Why Glass

[afishinado]

PALongbow wrote:
Play a fish on glass rod and you will no why people fish glass. Glass delivers a nice bend in the rod and you will actually feel the fish fight. Also as others have stated its a slower action. Glass also provides a more delicate delivery especially if you match it with the right line. Nothing better than a glass rod and a Cortland Peach 444 DT line.

Ron

Glass rod / Peach line...that was my rig back somewhere in the 70's and early 80's...lol.

Each to his own.

Carbon graphite is taking a beating in this thread. In the interest of equal time, and since graphite represents more than 90% of the rod sales...here is my take...

I still have some of those older glass rods. I remember when graphite rods were first introduced. I spin-fished back in those days and couldn't get over how sensitive the new graphite rods were compared to the glass ones I fished. I could feel every vibration of the lure and actually could feel along the bottom with my lures and jigs. I spent a fortune converting all my spin and bait-casting rods to graphite. I

I bought a graphite fly rod and found it to be a huge improvement...I loved it! It was like I drove a car with one gear (low) with the glass rod and now had a more versatile rod that allowed me to do things the glass rod never could do. My glass rods have collected dust ever since. Every once in a while I'll pull out an old glass and cast it....yep....back in the tube you go...

While the newer S-Glass rods are lighter and more responsive than the older E-glass rods, I really don't care for them at all compared to the graphite rods I own.

Again, to each his own...

 

[Swattie87]

Am I seriously the only who has noticed an increase in chick pick ups since switching to glass?

Another bonus...3 piece glass rods fit very nicely into the hatch of my Mini...another certified chick magnet.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Many of you know I've been fishing glass for years. I got into it because someone gave me a whole arsenal of old glass rods, and I loved them.

But it IS a fad now. It's almost as hipsterish as Tenkara, except it's actually a fly rod. And I, for one, cannot wait til the fad ends. You used to be able to go on ebay and buy vintage glass rods on the cheap. Good rods too. Now the prices on these rods have skyrocketed. The hipsters did to cost of glass what they did to the cost of housing in Brooklyn.

But as many said, it fits my casting stroke. Since I'm not a woman, the weight is not an issue at all for me. Also, it does not underperform compared to graphite.

I will say, I only own one of the "new generations" of glass rods, a CGR. I've casted the Orvis glass, checked out Epic and whatnot, and you might as well just fish graphite.

 

[afishinado]

I agree with Pat ^

Let's look at what's been put out there about glass or at least slower action rods...

A glass / slow action rod casts more delicately?

On your final forward cast to deliver your line/fly, you make your stop > your line unfurls and straightens > the energy from your cast dissipates with the line three feet above the water > and your line, leader, tippet and fly slowly falls from the air to the surface.

The results are the same; line speed and loop size during the cast is moot. After the cast is made, the line falls from the air to the water with the same "delicacy" no matter what type of rod was used to launch it.

Glass / slow action rods are better for tight small stream fishing?

Not in my experience. Around every bend in the creek there are obstructions. In those situations, being able to cast a tighter loop over, under, around and through those obstructions is a huge benefit. A faster rod is a better tool, IMO.

Glass / slow action rods are more accurate?

A tighter loop and more "pinpoint" casts are tend to be more accurate, especially in the wind (and I covered the "delicacy" issue above). Think of lobbing something vs throwing a dart.

In addition, you can cast a more open loop with a faster rod if necessary, but the reverse is not true.

Short casts are all that's needed on a small stream anyway?

Many times on a stream you will find places where the only cast is a longer cast. How 'bout a place with high banks or anywhere you can only approach from below and wade midstream to boom a cast to the fish. A glass / slow rod bottoms out and cannot carry as much line in the air or have enough power to shoot line as a faster rod with power (flex) to draw from in the mid and butt section.

Glass / slow rods prevent break-offs of tippet?

If you are breaking off fish, check your knots and make sure you are using fresh tippet. If your knots and tippet are good, PM me the GPS numbers for the small stream where the fish so big they are busting you off.

Anyway...again...to each his own. My only point is please don't state as fact that a glass or slow rod is a better tool for the job. The above is backed up with physics.

But please, don't miss the whole point....fly-fishing should be fun. And if slinging a noodle around is your thing, have at it..have fun!

 

[SteveG]

Agree with Afish's points. There is plenty of good graphite that protects tippet as well as glass. As far as delicacy, as long as the line unfurls in the air instead of crashing into the water, not an issue.

I do think its hilarious that manufacturers are charging what they do for new glass. Their marketing must be on point. I do find glass fun to cast, but as far as actually fishing, especially in the real world where there's wind and trees, I think graphite offers more.

 

[pcray1231]

Many of you know I've been fishing glass for years. I got into it because someone gave me a whole arsenal of old glass rods, and I loved them.

But it IS a fad now. It's almost as hipsterish as Tenkara, except it's actually a fly rod. And I, for one, cannot wait til the fad ends.

This makes me laugh a little. Hipsters reject the mainstream products en masse, making their chosen counter culture product popular again. At which time, they blast it for being the "fad", and hope for the day that the product they love turns counter culture again....

 

[pcray1231]

One thing I'll say about glass and especially boo:

Compared to graphite, there's a HUGE variety of rods out there. Pick one up, and it in no way, shape, or form resembles what a different rod made of the same material feels like. There's just a world of difference from rod to rod. Wet noodles and broomsticks, and wildly different tapers.

In graphite, yeah, I can tell differences and have my likes and dislikes. But the range of "feels" you get from different rods is just much, much less. Comparatively speaking, it's like they're all the same.

This does a couple of things. For the boo and glass guys who say graphite has no "soul", I think it plays on this. Soul means "uniqueness". Comparitively speaking, boo and glass rods are unique individuals, and graphite becomes like the mindless robots.

Further, for graphite guys, they pick up some cheapo yard sale variety of boo or glass rod, give it a few casts, and conclude that they hate ALL boo and glass rods based on that one experience. Perhaps not realizing how much different a different rod may feel.

 

[geebee]

glass is better for dry fly and graphite is better for streamers.

good luck trying to find a medium graphite rod thesedays - modern manufacture is all about distance and line speed. its tough to find a medium fast fly rod let alone medium.

I have one glass rod for float tubing - with the idea that with a heavy fish able to swim right under me, I wanted a rod with greater flex - a fast action rod would put too much pressure on my wrist if the fish plunges whilst under me, and could pull the hook.

cheers

Mark.

 

[Bamboozle]

I fish a lot of glass because the actions suit my preference for a full flexing rod for SOME types of fishing. However, I can cast a loop as tight as any graphite rod since the rod tip direction determines the openness of the loop.

Use a push-pull stroke to limit the arc of the rod tip and viola, you get a tight loop. Because of that and my arsenal of short glass rods, I wouldn't use anything other than bamboo on small streams. The feel and flex with a smaller wild fish is an absolute hoot.

BUT, not all graphite is super fast or unsuitable for protecting light tippets. If you never had an opportunity to own or fish the Winston DL-4 series you missed a spectacular graphite rod or some of the WT series. Wonderful graphite that does anything you ask of it.

The 3wt's in the DL4 series are as slow or slower that a LOT of glass rods out there. The 4 & 5wts are as sweet as any 4 or 5wt glass rod I own and I have 9 footers which are a rarity in glass.

Fish what makes you happy!

 

[troutbert]

Bamboozle wrote:

BUT, not all graphite is super fast or unsuitable for protecting light tippets. If you never had an opportunity to own or fish the Winston DL-4 series you missed a spectacular graphite rod or some of the WT series.

Agreed.

Winston is a well known example of a graphite rod with a slow/ moderate action. They are expensive.

And there are also low cost graphite rods with moderate actions.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

pcray1231 wrote:

Many of you know I've been fishing glass for years. I got into it because someone gave me a whole arsenal of old glass rods, and I loved them.

But it IS a fad now. It's almost as hipsterish as Tenkara, except it's actually a fly rod. And I, for one, cannot wait til the fad ends.

This makes me laugh a little. Hipsters reject the mainstream products en masse, making their chosen counter culture product popular again. At which time, they blast it for being the "fad", and hope for the day that the product they love turns counter culture again....

I just hope the fad dies soon so that I can pick up cheap sticks again.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

The orvis 9'6" 8wt rivermaster and 9'3" 5wt spring creek are graphite and every bit as deep flexing as my 1 pc 6/7wt 1862 vintage lamiglas rods.

 

[FarmerDave]

bikerfish wrote:
Glass rods simply fit my casting style better than graphite. I don't give a crap about fads or whatever, I like to use the tools that allow me to fish the way I wanna fish. Are graphite rods "better"? for some, yes, for others, no. I simply don't like casting them. I use them on occasion, I own 5 or 6 of them, but my glass rods get 99 percent of the use.
It's all in how you cast and how you like to fish.

Al, I blame you for this fad. Everybody wants to be like you, you poser!

 

[FarmerDave]

The_Sasquatch wrote:

pcray1231 wrote:

Many of you know I've been fishing glass for years. I got into it because someone gave me a whole arsenal of old glass rods, and I loved them.

But it IS a fad now. It's almost as hipsterish as Tenkara, except it's actually a fly rod. And I, for one, cannot wait til the fad ends.

This makes me laugh a little. Hipsters reject the mainstream products en masse, making their chosen counter culture product popular again. At which time, they blast it for being the "fad", and hope for the day that the product they love turns counter culture again....

I just hope the fad dies soon so that I can pick up cheap sticks again.

The [d]crappie pole[/d] tenkara fad will die first. Maybe you should switch to that. LOL!

 

[salvelinus]

The_Sasquatch wrote:
The hipsters did to cost of glass what they did to the cost of housing in Brooklyn.

I don't know why you'd call these people hipsters. For your profession you seem awfully quick to judgment. And what's your beef with Tenkara? I don't care for it but if someone wants to fish that way that's their business, not yours or mine.

Perhaps some anglers were tired of the stiffer and faster rods every year marketed as a cure-all to your casting ills, for an ever-increasing price. Perhaps they were tired of lost fish and shattered rods. Perhaps glass fits their casting stroke too. There's more to fly fishing than throwing the entire line across a parking lot.

I started out with glass in the late 60's and after a brief affair with cane moved to graphite in the late 70's. I foolishly sold my glass and cane rods. After I realized glass was perfect for the fishing I do, I sold my graphite and went back to glass. I suspect a lot of others did too. I was happy to see the resurgence of glass, and the introduction of modern glass.

Cameron Mortenson led the fiberglass charge and people took notice. The FFR site has been around for close to ten years. So vintage rods went up in price. It's called supply and demand.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Dude you gotta lighten up. All of that hipster stuff is done in jest.

I think you're right about the glass "boom" being in response to the broomsticks that the graphite rod makers were pushing on us for the past decade or so.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Wish I found this w/ a tempura rod in his hand!

 

[afishinado]

Perhaps some anglers were tired of the stiffer and faster rods every year marketed as a cure-all to your casting ills, for an ever-increasing price....

Keep your old rods if you like them...good for you! But don't tell me that all the new rods are fast and stiff and this and that....there are more rod choices out there than ever! I have some of the older model rods and they are good, but for me anyway, I like some of the new ones better! :-o

Lol...all you guys have got to get out more and check things out....all the rod manufacturers have introduced multiple lines of rods that are fast moderate and even slow....too many choices!

Sage offers 11 different rod lines...Winston has 9...Scott has 12... Orvis has 9 different rod offerings (plus offers both mid and tip flex in the same rod line).

Again...check out my avatar <

:roll:

 

[salvelinus]

Please don't call me dude.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

salvelinus wrote:
Please don't call me dude.

Okay, sir. Please don't become grumpy. I thought Pcray did an excellent job in pointing out the irony of my statements. I highly doubt anyone gets truly offended at being called a "hipster", but if I offended you, I apologize Salvelinus. It's only the interwebz.