MAINE - Life in the Slow Lane
Dave
If I've peaked your interest then I've done my job.
It's just too much fun not to do it. If you were closer I'd invite you over to toss some lines with my rods and we could even do it live on some killer brookies right down back.
I was much the same myself. Well over 45 years with fast action carbon rods. It's amazing how fast you can adapt. You just have to sloooooooooow down and the rod will take right over. We have a spring thing up in Maine where you can go and cast about every taper known to man which really nails it down. Once you have that part done then it's duck soup from there.
Myself, I don't like em that slow, not down into the grip for me because, I'm the nut who goes out on the Pemi in Bristol to fish for trout with a 2 wt and surer than the sun commin up I'm gonna hook into a 5 pound smallmouth! For that reason I really like the swell butt, gives you a little bit of muscle when Billy the Bass inhales your #20 dry fly.
This one gulped my fly on a 3 wt glass rod. Had my hands full there for a spell
Yepper, I just had to sneak a bear picture in.
Ok, just one more and then I'll leave. I thought my bears were whacked. This one from one of
my customers in CO. This bear ain't right 
Those bear pictures are awesome. What a great shot of the Eagle and Brown Bear . Got to love the Bear in a barrel to... I do agree I wish I could toss a few rods before making my decision but I will more then likely will decide by word of mouth. Nice small mouth on a 3 wt . Fun fish to catch on any weight . Dave V
Koda,
What type of glass rod is that there in the picture? Must have been a wild ride with that boy on!
-Nic
I was lied to when I bought that 3 wt glass rod. Was told it was a McFarland blank. When the truth came out it was a Kettle Creek from Phil in PA. which is one of the reasons I don't Rep the MI dealer any longer. Phil is an honery cuss but he puts out a wonderful glass blank. Rumor on the street is Mike Mc is not selling blanks to US rod builders any longer???
Say what you want, but IMHO, the Eagle Claw Featherweight glass rod is one of the best glass rods ever made and they are around $20 something at Wally.
And, if you can find an Eagle Claw Black Eagle carbon rod in a 5 wt jump all over it for the $22 Wally gets for it. It will blow you away with anything from a 2 wt to a 5 wt line on it. Even Bill from NCA in Conway was speechless when I handed him one "underlined" with a 3 wt on it. He laid out some impressive line against the wind to boot.
We don't need to spend a pile of money to enjoy fly fishing, I prove that every day
That bass was educated and knew how to play the current. Bad news for him was I've been at it a while longer than he was and got the upper "fin". Took just short of an hour to gain the advantage though!
Welcome Koda , As always great bear photo's and very nice sally they are a ton of fun on the fly gear . As afar as getting into the Rods as you are, i have a few years ahead of pounding the river with glass/carbon... i am not the easiest guy on equipment LOL.
Thanks for sharing and look forward to your knowledge and Pictures
Enjoy the site seems like a nice place to hang and chat about what we all enjoy
I will be contacting you soon about a reel for my 8 wt to take to NY later this year going twice i think once for steelies and once for the big Browns
Thanks Koda . You definitely have me intrigued. I would love a 4wt or 5wt bamboo rod. I would my rod made from the ground up. Hand made one step at a time. I would willing to wait a year for a good hand crafted rod. I am still wondering what type flex I would like. I hear full flex is the way to go but all I have ever cast is a fast tip rod . Not sure how I would like a full flex. The taper is new to me. There are some many to choose from. I like the way a hex boo rod looks. I would want a classic reel to go with the rod to complete the look. . we definitely need to chat. Dave V
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was
cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time.
On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words,
and some of the words are theirs.