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Post 17 May 2023, 07:50 • #1 
Guide
Joined: 05/13/20
Posts: 250
Location: Lake Junaluska, NC
I found a Fenwick FF80-3 on an ebay site. I decided to bring it home to live. I've been casually looking for a fiberglass 6 weight pack rod for a while, and have never had a three piece rod. It will be fun to play with.

It is 8'-0", labeled as 3-1/2 oz. It has an E serial number, which would indicate a 1964-1965 production year (?), if the regular serial number list also applied to variants like the three piece. There are no line recommendations listed on the blank, but on the search on this forum before I bought it, it looks like a 5 or 6 weight. Lawn casting it yesterday, it handles both very nicely, but feels really nice with the 6. Feels like a nice medium action, doesn't work hard at all with the 6 weight.

The aluminum tube measures about 34-1/2". It will be handy in the truck tool box, Subaru, or the day pack. I have never had a Fenwick with the green plastic screw on cap before. Kinda cool. The rod label on the aluminum tube is worn and smudged away from handling, all that is legible of the rod number on the tube label is FF. The brown cloth sack looks original, with three spaces in the sleeve, and is an appropriate length.

The rod is in very good fishing shape. Scratched up on the reel seat, dirty on the cork from handling, but the guides, wraps, ferrule ends and fit, and the blank itself are fine. I didn't get it for collector value, so the honest fishing use doesn't bother me. I got it to fish and have fun with, and I'm looking forward to putting into action on the creekbank soon.


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Post 17 May 2023, 08:29 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Nice find - the FF80-3 was always high on the list on Fenwicks I want to try. If it’s anything like the FF85-3, it will handle a variety of flies from dries to streamers and will be exceedingly smooth on the water.


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Post 17 May 2023, 08:49 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
I had my eye on that one too! I hope you enjoy it. I find all of my 6wt fenwicks of that vintage are very good all purpose rods from brookies and small dries up through small streamers for bass. I wonder how it would stack up next to an FF80-4 of the same vintage?

An 8' 6wt really is a great rod. Im sure you are going to enjoy it


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Post 17 May 2023, 08:49 • #4 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/20/12
Posts: 980
Location: Eugene, OR
One of the rarest Fenwicks. The three-piecers are nice. Looks like a real sweetie.


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Post 17 May 2023, 10:29 • #5 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
I had my eye on that one too! I hope you enjoy it. I find all of my 6wt fenwicks of that vintage are very good all purpose rods from brookies and small dries up through small streamers for bass. I wonder how it would stack up next to an FF80-4 of the same vintage?

An 8' 6wt really is a great rod. Im sure you are going to enjoy it


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Post 17 May 2023, 11:52 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 05/13/20
Posts: 250
Location: Lake Junaluska, NC
I've never handled or fished a FF80-4, but I would suspect it might have a slightly faster action than the 3-piece, due to the extra pieces and ferrules. Sounds like a good casting experiment!


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Post 17 May 2023, 18:27 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
I just picked up the FF80-4 and I haven't even cast it, but it wiggles nicely.

I would think the FF80-3 is nicer than the ff80-4 for the reasons listed above. As for the FF85-3, I have one and am not as enamored with it. The FF85-3 just seems to have too much swing weight for me.


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Post 17 May 2023, 19:45 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
One of the prettiest Fenwicks


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Post 19 May 2023, 17:58 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
classic rod in its classic rod case, beautiful..
look forward to the fishing reports ;-)


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