[danbruce]

Right guys, i know that it is best to try before you buy but was just wondering if someone could point me in a general direction.

I will be hopefully joining the ADAA for this coming season (can't come quick enough) and i am looking to buy a rod to fill the gap between my 3 wt and my 6 wt.

The 3 wt is a 9' custom made rod made on a harrison blank which i love.
The 6 wt is a 9' 6" shakey travel fly rod.

Was looking for what would be a good starting point to try for a 4/5 wt rod?
Would have a budget of up to £150 possibly £200 at a push.

Cheers,

Dan

[Sandy Nelson]

Watch ebay for a decent bargain

That Budget should bag you a really nice rod.

I guess if you have a 9ft6" 6wt then you'd be better with a 9ft 5wt to fill the gap in your rods, although i don't see much of a gap to fill, the 3wt will cope with almost everything the river throws at you unless the wind is blowing, then a 5 would be handy.
I prefer to fish off 4's these days as it saves me carrying too many rods about it kinda bridges the best of both worlds (still love my 3's as well though)

Brands and models would depend on personal choice, but Winston, Scott, Sage, Orvis should all crop up on ebay for the budget.

How do you like your rods??

Sandy

[danbruce]

Cheers for the reply Sandy.

have been looking on ebay the last few days and have seen a few tempting rods, but will do a bit of looking around before i decide.

Pretty new to fly fishing, next seaon will be my second year, loved using my 3# towards the end of this season can fish all day with it no problem.

As for how i like my rods i guess i havent really used that many to say what is my ideal rod is, length, action ect...
Not really needing to be casting any more than 30ft or so, so anything that will suit delicate short to medium casting when it's a little windy.
Pretty vauge i know but just looking for a few suggestions to try before i decide what i'll do at the start of next year.

Dan

[Sandy Nelson]

I reckon you might surprise yourself with just how far you may be casting
If you are fishing the Don, then 50ft casts are pretty common, you probably don't even realise you are doing it.
30-50ft would probably be about right.
Difficult to suggest products as we all like different things, the trick is to try a few. not so easy to do i know but worth finding out.
If we get an Outcasts day organised for the winter that would be a good start and then take it from there

Cheers

Sandy

[danbruce]

Thanks again Sandy,

Might pester a few of the guys that i kow to let me have a try of what they use and see what suits me.
If there is an outcasts day during the winter let me know, would be very interested in coming along.

Cheers,

Dan

[Loxiafan]

Hi Dan,

Although I have often been accused of being a gear slut (especially where guitars are concerned) if I were you I'd keep your £200 to soften the ADAA joining fee (county membership for you ?) !

If you are planning on mainly fishing dries I think your 9 foot 3wt should be okay - wind is as much a problem with a 3 or a 4 wt I would think, though a five would possibly make some difference.

Your 6wt would do on windy days or for targetting Sea Trout. Have you tried "underlining" it with a five 5 wt line to see how it feels ? Maybe try a Barrio GT90 #5 if you are wanting to fish "lighter" on that rod ??

I used a 10 foot 4 weight Streamflex XF2 all last season - dries, spiders, nymphs etc I just compromised and got on with it. I used different lines though, Barrio GT90 was really good for short work, and ironically I found a Mastery DT better for distance (loaded that particular rod more smoothly with more line out). Regarding distance, for me anything over 45 feet (15m) and my conversion of sucessful hook ups landed drops, unless I can keep line off the water and fish from stripping too much out, but that is maybe just me. Two or 3 rod lengths all the way if I can but as Sandy says you'll often find fish much further out, sometimes closer to the other bank. I just leave them and stalk those in those in 'my' range. Jeremy Lucas defines the optimum range as 6 to 10 m, though not everyone appears to agree with him !

I was going to get a 9 foot 4 wt for next season for dries, and may still, but after speaking to John Walker yesterday I am inspired to just stick with the one set up and continue to 'make it work' - the man uses gear older than me and only a couple of fly patterns and still catches more than me. That is a lesson !

Hope to see you out and about in 2012 !

Cheers,

Lindsay

[danbruce]

Sound advice as usual Lindsay. Well i am in the process of moving into aberdeen so will be a city membership rather that a country one.

Might just work away with my 3wt and 6 wt with various lines and see what i can achive.
The new season can not come quick enough i really looking forward to my first proper season.
Would be good to catch up with you on the river sometime to pick your brains for some info and spend sometime fishing.

Will keep you all updated if i do decide to buy something new.

Thanks again Lindsay and Sandy.

Dan

[Loxiafan]

Hi Dan,

Great news about ADAA membership - remember you can now pay the joining fee over two years as well ( I couldn't and had to pay £500 !).

I think you will be fine with the 3 wt and especially as you seem to really like it. You could still fish spiders and even czech nymph with it too.

If I go for a new rod it will be a Streamflex XF2 9'  #4. The Streamflex's are 'marmite' rods and really come in for some stick from some quarters. I love my 10 foot, great feel and very responsive, but a 9 footer would give me more control with dries ( I think). As a new ADAA member you will possibly get a 15% discount card for Somers, Orvis, Bains so worth waiting until then - I got quite a bit of my XF2 from Somers and the guys there were really helpful swaying me from the gimicky (and more expensive) Streamflex plus.

Cheers,

Lindsay

PS the only thing you'll learn from me is how not to cast, fish etc   

[Peter McCallum]

If you can get discount from orvis have a wee peek at the access rods very nice for the price!

[danbruce]

Sure i'd learn more than that Lindsay.
Thanks for letting me know that i might be able to get discount once i am a member.

Rabbitangler will have a look at the access if i decide to take the plunge for something new.

Might also speak to Mr Barrio about getting some of his highly regarded fly lines.

Dan

[Rob Brownfield]

If you like your Harrison it would not be impossible to get someone on here (loads to choose from these days ) to build you another of the length and weight you want for around £200 or less

Infact a quick search of my suppliers site shows Harrison Traditional blanks for £64, Harrison Ballistas, which are a bit crisper than the T range at £80 and Harrison top of the range Lohric blanks for £129 or other US manufacture blanks starting at £53.

Go on, jump aboard the rod building train You know you want too.

[danbruce]

Never though of that option Rob quite like that idea.

Having looked at some of the pictures of the custom built rods shown on the forum they certainly look the mutts nuts.

Guess i have more to think about now than i thought, tweek what i already have, buy new online/tackle shop or look into getting something made...........

At least i have a while till the season starts to think about it.

Dan

[Ewan Lindsay]

...guitars? Guitars...  ! I'm a guitar tart too Lindsay. Come on spill the beans; what have you got?

Ewan

[Euan Innes]

...guitars? Guitars...  ! I'm a guitar tart too Lindsay. Come on spill the beans; what have you got?

Ewan

Me too.
Come on out with it. Just stand up and say "my name is....and I'm a guitar slut and a tackle tart".

I'll start.
Tanglewood Folk Rosewood reserve acoustic
Fender Strat
Fender Tele
Ibanez black acoustic
cheap classical nylon string
Fender Deluxe amp (heavily customised, man you would not believe how customised!  )

The only thing is that since I got the Tanglewood, the rest have hardly been touched 

So come on, spill!

 

[Ewan Lindsay]

  Nice Euan.

My toys are:

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Gibson SG Standard
Gibson SG Special (Pete Townsend sig model)
Fender Stratocaster (in paisley pink - my Hendrix fetish!)
Rickenbacker 360 12 string
Yamaha SC800 with Kahler Flyer Tremelo
Gretsch Jet Fireglow (Malcolm Young sig model)
Martin D-14
Martin O-16 NY
Yamaha 12 string acoustic
 And my pride and joy:
1967 Gibson SG Special (they just don't make them like that anymore)
Marshall JCM800

Ewan

[danbruce]

Thats an impressive list of guitars.

Surprised you get any fishing done with all that toys at home to play with.

Dan

[Rob Brownfield]

Pah...Guitars??? Nothing compared to my collection of drum sticks!!! 

[Loxiafan]

...guitars? Guitars...  ! I'm a guitar tart too Lindsay. Come on spill the beans; what have you got?
Ewan

I think you have me beat there. Have sold some of the babies over the years including my prized Ibanez Jem 777. List at the mo is something like:

Gibson Les Paul Traditional 2009
Fender American Standard 1986 (my "No.1" )
Fender USA Highway One Strat 2004
Custom Ibanez (made to my own specs), basically a RG550 with Jem Neck and Custom pickups
PRS Santana SE II
Protone Squier Fat Telecaster 1996
1985 Ibanez Steel String (strung in Nashville Tuning)
Ridgewood Six String (surprisingly good)
Freshman 12 String Acoustic
1992 Rodriguez Model D Classical Guitar
Aria bass

For amps:

1986 or 87 Marshall JCM800 100 Watt Combo
Fender Deluxe Reverb Resissue (no mods but use with THD Hotplate)
Marshall Valvestate 275 Combo (nuke proof/low maintenance)


..and about a zillion boutique overdrives and fuzzes (these are my real addiction...sorry I should say I really NEED them). Ridiculous really but then again I have the excuse of being a professional ! 

L

[Ewan Lindsay]

  Nice collection too Lindsay.

Some cracking amps too. Sounds like the same JCM800 as mine.

I have box of pedals I never use, the only one I do is an original 1967 Univox Superfuzz (I worship Townsend!) which cost me a fortune on eBay!!!

I must admit though, that I don't do any of this gear any justice, I am a bedroom guitarist with too much time on my hands (but I can hold my own on any AC/DC rythum track!).

Just to freak you and Soundmixer - my name is Ewan Lindsay...spooky eh?!

Great names think alike...

Ewan

[Euan Innes]

You guys have way better toy boxes than me! 

They only pedal that I have left is a little boost box that I made which is loosely based on a Dallas Rangemaster. It was the pedal that I most wanted but could never find, ever since I met Rory Gallagher. Now that was a drunken night! 

I recently sold all the rest of my stompboxes to fund....
...An Orvis Access 104!! (see how that gets us neatly back on topic  )

And yes Ewan, that whole Euan, Euan, Lindsay thing is way too Twighlight Zone for me. For the younger audience, Twighlight Zone has nothing to do with gay vampires that "sparkle"...

 

[Sandy Nelson]

All those guitars.....................

Makes me feel much better about my tackle tart tendancies 

Thank you

Sandy

[Iain Cameron]

Ridiculous really but then again I have the excuse of being a professional ! 

L

that's a lot of wood & string.
life's a lot easier as a bass player. fender jazz bass, gig with it all the time. perfectly simple, job done.
i,

[Iain Cameron]

Pah...Guitars??? Nothing compared to my collection of drum sticks!!! 

hey rob,  what do you call an idiot who hangs about with musicians?

... the drummer

ah, it's funny cos it's true...

[Loxiafan]

that's a lot of wood & string.
life's a lot easier as a bass player. fender jazz bass, gig with it all the time. perfectly simple, job done.
i,

It's a mid-life crisis/boys collecting things Iain. 90% of my live playing 'career' (mid 80's onwards) was with a Fender Strat and Marshall amp, occasionally a chorus and delay (hey, it WAS the 80's afterall). From the 90's doon in Glesgae I only used an EQ (used as a gain boost) through the loop as a solo booster - that set up nearly blew up the King Tuts rig ( I can still see the sound guys face).

Loadsa 'bad' musician jokes:

Q. How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb ?
A. Three. One to change it and two to look on and say" I could do it better/faster than that".

Q. What do you call someone who always wanted to learn the guitar, but didn't because it was too hard ?
A.  A Bass Player !

Q. How do you get a guitarist to stop playing ?
A. Stick some notation down in front of him and say "play that" !

My JCM 800 is sick - is Dennis Marshall down in Fife the only guy for fixing ? Or is there anyone up here ?

To bring it on topic I was in Somers yesterday oggling at all the nice Hardy rods !

Lindsay

[Hamish Young]

To bring it on topic I was in Somers yesterday oggling at all the nice Hardy rods !

Don't worry, it's a passing phase and you'll soon feel better 

Speak to Euan (soundmixer) about amps, I know he enjoys taking 'em apart and fixing 'em

H