Anybody have any comments, opinions, reviews on the 4piece version of this rod?

It's a nice rod. I just fished mine on the Snake River in eastern Minnesota for smallmouth bass a couple weeks ago.



Despite being labeled as a 7wt, it is definitely better performing with a 6wt line. It's a slowish rod action, flexing well into the bottom third of the blank with any strong casting and it really bends nicely with a fish on. It's got enough bottom end to control a fish, but I really don't think I'd pick this rod to present a fly to a 15lb carp. This is a "trout 6" and not really a "bass 6" in action. I like to use a double taper SA Ultra 4 (iirc - I'll have to check the reel to be certain which line) on a Pflueger Medalist 1494 1/2 on the rod, it seems a good balance.



The One Pfoot made for a fine match with the reel seat, but the rod handled an unaltered Pflueger just fine. It's a tiny, little package that breaks down into a tube that really does fit into a computer bag.



Overall I'm quite pleased with mine. It's a specialized rod - if I was tossing small to mid-sized streamers or wet flies down-and-across on a smallish creek or fishing larger dry flies to smallmouth or trout in a tight waterway it could quickly become a favorite. Not a rod for a windy day as the soft blank tends to limit line speed. I've cast it with a Rio Gold WF5 and it's a bit faster, but you lose a lot of feel for the cast loading. Select a line that presents 155 to 170 grains at the distance you cast and you'll find it to be a fine glass addition to your collection.

Joe C.

Thanks guys, this one was made in the 80's, brown glass. I'm really on the fence.

Hello Fingernail, I believe yours would be a fullflex A which is based on a blank that Orvis rolled inhouse after Phillipson closed down. It would have been a late in the game glass rod produced well within the time period that Orvis was rolling their own Graphite rods, which at the time were very popular. As such their is a little less interest in the brown Fullflex A glass rods than there is the Phillipson made blanks used by Orvis, which draws both Orvis and Phillipson collectors.

Hay Joe nice find, I believe your rod is a late model, I have both models in the spin fly and the early fly rod as well, mine the early one is wrapped in Black and the fly rod is rated 6wt the black wrapped spin fly 7wt. I also have a red wrapped Orvis spin fly, it also is wrapped in red. What makes me believe the red wrapped rods are late is that I also have a rod finished I believe by Phillipson in house for Eddie Bower and it has the same red wraps. What makes another difference is that the red wrapped spin fly rods both Phillipson and Orvis have the guide placement the same on the third and tip sections and its different than the earlier black wrapped spin fly and fly rod. All the 4 piece 7ft rods appear to be build on exactly the same tip over butt scotchply blanks, and the weights are stated the same, so Im guessing they might all exibit the same line preferences if they were all fly rods with the same fly rod guide spacing. If true then I would say they are great little 6wts, and Im hoping to convert several of mine to pure fly rod.

Richard

I also have the brown glass version.
It came with a (very nice) alu rod tube.
Although rated as for a #6 it casts a #5 wonderfully.

I always wondered why Fly Spin rods never got the appreciation it deserves. These rods are very versatile.

Great story!
I've yet to experience such an epic day with this rod, but I'll certainly add more days with this rods.
I've never used it in 'spin mode' though. Yet!