Hello,

I was wondering what experiences people have had with different fiberglass fly rod blanks.

I am considering either a Thomas and Thomas Heirloom or a Lamiglass Fiberglass blank in a three weight.

The Thomas and Thomas costs more than 3x as the Lamiglass ($92.34 vs $310).

Thanks,
Ken

Haven't tried the T&T glass blanks, but the Lamiglas Spring Creek glass, Blue Ridge composites and the Diamondback glass blanks are nice products.

you're comparing one of the most expensive modern fiberglass blanks to one of the cheapest. either way, if you were to read up on these two blanks on the fiberglass fly rod forums, you'd find both get rave reviews. but this is assuming you're talking about lamiglas' honey colored blanks. lamiglas makes two fiberglass fly blanks (the honey colored ones and the Spring Creek series) as well as a partial fiberglass blank, the blue ridge.

like spencer said, there are other options you should look into as well. steffen bros, mcfarland, diamondback' diamondglass series (discontinued?), TL Johnson, plus some interesting offerings from japan if you want to get into fiberglass. not to mention new old stock stuff like fenwick, silaflex, etc.

eric
fresno, ca.

for sure go over here, [p097.ezboard.com] and learn everything you can. there is a directory of glass rod makers here as well. the folks are very willing to educate you. the answer to your questions depends somewhat on how you fish and what you want from the rod. most glass rods tend to have a slower action than graphite and feels different as well. while it is true that glass can be made to create a "fast" action rod, that is not what most people who buy glass are looking for. i like the honey colored lamis very much and they are an exceptionlal buy in quality glass blanks. i know nothing about the T&T rods and blanks except that they cost way more than i am willing to spend.

I have built several Steffen Brothers S-glass blanks, a couple Lamiglas honey, and built or rebuilt several vintage Fenwick Ferralites. I like the Steffens the best but if you are on a tighter budget the Lamiglas is a good option. The Steffen 7034-3 is sweet. Old Fenwicks don't really come in 3wts. but if you want a 5wt. or up, they offer a fun project and a great rod. Keep in mind, contrary to what most fiberglass builders and anglers will say, fiberglass blanks are NOT generally slower action than graphite. However, they ARE typically much less powerful and much slower to damp. The CCS data I have measured on many fiberglass rods confirms this. They feel different but it's more due to power and blank material than to action.

On of my current favorite projects is a Fenwick FL-84-6F (7' 6wt.; DBI 3.6/68). This makes my point - low power but relatively fast action. Great rod, but most anglers or builders will describe it as SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. Don't be confused by the wrong terminology and have fun.

Steve

I fly fish chiefly in saltwater estuaries. In my dreams the ability of a flyrod to fight big fish will be more important than its "feel" or ability to cast a few feet further. If there is a well designed S-glass flyrod blank in 8 wt., 9 wt., or 10 wt. I wish someone would tell me?

i built many fenwicks years ago and the 5 wts. fished great with 3 and 4 wt. lines

here is a link to a series of articles on modern glass fly rods. there are three parts to the article and you can access all three with this link.

[troutunderground.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2008 11:53PM by LARRY PIRRONE.

Jon,
Angler's Workshop had some of the heavier powered Lamiglas blanks don't think there was anything over an 8 wt though. 2 piece 8 1/2 - 9 ft they were. Glass type, unknown.

I'd consider the Steffen or for more money, a McFarland.



Tim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2008 02:17PM by Tim Kelly.

I built one of the most popular lami blanks: the honey glass 3 piece 7.5' 4 weight. It's a noodle. That makes it fun for catching smaller fish, but I find it challenging to cast. It requires more finesse in timing and power application than any other rod I have cast. It doesn't have a lot of power for shooting line, either.