I believe so. There was quite a bit of back and forth banter on this rod/taper in Flyman615's scarce Orvis thread. I had two at the same time in the past, sold both and now I am whole again :-)
Got a new rod lately? # 2
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Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3381Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3382I know guys who fish bamboo in the East and Midwest who only fish graphite rods out West. Your rod, I would guess, would be the the rod to take to the Rockies.
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Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3383
Last edited by Mister Bill on 03/29/21 09:23, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3384That's a very nice looking rod!
What makes it a 'Special' rather than a Battenkill?
What makes it a 'Special' rather than a Battenkill?
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Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3385It is a 3/2, and I think it was said that it was a low cost model made with unused spare parts or not cosmetically excellent for the Battenkill.
It casts and catches fish just like a Battenkill and is easier to transport.
It casts and catches fish just like a Battenkill and is easier to transport.
Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3388The covid year gave me a good chance to work on my budding bamboo rod collection. And the gods were smiling down on me... 2019 found me saving pennies and purchasing my first "made by a well-known guy" bamboo rod; a 7.5' 4wt rod by Bob Maulucci. It is a flamed quad with a slow, bend-to-the-cork wet fly action built with beautiful, blued components; a visually lovely rod. The soft, shock-absorber action appealed to my lob nymphs first fishing style and the unique quad look intrigued me. The ultra-slow casting action took some getting used to, but the rod performed just as I hoped. I had my first really nice bamboo rod. And a nymphing rod to boot! I began to look further into this quad-rod thing. The claims of better tracking and power sounded nice, but I found myself chuckling at Carlton and Zeitak prices. However, Bill Edwards quads looked to be at the far end of my retired working stiff's hobby budget. Perhaps a beat-up one? I started hunting as covid hit. Living alone and stranded, I had plenty of time to research the market. I hit upon an auction offering an Edwards #42, a 7.5' 5wt with no tube, but no flaws. Marshaling my resources (read as, selling some stuff on eBay), I attended my first online auction, bidding up to the last penny I could afford... and won! OMG! I now had a pair of quads and I loved them both! Thinking mission accomplished, I continued to troll the market because... well, I found it fun! ....And there it was, an Edwards #50; a ready-to-fish, 8' 6wt in a beat-up leather tube with an asking price of, "call this guy NOW"! Just like that, I had another Edwards quad! I now had quads in 4, 5, and 6wt. Feeling smug and thinking, "you're kidding", I discovered the non-quad, yet still an Edwards, LL Bean, "Double L" 6/7wt, sitting in the corner of an obscure New Jersey antique/junk store. $30 dollars later, I had added to my bamboo cache. Next week, I will be picking up another quad, a 7', 5/6wt fiberglass rod (drop the mic). Now, if I can only find a quad 3wt, hmmm...
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Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3391Arrived about 30min ago. Brand new 8' #6 2/2 parabolic taper from Joe Bradley. Not a "custom," he had exactly the rod I was looking for in stock.
The attention to detail Joe takes in his rod-building is obvious. I'm no expert so I won't make a fool of myself trying to act like I know what I'm talking about. I used to hang out in Dave LeClair's workshop many years ago (Dave was far too nice of a guy to tell me to take a hike even though I probably deserved it) when I lived in NY and that gives me just enough knowledge about this exacting art to have a proper sense of respect for the time and effort that goes into a beauty like this. The wraps are perfect, as to be expected from someone with Joe's reputation, and I like that he (presumably) used white silk for a fully transparent effect.
Don't have a line or reel yet so I can't comment on how it casts but I have zero worries.
Never having contacted Joe the process was super easy. I had emailed him about lead time on custom orders and he explained his shop is in transit so it would be a long time. He did email a list of rods he had in stock and this one was precisely what I was looking for- a #6 with enough backbone for bigger water on windy days. I'm still in the process of rebuilding my gear after taking about 25years off from fishing for the typical reasons (kids, divorce, no money because of items 1 and 2, etc) but I was always a bamboo fisherman even back then, thanks to hearing about cane rods from reading John Gierach's early books.
Now that I'm in the PNW I'll be taking this rod out to some mountain lakes and streams to finally catch a cutthroat, something I've also been wanting to do since reading those Gierach books.
The attention to detail Joe takes in his rod-building is obvious. I'm no expert so I won't make a fool of myself trying to act like I know what I'm talking about. I used to hang out in Dave LeClair's workshop many years ago (Dave was far too nice of a guy to tell me to take a hike even though I probably deserved it) when I lived in NY and that gives me just enough knowledge about this exacting art to have a proper sense of respect for the time and effort that goes into a beauty like this. The wraps are perfect, as to be expected from someone with Joe's reputation, and I like that he (presumably) used white silk for a fully transparent effect.
Don't have a line or reel yet so I can't comment on how it casts but I have zero worries.
Never having contacted Joe the process was super easy. I had emailed him about lead time on custom orders and he explained his shop is in transit so it would be a long time. He did email a list of rods he had in stock and this one was precisely what I was looking for- a #6 with enough backbone for bigger water on windy days. I'm still in the process of rebuilding my gear after taking about 25years off from fishing for the typical reasons (kids, divorce, no money because of items 1 and 2, etc) but I was always a bamboo fisherman even back then, thanks to hearing about cane rods from reading John Gierach's early books.
Now that I'm in the PNW I'll be taking this rod out to some mountain lakes and streams to finally catch a cutthroat, something I've also been wanting to do since reading those Gierach books.
Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3392Cutthroatseeker - welcome back after your hiatus and in quite a nice way with your new Bradley. I also can attest to to his craftsmanship and beautiful rods that are terrific casters. Have a great fishing summer.
Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3394How well do you like the way it casts? That rod you posted photos of hasn’t seen much action in its life judging from the condition of the reel seat.
Me, I love the Heddon 8’ rod with #1 1/2 size ferrule. I have a Premier just like yours. The silks on the Premier really set the rod off.
“He told us about Christ's disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman.”
Norman Maclean
Norman Maclean
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Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3396Saw this rod earlier at Calum’s page. Wonderful with a touch of Moran
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Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3398That Calum rod is gorgeous, congratulations!
I look forward to the action photos.
Kenneth
I look forward to the action photos.
Kenneth
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Re: Got a new rod lately? # 2
#3400I recently acquired this excellent Blackburn 7'9" 2/2 4wt. from another Forum member. According to Bill Blackburn this is a newer rod and as we both looked it over it appeared to never have been fished. I'm thrilled with it. A sweet medium dry fly rod and fits right in with my other Blackburns. Looking forward to getting this bugger on the water. Enjoy!
Mark
Here it is along side of my other Blackburn rods.
Mark
Here it is along side of my other Blackburn rods.