Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

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castafly
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#1

Post by castafly »

If so, what modern reels do you use (make and model)? What bamboo rods do you use them with?

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rlnunleycom
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#2

Post by rlnunleycom »

Castafly, Yes, I do use modern reels on my bamboo rods Lamson #1 on a 7' 4 wt Tioga (older style tioga, but still modern) on a 7'4wt Lamson #2 on an 8' 5 wt Reddington Large Arbor on an 8' 6 wt I have several orther modern reels and just use them on whatever I'm fishing... Usually, if I have different reels lined with the same weight line, my determining factor is "Which one has the best leader left on it?" Guess you could say that, even though they are all quality reels, I'm not too picky about what I use, so far as putting a classic reel on a bamboo rod. New reels are better, quieter, cleaner. Bob

mikeytwoshoes
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#3

Post by mikeytwoshoes »

ross san miguel one w/ any 4 or 5wt is sweet. probably be right nice on a 3wt as well.

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tedgolden
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#4

Post by tedgolden »

Castafly, No, I don't. Nor do I use vintage reels on modern rods. It's a mixture of aesthetics that I don't find complimentary.

Last week on a two day trip I used a 7 1/2' Heddon 4 wt with a Medalist 1492 and a 7 1/2' Edwards with a Hardy Princess (green). A couple of weeks ago I was steelhead fishing with a 5 ounce Orvis Battenkill with a Hardy St. Aden and then a graphite rod with an ATH F3. Purely a personal quirk. I find nothing particularly virtuous about it.

Booman2
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#5

Post by Booman2 »

Almost never! I try to use a reel that matches the era of the rod. Years ago, when Marty Keane loaned a huge amount of his rods to the Museum of American Fly Fishing, each rod on display was mounted with an era reel. It's a harmony thing.

seattlesetters
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#6

Post by seattlesetters »

I use modern reels. A Peerless #7 & 7M, Bellinger Mk 1 and a Godfrey. I plan to add another Godfrey and a Bradley to the collection.

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quashnet
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#7

Post by quashnet »

In the 1980's I had the good fortune to realize that a) I liked old 3-screw Hardy St. George reels, and b) they cost (at the time) no more than modern reels. So I bought several, and have added a few more St. Georges over the years, plus a little Hardy Perfect that I found in an antique store and couldn't pass up. For me, as for Ted, there is a sort of aesthetic dissonance in pairing rods and reels that are too far apart in time and technology. So I am fortunate again that Paul H. Young (whose rods I enjoy fishing) recommended and sold St. Georges and Perfects from his Detroit shop. These rods and reels look good together and function well too. (In the 1950's catalogs, Young also recommended pairing his rods with Young Pridex and Beaudex reels, and Pflueger Medalists). My Driggs is paired with the Perfect; the other Youngs are fished with St. George reels. The trout do not care one bit about all of this, but I enjoy it.
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pvansch1
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#8

Post by pvansch1 »

I have tried to replace my modern reels with ones that are more bamboo appealing. I have a couple of Hardy clones, a Pflueger 1495 and 1494.
As far as small reels, a Scientific Angler System 1 456 that works fantastics on 7' and shorter rods and doesn't look bad neither.
Pete

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BlackHillsBill
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#9

Post by BlackHillsBill »



A few are modern, but even then with a classic influence (vom Hofe in one direction, Hardy and Young in the other). All of my reels are kept lined, and over the years I've acquired enough of them that I think are aesthetically right for bamboo rods that I can enjoy variety on longer fishing trips. I take them all along in the 5th wheel as well as seven or eight rods. I might not get to as many different places any more, but I still get variety, in the rods and the reels. All the reels were LHW to begin with or have been tinkered into being LHW. The Walker Bampton, Montague, and Pflueger Golden West are ancient of days. I love them one and all; others have come and gone; these are the keepers.

6 wt -- Young Beaudex 3-1/2", Hardy Perfect 3-5/8", Walker Bampton (Dingley) 3-3/8",
Hardy Sunbeam 6/7.

5 wt -- Peerless 2A, Farlow's Cobra 3-1/4", Young Valdex, McNeese Trout Model, Teton 6.

4 wt -- Montague (80), Pflueger Golden West (80), Peerless 1-1/2, Allcock's Gilmore (by Young).

The most "modern" of these are the Teton 6 (still with Perfect lines but with a lot of drag control) and the McNeese Trout Model (which even has an anti-reverse but is clearly of old classic derivation). In their way, although they are much older, the Young Valdex (with its unique raised-pillar design) and the Hardy Sunbeam (with its bright rim) could be called "modern." I don't discriminate very much (beyond line weight of course) upon which rods they are used. I sometimes wish I could match them up in Drew's fashion, but if it won't help me feel more virtuous, I probably won't.
Last edited by BlackHillsBill on 11/14/07 04:36, edited 1 time in total.

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thegubster
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#10

Post by thegubster »

Most definitely. I use a Ross San Miquel 2, a couple Colorado 2's, a couple Bauer M1's, Teton's, Sages, and a recent Dannison/Loop....

My, I didn't know I had that many good reels and (alternate spools for most of them too). Mostly on 4wt bamboo's with just 2 exceptions for 3wts.

That most recently taked about Ebay purchase of Afgantrout's most likely would've trumped most of these reels. That reel looks REALLY nice!!!

Jeremy.
I love clean, clear waters...

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Flyman615
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#11

Post by Flyman615 »

Sorry, but I don't consider classic "S" handle reels by Peerless, Robichaud, Adams etc. as particularly "modern", so I use them on bamboo...a lot. I also use the classic Hardy Lightweight series reels; Hardy St. Georges and several Young-made reels as well, and have done so for 30+ years.

But if the mood strikes, I'll also break out one of my Ari T. Hart, Orvis CFO or Shakespeare Magnesium reels for use on a few of my cane rods. While they certainly may be considered as "modern", there's not a "large arbor" or "Star Trek" model in the bunch and they do balance, work and look just fine IMHO.

Again, I'll say, "use what you like". If someone sees you on the stream and questions your sanity for using a "modern" reel on a bamboo rod, just smile and keep on fishing!

Regards,

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"An undisturbed river is as perfect as we will ever know, every refractive slide of cold water a glimpse of eternity" - Thomas McGuane

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Nympher1
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#12

Post by Nympher1 »

A combination of both... the most "modern" reels I use on my cane are a CFO#3 made by Hardy (ca 1980?) and Hardy LRH series, both for lighter cane rods.. on my bigger rods I use a Saracione Mark 1 (6wt)(modern but classic) and when I feel particularly presumtuous I like to fish my Leonard raised pillar on my 4wts..

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tedgolden
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#13

Post by tedgolden »

I wouldn't suggest "Use what you like" is a moral cop-out, condoning all sorts of perfidy and aposty. And of course we use what we like. Otherwise we would end up using what we didn't like which isn't likely.

Fortunately the morality police are far to busy to check the correctness of matching reel and rod combo's. They are all now occupied making sure that kids don't wear their pants too low.

While I like lasangna, I'm not having it for breakfast with my eggs.

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Flyman615
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#14

Post by Flyman615 »

Hey Drew: Actually, scrambled eggs with a side of lasagna sounds pretty good to me this morning. And please pass the hot sauce!

Regards,

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quashnet
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#15

Post by quashnet »

This morning a Forum member sent me photos of three early Ari T. Hart fly reels he recently acquired. I am not so much of a curmudgeon that I wouldn't care to see how these would look on certain classic bamboo rods. This is an instance where a reel designer has made a compelling visual statement and created a new kind of elegance that breaks with Vom Hofe or Hardy stylings. If while doing so he continued to respect the basic function of a reel and provided for its ability to function, then this was a very worthwhile project. I would be interested to see images showing how the Hart reels look on Flyman's rods.
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twosnakes
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#16

Post by twosnakes »

I use a peerless, Bellinger and a Mike Clark reel, modern but with a classic look. also an LRH and a young. THe most modern reel I have is a Winston perfect and on a bamboo that even looks.....perfect.

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Flyman615
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#17

Post by Flyman615 »

Quash:

Here you go, a rare (1 of 16 made) Orvis 8 1/2' Traveler 4-piece with ATH Rio Orbigo and an even rarer Granger 6'9" Aristocrat with ATH Traun. Please see below.

Regards,

Flyman Image


Image Image Image Image
Last edited by Flyman615 on 11/14/07 15:45, edited 1 time in total.
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Ken M 44
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#18

Post by Ken M 44 »

Here is one to be going on with - South Creek Gierach/Best Special taper with an early Ari 't Hart Aras reel.

Image I tend to use vintage reels on vintage rods and modern reels on modern rods, but am not a stickler for it. For every day fishing I use recent (ceramic guide) Perfect LHW and or Abel TR1 or TR2 reels (in the black) but for special occasions or rods I will use something I feel to be 'appropriate'. My go to reel for the moment is a Bogdan Trout which kind of covers both camps.

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quashnet
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#19

Post by quashnet »

Can't argue with the unique attraction of the Hart reels in the pairings with bamboo rods that I've seen this morning. I guess I will just have to remain an old stick-in-the-mud, though. No modern reel here; it's thirty years older than the rod.

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HexaMaineiac
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Do you use a modern reel on your bamboo rods?

#20

Post by HexaMaineiac »

You bet. I got rid of all the Hardy. Noisy and (relatively) fragile.
Little rods: Ross Evos. Light, not too big, and not cursed with miniscule arbors.
Middle rods and big. Ross Gunnisons and smaller Ross Canyons.
Less expensive, more rugged, palming rims, send 'em in, get 'em about once a decade, they come back in new condition all for the price of shipping them.
I still have a pflueger 1495 and a ULA that haven't found a rod yet, but I'm planing on those strips.. That said, I do have great respect for the traditional reels, just a great fondness for the function of the new ones.
Avoid loud and aggressive people, for they are vexations to the spirit[./i]

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