Light Line Glass Fibre Fly Rods

[Wildfisher]

When fishing  very short lines on small stream pocket water, sometimes only 1/2 rod length plus leader, your standard carbon rod well and truly sucks unless you  over line it and what's the point in  that if you want to fish dead light gear?

Instead of messing about like this - over lining, adopting special casting /  loading techniques, putting in a whole lot of effort to overcome the shortcomings of carbon in these situations,   would it not be better to use  a rod made from a material that flexes easy under  it's own weight? Like glass? The right tool for the right job?

[sandyborthwick]

Interesting Fred,

Perhaps there is an area for the small glass rod still to be explored.

Sandy B.O.

[Wildfisher]

Scott make a nice 7 foot  3 weight "stream rod".  Loads with a few feet of line / under it's own weight  At nearly $600 it's a bit pricey.  

[Robbie]

Hardy do some glass rods, think they are a bit cheaper, around £250-£350 depending on length.

Would it be possible to pick up a good quality vintage rod?

[Wildfisher]

Yes, I saw those Robbie, 10% carbon, 90% glass. £299, still pricey, but not as bad as the Scott. It seems a lot to pay for a glass rod and I don't like the look of the reel seat on it.

http://www.sportfish.co.uk/product/hardy-glass-fly-rods

There must be a more sensible alternative surely?

[Wildfisher]

I just dug out an old 2pc (6 weight I'm sure it was)  glass rod I built in the mid 1970s. It's pretty battered and weighs a ton. It is astonishing how heavy it is compared to a modern rod.  I stuck a WTF5 line on it and it  flops and loads wonderfully with 2 feet of line plus leader out of the tip ring.  It also handled 30 feet no problem at all. You just have to  slow down............. this confirms it for me.  It's what I need for  relaxed small stream pocket water fishing.  Just something  a bit lighter that does not cost hundreds.  There is  nothing  retro in this, it's logical  thinking -  a matter of selecting the right tool for the job in hand. Carbon rods suck for this kind of fishing.   :lol:

[sandyborthwick]

I've been wondering about this same problem for some time but hadn't thought of glass.

I'll be up in the loft looking at what is possible with a couple of old 1970s era glass rods - first I ever used - up to then it was cane. The thread has triggered the memories of my floppy yellow fly rod that I used extensively for some years on the River Allan in Perthshire :. Still got that one up there and it might be possible to do something with that for the dartmoor small streams.

I'm thinking reduce the length and make it a three piece new handle and reel carrier from the states, some new guides and it might be rejuvenated. : Perhaps the colour is going to be novel - I mean who has a yellow mellow rod :lol:.

Sandy B.O.  

[Highlander]

There is absolutely no reason not to use a light glass rod. I always felt we "rushed" into carbon fibre in the
shorter lighter glass fibre range.
Oh for a Hardy Jet in the hard to & on occasion pricey E Bay ones I see for sale. Best wee river rod I had was an Edgar Sealy "The Glane" I do miss it & if I see one on E Bay I will have a bid. Having said that older carbon fibre rods such as the Daiwa CF98/ Osprey/Lochmor & the like though I can not prove it are more suitable than today's offerings for the small stream man.
Tight Lines

[Wildfisher]

Hardy Glass Aln 5ft fly rod

It's a good buy Alan, but 5ft is a bit short, I'd  be wanting 7ft.

[ennio]

Scott make a nice 7 foot  3 weight "stream rod".  Loads with a few feet of line / under it's own weight  At nearly $600 it's a bit pricey.  

I was fortunate to pick it up the Scott F in 6'6" #2 used for a good price: what a treat! It doesn't get out much but when it does it's just the job

Andrew