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Post 26 Jul 2015, 16:04 • #26 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/22/09
Posts: 1494
Location: Sweden
Blue Halo is a mid-price product, and they offer good blanks for that price. I'm not a big fan of static analysis, so if someone is judging a blank by it's CPM, I would ask if the person has been casting or fishing with the blank before any further discussions.

But as always, everyone is entitled to his or hers personal opinion.

Christian


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Post 28 Jul 2015, 12:05 • #27 
Guide
Joined: 02/23/11
Posts: 344
Location: US-CO
I dont know about blanks but I casts 3 of the models at the fishing show and did not like even one of them. I am a very good caster ad fisherman. hard to explain....I have casts hundreds of rods and cant think of a series I like less. all were lifeless, tracked poorly, and didnt see to load properly. it just had to be said. now that my opinion is out of the way, to each their own and everyone likes something different. you may just love em


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Post 28 Jul 2015, 12:09 • #28 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/14
Posts: 1367
Location: Pleasant Garden, North Carolina
Nativetrout, I appreciate your input. I wonder if it might help others to know what series you found to perform best in those areas where the BH failed? I know if I were in the market I'd appreciate an alternative recommendation as opposed to just a critique.


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Post 28 Jul 2015, 14:42 • #29 
Guide
Joined: 12/09/11
Posts: 164
Location: US-MN
I have had the chance to cast 2 of their 3 weights and couldn't agree with Nativetrout more. Lifeless is the first word I would use to describe both rods. Both also tracked very poorly at least for me. These were both cast with 4 different lines and still just didn't do anything for me. One of the 2 rods was a factory build and had some of the worst cork I have ever seen. On par with what you would expect to see with rods costing $30-50 at big box stores.

With all of that said, I'm glad there are so many happy with their Blue Halo rods. Maybe I just happened to cast two duds. We all obviously don't like the same rods and it is nice to have all the options we do. What one guy just raves about another might think is a dud. I have seen this many times and it goes both ways. I have a Winston DL4 3wt that I love and have had several friends say they don't think much of it. It is just too slow for them. To each their own.


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Post 30 Jul 2015, 22:19 • #30 
Guide
Joined: 02/23/11
Posts: 344
Location: US-CO
horsehead, I didnt think it important to market what I DO like in this post. Simply wanted to give feedback honestly. I would usually think if i didnt like a rod maybe its just the action or line being used but this was not the case and the guys running the booth told me they were really stoked on how they felt with whatever line was strung up at the show. Who knows. I have posted hundreds of posts about rods i do think are special and even my favorite series which is the Heirloom series by T&T, but then my likings are neither here nor there or even important in my opinion of the blue halo rods. I love soft rods, medium rods, fast....I make bamboo rods and have casts and made many many rods. A good rod is a good rod and a good caster can adjust very quickly to the action of the rod. Its not trying to poo on this company because I think the rods are very attractive, i love the price point, and i love new companies helping our love and passion of glass to progress. I simply think they got alot of work to do on their tapers or something else.... again, just opinions, not trying to dog them at all. but it is an open forum and i hate when guys rave over a rod, i buy it due to what i read and find the rod to be crap. every time a new series hits this forum theres a huge wave of people buying them up, having them custom built, raving about the actions...ect. within a year or two, they are selling them , the post stop, and other guys start talking about how they cant figure the tapers out and saying how 5 wts are 3wts and 3 wts are actually 6wts ?? : I sometimes i wonder how many rod buyers even truly fish more than on one family vacation a year.


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Post 31 Jul 2015, 07:35 • #31 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/14
Posts: 1367
Location: Pleasant Garden, North Carolina
Thanks for the update nativetrout. That's really helpful. I have the blue halo 7'6" 3wt and can't tell what is so bad about it. And there's no sarcasm or snark in that comment. I suppose I still just have a lot to learn about casting and rod characteristics. I freely admit that I can get caught up in the hype... But, I can also assure you I fish more than once a year :-)


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Post 31 Jul 2015, 12:22 • #32 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3081
Location: Orygun
I know that I for one really enjoy reading about everyone's opinion, especially on a product that I really like. I like to know what people didn't like about a product as much as what they did like about a product. I can say that I do really enjoy my 7wt, but have never played with either the 3 or 5. I do, however, have a Gen1 5/6 and really like that rod too (despite it being rather heavy and more of a 7wt) as it has become my go-to streamer rod.

Cheers


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Post 31 Jul 2015, 22:39 • #33 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/14
Posts: 1367
Location: Pleasant Garden, North Carolina
So as a result of this thread I spent about an hour today lawn casting my blue halo 7'6" 3wt side by side with my 8' 3/4 Steffen. I used the same lines and different lines, same reels and different. I must say, there is no comparison. The Steffen won at everything hands down. Don't get me wrong though. I fished the blue halo last week and caught some smallish bluegill and they felt like monsters. So for playing fish like that, it is still a ton of fun.


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Post 01 Aug 2015, 06:49 • #34 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3081
Location: Orygun
horsehead wrote:
So as a result of this thread I spent about an hour today lawn casting my blue halo 7'6" 3wt side by side with my 8' 3/4 Steffen. I used the same lines and different lines, same reels and different. I must say, there is no comparison. The Steffen won at everything hands down.


That's funny, I ended up doing the same thing as well with my BH 7wt and my Steffen 7/8 and came to the same conclusion. It really isn't all that surprising considering how much I like my Steffens. I will say though it hasn't really changed my mind about the joy I get out of the BH, but it did cause me to throw in the Steffen in addition to the BH on our weeklong beach trip today.

Cheers


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Post 01 Aug 2015, 09:10 • #35 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8921
Location: US-ME
It is great to do s x s comparisons for a reality check. Remember, though, to really make a useful comparison relative to brands, the rods need to be of similar configuration. In the case of a 7 1/2 for 3 and an 8 for 3/4, you'd expect that difference, almost regardless of brand. The Steffen's very consistent and fine tuned action/feel probably contributed to the difference, but they just aren't the same rods, nor meant to be. The preference for the longer/stronger rod makes perfect sense to me, but it is probably more a preference of configurations than individual rods,


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Post 03 Aug 2015, 19:21 • #36 
Sport
Joined: 04/14/12
Posts: 73
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Comparing Steffens and BH's is like comparing apples and oranges. I have 4 Steffens and 2 BH's and fish them all as often as possible. My newly built Steffen 8/9 has been great on the Tiger Muskies this summer, and I have also had a blast with my latest build- the Blue Halo 7 weight on carp. There are just so many variables including personal preferences, lines used, casting technique, fishing conditions, etc. that casting a rod on a lawn or at the fishing show can only take you so far. As others have pointed out, it is great to have so many options over the past several years, and the point is to get out and fish and have fun.


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Post 03 Aug 2015, 20:27 • #37 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/14
Posts: 1367
Location: Pleasant Garden, North Carolina
How is Steffen to BH apples to oranges? They're both glass, they both come in 3 piece configurations, similar lengths and line weights, etc. etc. I can agree with whirlpool that my test may be less than helpful or accurate because of the differences line rating and length, but your post sounds as if comparing two builders is impossible?


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Post 03 Aug 2015, 22:54 • #38 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/22/11
Posts: 1720
Location: US-TX
A lot of glass rods in 3 piece config, similar length, line weight, etc... I would think they are not all the same.

Otherwise, I propose a trade for your Steffen for my Wonder rod of same configuration.

Not going to consider s vs e glass, spigot vs sleeve ferrules, uplock, down lock, cap and ring, let alone parabolic vs progressive action...


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Post 04 Aug 2015, 11:56 • #39 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3081
Location: Orygun
Of course they're not the same...for reasons that I would think we're obvious enough to not have to state them. But that's the point. They're different.


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Post 22 Aug 2015, 12:45 • #40 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/14
Posts: 1367
Location: Pleasant Garden, North Carolina
So I've done a lot of reading lately on some the the "slowest rods made" threads, and it occurred to me to try my 7'6" 3wt blue halo with some different lines to see how it responded. I ended up going up two line sizes (WF5F Aircel) and pairing it with a 1492. I don't know that I would go so far as to say this Rod is a 5wt (it's not), but it gave me the casting stroke I was looking for (sloooooooooow) and just feels marvelous now. I'm so excited to have this Rod dialed in. I was thinking of selling it, but now I'm just looking forward to fishing it!!!

Image


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Post 26 Aug 2015, 21:22 • #41 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/30/13
Posts: 853
Location: Wisconsin Driftless
Jeez... So how many flies can you tie during the back cast.


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Post 27 Aug 2015, 12:14 • #42 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/03/07
Posts: 2055
Location: Marble Falls, Texas
And that is an excellent example of how the individual flyfisher is a factor in a rod. I fish glass 90% of the time, have a variety of rods, and like slow to medium glass. I find myself deliberately having to slow down my casting when I fish my 7'6" 3 weight Blue Halo with a 3 weight line. We're all different and that's a good thing.


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Post 28 Aug 2015, 20:55 • #43 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/14
Posts: 1367
Location: Pleasant Garden, North Carolina
It's slow. Don't get me wrong. But i can feel it loading so well that I just pause, wait, and when it feels right, send it forward. Works great.

Image


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Post 04 Dec 2019, 10:17 • #44 
New Member
Joined: 12/01/19
Posts: 13
Location: NVA
wow that's a pretty rod. I like the handle.


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Post 05 Oct 2020, 01:28 • #45 
Sport
Joined: 09/21/13
Posts: 71
Location: US-VT
My Blue Halo Retroflex II 805-3 is a fine rod for the price. Factory finish wraps and guides are geared towards maximum utility vs outstanding aesthetics, but nothing wrong with taking care of business instead of ogling. Nevertheless...I am paring down my current stash and this one may go.


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Post 05 Oct 2020, 15:59 • #46 
Guide
Joined: 12/28/19
Posts: 129
I have an 8' 4wt and it's a decent rod . Looks good and fishes good . The Moonlit Lunar glass that I have is the worst rod in my quiver .


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Post 21 Oct 2020, 17:11 • #47 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/28/07
Posts: 1006
Location: US-TX
As much as I like the BH 5wt, I am not a fan of the 3wt. The tip keeps bouncing at the end of the cast like a dog wagging its tail. If you only judge BH based on that rod, then I would not blame you for having a negative opinion.


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