Revisiting cheap fiberglass rods

[bigslackwater]

I have an eagle claw reversible handle rod. I think it's about 8' long. It can be reversed to use as a spinning rod or fly rod. The thing casts like a wet noodle! I have two other cheap rods from the 80s or 90s. They are so heavy and clunky. Last week I took my kayak out on the Potomac. I was able to toss a popper at best 30 feet! I will sometimes break out my cheap old rods when kayaking so if I lose it or break it, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. It just goes to show that what I started out on, it's a wonder I didn't give up! Rods have come a long way. Do you have any older rods that you hold on to and do you use them?

 

[falcon]

I have a Fenwick fiberglass rod from the 70s that I built from a kit purchased from Cabelas. It is not terrible by any means and is actually quite good. However it does not compare to the modern glass rods available today.

 

[TimMurphy]

I have an eagle claw reversible handle rod. I think it's about 8' long. It can be reversed to use as a spinning rod or fly rod. The thing casts like a wet noodle! I have two other cheap rods from the 80s or 90s. They are so heavy and clunky. Last week I took my kayak out on the Potomac. I was able to toss a popper at best 30 feet! I will sometimes break out my cheap old rods when kayaking so if I lose it or break it, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. It just goes to show that what I started out on, it's a wonder I didn't give up! Rods have come a long way. Do you have any older rods that you hold on to and do you use them?

Dear bigslackwater,

I have several older fiberglass rods that I still use on occasion. I have a 7' 6" Sceptre 5 weight I bought in 1979, a 7' 9" Shakespeare Presidential 5 weight, a Shakespeare 8' 6" 7 weight and a Fenwick Fenglass 8' 6" 7 weight. The last three rods are mid-1960's vintage.

One thing I've discovered with all of them is that their guides are smaller than the guides on equivalent modern graphite rods. When you combine that with some of the newer overweighted lines it's a recipe for disaster, or at the very least, frustration.

However, if you use a more period appropriate line on them like a Cortland Sylk or 444 Peach they do just fine today. Many great fish were caught on fiberglass, bamboo, and even steel fly rods back in the olden days when those were the only available materials. I think they can still work well if you use them with the "older" style fly lines.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[phiendWMD]

I bought an Eagle Claw featherlight on clearance for $13 somewhere. I tried it and didn't like it. A few years later I tried it again and liked it a lot. I paired it with an old Shakespeare reel someone from Craigslist gave me while buying something else and a random probably 5wt line. Then I fished it more than any other rod I own. I have a couple nice rods, some decent ones...more than enough really. But I find myself using that ugly yellow one more often than not. I abuse it without guilt and it just comes back for more.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

One thing I've discovered with all of them is that their guides are smaller than the guides on equivalent modern graphite rods. When you combine that with some of the newer overweighted lines it's a recipe for disaster, or at the very least, frustration.

Interesting point here... I wonder if smaller guides on older glass rods is what prompted my father-in-law to replace the snake guides with single-foot ceramic ring guides. I'll need to ask him.

However, if you use a more period appropriate line on them like a Cortland Sylk or 444 Peach they do just fine today. Many great fish were caught on fiberglass, bamboo, and even steel fly rods back in the olden days when those were the only available materials. I think they can still work well if you use them with the "older" style fly lines.

I never heard of steel flyrods until hearing a story of how slamming a glass rod in a car door led to replacing the rod with a stainless-steel one. That happened many years ago.

 

[redietz]

I have a Browning Silaflex glass rod that I paid $18 for new in the 70's that I still use. I once cast an entire 90 foot line with it. Aesthetically, it's POS with foam rubber instead of cork on the grip, but it certainly gets the job done and is a pleasure to cast.

 

[Tigereye]

I have a few (3 )Shakespeare wonderods and a Horrick Ibbotson (sp) that I picked up at flea markets/yard sales etc. 5-8 wts. I don't recall ever fishing them. They were in excellent condition,cheap and I thought they were cool. More clutter for the attic.

I do have an 8ft 4 wt echo glass rod that I fish occasionally. It's a different feel but I like it.

 

[wildtrout2]

I have a Browning Silaflex glass rod that I paid $18 for new in the 70's that I still use. I once cast an entire 90 foot line with it. Aesthetically, it's POS with foam rubber instead of cork on the grip, but it certainly gets the job done and is a pleasure to cast.

I too have a Browning Silaflex 2pc 8' 6wt from the 70's, with a cork handle. Never gets used though.
And my baby, also from the 70's, which I started trout fishing with, is a vintage Fenwick FS55 UL spinning rod with slip rings. Not many still around, and pretty expensive if you do find one.

 

[BrookieChaser]

I have an old Shakespeare wonderrod that I started fly fishing with. I want to say it's a 6' 5wt but I'd have to look to be sure.

 

[TimMurphy]

I too have a Browning Silaflex 2pc 8' 6wt from the 70's, with a cork handle. Never gets used though.
And my baby, also from the 70's, which I started trout fishing with, is a vintage Fenwick FS55 UL spinning rod with slip rings. Not many still around, and pretty expensive if you do find one.

Dear wildtrout2,

I have a Fenwick 4'6" Flea and Mitchell 408 I bought on lay-away at Woolworth's with paper route money circa 1972-73. I still use it every so often.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Fenwick Flea & Mitchell 408 by Tim Murphy, on Flickr

 

[jeffroey]

I have a a number of classic glass rods still in my rotation. An FF-70 FF-70-4, FF-79, a System 5, a few Fishers, Lami Honeys and amber S-Glass'. If.you know you know. They all don't get fished every year but I hold them close and are some of my all time favorite rods to fish . . . not look at.

IMO there's a lot of classic glass rods still out there that can perform on par with anything modern, glass or carbon.

Not throwing any shade toward a yellow Eagle Claw of any flavor or variety . . . never actually owned one . . . and regardless where they fall on the noodle scale, they're where A LOT of us started and deserve . . . Respect.

 

[Bamboozle]

My first "good" rod was an Eagle Caw Trailmaster M4TMUL-6-1/2 foot fly/spin rod. bough with lawn cutting money...

I hardly used it as anything but a spinning rod however I still have it and would probably sell all of my other rods before this stick because it holds so many fond memories for me...

That being said, I have a LOT of new glass rod that are my among my favorite rods of any material.

 

[Mashbill]

Dear wildtrout2,

I have a Fenwick 4'6" Flea and Mitchell 408 I bought on lay-away at Woolworth's with paper route money circa 1972-73. I still use it every so often.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Fenwick Flea & Mitchell 408 by Tim Murphy, on Flickr

tim --- was the 408 the "standard" Mitchell ? and the 308 was more the Ultra light?? in any event my friend --- protect that bail spring with utmost care.

jerry

 

[dc410]

I have an old Shakespeare wonderrod that I started fly fishing with. I want to say it's a 6' 5wt but I'd have to look to be sure.

I also still have a couple old Shakespeare wonderrods that I used when I started flyfishing. I hooked the biggest trout I ever had on a flyrod on one of those Wonderrods at Falling Springs Branch. Dave W. would probably remember that episode from back in our PSU days at Mont Alto! Good times!!

 

[TimMurphy]

tim --- was the 408 the "standard" Mitchell ? and the 308 was more the Ultra light?? in any event my friend --- protect that bail spring with utmost care.

jerry

Dear Jerry,

The Mitchell 408 was an updated and improved version of the 308. They are made with the same casing but the 408 is dark blue in color and features 5 to 1 retrieve vs. 4 to 1 retrieve in the 308 as well as updated helical gearing. I have several of each reel and they all work well but maybe that is because they are all older versions from when they were still made in France. I'm still running the bail spring from 1973 in my 408. I've never once broken a bail spring. But I'm covered with plenty of spares I bought when they were $ .25 and not $ 10.00.

I collect or rather I should say have collected a pretty extensive collection of older spinning reels from Garcia/Mitchell, Penn, and Quick. Before I got serious about fly fishing in my late teens, I was a spin man all the way. I could fish until I die with spinning reels I've acquired for species from sunnies to tarpon. I still have the Garcia/Mitchell 300 along with the Heddon rod my father bought me for my birthday in 1974, prior to a trip to Quebec. I also have his original Garcia/Mitchell 300 with the "L" shaped anti-reverse lever from the mid-60's, and his 308.

Yes, I may have a problem. I simply can't get rid of anything and keep trying to acquire things I lusted after looking at ads in Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, and Sports Afield from long ago. Sue me! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[BrookieChaser]

The mention of Garcia/Mitchell got me thinking. I know it's off-topic but I think Garcia/Mitchell was the same Garcia that imported Sako rifles from 1972 til the early 1980's.

 

[springer1]

I have a a number of classic glass rods still in my rotation. An FF-70 FF-70-4, FF-79, a System 5, a few Fishers, Lami Honeys and amber S-Glass'. If.you know you know. They all don't get fished every year but I hold them close and are some of my all time favorite rods to fish . . . not look at.

IMO there's a lot of classic glass rods still out there that can perform on par with anything modern, glass or carbon.

Not throwing any shade toward a yellow Eagle Claw of any flavor or variety . . . never actually owned one . . . and regardless where they fall on the noodle scale, they're where A LOT of us started and deserve . . . Respect.

I often fish one of my 7’ Wonderods or 7.5’ Silaflex on small streams. Also use a 7’ Heddon 5wt and 7’3” Garcia Conolon occasionally. All of them fish well, the 7’ Wonderods are just super and are a great basis for restoration.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

On small streams I'd rather fish a vintage glass rod than anything else. I personally like my Fenwick glass rods but on the opposite side of "action" Fisher and Hardy made some very nice vintage faster glass.

 

[springer1]

On small streams I'd rather fish a vintage glass rod than anything else. I personally like my Fenwick glass rods but on the opposite side of "action" Fisher and Hardy made some very nice vintage faster glass.

Six foot, which 7’ or 7’6” Vintage Fenwick would you recommend for small - mid size streams - I nymph a lot, poppers , smaller streamers, etc ? My favorites are the 5wt 7’ Wonderods but I’d like to try an older Fenwick. Thanks

 

[jeffroey]

Six foot, which 7’ or 7’6” Vintage Fenwick would you recommend for small - mid size streams - I nymph a lot, poppers , smaller streamers, etc ? My favorites are the 5wt 7’ Wonderods but I’d like to try an older Fenwick. Thanks

IMO the best vintage Fenwick for small streams is an FF70 or an FF70-4 if you can find one in good shape. Highly regarded as having great feel, a delicate presentation, and backbone when you need it. My personal experience is they're in my rods category of rods that I can roll cast very effectively without event thinking about it.

Here's a great starting ref if you're looking to pick up a classic Fenwick glass rod:

Fenwick - Fiberglass Flyrodders Wiki

wiki.fiberglassflyrodders.com