Orvis Clearwater 7.6' 3wt

[wildtrout2]

Curious who has this rod and what you think of it as a brookie/small stream rod? I need a back-up for my St. Croix Imperial 7' 3wt. St. But, the Clearwater felt stiffer. Would the 6" difference account for that?

 

[sixfootfenwick]

Curious who has this rod and what you think of it as a brookie/small stream rod? I need a back-up for my St. Croix Imperial 7' 3wt. St. But, the Clearwater felt stiffer. Would the 6" difference account for that?

No.
The 6" difference won't mean anything.
Wall thickness, taper, material all account for flex feel.

I will say a number of years ago I owned a 7' 3wt Clearwater Full flex. Possibly in the 90's? That was a neat little rod that was rare even at the time owned it. It was a limited production batch.

I eventually gave it to a friend who broke it during a nasty fall and ended up having a piece of it surgically removed from his hand. Ouch.


If you are looking for " feel" or flex on a small stream rod that is short, I'd go with fiberglass

 

[jeffroey]

Curious who has this rod and what you think of it as a brookie/small stream rod? I need a back-up for my St. Croix Imperial 7' 3wt. St. But, the Clearwater felt stiffer. Would the 6" difference account for that?

I haven't fished one but I looked hard that the Clearwater 6pcs recently. A lot of accounts indicated it was a very good all-rounder/entry rod but a lot of the reviews indicated it's a little on the heavy side with a little higher swing weight. I'm talking the 6 pc.

I ended up opting into a Cabela's Stow-Away 7-1/2' 4WT that I've fished quite often this summer and have been really happy with - especially considering the price compared to the Clearwater. The clear Clearwater advantage is the warranty.

 

[krayfish2]

I've balked in these a few times due to reviews of breakage being a problem. Guys I know have confirmed these reviews. YMMV