Glass rods ?

http://fiberglassflyrodders.yuku.com/ I would check these guys out. Lots of good info on Glass.
 
I have a one piece 6ft. I built a long time back from a lamiglass 7ft. ultra lite spinning rod blank. It will flex into the handle on a lite back cast without the line. At the time, I used 4wt. DT because that was as light as you could go. I still use it even though I have a 6 1/2ft. Orvis and G Loomis rod.

I never looked for it but I don't know if that blank is available any more. All of the glass rods I built were Lamiglass, I thouht they were good blanks.
 
Lamiglass and Forcast s-glass blanks 6'6''- 5' application pretty obious small rods small areas
 
Not a rod builder but i never had as much fun with any rod next to an old martain tuffy feels like a noodle and makes the small ones feel big.
 

I'm going to, but I'm trying to establish a baseline for what I want first.

The problem is there aren't many low cost fiberglass fly blanks. Lots of people seem to repurpose the Dancraft (?) spinning blanks. There's also a faster action, 7/8 Jann's blank that's usable. The blank is $20, and that's probably going ot be my test to see if I can pull it off.

Once that's established, I'll buy a good blank and go crazy. Currently, considering a Steffan Brother's 8' 3/4 or 4/5, depends on how I enjoy spring with the McFarland 7'9" 3/4 I'm using now.

I'd also be swayed to try out a Cortland Diamondglass 3 piece 3/4 rod, if I could find one.
 
I'm not criticizing here, just trying to understand if I'm missing something that's worth looking into. Please don't be put off by the question and comments.

What is the appeal of fiberglass rods? I learned to FF with glass rods and was very thankful when graphite hit the scene- I don't think I'm alone. Despite claims of improvements over the old glass, I see don't see the allure.
It seems to me this is more of nostalgia or a fad driven by magazines and forums. Now that graphite rods are made with different actions, can't you get the same actions from significantly lighter and stronger rods? Glass doesn't even have the history or beauty of bamboo.

Back in the day people continued to fish glass because graphite was so expensive. Now, just due to novelty or the fad more than any materials based reason, glass is more expensive, no?

So, how many of you guys/gals who had fished with fiberglass rods really want to go back?

Anyone who jumped in and went back to glass, how often do you fish them versus the graphites you have.
 
excellent point and my opinion as well. i happily gave up my fenglas when graphite became affordable to a college student.
having said that, i have an 8ft 3wt tom morgan rod comissioned.
 
My experience with fiberglass is that it's miserable to fish with compared to graphite, but people like what they like. I, too, think that most of the perceived benefits or reasons to use glass are mostly fashion statements or nostalgic in nature.

But if it made me happy, I would fish it.
 
For the same stiffness, graphite is lighter and smaller diamiter. Back when I built the one piece I was talking about earlier, graphite wasn't out or just came out at that time. Orvis had the first graphite rod that I can remember. I built my one piece at the time when Pizon & Michell came out with 8x tippet, the 6wt. 8ft. Garcia rod didn't have enough give when I stung a Brown trout with a #28 dry. I had a lot of break offs, the little one piece had enough flex to take up the shock.

If price isn't the factor, I'd go with graphite, but i'll never put that 6ft. 1piece rod away. I's sitting in my liveing room right now.
 
nymphingmaniac wrote:
I'm not criticizing here, just trying to understand if I'm missing something that's worth looking into. Please don't be put off by the question and comments.
Click to expand...

I live for arguments! Ask a moderator.

nymphingmaniac wrote:
It seems to me this is more of nostalgia or a fad driven by magazines and forums. Now that graphite rods are made with different actions, can't you get the same actions from significantly lighter and stronger rods? Glass doesn't even have the history or beauty of bamboo.
Click to expand...

Glass seems more durable, not any heavier than I expect to be, it feels better and behaves in a pleasing way to my hand. Now, my firsthand knowledge is based on a small sample pool, but I know that what I've felt I like.

I also disagree on the beauty of glass versus bamboo:
backlight.jpg


Last I checked, bamboo was pretty lacking in translucent qualities, and I'd say that's quite beautiful. There's plenty more examples, really.

nymphingmaniac wrote:
Back in the day people continued to fish glass because graphite was so expensive. Now, just due to novelty or the fad more than any materials based reason, glass is more expensive, no?
Click to expand...

For the few boutique makers out there, yes. Funny how that works, innit? Supply and demand and all that.

nymphingmaniac wrote:
So, how many of you guys/gals who had fished with fiberglass rods really want to go back?

Anyone who jumped in and went back to glass, how often do you fish them versus the graphites you have.
Click to expand...

I started with graphite, dallied with cheap bamboo, bought cheap glass and am now lost to it.

It feels better, and I love the parabolic action. The fact that even my cheap rod lets me feel headshakes and bends all the way down. Casting a full flex rod is an absolute kick to a tip flex fast actionr od, which I find to be extremely boring.

I have no interest in fast action rods, they do not suit how I fish or what gives me enjoyment in casting. Slow rods do. Fiberglass delivers slow action with more perceived durability than bamboo.

Yes, yes, bamboo makers will tell you how durable boo really is. I don't doubt them, but I do wonder about it every single time I took my _cheap_ rod out to be fished. That was not fun for me.
 
gfen,

I agree about rod action, if you ever want to build a full flex glass rod, don't worry about how the blank is labeled, an ultra light spinning or noodle rod blank makes a good one. If it's longer than you want take a fine tooth hacksaw blade and take some off the butt.
 
I have a 6' 9" 3wt 4pc blank on it's way to me to build for brook trout streams up here in Potter. I found a guy on ebay from Maine that had some for sale. I got his last one. He does have a 7' 2pc...http://cgi.ebay.com/Fiberglass-Fly-Rod-Blank-7-3wt-2-Pc-Spigot-Ferrules-/230602645726?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b0fd20de
 
BradFromPotter wrote:
gfen....
what blank is the one pictured?
Click to expand...

The older, brown, McFarland.

BradFromPotter wrote:
Here's a link to some gorgeous glass rods...
http://graywolfrods.blogspot.com/
Click to expand...




I first realized how pretty they could be when that guy posted some images that man backlit, as above, and the yellow hollowglass rod just glowed.

Now, I don't kid myself, I don't look that pretty out there, but I assure you, I look damned good. Putting a glowing stick in my hand just makes me even more splendid.
 
I understand the appeal of the different feel. It feels different and somewhat refreshing. Especially given the push for fast rods in the market place.

I don't know the answer to this question, may be someone does. I see flexing too far down as a problem here. As the rod tip travels trough the arc, the chances it will travel out of plane (lateral movement) is higher, no? This may not be a problem for people who are expert casters, unlike myself. I fish much better than I cast, if people know what I mean.
I do wonder about performance and accuracy when rods bend too much into the butt. It seems to me someone must have worked out the physics here.
 
nymphingmaniac wrote:
I understand the appeal of the different feel. It feels different and somewhat refreshing. Especially given the push for fast rods in the market place.
Click to expand...

It feels, honestly, alot like bamboo. Or, at least the ones I'm familar with. Lots of bamboo users will tell you how much more alive their rods feel and will issue forth gobbletygook about living fiber and blah blah blah... Y'know, I won't mock it. I don't get it, but I won't mock it. It does feel different.

Like everything, there's something tangible in the substances used. Rod construction can only be one of the most, if not the most, important parts of "feel," since its the power flowing from arm to line and back again that transfers through this endlessly.

How many times have you turned up your nose at a [d]plastic[/d]graphite reel because it didn't feel as good as a cast metal reel? And then there's comparing cast to machined. I mean, they all do the same thing, and hell, graphite is almost as strong and certainly lighter and cheaper than machined metal, right?
 
I really think it comes down to keeping yourself entertained. Once you have a rack full of rods where to you go? Just gives you another area to explore.
 
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