Cast a bunch of rods yesterday, here are some thoughts:

[Vaughanwilson3022]

+1 for Cris Carpenter. Would add Bill Blackburn as well - excellent builder of hollowbuilt rods.

[thegubster]

Note to self...."MOVE ON, MOVE ON...THERE'S NOTHING FOR YOU HERE...."!!!

Jeremy - a boy with "issues"...

[16parachuteadams]

With a certain amount of trepidation I'm going to say that my Summers 275 is my go to rod for most situations. I've been fishing it for 40 years and it has been a trustworthy companion even when fished for inappropriately large fish on tailwaters. Never fished a Brandin but I bet they are great too.

[DaveNJ]

With a certain amount of trepidation I'm going to say that my Summers 275 is my go to rod for most situations. I've been fishing it for 40 years and it has been a trustworthy companion even when fished for inappropriately large fish on tailwaters. Never fished a Brandin but I bet they are great too.

That was my feeling about the Summers. If I needed one rod for one cast for one chance it would be the one I would pick up. That one and the Dana Grey were the rods I thought about most after that afternoon.

[ARTHURK]

Very nice experience there Dave. I agree that when testing so many rods with a plethora of actions... a few will stick and seem the perfect all rounder. Very few of us are offered such an array of rods and we often just make do...

Well, since I am working from home and wanted to ‘switch off’ from work, I was inspired by this post & thought that maybe it was a good idea to air-out my 8-8’4” 2 piece 4-5wts (rods that can comfortably fish 4-5wts)... both classic solid builds and modern hollowed.

My conclusion was surprising:
1) All the rods, other than the Brandin Para 14 with ventilated grip ( bends deep into the grip but expresses similar power if I’d just ‘wait’ for it to load) and the Catskills Challenge Takemoto ( has a deeper bend at the butt like some older wet fly rods) seem to have similar power/ feel in the butt section... concluding that many tapers are indeed similar for the same line weight or at least, we need that basic power & swing weight to match the line.
2) Some rods are over 1 oz lighter as a set but I do not really feel this weight difference when the rod is in motion and even so, the main difference is at the tip. Maybe the butt stiffens when loaded and as such our senses are more in tuned to the tip action/ loop control. That said, lighter rods with the same power do generate faster line speeds that translates to distance.
3) When my arm still had strength, the finer tipped rods worked extremely well for pin-point casting and distance cast but as I tired, the classic solid rods had this deep power and harmonics that made me relax. Maybe as we tire, we stop hauling as fast and prefer to use the momentum and lever of the set up to cast. Thicker tips can translate to good loops too once we have time to focus.
4) Realised that I am fortunate to cast such wonderful rods and rather relieved that classic solid rods aren’t at all like ‘wading in molasses’ as claimed by some ‘experts’... we can keep our Paynes & Gillums Yay!

Will work on some videos when the situation allows for gatherings... more opinions by my Boo Gang.

Cheerio
Arthur

[DaveNJ]

Wow, quite an array of rods there!

I think your third conclusion is interesting. Firstly, I love the idea of how our collections evolve WITH us. I've had shoulder issues for years and can expect them for as long as I live. However, it's another thing to work with and influence my path. That said, my cast changed a bit after my last surgery and one rod that I liked beforehand I really disliked after.

Another thought was those bigger tips requiring a little more attention but can also be equally rewarding. I'm having a similar experience with one of my rods. At first I was feeling a little unsure about it but then I realized two things. One, that I'm spoiled and it's ridiculous to just replace it over a small detail. And 2, when I concentrate with it it performs as well as anything out there. So I need to just give it more time.

And again, wow..... what a picture!

[ARTHURK]

Glad my little experiment resonated with you Dave. So many great rods so little time! haha.

Arthur

[ibookje]

Looking forward to the video Arthur!

[cappy]

Arthur - Interesting and impressive collection. I've been contemplating a fiberglass or graphite ferrule rod, also interested in spliced rods. Who built the two in your pic, and what are your thoughts on both types compared to metal ferrules?

[ARTHURK]

Hi Jay, will work on a video of a simple shoot out when I’m allowed to have a gathering of the Boo Gang... we are still working from home here. My personal opinion needs the concurrence of others;-)

Hi Cappy, I tend to cast and fish beyond 50ft due to the Stillwater Reservoirs and calm weather here in Singapore. As such, I consider some medium action 5wt rods more like 4-5wt with a lot of line out...the rods from left to right are:

1. Karstetter HB 8’3” 2/2 4wt
2. Payne 102 8’ 2/2 4-5wt
3. Gillum Trout 8’ 2/2 4-5wt
4. Takemoto Catskill Challenge 8’2/2 Hollow-T glass ferrule rod 4wt
5. MK Spittler 8’ 2/2 Hollow Quad 4wt
6. Hanson 8’3” 2/2 HB 4wt
7. Vance 8’4”2/2 HB 4wt
8. Brandin Para 14 8’ 2/3 HB 4wt
9. Brandin 7’6” 2/1 HB Quad 3-4wt ( my lineup mistake!)
10. Brandin 8’4” 2/1 Tournament Hex 4wt
11. Brandin 8’3” 2/1 splice joint Quad 4wt
12. Brandin 8’2/2 HB Quad 4wt
13. Reams 8’3” 2/2 HB 4wt

I own 3 glass ferruled, two graphite ferruled, and 2 splice joint cane rods. I have to say that they are by various makers, and all have different actions which makes side by side comparisons nearly impossible. That said,I have noted that makers do try their best to adjust their tapers so that the transition is as seamless as possible at ferrules. I don’t own any rods that are ‘dogs’ because of ferrule/ taper design and cannot provide negative examples but I have seen major rod failures when some of my local rodmaking buddies were not careful with tapers at the ferrules. These ferrule joint areas, 5 inches above the butt, and the last 5 inches from the tip are most sensitive to breakage when casting far/fighting large quarry IMHO. Glass ferrules do bend readily and deeply... making them ideal for parabolic style rods. Graphite also bends but recovers faster and can suit faster action rods. Splice joints are not merely the same taper shaved to a splice as there is a bit of beefing up to account for the less rigid taping wraps. I like splices by Per as they are very light & feel like one piece rods ( I do have one piece cane to compare) but interestingly, some of my friends prefer metal ferruled faster action rods as they find the one piece feel and deeper bends of other materials a bit ‘too much feel’ if there is such a thing. I’d say it’s like driving a sporty car that you can feel how it reacts to every manoeuvre versus a totally dampened one where you coast comfortably. I am into sporty as I like to focus on feel & line speed! Hah.

Be safe!

Cheerio
Arthur

[cappy]

Thank you Arthur. Appreciate your knowledge and experience. I learned more reading your reply then I have searching the internet.

[ibookje]

That’s an amazing line up!
That Vance certainly has a lot of ‘Brandin DNA’