Just The Rod....

[davefromtheattic]

It's not the TE mind. I might actually be interested in that you know! Had another breakthrough at today's 4 hour practise session. Elbow tight in = decent tracking and somehow more power, probably due to the v shaped loop. It's the first time I've felt the line trying to rip out of my line hand! I need to work on getting the power right now but clearly some of the ''ingredients'' of the cast are getting in the right ball park. That's using the Fladen!

[Malcolm]

I'm going to be difficult here as usual!  :lol:

Malcolm - the TCR like rods in the hands of some excellent casters are definitely capable of some mind blowing spey casting. I've seen some videos of some great casting with crazy stiff rods but whilst I am saying that, the XP is a lovely rod for speys....!

Yes they can Scotty, in fact you can spey cast huge distances with them - but only if you place the fly perfectly and that isn't possible in many situations. Do you remember when we were playing about with a long length of line out in front of the rod then trying to switch cast? With the TCR that doesn't work - the rod has unwound by the time you want it to be coming into full power. Anyway I'd have thought you would have bought a Hardy Sintrix rather than the TCX. The TCX is just so last week! 

[scotty9]

Dave - I'm not convinced about the tippet argument to be honest  :lol: Just my opinion of course, yes the softer rod will give slightly higher immediate shock protection but I don't see it as an important factor.

Malcolm - good point, yes that was a great exercise. I was of course thinking of the optimal kind of as much line anywhere you want! And the Sintrix, I can't try the thing over here and it's super expensive! I'm getting the TCX at US custom build price, less all taxes and very cheap postage to me thanks to friends over there!

Alan - just so I can amaze with what I can do when I get back  : Only kidding, I've gone downhill a good bit thanks to no practice and all fishing! I know for a fact the #6 TCX is usable with lines from a #5 floater to #9 sinkers depending on what you're doing so it's gonna be my cover everything rod - distance fannying around, #6 fishing, pike fishing etc and then i'll catch salmon on it.

[scotty9]

when you were farting about with the foreign rod designer dude at kelso, i had a shot of Andrew Parkers 6 tcx, thats the the guy we introduced to scottish hill loch fishing by making him walk 20 miles to blank :lol:

its a bit of a beast in a 6!

as per the thread...i dont find playing fish any different with different rods, soft ones absorb shock more and stiff ones you need to be more sensitive with, break off's are caused by the arm rather than the rod i would have thought.

Yeah that was quite the spectacular blank! :lol: :lol: Will need to do it again when I am back!

I got a shot of it too, managed to play with a couple out here also - it really is a beast! It's a very good rod IMO, definitely a bit nicer than the #5 weight.

Totally agree with your cause is the arm not the rod! Or sometimes the bastard fish just decides it fancies a run down the next set of rapids  :lol: