(Click to go to fire map Web site)

Even Singlebarbed is feeling the heat (at work anyway, and it’s nice to see that slacker him buckling down for a change), though the whole wildfire thing is creating some compelling interior commentary.

For example, should a fire burn towards our nestled-against-the-mountain house while I’m gone, I fear the L&T Nancy will manifest the wrong reflexes, saving photographs, clothes and irreplaceable personal items instead of what’s really important: my bamboo fly rods.

It’s a frightening mental picture; the pet-laden L&T-mobile bouncing down the driveway jammed with photo albums and clothes while the fire burns hungrily towards my Phillipsons, Raines, Beasleys and Thramers.

It’s the kind of image that wakes you up screaming at night, and the smart fly fishermen would bundle his favorite rods together, prepping them for rapid evacuation by air, though the prospect of finding a Rod-Evac helicopter on short notice seems a little far fetched (there’s a gold-plated business idea for the Undergrounders, at no charge).

Clearly, a good night’s sleep carries costs far beyond a comfortable mattress.

Of course, that’s assuming I don’t end up stuffing pretty much every fly rod I own into the truck for the Montana trip - a real possibility given my pre-trip tendency towards carefully selecting the bare minimum of rods, then panicking just before I leave and throwing everything that’s left on the pile (I sense a separate post).

Until the Big Fly Rod Decisions are made, I’ll see you in the downstairs Man Cave, staring at tubes, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: california wildfires, fly rods, bamboo fly rods, montana fly fishing trip

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Those looking for fly rod bargains will have their interest piqued. Those who wonder about the forces transforming the fly fishing industry will find a lot of fodder for discussion.

And yes, Singlebarbed names names.

See you at Singlebarbed, Tom Chandler.

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(You can read Part I here, and Part II here)

Today I take a look at a few of the larger companies building glass, though I use the term “larger” in a relative sense. Thomas and Thomas are hardly rod building’s equivalent of a multinational, and the other companies mentioned won’t dent the list of the biggest fly rod manufacturers.

So be it; smaller companies are supposed to serve niches better than bigger ones, and in this case, it appears to be true. Off we go.

Thomas & Thomas Heirloom

Designed by rod-building legend Tom Dorsey to replicate some of his favorite bamboo actions, the T&T Heirlooms are wonderfully progressive fiberglass fly rods.

(photo courtesy T&T)

I’ve cast a pair of T&T Heirlooms, and found the 7.5′ 3wt and the 8′ 5wt to be absolutely smooth casters – free of hinges and other odd behaviors. No less a glass rod expert than Rich Margiotta thinks the T&T rods might be the best glass rods ever produced, and it’s hard to argue.

Rich builds, fishes and sells glass and bamboo fly rods more frequently than Paris Hilton makes headlines, so when he says he’s “found my 7.5′ 3wt,” you sit up and take notice.

The Heirlooms embody the concept of a “progressive” rod – they get stronger as more line flows past the tip, but fish at short ranges without any qualms.

In addition to being nice casters, they’re also pretty: the elegant green/olive blanks are finished like you’d expect a T&T would be – with pricey reel seats and elegantly colored wraps. Their prices match their appearance — at $662, they’re among the most expensive fiberglass rods produced.

Those who can live without the high-end hardware can always buy a $310 Heirloom blank and build their own, and they’ll still enjoy the rod’s greatest strength — its smooth, wholly-fishable action.

In the Heirlooms, rod-designing legend Dorsey has created an enviably fishable line of fly rods, though they’re currently only available in 7.5′ and 8′ lengths, and from 3wts to 5wts.

Frankly, I’ve been eying the 8′ 4wt, and wish they’d get around to building an 8.5′ 5wt, which I probably wouldn’t be able to resist. In truth, the price of the Heirloom rods remains the biggest barrier to acceptance in the fiberglass rod world, which is really too bad.

Most of the cost of a modern fly rod isn’t materials, it’s labor, and one look at the Heirlooms makes it clear a lot labor went into their construction.

I spoke to Dorsey about the Heirlooms while at the retailer trade show in Denver; he’s a remarkably knowledgeable individual – one far more interested in a taper’s fishability than its commercial viability.

Even though the Heirlooms aren’t destined for wild commercial success, it’s nice to know that Tom Dorsey is willing to sell a rod line just because he likes the way they cast.

Link to Thomas and Thomas Heirloom fly rods

Diamondback Diamondglass Fly Rods

Diamondgalss fly rods made a splash on the market when they were introduced several years ago, though Diamondback’s purchase by Cortland and subsequent closing of the Vermont factory has stamped the rod line’s future as uncertain.

My own oft-fished 8.5′ 4wt Diamondglass: it’s already been discontinued.

As of now, Cortland still carries the rods, but has discontinued two of the line’s best tapers: the very bamboo-ish 8′ 5wt 3-pc, and the absolutely superb 8.5′ 4wt 3-pc – which might be one of the best technical/spring creek rods available.

I also own the 7′ 3wt 3-pc rod, and this despite the fact I almost never fish rods shorter than 8′.

I’m glad I already own all three of the 3-piece Diamondglass fly rods; I won’t have to scour the Internet for them after they’re gone and desperate fly fishers have driven the prices up. I like the 8.5′ 4wt enough that I have a blank tucked away in case the future isn’t bright for my factory rod.

If the three-piece Diamondglass rods replicate a certain bamboo-ish action, the 2-pc Diamondglass rods feel faster and stiffer. I’ve cast the 8′ 4wt and it’s a nice rod, but the 7.5′ 3wt is widely regarded as a 4wt, and the 7′ 4wt seems oddly fast for a small stream.

Or course, some people prefer fast rods for small streams (something about shooting tight loops under bankside cover), and who am I to say they’re wrong?

The Diamondglass rods are affordable by today’s standards; list prices hover around the $300 mark for a factory rod, and the the blanks are a little more than half that. The factory rods aren’t particularly gorgeous; the blanks are a smooth, gloss black, and the wraps and reel seats are functional, but not stunning.

They’re great for fishing, but won’t win a lot of beauty contests. I think that’s fine; I’m cheap, and trout aren’t much impressed by engraving or three-color tipping.

It’s possible certain Diamondglass models will someday become the Sage Lightlines of the fiberglass world – a discontinued line of rods that command high prices on the secondhand market because nothing better’s come along.

I believe the Diamondglass rods aren’t being produced any more, so if you want, better to get it sooner rather than later.

Link to the Diamondglass Web page here

Scott Fiberglass fly rods

Scott’s “F” series fiberglass rods are available in four shorter tapers; they range from a 6′ 1wt to a 7.6′ 4wt (the linear progression in length and line weight suggest they’re using a single taper to cover all the models).

Like all Scott rods, they’re cleanly and sleekly finished, and the retail price of $525 falls nearer the upper end of the fiberglass fly rod spectrum than the lower end.

In truth, I don’t know a lot about the Scott fiberglass fly rods; I rarely fish rods below 8′ and the longest F series rod tops out at 7′6”. I cast one several years ago and it clearly fell on the faster end of the fiberglass fly rod spectrum.

Scott’s fiberglass fly rods are not stiff or dead, and they’re a great fit for faster-rod fans and graphite rod users looking for a small stream rod.

Link to the Scott F Series Fly Rods

Lamiglas

The Lamiglas “honey” rods are available only as blanks, and I’m my own prejudice is rearing its ugly head; while some think the 7.5′ 4wt “honey” Lamiglas achieves absolute perfection in a fly rod, the Lami’s I’ve cast have felt a bit on the clunky, slow-tipped side.

Manic rod builder Rich Margiotta tends to agree with me, though he draws the “clunky” line somewhere above the 7′ 3wt rod, which he thinks is pretty nice.

He makes a good point about the Lamiglas rods; they’re available in six-piece (and higher) formats, but the more ferrules they get, the clunkier they cast.

In other words – unlike the more expensive glass rods – extra ferrules seem to have a big impact on the Lamiglas fiberglass rods.

Still, they’re attractively pricely, nicely colored, and fun to build, and available in everything from a 6.5′ 3wt to an 8′ 5wt.

They’ve provided an affordable entry point into modern fiberglass rods for more than one angler. If you’re a real slow rod fan, then the Lamiglas honey blanks might be your idea of fly fishing heaven. If so, you can save a lot of money.

Link to the Lamiglas glass rod Web page

The One Resource You Need To Start Spending Money

Yes, there are a few other glass rods out there – including several highly rated fiberglass fly rods available only in Japan (but which can be shipped to the USA relatively quickly).

Rather than belabor the details here, I’m going to give you the link to the single best source of information about fiberglass fly rods on the Internet: The Fiberglass Fly Rod Board.

Like any message board, you learn to take some of the opinions with a grain of salt, but it’s one of the most civil boards out there, and nothing else like it exists in the fiberglass fly rod universe.

The Fiberglass Fly Rod Board

Links to most (if not all) of the glass rod manufacturers

The Future

There have been a spate of new fiberglass fly rods available the last few years — and the growth in the independent builders like McFarland and Steffen is gratifying.

Still, the almost-sure-to-occur demise of the Diamondglass line forces me to wonder if we’re seeing a small-but-healthy niche establishing itself, or if we haven’t simply witnessed a temporary revival of the modern fiberglass rod.

Still, my take is that the modern glass fly rod is here to stay; the independents always do better in niches than the bigger companies, who presumably have bigger fish to fry and more impressive bottom lines to pursue.

See you on the river (glass fly rod in hand), Tom Chandler.

(If you missed them, you can read the rest of our Wholly Biased Look a Fiberglass Fly Rods: Part I here, and Part II here)

A Diamondglass sitting on a Big Wood River ice shelf during an Idaho winter

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If I described the number of fiberglass fly rod makers as “large” or even “booming,” I’d be a liar.

There are a handful of small companies building glass, and a few larger companies dipping their toe in the technology, though by and large the bigger companies haven’t fared well at fiberglass.

For example, the original Winston fiberglass fly rods (typically built on the vaunted Fisher blanks) were quite good, but the reissued Winston “Stalker” rods were universally derided as pale shadows of the originals (Winston no longer lists fiberglass fly rods on their Web site).

Scott rods offers four fiberglass rods, though an Undergrounder noticed their own reps didn’t seem to know it.

In fact, look closely, and you’ll uncover a recurring theme; the larger rod companies pigeonhole fiberglass as a material suited only to very short rods, yet those buying fiberglass fly rods are using them for everyday fly fishing on all kinds of trout water.

Which is where small, independent rod builders enter the picture.

Today, I’m going to cover three independent fiberglass rod builders, and handle the bigger rod companies and other manufacturers in the next installment. Off we go…

Steffen Brothers

Though he’s not well known to the general fly fishing public, Mark Steffen has been rolling exceptional fiberglass and graphite fly rod blanks in his one-man operation for years.

His smooth-casting, medium-actioned fiberglass rods offer a decidedly retro look; the opaque, maroon brown, unsanded blanks appeal to some (like me), but are unlikely to win many beauty contests.

Steffen’s handwriting isn’t much, but his fiberglass rods cast beautifully.

Despite the nostalgic appearance, his s-glass rods are all business, and surprisingly light.

In fact, you don’t experience the real beauty of his rods until you’re on the river — they’re exceptionally smooth, light-in-the-hand casters. Comparing rods and actions is an inexact science at best, but my feeling is that the Steffen rods play in the same range (action-wise) as the vaunted Granger and Phillipson bamboo tapers.

They’re soft enough to protect light tippets and preserve a smooth, undefinable casting “feel” - yet strong enough to handle some wind, big fish, and big flies.

It’s safe to that – on a purely technical footing — his fiberglass fly rods rank with any currently being built. And at $300-$425 (depending on number of pieces), they’re a bargain compared to top-flight graphite fly rods.

His reel seats and cosmetics are straightforward and functional, and don’t be fooled by his Web site; it’s years out of date. He now offers many models not listed (including his very fishable 5wt rods).

I own and fish a pair of Steffen rods — 8′ and 8.5′ 5wts, (3pc and 4pc respectively) — and while some suggest a good 8.5′ 5wt fiberglass fly rod can’t be built, Steffen’s 8.5′ 5/6wt suggests otherwise.

In addition, his 7′9″ - 8′ 3/4wt rods are universally loved, though I haven’t fished one.

Closeup of the unsanded Steffen blank.

Steffen also rolls and build some exceptional graphite rods, but says that fiberglass fly rods are the fastest-growing part of his rod mix. Like McFarland’s rods (see below), Steffen will build a fiberglass fly rod in about as many pieces as you want — inserting internal spigot ferrules where needed.

Steffen doesn’t build vanity fly rods, but he does build fiberglass fly rods that fish very well.

McFarland Fly Rods

Mike McFarland’s glass fly rods are well known among fiberglass flyrodders — both for their smooth actions and gorgeous appearance. Where Steffen’s rods are (relatively speaking) high tech and plain looking, McFarland’s rods harken back to a more traditional action and are frankly gorgeous.

McFarland’s blanks feature a butterscotch brown color (photo McFarland Rods)

They’re still exceptional fishing tools, but McFarland uses e-glass (a slightly lower modulus fiberglass), puts a lot of effort into refining the appearance of his rods, and admits to preferring less-aggressive traditional tapers.

Available in multiple trim levels and in everything from 2-pc to ultra-portable 8-piece formats, McFarland’s glass rods (the Spruce Creek Series) cover a wide range of actions: progressive, dry fly, and parabolic.

For the real diehard old farts, McFarland even offers fly rods with nickel silver ferrules, an “accessory” which heaps many of the maintenance issues associated with bamboo rods onto fiberglass (I’m passing on that one).

Like Steffen, McFarland is often willing to build you a rod that’s not in his catalog, offering fly fishers a truly “custom” rod – a trait far more reminiscent of bamboo rods than today’s mass-produced graphite.

McFarland dresses his rods with some serious bling (photo McFarland Rods)

He offers fly rods in 7′ to 8′9″ lengths, and from 3 to 7 weights, making him the only builder dabbling in longer, heavier line weight glass rods — a space in the market often reserved for graphite.

The consensus is that McFarland’s rods are a teensy bit slower than Steffen’s efforts due to the slightly lower modulus material, though his stiff-butted dry fly rods won’t necessarily feel that way.

I’d suggest they offer a strong appeal to traditionalists and bamboo fanatics, but in truth, things are just plain pretty, and very smooth.

TL Johnson Rods

Terry Johnson’s new fly rod company (TL Johnson fly rods, natch) is focused on its several lines of graphite fly rods, but Johnson clearly has a soft spot in his heart for glass rods.

His glass models are subtly different from the others; at their core lies a helix of graphite fiber which is surrounded by fiberglass, and as a result, his line of fiberglass rods fish a little “faster” than most glass.

The metallic olive TL Johnson glass rod (photo courtesy TL Johnson)

When I spoke to Johnson at the retailer show in Denver, he said he wanted his rods to bridge the gap between bamboo and graphite, and a quick test of one of his rods suggested he’s he’s done so.

Currently, Johnson offers glass rods from 7′ to 8′ in length, in 4wt and 5wt models. His Web site lists only 2-pc models – a stumbling block if you’re looking for a travel rod.

His glass rods are cleanly built and finished, and — like most of the rod builders mentioned here – less expensive than a lot of the graphite rods on the market.

The rods I handled at the show were pretty – an olive color with nicely coordinated wraps – and I’d suggest their relatively sleek, modern appearance will appeal to those familiar with modern graphite rods.

Next Time…

I’ll cover some of the bigger fiberglass fly rod providers, including the much-loved (and high-priced) Thomas & Thomas Heirloom rods, and one of the best values in fiberglass — provided you can find one — the Diamondglass rods.

See you on the river, Tom Chandler.

(This is Part II: Read Part I here, and Part III here)

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[ed: This is Part I of the series; read Part II here, Part III here]

It’s hard to define the “rightness” of a fly rod, though once — over a couple beers — a few local fly fishermen delved into the subject at what amounted to the genetic level.

Naturally, we didn’t stumble on any real answers (none that we remember anyway), outside of the fact that technology is not necessarily the one true path to fly rod enlightenment.

That’s why — when fly fishers ask me if one rod is “better” than another — I suggest they simply fish whatever fly rod feels best, and the hell with what the magazines want you to think

In this rare instance, I’ve taken my own advice; I fish fiberglass and bamboo fly rods almost exclusively, and not because I want to fire up fly fishing’s natural/synthetic class wars.

The simple truth is this: fiberglass and bamboo fly rods feel — to me anyway — exactly how a fly rod is supposed to feel.

The unsanded, retro-look Steffen rods don’t appeal to everyone, but I like ‘em.

They bend smoothly, and do so without the stiffness that sometimes leads me to drive my graphite fly rods.

During the casting stroke, I’ve got a pretty good idea exactly what’s going on at the far end of my fiberglass fly rods, and glass inspires serious confidence when I’ve got a good fish going on a small fly or light tippet.

In simplest terms, they’re unpretentious, durable, affordable, un-demanding, — and just plain fun. All of those fit pretty neatly within the job description of your average fly rod, and as somebody once observed, “love is simply a compendium of needs.”

The Modern Fiberglass Fly Rod

Shortly after WWII, fiberglass fly rods took over the industry; glass was the new glamour material, though after the market settled in a bit, hand-crafted bamboo rods still occupied the more rarefied upper strata of the fly rod world, with fiberglass largely ruling the rest of the market.

Compared to bamboo, fiberglass fly rods offered lighter weight, less cost, and all the maintenance demands of your average doorstop.

Sadly, the fiberglass fly rod’s heyday was short-lived; while it was on the fast track to the top of the heap by the late 1940s, by the mid-70s it was already headed for the sale bins, courtesy the flashier, lighter graphite fly rods.

In truth, rodmakers were only starting to unravel the mysteries of fiberglass when it fell from favor, and today, fiberglass fly rods occupy a tiny — but growing — corner of fly rod market.

A few larger fly rod manufacturers have stepped up with new (or re-issued) models, but sitting squarely at the center of the industry you’ll find a handful of tiny fly rod companies — people turning out what are probably the best-casting, most-advanced fiberglass fly rods of all time.

Today’s fiberglass fly rods are light. They’re strong. They’re affordable (compared to high-end bamboo and graphite). And they offer a hard-to-define casting feel that higher modulus materials (like graphite) simply can’t match.

They’re also exceptional fishing tools for trout — good enough that a few of us have openly wondered if the best light trout rods in existence aren’t currently being built from s-glass fiberglass.

The Bamboo Connection

While you’ll find modern fiberglass fly rods in the hands of cranks and misfits everywhere, they’re also finding a toehold among bamboo rod fanatics — bamboo fiends who can’t keep up with spiraling bamboo rod costs, or want more-replaceable travel rods that still retain bamboo’s smooth “feel.”

After all, estimates for bamboo’s modulus average around 10 million — the same modulus offered by e-glass fiberglass.

S-glass fiberglass ranks slightly higher at 12 million modulus, but all three offer ratings far below carbon fiber (graphite) fly rod materials, which typically start above 30 million modulus and go higher from there.

A custom-built 8′ 5wt Diamondglass fly rod; even bamboo hounds like the way it casts.

Modulus is hardly the whole story, but it’s not a stretch to say that fiberglass rods cast and fish more like bamboo than they do graphite.

In fact, its sweet casting “feel” is probably driving renewed interest in fiberglass; the rods can cast and fish like fine bamboo rods, but do so at a fraction of the price, a fraction of the weight, and without any special maintenance demands.

Contemporary vs Vintage Fiberglass Rods

I’m not going to spend much time on vintage fiberglass; unraveling the brands would take many, many pages. I will say there is a lot of vintage glass out there, and many of the rods are exceptional (Phillipsons, Scotts, Winstons, Fishers, Hardys, etc).

Sadly, many are also un-exceptional, and many of the fiberglass fly rods from the Golden Era also exhibit what you’d charitably say were the gaudiest finishes ever conceived by a fly rod manufacturer.

Mylar underwraps and spiral wraps might seem refreshingly nostalgic to some, but not me.

If you’re truly interested in vintage glass rods, buy a copy of the Fiberglass Fly Rod by the Johnsons (a father and son team). For vintage glass freaks, it’s the bible.

The focus of this article are the exemplary glass rods produced by today’s makers — rods that enjoy the benefit of fiberglass technologies unknown (or not practiced) during the “Golden Age” of fiberglass.

What’s New In An Old Technology

During the industry transition from bamboo to fiberglass, glass rods were designed to replicate the slower action of bamboo rods. It took designers more than a few years to truly get the feel of the material, which is when the race for faster-action rods (a race carried over into today’s graphite rods) took place.

Fortunately, today’s fiberglass rod builders don’t have to build rods that replicate bamboo’s feel, or satisfy the cravings of a mass market bent on ever-steeper “parking lot” tapers.

Instead, they’re free to build right to the sweet spot of the material. As a result, the majority of modern glass rods are smooth and progressive, and though some makers (like McFarland) are experimenting with steep “dry fly” tapers and even parabolic tapers, most modern glass rods fall nicely into the middle of the action spectrum.

Frankly, that makes sense; as a rod-building material, fiberglass doesn’t typically fabricate into a stellar fast-action rod as well as high modulus graphite, but it does a wonderful job in smooth-flexing progressive and slower tapers.

The Weight Question

While today’s fiberglass fly rods aren’t as light as the latest high-modulus graphite rods, I’d suggest they’re plenty light enough, especially in the sub-9′ lengths (which is almost all of them).

Excising a quarter of an ounce from a fly rod never seems as significant to me as it does to rodmakers trying sell expensive new fly rods, and if that’s your criteria for rod selection, then fiberglass probably isn’t for you.

These aren’t thundersticks after all, and the users of modern fiberglass aren’t typically bent on world casting domination.

Rather — if you believe casting “feel” is an integral part of the fly fishing experience — then fiberglass is worth consideration, especially on smaller streams and rivers.

That’s where short-range accuracy and “fun” (fly fishing’s oft-forgotten legacy) are key.

In Part II of the Underground’s fiberglass fly rod series, we look at who’s building fiberglass rods and why you may — or may not — want one.

[ed: This is Part I of the series; read Part II here, Part III here]

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How about you? Straq at Way Upstream (fly fishing product guy at Patagonia) is looking for feedback about gravel guards, which is either intelligent product development, or a cagey way to get us to do his job for him.

Sure, Bennet says Straq’s a total slacker, but we’ll give Straq the benefit of a doubt, and suggest you head on over and post an opinion.

From Way Upstream:

A while ago I posted a request for wader feedback that was widely commented on. Since then I’ve been working on the new wader development and have a specific area for the Way Upstream community to focus and comment on. This area is the gravel guard. I’m testing various fabrics, high filtration mesh and neoprene for this integrated feature.

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I’m fishing in the rural-urban interface, a fancy term that means the city is close to the woods. Come Friday evening I can expect anything from the “high-powered rifle hatch” to the Gang-bangers with a yen for white-meat. All of them will be powered by Jack Daniel’s or Budweiser, and it won’t matter whether you have to defend yourself or cut and run, that rod is a liability.

My rod is a Fenwick Eagle Graphite 8.6″ for a 5 weight line. It was the rod I kept for clients to use when their tackle was poor quality, back in my guiding days. It cost $80 new (circa 1990), and throws a nice tight loop. The epoxy is lumpy, the guide trim is painted on, the reel seat is all metal, and it fishes smooth.

What caught my eye was the fly rod itself — an admirably light and smooth Fenwick Eagle model that I owned briefly, and in a fit of pure stupidity, sold.

It joins a short list of great, cheap fly fishing tackle that — if it carried the weight of a serious price tag instead of a cheap reel seat – would probably still be widely praised on the sport’s message boards.

So — in the interest of group participation — I’m creating the Underground’s First Annual “Cheap Fly Gear You Should Have Kept, But Didn’t” post.

So Undergrounders — what’s your favorite, most-missed, cheapo gear?

The Underground’s Choice

I already mentioned the cheap Fenwick graphite rod above, but the real angst at the dark core of the shadowy underbelly of my fly fishing soul (dark, eh?) revolves around an 8.5′ 5wt fly rod by a little-known company called East Branch — a small custom manufacturer of graphite fly rods that had the misfortune to produce great fly rods instead of high-octane marketing.

It was the sweetest graphite fly rod I ever cast — so good that it become the only graphite rod that ever broke the stranglehold exerted by my bamboo and fiberglass rods.

I loved it so much, I decided to share the joy and sent it to a friend, who shipped back a check instead of the rod.

Naturally, by the time I got around to ordering another, East Branch had gone the way of all companies not willing to hype their gear with images of grim-faced guides and dark, moody photographs.

(You were probably expecting a bamboo fly rod story, but hell, I haven’t sold many of those.)

Of course, every fly fisher has a similar tragedy buried in the back of their gear closet. What’s yours?

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, fly fishing gear, fly rod, fenwick fly rod, east branch, graphite fly rod, bamboo fly rod

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I stopped by the Thomas & Thomas booth to talk about their fabulous Heirloom fiberglass fly rods — the rods that cast like buttah, but unfortunately, cost like caviar (just a reminder Undergrounders — Christmas is coming [hint, hint]).

Instead of the expected product pitch, I basked in the glow of rod-designing legend Tom Dorsey’s obvious affection for the kind of fly rods that feel like, well… like fly rods are supposed to. After all, he still offers the gratifyingly smooth Paradigm graphite rods on a custom basis, and with the Heirloom series, he clarifies what fiberglass could do if given half a chance.

His newest saltwater rod is the Fusion Series — rods that defy that “faster is better” movement running rampant among most rodmakers. The Fusion series are designed to cast heavily weighted flies like — as Dorsey put it — “you were casting a 5wt rod with a size 14 dry fly.”

Lofty goal, and Dorsey — who apparently enjoys designing rods like the rest of us enjoy eating apple pie and ice cream — had some very interesting ideas about how to achieve it.

Available in 9′ lengths in 8, 9 and 10 weights, T&T Fusion rods are available in two-piece and four-piece versions. They classify the 8 wt as an ideal, “medium fast” bonefish rod, but suggest it would be hot stuff whenever you’re throwing weighted flies.

They’re priced on a par with the rest of today’s premium fly rods: $695 for the 2-piece model; $795 for the 4-piece travel version. As soon as I talk that traveling bastard Ian Rutter into smuggling me along on his annual trip to Belize (he’d stop being a bastard at that moment), I’m buying one.

Sadly, T&T’s Web site hasn’t yet been updated to reflect their new rods, but it should be any day now. Give it a look.

See you coming off the luggage conveyor, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, thomas and thomas, t&t, fusion fly rod, fly rod, saltwater fly rod, ffr show

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In this case, I’m hedging a bit; the Tibor SpeedHandle probably will get a fair amount of attention, but face it — this is hardly the first time you’ve been lied to by the media.

Still, the SpeedHandle’s ingenious, and that’s enough for the Underground.

Essentially, Tibor’s added a second handle to the spool closer to the center axis. Turning the inside handle instead of the outermost handle speeds your retrieve by as much as one-third (at the expense of power).

Available as an option, it’ll be interesting to see if the SpeedHandle becomes standard issue on large arbor saltwater reels, or simply a better way to mash your knuckles on a fast-moving bonefish or tarpon.

Bets, anyone?

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While I remain a little skeptical of the practical advantages of large arbor reels, I bought one a few years ago — after Chris Raine and I started catching big, fast-moving fish on tiny dries and tippets. We figured the hatch would last forever, and if it did, I wanted to be ready (it didn’t; don’t even ask; and we’re not telling).

So I went searching for a reel with an extremely smooth drag (even at very light settings) for my “technical” DT4 rig, stumbled across a Lamson Velocity 2 on closeout, bought it, and fell in love with the thing. It’s solid, light, and the drag is absolutely smooth at the lightest settings — an irritatingly weak spot on a lot of very expensive reels (my Galvans are excellent in this respect too).

When I had the chance to sit down with the Lamson/Waterworks folks at FFR, I took it. Their reels were intriguing, and more importantly, their design philosophy was impressive. In simple terms, they’re not machinists making reels — they’re designers looking to strip fly reels down to a tightly engineered minimalism.

Their reels use far fewer parts than your average fly reel, with even spool counterweights and spool latching mechanisms cleverly eliminated.

It’s an approach that appeals to the “simpler is better” part of my brain. It’s also an approach that’s appealing to the market; Lamson/Waterwork’s sales increased a hefty 35% last year.

Their premium reels are interesting, but in addition to liking things simple, I also like them cheap; that’s why Lamson’s new $119-$149 Konic reel immediately flashed on the Trout Underground’s radar.

The Konic; Lamson’s $129 reel with the $400 drag. Tommy likes.

The key to the Konic is Lamson’s sealed conical drag — the exact same sealed unit you’ll find on their $400 reel. If you believe a fly reel is basically a drag mechanism surrounded by something designed to hold the fly line away from the center spindle, then this reel’s appeal far outstrips its somewhat drab finish.

It’s die cast and then machined, and I know some of you are already rolling your eyes, but to the “machined or die” partisans, I simply point to the hordes of die-cast Hardy Lightweights still catching fish.

And besides, these guys do die-casting a little differently:

In order to deliver this expensive drag in a low-priced reel we are die casting the frame and spool. But this is no low-end die casting. This is Pressure Casting with molten ALDC12 aluminum alloy injected at 1,080 kgs pressure to ensure consistent, smooth and strong parts with lower porosity.

Like many, I wondered aloud at the durability of the Waterworks reels when they were introduced in the 90s, but their record over time suggests the problem lay more with my perception of what a reel should look like than with the reels themselves.

The drag mechanism itself is impressive; not only is the sealed-for-life mechanism maintenance free, it’s also wildly smooth. For those who — like me — like to set their drag light, the Konic’s drag micro-adjusts from almost no drag to reasonable settings in discrete, tiny steps.

Hot damn.

The finish of the reel won’t excite those looking for brook trout themed paint jobs; it’s a silvery grey polyurethane finish that’s as tough as your average anvil, and generates about the same amount of sex appeal.

Still, Lamson’s betting some fly fishers actually buy gear because they want to fish the stuff (never a sure bet in this industry), and I find myself hoping they’re right.

How the Konic looks on a bamboo rod is open to interpretation, but those hunting for a more traditional look would probably consider the Radius anyway (the next reel up in the line).

Prior to the show, Alert Underground Contributor and Director of Scrounging Sully urged me to steal borrow one of Lamson/Waterworks’ top-of-the-line reels, and while the opportunity sadly never presented itself, I think their Konic reel’s a steal unto itself.

You can read all of Lamson’s Konic Reel Marketing Propoganada by clicking here.

For sheer usefulness and price – and for focusing on the parts of the reel that really matter — I’m giving Lamson/Waterworks four rollcasts (out of five) for the Konic.

More to come from FFR.

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, fly reel, fly fishing reel, lamson, waterworks, konic drag, fly reel review, reel review

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To recap, I went to studded rubber soles because hiking along the railroad tracks quickly wore the felt off my studded felt boots, leaving behind protruding carbide studs that skated dangerously on smooth rocks. 

Life is dangerous enough without adding hazards along the river, so I tried the studded rubber Weinbrenner boots.

More than a year into their working lives, I’m happy to report they’re doing well, though the rubber sole is wearing towards the stitching at the edge of the sole.

Still, they’ve worked well under a wide variety of conditions (including freestone rivers, small streams, and while mostly sober), so I’m happy.

The footing isn’t quite a secure as it is with studded felts, but it’s probably in the 80%-90% range (it seemed to get a little better as the soles aged).

The good news? Grip on dry, riverside rocks is better than to studded felt, so when I’m rock-hopping on dry land, they’re great.

They’re also a bit stiffer laterally, so my feet are less likely to get torqued and twisted between rocks.

Worst case scenario for studded rubber? Rounded, heavily slimed rock beds. Best? Fishing small streams, where you’re hiking on dry land more than you’re in the water.

On the whole, I’d say any non-trustfunder on all but the most difficult rivers might want to give these things a try, if only in the interests of financial survival.

Of course, if you’re not fishing a lot — or aren’t wearing out your felt soles quickly –then perhaps change is overrated.

Eternity’s Boot

Sadly, when I went to Weinbrenner’s site to see about resoling these babies (they don’t need it yet), I discovered the studded rubber boot wasn’t listed, and neither was the re-soling service.

An e-mail to Weinbrenner’s wading boot e-mail address was bounced back by the server, and my e-mail to the company’s standard email address hasn’t been answered.

Bad omens, and it’s likely that Weinbrenner’s out of the studded rubber sole business. No worries — others sell studded rubber, and in a pinch, you can simply buy the plain rubber soles, screw in sheet metal screws, and viola — you’re there.

At least so I’m told.

See you on the river, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, wading boots, fishing, gear review

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We start testing Rio and Scientific Anglers fly lines.

We’re in the midst of a full-blown technology/marketing fly line battle, and the trends are pretty clear.

First, everybody badly wants you to know their tips no longer sink. Second, everyone offers new line shooting technology (textured lines or slick materials).

Third, manufacturers are messing with tapers left and right, so all the old rules about WF and DT lines no longer apply.

Finally, there’s a line for every need. In fact, there are lines for needs I never imagined existed, but here at the Underground, we embrace marketing hype fly line diversity.

Sure, we made sport of Teeny lines for introducing a Carp-specific fly line, but that’s simply on expression of the fly line industry’s mania for producing a specific fly line for every situation (though a cynic might suggest it’s a mania for getting fly fishers to buy a lot of lines).

Most manufacturers now offer a fly line for every major species (and a few minor ones), and even though I’m not clear on the differences between a bonefish fly line and a redfish fly line, I know that I can buy several of each.

At the FFR show, two manufacturers seeded me with lines to test, and over the coming weeks, I’ll be doing just that. For now, let’s get this party started.

SciAnglers Gets Sharky

The Sharkskin lines from Scientific Anglers are creating a lot of buzz, both for the technology and their price tag.

Essentially, SciAnglers claims the Sharkskin’s “microtextured” surface reduces guide friction while casting (similar to dimples on a golf ball), traps tiny air bubbles so it floats higher, and offers durability far beyond other lines.

It sounds great, and given the line’s $99 price tag, it should perform that way. They provided me with a test line (naturally it was a bright yellow WF, and I’m a drab, DT kind of guy), but after I fish it a couple times, I’ll give you a report.

My first observation? The line sure feels like sharkskin. Lawn casting confirms the zipping line/guide noise others have mentioned, but it’s hard to confirm any distance gain. I’m saving my report for the water…

Rio Gets Techie

Rio’s approach to the market is all about technology — they tout their Agent X coating technology, Super Flotation Technology (SFT), and their fusion technology.

That’s a lot of technology for one fly line, but no marketer was ever fired for claiming technical superiority. Fortunately, they provided free lines to everyone attending their “presentation” — one of the most painful marketing events I’ve ever seen — so I’ll field test it soon.

(Helpful hint to Rio: don’t build a slow-moving PowerPoint presentation and then read directly from the slides.)

Marketing gaffes aside, their lines are much loved — especially among spey fishermen — and I’m interested in seeing how Rio’s new-style weight forward taper works with my softer, traditional style fly rods (they’re front loaded with longer head sections than traditional WF lines).

As always, you’ll hear it as it happens. See you at the Underground’s Aboveground Testing Labs, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, fly line, sharkskin, scientific anglers, rio, Agent X, SFT

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I award it to the product I’d most want to rip from the display case, stuff under my shirt, and run like hell out of the convention center.

A strong contender today was Joe Saracione’s new spey reel (built in conjunction with Trey Combs) — exciting not only because it’s beautiful, but because they’re building reels again after halting production.

 
Saracione’s spey reel

Next on list were Kerry Burkheimer’s custom built graphite fly rods, which are stunning — jaw-droppingly so — in every detail.

Beauty, of course, runs only skin deep, but because Berkheimer learned to design tapers and roll blanks from Russ Peak, his rods fish like rock stars, and his two-handers bedevil fish on rivers all around the world.

Burkheimer also wins the award for the best non-Web site we’ve ever seen, but sadly for him, even his stylish rejection of modern online sales technology wasn’t enough to push him over the top.

Nope, today’s winner is ample evidence to my keen artistic sensibility — I’m going with the painting featured in my earlier post:

Stuffing it under my shirt would be tough — it’s a good five feet long — but no one ever said criminals were smart.

It’s the work of Derek DeYoung of canvasfish.com, an artist whose work frankly amuses the hell out of me.  

A self-portrait of the artist

His paintings look like I wish my photographs did, but I guess that’s the difference between those of us can wield a brush with skill and vision and those who push buttons on digital cameras.

I’ll post some more thoughts tomorrow morning about the blogger gathering and Drake short film awards; right now I’m bushed after wandering around downtown Denver — mostly lost — in the company of Lee “I know it’s just down this street” Murdock.

Lee, the balls of my feet hate you.

See you soaking the dogs, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, fishing, ffr, fly fishing retailer

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I’m stealing a few bytes of bandwidth from the Hyatt, and typing furiously before the Underground’s aging laptop battery goes fins up.

The first morning of the FFR Retailer show has been interesting to say the least; I’ve scribbled 2/3 a notebook full of notes, and probably not about the stuff you think I’m scribbling about.

In truth, the bigger companies get plenty of product hype spin coverage in the mainstream fly fishing media, and I’d rather hang around with the lesser-known — but possibly more interesting — smaller manufacturers around the periphery.

And while I don’t have the time (or the battery) to write the real reviews now, here’s what you have to look forward to:

Rod Daze

Let’s cut to the chase; there are more companies selling fly rods than people to buy them (maybe). In my buildup to a more comprehensive article on the resurgence in fiberglass fly rods, I spoke to Tom Dorsey at T&T (an interesting, high-energy, delightful guy).

His commitment to glass is admirable, and his Heirloom glass rods are gorgeous, wildly desirable things. The rumors of the company’s demise are also greatly exaggerated. Expect plenty more on this one.

I also stopped by the TL Johnson Rod Company and spoke to Terry Johnson, whose glass rods are really glass/graphite hybrids. I didn’t get a chance to cast one, but the tapers seemed reasonable, and the finish is impeccable.

A visit to Cortland/Diamondback didn’t exactly fill me with confidence about the future of the Diamondglass line; there weren’t any on display, and there was some waffling about the future of the rods.

I’m going to try and track down someone with a more definitive stance, but if you’ve ever coveted a Diamondglass (and they’re covet-worthy if you’re a glass-aholic), then maybe sooner is better than later when it comes to buying one.

Fiberglass Shocker of the Day

UPDATE: No glass in the Sage bass rods. Also, they’re coming paired with a Sage fly line.

I haven’t played with it yet, but apparently Sage rods — the same company that pushes new technology as the resolution of all your casting woes — is apparently coming out with a line of fiberglass bass-oriented fly rods.

More on this as I find it out.

Other Stuff

There’s too much to report here, but some of the highlights include the news that Saracione Reels are back in business selling a traditionally styled spey reel. Hot damn.

A stop by Kerry Burkheimer’s booth was seriously fun stuff, and he’s a custom rod builder that’s going to get some serious ink photons on the Underground.

Plus some book news and other cool stuff — and I’m getting a line on the Chuck Furimsky/AFFTA catfight over the conflicting fly fishing consumer shows here in Denver. I can sum that one up nicely: Send lawyers, guns and money.

Finally, in a dark corner of the hall I found Derek DeYoung hanging around — a young artist whose brightly colored trout paintings brought a smile to my face.

You can see more of them at canvasfish.com, and I’ll write more about him later.

Until then, see you in the aisles, Tom Chandler

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, fishing, ffr, fly fishing retailer, affta

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(Photo by Dominic Morel)

Hell, I even reserved the CarpUnderground.com domain name, realizing that in a few years, trout will be considered a trash fish.

Now we have absolute, final proof that the carp has ascended to occupy the highest echelons in The Quiet Sport: Jim Teeny has just released a Carp Fly Line. From their literature:

Pat Ehler?s Carp Line - Carp require stealth, accuracy and often, longer casts. Pat Ehler?s flyline delivers on all of these situations. The unique taper makes this an accurate casting line that can be cast for distance or can fight the wind. His choice of line color is to help make a stealthy presentation. The line is a sage green color that will not spook fish, while the front four feet is yellow to maintain visible contact with the line tip. Sight casting is easier with this line color combination.

You probably don’t need a blogger to point out that the “sage green color that won’t spook fish” isn’t the color of line tip (the part closest to the fish), which is a bright yellow (which presumably will spook fish), but we’re not here to nitpick.

In truth, we’re heartened to see the firm, pouty lips of carp finally getting the kisses they deserve from fly fishers, and in fact, we can see the endgame already:

Property values along trout streams will plummet as fly fishermen abandon the countryside, moving back to the dirty, warm, carp-friendly waters of urban areas. Brownlining will replace bluelining, and angst-ridden, world-hating steelheaders will become angst-ridden, world-hating carp flatters.

Because we’re nothing if not a trendsetter here on the Underground, we’re going to visit Jim Teeny’s booth at the FFR show and learn more about their new carp line, and then report it here. Seriously. (I mean, a serious report.)

Any Carp Thoughts among the Undergrounders?

See you at the on the carp flats, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: fly fishing, carp, fly fishing for carp, fly line, jim teeny, fly fishing retailer show

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