I'm having a custom rod built for me by Sandy Nelson.
3 pc 8 foot #4 wt white S-glass blank made by Livingston rods in Montana, rolled on the banks of the Yellowstone River. :8)
Sandy sent me the prototype, it is awesome. Should get the rod in the next week or so.
Let's face it I really needed another fly rod. :lol:
Sandy is a top man, has built a fair few rods for me including a bamboo on a chapman blank.
Quite fancy a Livingston rod, maybe the 7'6" #4 eventually but he's already doing me a streamer rod for my wee ditch, a Steffen 7' #5/6.
His latest pic has my orange packlight amongst the McFarlands and Livingstons too, has seen a fair few big fish that rod but I punish it so it needed two new eyes.
What colour and spec have you gone for on yours Fred?
Top class builder Fred. Sure to be a fine rod :) :)
Did you not get another rod last year ?
Quote from: Sean Freeman on January 19, 2022, 10:06:22 PM
What colour and spec have you gone for on yours Fred?
3pc 8 foot white s-glass #4 wt it is lovely. Fine silk whippings :) Sandy is a top class builder for sure.
Quote from: Bobfly on January 19, 2022, 10:52:41 PM
Did you not get another rod last year ?
I bought 2 rods last year Vaughan. A 9 foot Maxcatch firestick and a 7 1/2 foot Vision Trout Glass. Was not really happy with either of them.
Quote from: admin on January 20, 2022, 07:03:54 AM
I bought 2 rods last year Vaughan. A 9 foot Maxcatch firestick and a 7 1/2 foot Vision Trout Glass. Was not really happy with either of them.
Not happy with a Maxcatch rod Fred!! You will never be able to post on a certain other FF forum again!
My experience of a seriously expensive rod is that it is sublime at doing what it was designed for but unsatisfactory outside these parameters. I have cheaper (but excellent) rods that cannot match the expensive rod when it is used in its zone but are much better all-rounders - and hence I use them more.
Quote from: arawa on January 20, 2022, 11:17:38 AM
Not happy with a Maxcatch rod Fred!! You will never be able to post on a certain other FF forum again!
The Maxcatch I bought was top of the range. 9 foot #5 Orvis Helios clone. Not a great fishing rod, far too stiff and tippy. It would be a good casting rod though. As far as the other FF goes I'll leave that to Grima Wormtongue and the other losers. :lol:
Nearing the tail end of the season I picked up a top dollar Maxcatch normally priced at £75-80 or so but the chap was selling it for £25. A 9 foot 6wt and pleasant medium action. Perfect for Mrs Bobfly from the boat and replacing the one she slipped onto up at Forsinard. It was a bargain and just the job.
QuoteLet's face it I really needed another fly rod.
Fred just sitting here with a smile !!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
You could spend your money on worse things fred :lol:
I'm sure you'll enjoy using it when the season starts.
It arrives next week. Sandy sent me photos today. How fkn awesome is this? 8)
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Wow, that's a real thing of beauty Fred. Loving the traditional white blank.
Ian
Looks like good fun coming up shortly.
Quote from: Crawhin on January 28, 2022, 10:52:49 PM
Wow, that's a real thing of beauty Fred. Loving the traditional white blank.
Ian
It is indeed. Superbly tasteful. Sandy is a top craftsman. My very fist rod I owned when I was a kid was white glass (solid glass) so it has sentiment value too :)
Sod it, time for a couple of new reels to go with it. 8) :)
The new glass has certainly come on a long way. I have had two Milbro wobblers in the past that were pretty hopless except they were hard to break !!
Quote from: admin on January 29, 2022, 09:59:25 AM
Sod it, time for a couple of new reels to go with it. 8) :)
why not 😂
Quote from: admin on January 29, 2022, 09:59:25 AM
Sod it, time for a couple of new reels to go with it. 8) :)
Have a look at VR Fly Reels, one of them would match it very nicely! Maybe the bronze colour to match the reel seat hardware..
https://www.vr-reels.com/trutta-perfetta-alluminum/
Nice reels. :)
That is a beautiful rod. Partway through building a rod myself just now, not a patch on that. Next time I may have to speak to Sandy....
Sandy is a real craftsman Robbie. I remember Mike Barrio showing me a rod Sandy had built on Sage blanks that looked like it had come out of the factory.
My rod was originally his brand new built demo that he sent out to me to try. I was so impressed with it that when he offered it I snapped it up. All it required was the grip reshaped from full to my preferred half wells and a keeper ring added. I shipped the rod back to him and 2 weeks later I have it back.
You should check out Pete Tyjas interviewing Sandy in one of his Fly Culture podcasts. Well worth a listen
https://open.spotify.com/show/3mv4IO2JVVB9DpjeLVr1fL
Incidentally I bought one of Mike Barrio's GT90 Mk2 lines (which are now made in the USA) to try with this rod. It is very good, the new lines are a great improvement on the older UK made lines in terms of coating slickness which I have found to be an issue with ALL UK made lines. The long back taper makes it very stable. Rod from Sandy, line from Mike - Inverurie is becoming Scotland's custom tackle centre. :)
I have heard that all UK line makers except Airflo have gone bust during covid. Not sure if that is 100% but it's what I was told.
That would be a shame Fred if true. Where were the lines you used to sell sourced from? They were always good quality and well priced.
22M Ian, closed down over covid I believe. Yes a real shame.
Quote from: admin on February 02, 2022, 06:32:09 PM
Sandy is a real craftsman Robbie. I remember Mike Barrio showing me a rod Sandy had built on Sage blanks that looked like it had come out of the factory.
My rod was originally his brand new built demo that he sent out to me to try. I was so impressed with it that when he offered it I snapped it up. All it required was the grip reshaped from full to my preferred half wells and a keeper ring added. I shipped the rod back to him and 2 weeks later I have it back.
You should check out Pete Tyjas interviewing Sandy in one of his Fly Culture podcasts. Well worth a listen
https://open.spotify.com/show/3mv4IO2JVVB9DpjeLVr1fL
I had caught that podcast already. Actually been listening to a few of the fly culture podcasts, a lot of good stuff in them, well worth a listen.