast and given some consideration to the 5pc GP 795. I do believe that there’s a little difference in the 5pc GP and the 3pc, which you probably want to consider when reviewing comments. (My thought was that the 5pc was distinctly more 5 than 4, with a powerful feel, but still capable of a lot of delicacy.)


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Re: General practitioner
Post 23 Sep 2022, 20:49 • #20 
Guide
Joined: 06/28/18
Posts: 338
Location: Bozeman, MT
BigHeavy wrote:
Digging up an older post here but I too would be interested in hearing from anyone who’s thrown both Chris’s older 7105 and the GP 795. Anyone had that chance?

Well, I have a 7105 (that I fish with a DT5) and a 3 piece GP that I fish with a DT4.

The GP is like a Jack Russel Terrier (that thinks it’s a Rottweiler) it fishes like a longer rod…cast, swim the fly, & fight/land the trout.

The 7105 is a good dry fly rod in most situations.

Since the 7105 is only available on the secondary market (if you can get someone to part with one), I’d recommend Chris’s 8’2” Tailwater Special for a do everything rod…I have one in my truck all the time and usually fish a DT4 but if you carry less line in the air during the casting stroke, a DT 5 fishes well too.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 24 Sep 2022, 08:48 • #21 
Guide
Joined: 08/11/20
Posts: 229
Location: Ontario, Canada
Thanks for all the insights. I had a 7105 but, as Carlz mentioned, the swing weight was pretty substantial. A lovely rod, no doubt, but not one I wanted to be swinging all day. Also, as mentioned, a longer rod would add some versatility and I am starting to consider the Tailwater Special or Kenney's 824.

Thanks again gang, much appreciated.


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Re: General practitioner
Post 25 Sep 2022, 09:36 • #22 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
I would also consider a McFarland spruce creek, or a McFarland graphite Emerger. I have a 9' 5wt McFarland Vintage prototype. It resembles the early unsanded Orvis Graphite rods and is slower than a lot of my glass rods, but light and long enough to nymph when the conditions call for it.

The Tailwater Special sounds interesting.


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