Fiberglass FlyRodders (FFR) Forum

Started by Tightlines667, September 06, 2015, 10:37:43 PM

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Tightlines667

Just thought I'D share a link to this largely fly fishing oriented forum...

http://fiberglassflyrodders.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1385

They have some good info on building, servicing, and restoring fishing rods and reels.
Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.

Rancanfish

Thanks for that link.  I spent about three hours browsing.  At one point I was prompted to go look at the fly rod a friends dad had made me when I was in my early twenties.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a decent Fenwick blank from back in the day.  Still brand new.

But I was horrified to find my reel frame and cross bars had corroded horribly hanging out in my garage. Now I will be on a quest to find one for replacement parts.  The frame and crossbars apparently always corroded from what I'm seeing on The Bay.

If all else fails I will be sanding & repainting to restore this sentimental piece.
I woke today and suddenly nothing happened.

Ron Jones

I've spent a good bit of time there. Do some fly line steelheading up here, not as much as I used to I guess. Always is a great way to get into the middle of nowhere.
The Man
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

oc1

That's the best place in the world to find out about 1950's tobacco rods.  There is even input from some of the guys that built them.
-steve

theswimmer

I've got 2 nine foot Shakespeare Wonderods that are my go to rods for lake fish big Browns on Almanor .
They work very well on salt flats and for surf perch as well ..
The hex hatch should be starting on the nor Cal lakes any day now....
There is nothing like lying flat on your back on the deck, alone except for the helmsman aft at the wheel, silence except for the lapping of the sea against the side of the ship. At that time you can be equal to Ulysses and brother to him.

Errol Flynn

theswimmer

I've got 2 nine foot Shakespeare Wonderods that are my go to rods for lake fish big Browns on Almanor .
They work very well on salt flats and for surf perch as well ..
The hex hatch should be starting on the nor Cal lakes any day now....
There is nothing like lying flat on your back on the deck, alone except for the helmsman aft at the wheel, silence except for the lapping of the sea against the side of the ship. At that time you can be equal to Ulysses and brother to him.

Errol Flynn

oc1

The Wonderrod manufacturing process developed by Howald and the tobacco rod manufacturing process developed by Havens were very different in almost every respect.  Both claimed to be the first tubular fiberglass rod.  Both had an avid following.  In a way, neither process ever won out against the other.
-steev

Rancanfish

#7
Got my reel straightened away with a bit of buffing and Ts-321.  The edge rings (just like Penn's but cheap) had to have some of the flaky plating filed on the edges so it was smooth to the feel.  Don't want to be breaking off there with a nice trout on.  Looks very nice from 4' feet away.

DO NOT click on that link, lol.  I spent a bunch of time and money on my new hobby.  I got a 9' Fenwick 10wt with a removable butt for salmon & stripers.  Almost brand new in a tube.

Then I bought an old Fenwick that goes for $150ish usually, for $60.  The tip had been repaired and is 2" short which kills the collectible value.  But now I have a beater to learn on.

Then I bought two old Martin fly reels in great condition. The one I got for stripers looks new, and comes complete with backing, fly line and leader.  But the spool is so full it doesn't turn.  I have no idea what's up.  The fly line goes from green to jet black with no connection at the color change. Hmmm.   I was going to find where the black joined the green and cut some of the green off to make the line fit. But now I think I have to take off a butt load of green line to get to the backing / line splice.

And I have three float boats to choose from.  C'mon retirement!
I woke today and suddenly nothing happened.

jurelometer

Quote from: Rancanfish on June 29, 2020, 02:27:43 AM
Got my reel straightened away with a bit of buffing and Ts-321.  The edge rings (just like Penn's but cheap) had to have some of the flaky plating filed on the edges so it was smooth to the feel.  Don't want to be breaking off there with a nice trout on.  Looks very nice from 4' feet away.

DO NOT click on that link, lol.  I spent a bunch of time and money on my new hobby.  I got a 9' Fenwick 10wt with a removable butt for salmon & stripers.  Almost brand new in a tube.

Then I bought an old Fenwick that goes for $150ish usually, for $60.  The tip had been repaired and is 2" short which kills the collectible value.  But now I have a beater to learn on.

Then I bought two old Martin fly reels in great condition. The one I got for stripers looks new, and comes complete with backing, fly line and leader.  But the spool is so full it doesn't turn.  I have no idea what's up.  The fly line goes from green to jet black with no connection at the color change. Hmmm.   I was going to find where the black joined the green and cut some of the green off to make the line fit. But now I think I have to take off a butt load of green line to get to the backing / line splice.

And I have three float boats to choose from.  C'mon retirement!


Yayy!!! Retirement!

Those old fiberglass rods can be a bit sluggish when loading up.  This can be an advantage for short distance presentation of trout flies, but more of a challenge hucking big flies in the larger line weights.  Most folks find them a bit hard to cast with.   Good for fighting fish though.  And fiberglass is making a bit of a comeback, but mostly in the lighter line weights.  If you want to try some different 10 weight graphite rods rods and lines, I have some different rods and lines, and there is a casting pond in the South Bay.  Don't know if that is close to your location. PM me if interested.

The color change in the fly line probably means that it is an integrated shooting head and running line.  If you need to make room to fit the line on the spool, the normal method is to cut off line from the very back end of the line, not the middle.  Most folks are not casting the entire line to the backing, so there usually is no penalty for shortening the line this way.

But since a bunch of the line has to already be off of the reel so you can cast, and you can hand strip the last 10 feet or so when landing a fish, having a tight fit on the spool is not entirely unmanageable.  I have fished lines the clogged the reel a bit but did not want to cut them.   Not ideal, but not a deal breaker.

-J

Rancanfish

#9
Well the rod I got in the 10wt is HMG (graphite).  I figured I may as well try both.  I can always get my money out of that one.

I did pull off the line to the backing, pulled of a bunch of backing by guesstimate, respliced and rewound the fly line back.  It worked out fine.

My next decision is to figure whether I want to set my reels up RH or LH. 
I woke today and suddenly nothing happened.

jurelometer

I would suggest to  set up the reel to wind with your dominant hand.  Sometimes you need to wind fast (with no gear ratio to help), and sometimes you will need to wind under load for a big fish  (with no gear ratio to help). 

Here is a test:  pinch your thumb and index together as if you were holding a fly reel knob.   Now make a bunch of tight circles,  pretending you are winding a reel a fast as you can.  For most folks, this is much faster and less tiring with the dominant hand.

Plus when you are shooting line on a cast, the knob is more likely to get tangled if it is on the non-dominant hand  side of the reel.

With something like a light spinning reel or levelwind, there is a benefit  to being able to cast with one hand and wind with the other, so that you do not have to switch hands on every cast.   But we don't wind a fly reel on every cast.

For stuff like trout fishing where you are not casting far or fighting big fish off the reel, it does not matter much.  But I have seen plenty of trout guys move  to saltwater that could never get comfortable switching to dominant hand.

Realistically, either can work.  You are just adding some efficincy with the dominant hand.

I think that they are getting some stripers on the fly in the bay right now.  Mostly boat access.   Go get 'm  :)

-J

wfjord

#11
I started off learning in saltwater, right hand casting & right hand retrieve and learned to do it well enough, I guess. At some point I started left hand drive, but switched back and forth for a while.  Finally switched to left hand retrieve and have stayed there ever since.  I understand the reasoning regarding the benefits of the dominant hand and I do mostly agree, but personally I just don't like switching hands on a fly rod & reel.  I don't recall getting fly line hung up on the spool knob, but it can sure happen on rods with a hook keeper if one isn't careful.

Re: Fiberglass FlyRodders (FFR) Forum --- I really enjoy that forum; a lot of good info on rods & reels and fly stuff in general.  I've spent quite a bit of time there, too.