9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

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kakaryan
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Joined: 04/16/17 11:41

9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

#1

Post by kakaryan »

So I am looking at a 9050 Granger Victory and a Special. I noticed the Special is a grade higher than the Victory, but I personally like the Victory's wraps more than the Special's yellow/green....Any other particular reasons that make the Special a better rod than the Victory?

I also read the lower grade Grangers came with less guides. Do they still fish fine or I better some to the Victory/Special?

I intend to have a 6wt fishing with WF6 lines for streamers and windy condition. I guess the 9050 would be perfect? Or better pick the 9053? I read the 9053 is more a 7?

Thanks.

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teter
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Re: 9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

#2

Post by teter »

Last things first: Yes, they still fish fine. As for wraps, etc.,there is nothing wrong with the Victory. If you like the Special's wraps better, take it. As far as adding guides, while it might make a difference in casting, I think it would be marginal; it also depends on whether you plan to do the rewrapping yourself or pay someone. Frankly, I notice very little difference in casting or landing fish. So to answer your question, they still fish fine.

ozarkwater
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Re: 9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

#3

Post by ozarkwater »

Well, Teter and some others here are the definitive Granger experts. From my very limited perspective and it is only in the last few years that I have fished Granger/Wright & McGill, I personally would go with the 9050 rather than the 9053. I have tried numerous 7 weight rods by various makers and they just do not fit me. Have some old shoulder and neck injuries so that probably explains that. I am only a one person sample which does not carry to the population.

Have had several Victory rods [ all 8642 ] and a few Specials. I like the aged Special colors fine, but if restored...give me the Victory wraps! I will probably get banned from the forum, but totally spanking new Granger silk wrap colors, compared to aged silk ones... [ "Snappy Green"? ]

I recently picked up a Wright & McGill project rod - and am putting the "correct" # of guides on it. Took my W&M 8642 and Granger 8642 out the same morning, same line and the only difference I could tell was the Granger had a "slower" action than the W&M. Distance casting, no difference. So does the correct # of guides on the Aristocrat make a difference compared to the W&M Stream and Lake? Could not tell - which jives with Teter.

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Bugtussel
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Re: 9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

#4

Post by Bugtussel »

I have only been fishing the Goodwin Grangers/W&M Grangers few years now.
I have 2 9053's both W&M one a Deluxe and one a Aristocrat. I love both with 7wt for smallmouth.
My understanding from reading and the few Grangers I have is that the Goodwin Grangers are little slower than the W&M Grangers.
My 9050's are Goodwin Grangers - a Special and a Victory. I can't explain but the Special does better for me with 6wt and Victory with 5wt.
I do like the aged Specials colors but am okay with both. Its a Granger.
Do love the Victory wraps.

I have read some add a guide but I don't like changing how the rod was originally made.

Just my experience and 2 cents

jimwright
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Re: 9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

#5

Post by jimwright »

I have owned both special and victory grade Goodwin Grangers and frankly could not tell enough casting difference to mention. For me the 9050 was a very fine WF6F rod but not a "perfect" rod for streamers and windy conditions. The GG 9053 Special I still own is definitely a WF7F rod and would more fit that description.

kakaryan
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Re: 9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

#6

Post by kakaryan »

Appreciate all the replies. As for the line weight and fishing condition may I explain more and please see if the 9050 is suitable?

For such condition, where I still want to fish a 6wt as the fish are not big, for graphite, usually it is either a Sage X 691 or a TCR 490 (yes the ultra fast TCR is strong enough to handle 6wt line, a fun rod to fish). Line would be a 6wt Rio Bonefish Quickshooter, which is able to handle weighted flies like small beadchain and dumbell eye patterns. For cold water application I sometimes would also fish a 5wt Rio Outbound (heavy line so I go down 1wt).

As I am moving to bamboo I would like to get a bamboo rod for such aplication, fish more bamboo and less "plastic" rods, when conditions allow.

When it is really windy I'd have my 8wt, both graphite and bamboo, another Leonard SDF.

I also have a 8ft 6wt which is a Dickerson 801611. So this time I would like to add a 9ft. So Granger 9050? Or 9053 fish with a 6wt line? Or other models from other makers you would suggest?

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teter
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Re: 9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

#7

Post by teter »

ozarkwater wrote:
09/27/22 07:16
Well, Teter and some others here are the definitive Granger experts...
I have seen a few references to me as a Granger "expert," and I'm here to throw cold water on that concept. I'm just a fan. I do have a lot of Grangers and have fished almost all of them, but the real experts -- aside from that late, great fount of knowledge Scott Zieske (Flyman615) are people like Scott Whitman, Michael Sinclair (both of them still members of the board, as far as I know), Mike Clark, Dana Gray, Bryan Powell (Finecane) and others whose names pop up here frequently. I am flattered by being grouped with any of these people but absolutely undeserving.

Lon

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BigTJ
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Re: 9050 Granger Victory vs Special and guide placement?

#8

Post by BigTJ »

Personally I can tell the difference fewer guides make in the way a rod casts so I prefer the grades that have more guides. The only way I think it’s possible to convince yourself what works for you is cast rods and decide what you like.

The W&M 9050s are plenty of rod for what you want to do.

John

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