.......I remember feeling this way the last time I thought about expanding my horizons from using only vintage and cottage maker glass rods and getting my first good bamboo.
After doing a lot of reading from countless members with a collective experience that is mind boggling, I am realizing that there are many really good makers of the classic tapers that can fit within my budget of less than $1K.
Even though it will be hard to pick which maker, the real problem I am seeing is deciding on which taper. I won't have the luxury of being able to cast many different rods to pick one so have to resort to trying to describe the conditions the rod will be fished in and hope that there is some kind of consensus to narrow down the possibilities.
I initially was thinking about getting a rod built that was a taper of a Young Martha Marie, then read more and thought that a Payne 100 taper was "The One", and am still leaning toward a 100, but am starting to get that feeling of "Rocking in the corner saying to myself fiberglass is just fine for me...I like and understand glass......and I don't know enough to pick a bamboo rod".
I'd like to get past that feeling........
Whichever 7.5 ft, 4 wt I end up with will primarily be used on relatively small waters that would rarely require a cast of even 40 ft, but would require accuracy. I have used primarily 6.5 ft and 7 ft glass the last two seasons, but from what I've been reading the 7.5 bamboo might still be a better choice......there was no specific reason based on stream conditions that I've went with shorter glass, it was based more on availability of lengths from makers that I wanted. I don't remember back to when I fished fast plastic so I suspect a medium action bamboo rod should be similar to the glass that I have been fishing which is the feel I like. I still have young kids and don't get out nearly as often as I'd like to, so when I do get out I usually prefer to fish dry flies even if I would have more success with nymphs.
Anyone want to take a shot at making some sense of this........for the noted conditions and preferences which 7.5 ft, 4 wt taper would you choose if you could just have one?
Thanks,
Mark B
(confused in SE Minny)
After doing a lot of reading from countless members with a collective experience that is mind boggling, I am realizing that there are many really good makers of the classic tapers that can fit within my budget of less than $1K.
Even though it will be hard to pick which maker, the real problem I am seeing is deciding on which taper. I won't have the luxury of being able to cast many different rods to pick one so have to resort to trying to describe the conditions the rod will be fished in and hope that there is some kind of consensus to narrow down the possibilities.
I initially was thinking about getting a rod built that was a taper of a Young Martha Marie, then read more and thought that a Payne 100 taper was "The One", and am still leaning toward a 100, but am starting to get that feeling of "Rocking in the corner saying to myself fiberglass is just fine for me...I like and understand glass......and I don't know enough to pick a bamboo rod".
I'd like to get past that feeling........
Whichever 7.5 ft, 4 wt I end up with will primarily be used on relatively small waters that would rarely require a cast of even 40 ft, but would require accuracy. I have used primarily 6.5 ft and 7 ft glass the last two seasons, but from what I've been reading the 7.5 bamboo might still be a better choice......there was no specific reason based on stream conditions that I've went with shorter glass, it was based more on availability of lengths from makers that I wanted. I don't remember back to when I fished fast plastic so I suspect a medium action bamboo rod should be similar to the glass that I have been fishing which is the feel I like. I still have young kids and don't get out nearly as often as I'd like to, so when I do get out I usually prefer to fish dry flies even if I would have more success with nymphs.
Anyone want to take a shot at making some sense of this........for the noted conditions and preferences which 7.5 ft, 4 wt taper would you choose if you could just have one?
Thanks,
Mark B
(confused in SE Minny)
