Glass glass glass again

[Steeldrifter 0]

It's always nice to still have the old glass/cane rods handed down from fathers and grandfathers. When I first took up fly fishing back about 25 yrs ago it was because I found my grandfathers 1950's era glass fly rod in the basement of his house after he had passed away. That's the rod that started my love affair with fly fishing and I still have that rod in a rack down in the shop just waiting for me to make it over one of these days.

[spm 0]

It's always nice to still have the old glass/cane rods handed down from fathers and grandfathers. When I first took up fly fishing back about 25 yrs ago it was because I found my grandfathers 1950's era glass fly rod in the basement of his house after he had passed away. That's the rod that started my love affair with fly fishing and I still have that rod in a rack down in the shop just waiting for me to make it over one of these days.

 

I had to fight my brother for the bamboo rod. I believe the rod is from the 1930s and my mother had bought it for him as an anniversary present.

 

My father always used an automatic reel (Yes, I still have that, too) because he didn't think he could handle a manual one and have all the line dangling in the water. This is the first fly rod I caught a fish with as a kid. It was a little sunfish and I was so excited, I hit the retrieve lever and reeled the fish all the way to the rod tip.

 

steve

[ditz2 0]

SPM

 

I first learned on glass too. I was 20ish and had wanted to fly fish for several years but east central Indiana is not exactly a fly fishing mecca so had to learn by trial and mostly error. My first time on the water I lost 3 or $4 worth of flies and lures so I figured I had to learn to make my own. I fly fished for several years and then family life got in the way. 8 or 10 years ago I decided to get back in and I was amazed at how much info was available. I think I learned about 10X more in my first year back than in all the years prior. I went looking to replace my old "broken" Heddon 5wt and all I could find was a graphite at Cabelas. So away I went into the world of black. I must say I prefer black in my larger open water rods but I am starting to get back to glass in my smaller creek rods.(warmwater).....I found an old Fenwick 7' 5wt that throws a 4wt best for me and I also bought a cheap Eagle Claw 5/6wt 7' rod. I am impressed considering the price. I think I like it better than the old Fenwick and it cost me about half of what my old Heddon cost in 70'. I do miss my old Heddon though. While in storage it somehow got broken in the center of the tip section. I repaired it but it was not the same rod after the repair.

[spm 0]

SPM

 

I first learned on glass too. I was 20ish and had wanted to fly fish for several years but east central Indiana is not exactly a fly fishing mecca so had to learn by trial and mostly error. My first time on the water I lost 3 or $4 worth of flies and lures so I figured I had to learn to make my own. I fly fished for several years and then family life got in the way. 8 or 10 years ago I decided to get back in and I was amazed at how much info was available. I think I learned about 10X more in my first year back than in all the years prior. I went looking to replace my old "broken" Heddon 5wt and all I could find was a graphite at Cabelas. So away I went into the world of black. I must say I prefer black in my larger open water rods but I am starting to get back to glass in my smaller creek rods.(warmwater).....I found an old Fenwick 7' 5wt that throws a 4wt best for me and I also bought a cheap Eagle Claw 5/6wt 7' rod. I am impressed considering the price. I think I like it better than the old Fenwick and it cost me about half of what my old Heddon cost in 70'. I do miss my old Heddon though. While in storage it somehow got broken in the center of the tip section. I repaired it but it was not the same rod after the repair.

 

ditz2,

East central Indiana? I'm originally from Lafayette, IN. I used to fish the Wildcat creek and the Tippecanoe river.

 

My story is similalr; got away from the sport while working and rasing a family. Now recently retired and getting back into it. We have some really nice spring-fed streams here in Missouri in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, managed by the National Park Service. The Current river is my favorite; cold and clear.

 

I have also learned more in the past months than previously. You can find a youtube for almost anything, anymore. I still lose a number of flies every time I'm on the water, but I can replace them now.

 

My glass rod is also a Heddon 8ft 7wt.

 

steve

[Gene L 0]

That's a beautiful rod! I have a few glass rods and think they cast very well, especially at short distances. I don't think they present a fly any more softly, to me that's a function of the line and tippet. They are definitely slower and more relaxed. And since they are generally thicker, less subject to weight damage. They're heavier in the hand than graphite, which (I surmise) is the reason they're currently made in shorter lengths.

 

The old rods were very commonly 9 feet long and probably averaged to carry a 7wt line. The new ones are shorter and carry smaller line weight, 5 on the high end and 2wt on the low end. That's what people who want glass seem to want. Glass rods because they are softer, are said to protect a tippet better, which is a very good thing. I've never seen a 3wt rod from the Golden Age of glass. (1950s-1970s)

 

I also have a couple of graphite rods that cast a lot like glass: an Orvis Far and Fine, and a Clearwater, both 5 wt and very soft and both 7'9". The F&F used to be the rod Orvis used to teach flyfishing classes. It's a very accurate rod, as are my glass rods. Maybe it's just me, but I've found a glass rod is excellent for placing a fly where I want it...but at a shorter distance. I don't need a rod to pitch a fly 70' on the rivers where I fish.

 

Glass is making a limited come-back. There is a board for them: fiberglass flyrodders. For me, I don't know why I own glass rods except I love them. That's reason enough for me.

[Steeldrifter 0]

That's a beautiful rod! I have a few glass rods and think they cast very well, especially at short distances. I don't think they present a fly any more softly, to me that's a function of the line and tippet.

 

Thanks.

 

They actually do, but keep in mind I am talking about extreme short distance small stream casting. If you try to make a short cast (under 15ft-20ft) with a fast action you are not using the amount of line out from the tip that is required to properly load the rod, which in turn makes the loop a bit sloppy and will cause the leader to stack up a bit and land on the water with more disturbance. That is caused by the grain weight of line out from the tip not being able to fully load/flex the rod to form the loop it needs because rods today are normally rated with 33ft of line from the tip top.

 

With a soft glass rod that is made for loading with less grain weight of line out from the tip, the rod loads properly with less line, and the loop is slower and more controlled which equals a softer presentation. There are graphite rods that are moderate action as well which can present the fly just as soft at short range. But the basic flex of graphite blanks that are commercially available from shops these days has been swaying more and more towards the tip flex side of the flex chart, so I am using the more commonly available tip flex graphite as a comparison here.

 

Again keep in mind we are only talking short distance casts here, anything over about 25ft-30ft and you are correct then, because the advantage quickly disappears and starts swaying to the graphite blank having the benefits.

[islander727 0]

Nice work!

 

What blank is that?

[Steeldrifter 0]

Thanks. They are custom builder blanks.

[ditz2 0]

In answer to GeneL.....All of my learning came out of books back in the 60's. The books all touted 7 and 8wt rods as being the do all rods. In my area 6wts were fairly rare and I bought the only 5wt that I ever saw back during that time. Kmart was the major tackle store in my area and they had 2 5wt Heddons for sale. A 6.5 and a 7' rod and I bought the 6.5' version. I wished I had bought them both. I don't know if the books set the mood for 7 and 8wts or if the reason for the idea of those weights being the do it all weights was that they were what was generally available. Orvis sold bamboo rods in lighter weights but the average Joe could not afford 3 to $600 dollars for a rod back then. That was approaching a months salary back then for most working folks. 8' was also the norm with a few being up to 9'. Maybe folks that resided in promanent fly fishing areas had access to a better assortment of rod weights and lengths but in the Midwest 8' 7 or 8wts was major choices.

[islander727 0]

Thanks. They are custom builder blanks.

 

You know, now that I think about it, I shouldn't have asked that! I'm sorry that I did!

[Steeldrifter 0]

Thanks. They are custom builder blanks.

 

You know, now that I think about it, I shouldn't have asked that! I'm sorry that I did!

 

Why's that? it didn't bother me, I don't mind one bit. You guys can ask me anything you'd like to know about the rods I build, no worries here