different brookie rod: dorber "lil streamer" with more & larger guides?

[k-bob]

Like others here, I like to fish small, steep, infertile brookie streams. Because these streams require short casts, bushwhacking, and climbing, I have been using short 2-piece rods such as an orvis superfine 604-2, a 6', 4 weight, 1.5 oz., full flex rod that balances a light 2.2 oz reel nicely toward the end of its conventional grip (the 604-2 doesn't have a short cigar grip, which helps the rod balance a light reel).

I like fishing and hiking with this six footer so much that I looked around for other rods of similar length without a short cigar grip for the fish-hike-fish brookie-stream cycle. I realize that a longer rod is better for the bow and arrow cast, but I'd much rather hike with a short rod, and a short rod lets you do more sidearm, etc., casts in tight spots. You can still do some shorter bow and arrow casts with a six footer.

I came across the idea of the Dorber/Brunsell "lil streamer," a short, light rod, inexpensive made in 5' 6" 5 weights, 6' 3 weights, etc.

http://www.dorber.com/flyrods.html

These 'lil streamer' rods aren't too expensive, they are light, they have medium-slow action, and use larger and more closley spaced guides to help shoot line with there is less room for a backcast.

Has anyone ever used one of these? I like the idea.

 

[jayL]

Really interesting.

If you do get one, please report on it.

 

[k-bob]

Here's a review of the 'lil streamer' rods:

http://www.landbigfish.com/articles/default.cfm?ID=1655

I like the idea: short, light, slowish rods with more and bigger guides for brookie streams with limited backasting space. I fish 8-15 ft wide brookie runs carrying a short rod, say 6 ft, in a fly rod case with shoulder strap. I take the sections apart and toss the rod in the case on the way in and out, and between stops at promising pools. It's faster and safer walking with both of your hands free -- I broke a $350 rod last year while hurrying back from the brookie boonies! A 6' 3-piece would fit in a short case and allow some under-the-branches flips and sidearm casts, so I think I will try one of these lil streamer ones...

 

[sandfly]

we don't add xtra guides but do over size with single foot, casting is a real pleasure. gonna talk to my builder agout the guides.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

If you can build the rod check out http://store.seviermfg.com/ they have a 6 ft. 4/5 wt. blanks for 17.00 some odd dollars. To be truth full its probably a 5/6 weight. This the supplier for dancraft, and some others building sites "house blanks". I have built 2 flyrods on these blanks. They have a fast like a orvis tip flex. They are extremely fast. The only thing is you have to order at least 50$. But for 50$ can get realseat, cork grip, guides and thread for that much.

 

[CPR]

Sevier blanks are nice but please don't confuse Dan Craft's blanks with the Sevier Tiger eye blanks. You can get the tiger eye's from Dan but his blanks are not rolled by Sevier.

Dorber makes a nice blank also for the price and purpose.

 

[k-bob]

thanks I am a novice fly fisherman but I have ordered a lil streamer or two and will report they were very helpful with my questions!

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Cpr,

I know danscraft sells different blanks and Dave that runs Sevier man. does roll his own. Hardly any rod blanks are rolled in USA. They all come from japan. Unless you buy loomis sage winston or north fork composite. Temple fork outfitters blanks a even made in japan.

Dan crafts "house blank" are supplied throught 5 rivers and there "private label" blanks supplied throught sevier.

 

[CPR]

Made in America
Sage
Winston
North Fork Composites
St.Croix
Loomis (no longer sells blanks though)
Fly Logic
Batson Rainshadow RX8+ and RX7+ series
Talon
Castaway
Some Orvis series
Lamiglas
Phenix
Calstar
Seeker
and a few smaller companies

Temple Fork Outfitters are rolled in Korea.

The majority of imported blanks are manufactured in China, but Korea is quickly catching up.

 

[abbrod]

I have built a nice 5' 4wt graphite for myself for this purpose and it works great. My favorite is still a shortish 6.5-7' glass rod. Lamiglas glass blanks are available in multiple sections up to 6 pcs for extreme packability. I would advise single foot recoil guides because of the light weight an flexibility. Less likely to be damaged if hung up on the brush. Do it yourself or find a reputable custom builder in your area and get exactly what you want.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Im curious,

I have never owned a rod under 7 foot long. How does a rod just over 5' cast? Is it very similar or completely different?

 

[k-bob]

Sal. I owned one 5' cabelas rod, and I think it only would have worked for very short casts on an overgrown stream maybe 12 feet wide. I love my 6 foot 4 weight superfine for tiny streams that are so narrow and overgrown that I find myself backing up to the bank with my usual 7'6" echo carbon to get the end of the rod over the middle of the stream to make a sidearm cast under branches. Since our arms add 2-3 feet, even a six foot rod has its tip 8-9 feet out there in a sidearm cast.

I don't really know how far I can cast with the 6-footer, I have only used it on tiny streams with short sidearm casts. Great for that, and easier to carry through brush than a longer rod. I bought a cabela's 37" case (now on sale for $25!) that takes the rod with reel, added a shoulder strap, and just put the 2-piece in there on the hike in and for carzy climbing. Much safer and faster to hike that way for me, and the fly rod.

I orderd a 5'6" Dorber 5 wieght, I think the heavier line makes sense in so short a rod. Wouldn't take it to the upper delaware, might be good for a stream the size of ... I guess I should only name streams in code ... the upper part of "Satan's Sink Stream" near Mountus Poconous in GSL 212 (numbers and letters randomized).

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Well i bet they are somewhat different.

Im not completely sold on them being the ultimate small stream rod. Often i find myself fishing several streams in one trip. I hate carrying more than one rod with me so i just bought the one i felt is very universal for my liking.

I have thought of getting a tiny rod though.

 

[troutslammer]

sal , i often wondered the same thing , i use a 7'6" for small streams and i like it alot but i have never tried a 6' rod either but i am not sure i could reach the cuts with a 6' in the smaller (to me ) streams i fish

 

[k-bob]

Guys: I agree, I skip the six-footer and use a 7' 4-weight rod or a 7'6" 3-weight if I could end up in a bigger pool or on another stream. I would not fish a stream the size of Valley Creek with the six footer.

The six foot 4-weight is just for times when I am going to a small stream on a long hike in and there is no bigger stream for plan B. Some times I do have to risk spooking fish by entering unusually long pools to reach the top. But it is so much easier to hike and cast under branches with the six footer that it's worth it, and I think I catch more fish, as long the stream is small enough.

I don't really know if the 5' 6" 5-weight dorber will be too short, except for tiny places, but they are inexpensive and light and I am going to give 'em a try.

Heavier lines seem important in short rods, I don't think I'd buy a 6 foot rod in anything less than 3 weight, and what sold me on the dorber is the 5-weight line they build their 5 1/2 foot rod for.

I will write something once I have these new rods working!

 

[k-bob]

I looked up some rods that I no longer own, and I didn't like using five-foot and six-foot two-weights. My six-foot four weight is much better. Cabela's TQR has some nice inexpensive short rods, I've never owned this model, but the six-foot five-weight seems like the right idea: a heavier line for short rods.

 

[khoferer]

Hello,

Please report back on how you like the rod. I'm curious how the extra guides - and epoxy - affect the forward return of the rod. I would also wonder if the design would work with oversized ceramics rather than snakes. Line slap might be further reduced since ceramics keep the line farther from the blank.

In addition to the blanks mentioned above, Batson makes 5' 2,3 & 4 weights and a 5'6" 4 wt. in their RX7 line.

Kevin

 

[FishOnCamp]

I built a 5' 2wt with the RX7 blank. I haven't had a chance to fish with it yet, but it seemed to lawn cast a decent distance for it's short length.

 

[k-bob]

"Please report back on how you like the rod. I'm curious how the extra guides - and epoxy - affect the forward return of the rod. "

I am a thasher caster and am not really sure what you mean by forward return? But I will report on the dorbers. I ordered both a 6' 3 weight dorber and a 5' 6' 5 weight one, too. I will use them on small, steep brookie streams that are narrow, trail-less, and branch-tunneled enough that a 7' or 7' 6" rod can be harder to sidearm cast and carry in brush than a shorter rod. A big factor for these places is the lack of space to false and back cast. Even sidearm casts are constrained when the stream has limited open space area under branches.

While I like the carrying and casting advantages of a shorter rod - I really like my orvis 6 foot 4 weight superfine for these streams - I think that when you come across a rare bigger or longer pool for such a small stream (20 foot cast? maybe more?), it helps to cast to the front of the pool from a way back, so you can fish with less fish spooking. When (if?) the weather ever warms up, I like to cast to the front of the occaisonal bigger pools with a dry fly, which is easier to fish at a distance than anything that sinks. So I like the idea of short rods with heavier lines, even the 5 weight dorber.

For a beastly hike in and out, a two-piece six footer is much easier to put in a rod and reel case and carry over your back than a seven footer. I have a super light scientific anglers case of about 30" that the 3 piece dorber will go in.

Since I have rods in unusual sizes, I have been buying cabela's 37" rod reel cases, cutting them to the perfect size with a hacksaw, and putting then cap back on have to leave a few few extra inches for padding in cap but carryingan anexpensive rod in one of those is much faster and safer

 

[khoferer]

Hi k-bob,

"Forward return" was probably not the most articulate way to say what I meant. Perhaps recovery or speed would be better. One way to describe what I mean is to think of casting a #4 Clouser minnow with a 3 wt. An exaggeration but that's the gist of it.

Kevin