I was wondering if anyone could recomend a good fiberglass rod! In a 3 or 4 weight. I was curious about the diamondglass series. Has anyone cast one of these? thanks for the help
I have a sweet little 6'6" 3 wt that I made form a Lamiglas blank a couple years ago. Great for small stream fishing. If you can wrap your own rods, you might want to try that.
Glass rods have recently been 'rediscovered' as their premium prices attest. If you haven't yet had the opportunity to fish one, you might be justifiably wary before plunking down $200 or more.
Like bamboo, glass rods are shorter than the graphites you're probably used to and their moderate or slower actions will be a sea change for your casting stroke that's probably used to a faster action. In short, you may well be paying a premium price for a rod that doesn't really ring your bell.
As a suggestion, you might do well to take a look at a used or vintage fiberglass rod on eBay or on one of the fiberglass rod forums. Fenwick produced glass rods by the tens of thousands in the 1960s and 1970s and their brown series are still wonderful fishing tools. I have an early-1970s 7-1/2' 2-piece for 6wt that's a pleasure to cast and nothing at all like the 6wt broomsticks made from today's graphite. I underline it with a 4wt or 5wt floater and it's one sweet casting rod. Judging from eBay, it'd fetch about $10-$20 if I were to sell it today.
Sure, a used rod doesn't come with a warranty, but so what? IMHO, it's far less likely that you're gonna break your first fiberglass rod than discover that you don't like its shorter length or softer action. If you don't, you're not out the big bucks a new one will cost you. And it's worth remembering that at best you'll usually only get about half of what you paid for a new rod if you decide to sell it later on. If you do warm to glass, then you can always add more rods to your collection later.
...a used rod doesn't come with a warranty, but so what? IMHO, it's far less likely that you're gonna break your first fiberglass rod than discover that you don't like its shorter length or softer action. If you don't, you're not out the big bucks a new one will cost you. And it's worth remembering that at best you'll usually only get about half of what you paid for a new rod if you decide to sell it later on. If you do warm to glass, then you can always add more rods to your collection later.
I have a 8' 7wt Fenwick from the 70s (Feralite FF807, 2pc). I love it, I love the way it casts, especially while double-hauling a steelhead fly... but now that I have my TFO 4wt I think I do prefer a bit faster rod. Maybe I just haven't put enough time in with the 7wt since the 4wt came to really know. I'll let you know once the summer is gone and I can no longer fish the small trout streams I enjoy much so much, or if I actually get a chance at some smallmouth this summer.
Either way, I do love my glass rod. I think as Kent says, check it out beforehand, it will be a world of difference, but different doesn't necessarily mean good or bad.
I'd definitely suggest watching ebay or craigslist for old Fenwick rods from the 70s. I have noticed around here that people pawn them off in garage-sales all the time in a heap of older rods they don't want anymore and don't really know what they are basically giving away.
I just picked up a couple of vintage glass rods from ebay for cheap. Mine are no-names (the price of the fenwicks seems to be jacked up). They are really fun to cast and definately different than my TFO. Both are really sensitive and pretty well made rods. With the no names you're taking a chance, but you can get a great rod for little investment.
You might check with the Lamiglas folks in Woodland, WA to see if they still have some of the little glass trout blanks (or rods) in stock. I have a couple of 7' 4/5 weights and they are really nice for any fishing where a light touch is required.
I also own two original J.Kennedy Fisher glass rods, a 7' 4-weight (2-piece) and a 7'6" 5-weight (four piece). they were beautifully assembled, complete with slip-ring reel seats by the late Jack Perry of Lakewood. Fishng a nice stretch of the Couer D'Alene River or other of my pet streams with either of these little beauties lowers my blood pressure.
Good Fishing,
Les
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