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Post 13 Sep 2020, 21:15 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
TL;DR Review
The ********* YS Series uses E-glass to make another twist on the company’s specialty—high-quality ’glass fishing rods that are long, accurate, and light in hand. The YS 9’0” 6-weight (three-piece) is a potent fishing tool that blends the classic elements of a trouty 6-weight, namely the power to fish large waters in a wide range of weather conditions, with the supple delicacy of much lighter line weights.



Full Review

This is not the review I expected to write. Don’t get me wrong—I expected to like this rod. But when Dusty Smith, the founder and rodmaker of the ********* Rod Company, announced that he was making nine-foot rods out of E-glass, I expected the new YS Series rods to be enjoyable but niche. They would be novel and get fished a time or two each season, but they would not be serious contenders for the majority of days on the water.

Consider the rest of this review my mea culpa. I was wrong.


The YS Glass 906
So, why should a fly angler pay attention to the new ********* YS Glass series, especially when there are so many excellent fiberglass offerings available today? What is there to distinguish these rods from others, especially when the same company already makes the exceptional Western Glass series?

When I received the YS Glass 9’0” 6-weight blank to build out, I was immediately surprised by how light and thin it was. Made of a proprietary blend of E-glass, the result is a 6-weight rod that has a butt diameter of just over 9 millimeters, with the entire finished rod weighing merely 3.7 ounces (106 grams). Compare that to the Epic 690 C, a graphite rod of the same configuration, except in four pieces, that weighs 3.5 ounces (98 grams) and has a butt diameter of 8.5 millimeters. These specifications separate the rod from others by making it feel exceptionally light in hand even as it maintains the casting and fishing feel of fiberglass.

Beyond that, the blank embodies the qualities of high-end ’glass rods. It is straight, even, and clean, translating to exceptional exactness and accuracy on the water. It exudes the excellence and consistency that fly anglers have come to expect from the best rodmakers of the past and present.


A common element in my reviews of the ********* Western Glass and the ********* Glass series is the unique blend of smoothness, precision, and power that is the hallmark of the company. The YS Glass series is no different. I have fished the rod extensively throughout my home waters of Northwest Montana, on large and medium-sized freestone streams and on mountain lakes. The rod is exceptionally well-suited for the kinds of fishing classically associated with 6-weight rods, and there is nothing that I have asked of it that it hasn’t done very, very well. That is to say, an angler can expect it to be an adept tool, whether planning to toss a couple of nymphs under an indicator, chucking small- to medium-sized streamers, swinging small wet flies through a current seam, or gently landing small dry flies into a narrow feeding lane. I have found it to be particularly potent for tossing dry-dropper rigs with bushy foam and tungsten beadheads, a favorite tactic in high summer. It is an excellent all-arounder that accomplishes power tasks while maintaining the characteristics of a much lighter rod.

On one day, fishing a canyon stream in the Great Bear Wilderness, the wind blew in frequent, powerful gusts that left my line stalled in the air a few feet ahead of me. This meant that I had to quickly cast between blows and hit my target with very few second chances. The rod handled the situation with authority, and the confidence I had in it went a long ways toward success that day. Even more, at times, the canyon walls prevented my backcast from generating sufficient line speed and distance. So, I had to rely on the rod’s roll casting abilities to push my hopper-dropper out into feeding lies in the middle of the river. The full nine feet of the rod made both tasks more effective, and its lightness meant that I could increase the speed of my casting stroke with ease.


6-Weight Comparison
What does all this mean practically, especially in comparison to other prominent 6-weights on the market?

To help answer this question, I set up a static deflection test, loading four comparable rods with a weight of 118 grams—equivalent to an ERN of 5.9. (The amount of weight is arbitrary, so long as it is equal across the board.) The results are below:



While the figures above do not provide any objective measures of rod action and power, they are helpful for comparison. For instance, the YS Glass 6-weight is neither as powerful nor as fast as the Epic 686. While both are usually considered 6-weights, this validates the common practice of lining the Epic up a half-step heavy (such as with the Scientific Anglers MPX or RIO Perception). In my experience fishing the Epic extensively over the last three-and-a-half years, it is not as smooth as the ********* YS Glass. There is a noticeable bump or transition point when engaging the powerful butt section of the Epic 686. The YS Glass does not lack power, just as the 686 does not lack smoothness, but each rod possesses a different set of tradeoffs.

However, when comparing the YS Glass 6-weight to the Western Glass 6-weight, it becomes clear how much the two rods share. This is, of course, no surprise as they were designed by the same person. Nonetheless, there are notable differences. The Western Glass rod is stiffer through the butt and mid sections, whereas the YS Glass adjusts with a slightly faster action angle than the Western Glass (approximately 65 degrees versus 60 degrees). I find it difficult to determine which of the two rods is smoother, a trademark of Dusty’s designs overall.

In either comparison, the YS Glass rod is lighter than both the Epic and the Western Glass rods, even though it is six inches longer. In fact, it weighs only 0.2 ounces more than Epic’s graphite rod, the 690 C. Raw weight does not always translate to actual feel, but in this case, it does. The rod is exceptionally well-balanced, both in terms of how it distributes weight along the blank as well its progressive action. I find it to be best with true-to-weight lines. The YS Glass casts as though it is six to twelve inches shorter than it is, and this lightness in hand means that a day on the water fishing is delightful whether in the first hour or in the last.


Conclusion
I expected this rod to be good, likely very good. But I also expected it to be a narrowly useful tool that I retrieved occasionally when my mood or special conditions suited it. What I have found, instead, is that it is a daily driver. It is the kind of implement that adapts to an angler’s conditions, working with him or her to accomplish whatever task that lay before them. It is a jack of many trades and master of several.

For all my attempts to quantify the qualities of the YS Glass 9’0” 6-weight, they are not why I enthusiastically recommend it nor why I keep finding reasons to fish it. Admittedly, it is a function, in part, of my personal preferences, casting stroke, and other individualities matching the rod. That said, there is something intangible about the communion of these elements. Upon stepping up to the water, the instrument intuitively integrates with my body such that fishing becomes a numinous experience. Action, power, and weight work with the other ineffable qualities of the rod seamlessly. In the words of our patron saint Norman Maclean, “all things merge into one.”



DISCLOSURE: The ********* Rod Company provided the author with a modest discount on the price of the blank for the request of an impartial review. All opinions, observations, and analysis are fully my own.


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Post 13 Sep 2020, 22:16 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 11/11/13
Posts: 774
Location: US-CA
Wow, a very impressive review. Thank you so much for your very thoughtful in-sites of the YS series. I like you are big fan of Dusty’s most excellent long glass rods. I have a YS 390/4 and it’s rapidly becoming one of my most used rods. For a 3 wt it’s so versatile, it’s an excellent Stillwater rod it handles indicators and multiple fly rigs with ease. So far I have taken bass and trout to 17” with this rods with no issues at all. It’s light, the completed rods weighs in at a shade under 3 ounces, protects light tippets very well and has nice butt power to handle larger fish. Also turns over long leaders like a champ. The YS series is a wonderful heir to Dusty’s 8’9” western rods and may be his finest series to date.


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Post 13 Sep 2020, 22:20 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 08/23/19
Posts: 371
Location: North Central Oregon
thankyou for your excellent review! As a fan of the longer rod and 6 weights, I found your review very helpful. I hope to build a new rod in the near future and you helped narrow the list of potential candidates

Bruce.


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Post 13 Sep 2020, 23:25 • #4 
Guide
Joined: 12/05/18
Posts: 134
Location: US-MN
Wonderful review. The details and descriptions are impressive.

And beyond my ability to describe the rods I own.

My 9’ YS glass 4wt has greatly exceeded my expectations. Like you, I anticipated this rod to fit a narrow niche. There’s a unique full flex feel to the rod, but more power than I expected. Because of the distance and accuracy, even on narrow streams the YS is the rod to use for dries.

My 8’6” Western Glass 4wt is a go-to when kayak fishing. And has less flex in the lower 1/3 of the rod, making the casting stroke while sitting much more “effective”.

If nymphing with a 4wt, I’d choose the Western Glass. Less finesse needed; and (for me) its an easier rod to roll cast a nymph and strike indicator set-up.

But for accuracy and distance while wading the YS just feels better.

I’ve not fished my YS 9’ 6wt enough. But your compassion to the Epic 686 was spot on. The Epic is great for Bass fishing from my kayak. But I really could not appreciate the 9’ YS 6wt while sitting.

Recently from a boat, while standing, the strengths of the YS 6wt were realized; despite a deeper flex, there is a LOT of power. And as a wading or boat rod for larger flies this is my rod of choice.


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Post 14 Sep 2020, 15:03 • #5 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
Paid reviews, no matter how modest the compensation, have not been part of this forum. I do not expect them to be part of our future.

There is nothing wrong with writing reviews, particularly if the reviewer is forthright about the pros and cons of a particular rod. Too many online reviews turn into either a grievance session or advanced cheer leading (seen Amazon lately?). The review above is well done. I particularly like the Deflection Diagram discussion. The only sticking point is the affiliation between the writer and the rod maker. The affiliation was clearly identified - there was no attempt to conceal it. However, in the future affiliated reviews are best published on the rod maker's website.

Commercial members participate here. I encourage this because fiberglass is still a very small community. I hope rod makers will communicate directly with their customers. I expect commercial members will continue to identify themselves so their motives are clear. So far I feel this has worked well for everyone involved.


Tom


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