Glass rods ?

[gfen]

Bruno wrote:
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.

Spinning! (that's your cue, Pete!)
Spinning...cane! (farmerdave, step on up!)
'Pinning! (jayl)
Tenkara...?

 

[nymphingmaniac]

Ok. I have a better feel for why people at turning to them.
Now, a technical question. Since they are heavier, are people changing the type of reel they put on it to balance it better?

 

[pete41]

{GFen}How many times have you turned up your nose at a plasticgraphite 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?

Have you tried a True Temper steel rod GFen?
You might really like their action.

 

[gfen]

pete41 wrote:
Have you tried a True Temper steel rod GFen?
You might really like their action.

Dude, I saw one on the ebay, and I admit it, I flirted with the idea of it, but I just don't...OK, I probably could.

I ever find one for pennies at a yardsale, I'll buy it and fish the hell out of it for at least a day.

nymphingmaniac wrote:
Ok. I have a better feel for why people at turning to them.
Now, a technical question. Since they are heavier, are people changing the type of reel they put on it to balance it better?

Nope, same ole Medalists.

 

[pete41]

I think they were war babies-lol

 

[buffalo7]

nymphingmaniac wrote:
Ok. I have a better feel for why people at turning to them.
Now, a technical question. Since they are heavier, are people changing the type of reel they put on it to balance it better?

Talking about balance, back in the glass rod days, me and some friends were standing at the bank of Ridley Creek FFO area, and here comes this guy that just popped out of an Orvis catalog, he had a graphite rod, ( the first one I ever saw) He was showing it to us and talking about how light it was, I took my big glass rod and balanced it with my index finger and said my rod was heavy but it was balanced, He did it with his and the rod flipped back reel first into the creek. We all laughed about it for a long time.

 

[JeffK]

I gotten the glass bug - largely I guess to try something new that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Still plenty of decent glass rods at yard sales and such.

I have cane, wood, steel, aluminum, graphite, boron, and glass rods. There are good, bad, and indifferent rods made of each material (OK, the aluminum rods don't stack up too well).

The smooth, slow action of glass is relaxing to me - and many days I go fishing to relax.

The older glass rods fish heavier lines (6 wt to 7 wt) gently, which gives an advantage IMHO over the current approach of fast, lighter (3 wt to 5 wt) lines when distance is an issue, when the wind picks up, or when you have to punch something under a overhanging branch. Heavier lines can be landed gently with a soft action rod. For example, Sunday I was casting an old Heddon 8 1/2' 6 wt rod next to a guy casting the new Loomis 9' 4 wt NFO. The NFO was a rocket, but when the wind came up in our face the lighter 4 wt line folded and the 6 wt still punched out there.

 

[bikerfish]

why glass? if you have to ask, you'll never understand.
glass is junk, stay away from glass!!! go fish your graphite.
more glass for me!!!!!

bottom line, it's all in how you cast and how you like to cast. I enjoy a slower casting rod. I don't like fast rods. I enjoy bamboo, but bamboo can be heavy. glass can give you the slow, smooth action without the weight.
I fish both vintage and new glass. most new glass is very nice to cast, lots of old one's are also, lots of old ones are also dogs. I own a few of them and save them for night fishing the slippery rock.

 

[gfen]

nymphingmaniac wrote:
Glass doesn't even have the history or beauty of bamboo.

Just one more for this?

C'mon, that's pretty.

 

[ryguyfi]

I'm just getting into the glass scene. When you look around and see who is surrounding you, it's scary! lol (no offense bikerfish and gfen)

Just won a Fenwick FF806 last night on Ebay. 8' 6wt should work just fine as a good entrance to glass. Hopefully I can try it out here pretty soon.

 

[gfen]

ryguyfi wrote:
I'm just getting into the glass scene. When you look around and see who is surrounding you, it's scary! lol (no offense bikerfish and gfen)

 

[bikerfish]

my mcfarland and both my paddocks glow in the sun, very pretty. I'm working on a yellow mcfarland right now, should be stunning!
I agree with ya gfen, translucent glass makes the prettiest rods.
I've got an old cortland that has a very pretty amber glow to it as well.
ok, we need to quit talking about this now, prices are already going up too much!LOL!

 

[BradFromPotter]

For those that build your own....do you use silk for the wraps & varnish them or use epoxy?

 

[PennKev]

Glass works for me!

It is just like any other rod material, there are good rods and bad rods made out of it. One thing I have noticed is the newer makes and models are rather "tippy" while the older vintage rods flex over more of the rod when cast. I actually like the fuller flexing rods when fishing glass. That's not to say I like a floppy noodle of a rod. Those two characteristcs are not mutually inclusive, despite what some people may say or think.

This is a 4wt rod I built on a Paddock blank last year posing with an unwilling volunteer. Definately a tip flexing rod but pleasant to fish. I just wish it was a line weight or two heavier.

I've also built on the Lamiglas "honey" blanks. My experience was dissapointing. They are unpleasantly tippy and too soft for my taste. The quality was not there either. They fill a certain price point, but are still sub-par for their price. They do make pretty looking rods, however! Their availability is also a problem. I could tell you a horror story about that.


Kev

 

[schiff]

I just finished a Lamiglass 3wt 2pc Honey blank for my brother-in-law. I didn't use silk, but I did use Satin Spar Uerathane for the first time instead of epoxy. Really loved the results and wished I had tried this a long time ago. I did 5 thin coats. No mixing, bubbles, or worrying if it will be tacky or dry right.
I am stuck on glass and rarely bring out the graphite rods. I like the action and feel of fighting a fish. My opinion...I feel more of the fight and every movement of the fish with the glass rods. For Bass, I want the slower action anyway to toss big bugs with a more open loop. To each his own though.

 

[PennKev]

BradFromPotter wrote:
For those that build your own....do you use silk for the wraps & varnish them or use epoxy?

Either is OK depending on your tastes and the nature of the build. (classic blank/restore vs. modern blank and components)

I would say use whatever you have the most confidence in. You can achieve a very thin finish with epoxies if that is what is desired.

I've finished a couple rods with varnish and I think it is way more work to get a smooth, perfect finish via several coats. However, it does have it's own particular look that is pleasing. Varnish also has a certain ease of use factor, but also has it's own challenges.

Kev

 

[buffalo7]

PennKev,

Did you buy a complete reel seat for that rod or a skeleton? I lost my end cap back in November. After more than 30 years the glue I used gave out. I have duct tape on it now. ( I can blend in with the rest of the Hillbillies here, if I put a minner on the hook and take my hook keeper off and use my cork handle instead.) It works fine. but if If you know where I can get just a cap, let me know.

 

[bikerfish]

I've used both silk and nylon thread to wrap rods, depends on what color I'm after.
I used to use permagloss, but the last 15 or so rods I've done have been with spar varnish, usually 4 or 5 coats. I don't mind the work, and I like the fumes!!
I use color preserver if I want the thread color as is, I skip it if I want the wraps to be translucent.

 

[bikerfish]

here's a pick of my paddock and the first fish it caught, sorry they are so small, haven't learned all the tricks to my droid yet!

 

[nymphingmaniac]

so there are no graphite rods out there that flex deep into the rod like a glass model? perhaps its worth throwing a glass rod.

PS. The old glass rods I cut my teeth on were the heddon described above and also shakespeare wonder rods (3). One of the wonder rods was the fly/spinning combo. I like to spin fish with small spinners (0 and 00) with the fly/spinning combo. it allowed me to chuck those small things precisely under branches, limbs etc. I could drop a spinner in a teacup with that thing. Problem with the wonder rods is that they all broke, just under normal use (not abuse), frequent, but normal.