Fly line weight?

SeamLeak · 12-09-2009, 07:04 AM

hey all!
I'm new here and fairly new to fly fishing. When my grandpa passed my dad got his fly rods and now I have them. I have been putting them to good use since august but now that it's winter steel time (almost) I have a question about lines. The rod I plan to use this winter is fiberglass fenwick, most likely from the late 50's or early 60's. the rod is 9' and in great shape. grandpa took real good care of his things. The problem is there is no line specs on the rod, just the length? I would like to get a sinking tip line but not sure what weight. I was thinking 7 or 8 weight? any suggestions? Thanks folks!

MikeT · 12-09-2009, 07:21 AM

Is there a model number on the rod? That would tell the story.

If not then take it to a fly shop and ask them to help you pick out an appropriate line. They've likely got demo lines available and one of the sales guys could try a few and advise you on the best match.

SeamLeak · 12-09-2009, 07:33 AM

Thanks for the info. I'll give that a shot. Everyone keeps telling me to invest in a graphite rod but i like the feel of fiberglass and i'm know gramps would want me to get good use out of his old fly rods.

Luke77 · 12-09-2009, 02:14 PM

The thing you need to keep in mind about those old rods is, the line weighting THEN is completely different to the line rating NOW. In all honesty, I'd probably bench the Fenwick and get a more modern rod that's designed for today's style of lines. Just my 2 cents...

FWIW though, my friend has an old Fenwick and it was rated I think for 7wt lines and it cast a 5wt just fine because it was so SLOOOWWW. It didn't do it well, but it did it good enough to use in a pinch.

SeamLeak · 12-09-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke77

The thing you need to keep in mind about those old rods is, the line weighting THEN is completely different to the line rating NOW. In all honesty, I'd probably bench the Fenwick and get a more modern rod that's designed for today's style of lines. Just my 2 cents...

FWIW though, my friend has an old Fenwick and it was rated I think for 7wt lines and it cast a 5wt just fine because it was so SLOOOWWW. It didn't do it well, but it did it good enough to use in a pinch.

not a bad point. those old rods would look pretty cool up on my wall. I just am so used to them now. Thanks for the advice. I'm going to have to think a little more about this one.

Newbs · 12-09-2009, 03:32 PM

If you can rig the rod with an appropriate line...what the heck...use it. I still have my Dad's old bamboo rod that he inherited from his Dad. Dad and Grandpa have both been gone for a long time.

Ya, the old rod hangs on the wall next to Dad's picture most of the time, but I still take it down once or twice a year and take it along on a trip...especially if I'm going someplace where my Dad used to fish.

Just a nice way to reach back into the past and respect the memory. Tradition is a big part of fishing...for me.

MikeT · 12-09-2009, 05:32 PM

Those old Fenwick glass rods have a cult following, and they're often worth more today than when new. If you want to check that out, go to fiberglassflyrodders.yuku.com to see what's happening there.

Back in the 70's, my first "good" fly rod was a Fenwick glass 6-wt. At the time I could afford either a quality glass rod or a low-end graphite stick. Fortunately I made the right choice, and still fish my Fenwick occasionally, although it's more for nostalgia reasons than anything else.

One of my regular partners has a Fenwick glass 8-wt. that he inherited from his grandfather. I took him to the D this September and he hooked and landed his first two steelhead on that rod. Not a problem. It wouldn't cast as far as my graphite rod, but it cast far enough. If you can adjust to the slower casting stroke required you might find you like it.

SeamLeak · 12-10-2009, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeT

Those old Fenwick glass rods have a cult following, and they're often worth more today than when new. If you want to check that out, go to fiberglassflyrodders.yuku.com to see what's happening there.

Back in the 70's, my first "good" fly rod was a Fenwick glass 6-wt. At the time I could afford either a quality glass rod or a low-end graphite stick. Fortunately I made the right choice, and still fish my Fenwick occasionally, although it's more for nostalgia reasons than anything else.

One of my regular partners has a Fenwick glass 8-wt. that he inherited from his grandfather. I took him to the D this September and he hooked and landed his first two steelhead on that rod. Not a problem. It wouldn't cast as far as my graphite rod, but it cast far enough. If you can adjust to the slower casting stroke required you might find you like it.

That's the only issue i'm having with the rod. it does seem that you have to slow down a bit to get a real good cast. I get pretty antsy and want to whip it around too fast. I'll get the hang of it. I can't really afford anything else at the moment. When grampa died he left us two 9' fenwick glass, 8' 9" fenwick glass two handed rod(weird), and a 6' fenwick glass with a bunch of medalist reels and old boxes of flies. I've been getting some good use out of them. Thanks for the tips!

XXXLTD · 12-11-2009, 03:53 PM

I would never suggest you fish any other rod than the one belong to your family. My grandfather left me his Hardy bambo, I fished it for one day and decided my grandfather must of been a weight lifter. After fishing graphite for many years there is no way I could throw that bambo all day, God love him. His rod today rests in a shadow box on display at my home in Sunriver for all to see. T