Flyrod indentification

[troutlandr]

I raided my dad's garage this weekend and found his old flyrod (it's about 25 years old) It is in great shape but I cannot find anything on it to identify the manufacturer, line weight, action, etc. nothing except the numer "1225" written (by hand) on it by whoever made it. I know this is an original marking because it is encapsulated in the resin finsh coat on the rod. Its 8.5' and looks and feels like a good quality rod but it doesn't seem too heavy . I would like to set it up with a reel and line but I am unsure what to buy for it. Any suggestions on what weight line and reel to use would be very helpful. thanks

[ice_shack]

I guess it depends on how much your willing to invest. If you take the rod to a fly shop like Bob Mitchell's in Lake Elmo they have reels loaded up with many different weights. You can cast them and see what feels best. It would be good of you to buy from the shop if your going to use their stuff. I am sure other shops would offer the same but I have done business at Mitchell's.

Your other choice would be to find some lines people own to try.

BTW is this a graphite, glass or bamboo rod?

[troutlandr]

I believe the rod is glass. The rod was made back before grahite was popular or so readily available. My dad has had the rod for about 25 years and he got it from someone who used for a couple of years before him.

Thanks for the ideas.

[ice_shack]

I have a DT3F, WF4F, WF6F and a WF7F bass taper that I could let you cast sometime if the drives not to far.

The 6wt is on a reel I no longer use and would work out a sweet deal.

But I have a sneaking suspicion that you want to try a 5wt

[Ice9]

I agree with Ice Shak. Older flyrods tend to load at a "standard" grain flyline, which is 4-5 weight by any modern measure, but which used to be called "flyline." And those old flylines were pretty inconsistent. Also slower glass and cane rods tend to be more forgiving in their load range. The "one number" rod designation--it's definitely a 7-weight!--is quite new. Older rods were a lot less definite. I still have a pretty good Eagle Claw glass rod that is listed as 4-5-6. Another consideration: try a level or DT line with your rod. Weight Forward is another comparatively modern innovation in flylines, and is in fact a "hedge" on line weight--since the weight forward configuration actually makes the line heavier than rating at a certain point, you have to average it across the whole front of the flyline to get the actual designation. All this comes from the "faster" graphite materials, that can "dial in" on an optimum weight-per-increment of length. When I worked for Orvis they actually had a corporate philosophy: single-weight rods sell more rods. Going up from two-weight designations instantly doubled the number of rods for sale. Some manufacturers, like Scott, have careful specs for each weight and actually admit that in some classes, especially the small end of the trout spectrum, there is no practical difference in rod action. The question I answered more than any other when talking rods to buyers: should I buy the (rod weight here.) I always suggested that they go definitely in one direction (that is, if you're hung up between a four and a six, don't split the diff and buy a five; it's just a four-plus or a six-minus. Buy the four, then if you really get into it you'll know when you need the six, or the two, and you'll come back and we'll both be happy. Buy the five and it'll work for all situations but be perfect for none. That was my usual reasoning.) Maybe that advice is why I'm no longer in the business.

It's also a function of the varying applications of flyrods. When it was all trout, with roll casting and short casts, the soft rod and more ambiguous line weights were not a serious problem. Now, though, the rods are heavier and the applications are much broader; I'd guess the weight of the average flyrod in the US has risen at least two full weights in the past 25 years as more and more people are double-hauling pike flies and throwing crabs at permit (and the permit are ignoring them, of course. Dang permit.)

Uh, can you repeat the question?

ice

[troutlandr]

Hey, thanks for the short answer (just kidding). All the info you gave me is great, a little over my head, but great. I want to get into flyfishing more and thought I could use this old rod instead of investing money in a new one. I haven't done much with it since I got it because it has been so warm I figured I would let the fish alone. Now that fall is approaching though... I think I will set it up as a 6wt as best I can. Again, thanks for all the info.

[upnorth]

If you bring it in to a fly fishing shop they would probably have a real good idea of what weight would work best on it.