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Why is this man smiling?
Post 09 Sep 2010, 09:05 • #1 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
The gentleman in the photo is Nate Dablock of Cortland Line Company.

Image

Why is he smiling? Because this is the rod he is holding.

Image

That's right. They're back. I'll post more details later when I have a better connection.

Tom


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Why is this man smiling?
Post 09 Sep 2010, 11:09 • #2 
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Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
The flyfishing industry, for how small it is, sure has it's share of controversey and excitement, doesn't it? This is truly an unexpected turn of events, especially considering that Mike McFarland is the new owner of the Diamondglass line's manufacturing equipment, sold-off by Cortland. I can't wait to hear the full story ...


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Post 09 Sep 2010, 13:17 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/05/09
Posts: 481
Location: liverpool NY
OH YEAH!


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Post 09 Sep 2010, 13:30 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/26/09
Posts: 1106
Location: Richmond, TX

Thomas & Thomas, Scott, and now Cortland (Diamondback) offering a new fiberglass fly rod series. .. hmmm. .. has got me thinking that maybe this is a harbinger of a trend in the market. It could be argued that the growth in modern fiberglass fly rods, coupled with the increasting interest in bamboo fly rods and rod making, is the result of fly fisherman who started out drinking from the big graphite rod makers' and high-end fly shops' message (faster lighter rods, large arbor disc drag reels with no start up inertia, site casting to dry flies only,. ..) maturing and starting to look beyond what they are being told, and finding out that what came before graphite has something unique and valuable to offer.

I guess a telling sign that this is a recognized market trend would be if a big graphite rod maker, such as Sage, came out with a fiberglass rod series. Time will tell.

For the current modern fiberglass rod makers, many of whom are our long time friends on FFR, it would be wise to keep an eye on these developments. I for one, would not want to see you get marginalized or otherwise swallowed up in such a trend.



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Why is this man smiling?
Post 09 Sep 2010, 13:42 • #5 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
While Mike bought the equipment, he didn't buy the Diamondglass or Diamondback names. Cortland still owns the trademarks. These new rods are labeled Diamondback Glass. There are a few changes from the Dglass of old. First off, the rod blanks are sourced overseas to the same spec and with the same fiberglass material as the old blanks. However, the blanks are built up, wrapped, and finished in the US. The build and finish are excellent. The blanks are coated with a deep blue, gloss finish instead of gloss black (see the photo below - the black 8'6" blank above was a prototype).

There are only 6 rods in this lineup:
  • 6', 2 piece, 2 weight
  • 6'6", 3 piece, 2 weight
  • 7', 3 piece, 3 weight
  • 7'6", 3 piece, 3 weight
  • 8', 2 piece, 4 weight 8', 3 piece, 4 weight (I muffed this one in my initial post. The original line of Dglass didn't have such a rod, unless they have downrated the 8', 5 weight - Tom)
  • 8'6", 3 piece, 4 weight
The prices are in line with original Diamondglass (but not final yet). They should start showing in shops by the end of the year. So far there are no plans to sell blanks. I'll try and sneak one to the casting pool tomorrow and see how they feel.

Cortland also showed me their new Retro click pawl reels. I didn't get a photo yet. There are two models, a #1 for 3/4 weight lines that weighs 3.1 oz. and a #2 for 4/5 weight lines that weighs 3.4 oz. The finish is a gunmetal dark gray. Nate told me they expect the retail price to be $129.

Tom

Image


Last edited by jgestar on 13 Sep 2010, 17:49, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 09 Sep 2010, 14:50 • #6 
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Joined: 11/05/07
Posts: 590
Location: ID/MT
Very interesting. Kudos to Cortland. I've got to say that some of the models they have decided to revive don't float my own, personal boat much though. I was a fan of the 5 weights.

Thanks for the report, Tom.


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Post 10 Sep 2010, 16:24 • #7 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/05/09
Posts: 481
Location: liverpool NY
That Blue house paint on the new Diamondglass rods IS HIDEOUS!


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Post 10 Sep 2010, 22:36 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/06/07
Posts: 1437
Location: US-VT
Flickfly wrote:
That Blue house paint on the new Diamondglass rods IS HIDEOUS!

When it comes to Diamondback, Cortland has a long history of taking a good thing and ruining it. I am curious about the quality of cork. The last era of Dglasses had KMart quality grips.


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Post 11 Sep 2010, 00:02 • #9 
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Joined: 01/02/09
Posts: 160
jgestar wrote:
... However, the blanks are built up, wrapped, and finished in the US ...

Tom, if I'm not mistaken Mike is doing the wraps on the blanks as part of the deal for the equipment fm Cortland. He has to wrap a certain amount per month for them. The rest of the work they are doing themselves.


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Post 11 Sep 2010, 03:45 • #10 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/05/09
Posts: 481
Location: liverpool NY
I agree! When Cortland gets their paws on a good product they quickly drop it or farm it out to another mfgr for a down grade in quality.
It seems like Cortland suffers from constant interference from a disconnected board of directors or upper management.


Last edited by Flickfly on 11 Sep 2010, 09:20, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 12 Sep 2010, 04:20 • #11 
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Joined: 01/12/08
Posts: 342
Location: Penn's Woods
Blue blanks ... you gotta be kidding me. I would have preferred fluorescent green metallic or hot pink. I hope, at least, they color coordinate the blank with a blue-dyed wood insert.


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Post 12 Sep 2010, 04:49 • #12 
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Joined: 08/03/06
Posts: 554
Location: US-OR
Ugliest rod I've ever seen ... Don't they do some research marketing to get consumer input, likes and dislikes?


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Post 12 Sep 2010, 07:05 • #13 
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Joined: 01/02/09
Posts: 160
Maybe they're trying to mimic the Thomas&Thomas Whisper-lite series. They also use blue blanks about the same color and silver ink.


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Post 13 Sep 2010, 01:25 • #14 
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Joined: 01/06/09
Posts: 82
Location: US-VA
I'm not too concerned about the color, I've wanted to try one of these rods for quite some time and have lamented missing the opportunity to buy one a few years back!


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Post 13 Sep 2010, 02:16 • #15 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
Nijinski wrote:
I'm not too concerned about the color, I've wanted to try one of these rods for quite some time and have lamented missing the opportunity to buy one a few years back!
that's *exactly* what Cortland is banking on!

Blue is sort of a taboo color when it comes to fly rods, eh?

I own one blue rod: Catskill Research Type II 8'6" #4 (gr@#^ite). It's very attractive.
Also, at this year's fiberglass gathering in the Catskills, Masatoshi (Kineya) brought along some blue-blank rods that were interesting-looking and quite beautiful.

My point is that blue can be done,
but one dangerously straddles the line between uniquely beautiful, and WTF? garishness when you go down that road ...

Let's all hope that Tom's pics are bad, Image
and that Cortland got it right!


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Why is this man smiling?
Post 13 Sep 2010, 06:04 • #16 
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Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
I'm glad Cortland is trying this again. I like dark blue tones, just not in 'glass, but I hope others will. The new rod market is surely most active among anglers accustomed to graphite rods. The Diamondglass lengths and line weights offered certainly reflect contemporary preferences, as opposed to the norms of the fiberglass heyday. So it makes sense for them to attract customers by drawing them from conventional (graphite) buyers, not only in the line weights, but in the dark color. Doesn't appeal to me, but graphite cosmetics in a 'glass rod probably do make good marketing sense. I don't know just what a "diamond" finish would look like, but that would be clever also. Here's a graphite with a blue hue. Most people still want stuff to look new, high-tech, including fly tackle. So if someone doesn't have the color associations of traditional 'glass rods, what's not to smile about in the Diamondglass look? Would look good with the popular "titanium" toned reel, a high-tech color name for "smoke."

Image


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Post 13 Sep 2010, 13:02 • #17 
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Joined: 08/03/06
Posts: 554
Location: US-OR
It may not be the blue rod but the blue rod with blue wraps ... ugh! Didn't their mama teach'm how to dress?


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Post 13 Sep 2010, 15:25 • #18 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/05/09
Posts: 481
Location: liverpool NY
Yes Boo, the blue wraps add greatly to the yuck factor.


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Why is this man smiling?
Post 14 Sep 2010, 06:15 • #19 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/05/09
Posts: 481
Location: liverpool NY
I think I have been verbally abusing the new Diamondglass rods color scheme so much is because I like them so much! months ago I heard they were bringing them back,as I own 3 already and fish the heck out of them I am appalled at the uglification of one of my most favorite "brand" of flyrod.


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Post 14 Sep 2010, 09:06 • #20 
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Joined: 11/24/06
Posts: 1507
Location: Beautiful View, WA
On the other hand, if all glass rods fell within the yellow-to-brown gradient, that'd be boring.


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Post 14 Sep 2010, 11:15 • #21 
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Joined: 09/05/09
Posts: 481
Location: liverpool NY
Very true!


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Post 28 Sep 2010, 12:10 • #22 
New Member
Joined: 09/26/10
Posts: 23
Location: US-CT
I'm a sucker for the the short rods ... I'm sure I will be adding the 6ft and 6'6" 2 weights to me collection ... regardless of color


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Post 05 Oct 2010, 02:26 • #23 
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Joined: 06/27/06
Posts: 774
Location: SW Missouri Ozark Plateau
This really sounds exciting, and hooray! ... they are decently priced, too. As much as I would love one of the new Scott rods, $600 is absurd, in my opinion. But these new diamondglass rods sound like my cup of tea.


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Post 05 Oct 2010, 04:52 • #24 
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Joined: 09/03/10
Posts: 866
Location: harriman, tn
I don't think i could do blue either. I just wish the "premium" glass blank mfr's would bring back the short 5wt rods like 6-7.5 fters. It seems any more that a #5 starts at 8'. Shame.

mli


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Post 05 Oct 2010, 08:06 • #25 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/27/09
Posts: 573
Location: US-SD
The old line 4 wt. 8' Diamondglass rod I built has proved to be a delight. If the new line is to the same specifications and performs the same as the old line, I believe that the new ones should be winners.Image




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