I Get It....I Finally Get It

That's right folks!  I finally get it.  Glass is not dead.  Long live glass.  The revolution has started!  Power to the glass!  Well you get the idea.  We have all heard about it, read about it, and maybe a few of you out there are followers or revolutionaries.  What is it you ask?  Shall I remind you?  OK since you asked I am speaking about the movement centering around the use of fiberglass rods.  Pat does it over at Super Fly and of course there is the legendary Cameron over at The Fiberglass Manifesto who is rocking the glass.  Overall, it really has become a movement of sorts with fly fishermen buying vintage fiberglass rods in an effort to return to the days of old.

About a month ago, I finally broke down and bought my first fiberglass rod.  I searched Ebay for a while drooling over the older rods that appeared well out of my price range.  I looked at Cabela's Custom Glass Rods (CGRs) but a hundred dollars also seemed a little high.  Then I remembered people talking about the Eagle Claw Featherlight series fiberglass fly rods.  They seemed like people enjoyed them and they were reasonably priced as I was able to find them for $32 a piece.  I read a few more reviews, had a few more discussions with Melissa about it and then decided it was time.  I was going to make the plunge.  I had to become a part of this movement.  I needed to rock the glass although I am not sure why as I was worried I would not like the action and I had never used one before.  I settled on buying the 6 foot 6 inch 3/4wt and the 7 foot 5/6wt.  Well the rods arrived and I, of course, opened them up for inspection.  I can honestly say that I have never seen such an interesting shade of yellow on a fly rod before.  I was intrigued by the ruler on the rod for measuring fish.  That would work as I can never seem to find my tape measure when I need it.  The rod itself had a very interesting action.  Much faster than I was used to.  It moved almost like a wet noodle.  I remembered reading some where that this was the case with these rods and one probably needed to slow down their cast in order to get the rod to load right.  Good to know I thought.

On Monday 06/11/2012, I was finally able to give the rod a work out.  I took the family to the river so I could fish and the kids could play while Melissa was busy being bored.  I really had no idea what to expect from the rod so I brought my 5wt Cortland as back up.  I was so worried I was going to hate the rod.  I paired it with my brand new Lamson Konic 2 Reel loaded with Airflo Ridge Line Supple Tactical 5wt line.  I had bought this reel and line for Harman's and I never got around to doing a post about them.  The weather had been in the low 90s that day but by the time we actually got to the river it had cooled off.  It was in the low 80s and the wind had picked up.  There was a cold front coming along with rain the next day.

For me, fishing this river usually doesn't start until the end of the month.  The weather here in Maryland can be so unpredictable this time of year causing the river to run high, stained and fast which was the case this day.  Oh well, I thought, I am already here so I might as well fish.  Truth be told, it turned out to be a great day.  I landed 11 smallies, 1 fallfish and 1 long eared panfish.  I caught the first smallie on a Near Enough Crayfish and everything else was caught on a white bead head Woolly Bugger.  The fish weren't big but man did they put a bend in that rod.  I mean a serious bend.  I was stunned to see the rod bent what appeared to be almost in half at one point.  The smallies really were given it a run for its money and I was loving life.  

So glass is not dead for me.  Long live glass!  I am a fan now.  Sorry Melissa but we need to buy more fiberglass rods!  I want, I want!  Maybe I can at least talk her into the Cabela's one although I doubt it.  I did  wear my T.F.M. shirt while making my first outing with a fiberglass rod.  I thought that would be fitting.

First fish and first smallie caught on a fiberglass rod!

Best fish but shitty photo.  Sorry