Lessons Learned (or not)

[hooker-of-men]

The folks at Orvis said the wax was the problem, so 🤷‍♂️. FWIW, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with graphite, just that it hasn’t worked for ME, because after the third break I was more concerned with breaking the rod than fishing with it.

All of my spinning rods are ugly sticks. I tried some fancier rods from other brands, broke them, and went back. My experience with the Clearwater felt like history repeating, so I made a change that I’m happy with, and as I like the look and feel of vintage glass, I don’t see going back.

Did it break 3 times at the ferrule??

I don't mean to judge, but if it was 3 separate breaks in different ways (so not caused by the wax), either something was severely wrong with the blank or you're doing something pretty radically wrong on the water. Not that it has any bearing on your preference for glass, but a graphite rod exploding every third outing? That ain't normal.

 

[FisherOfMen]

A bunch of late 60s/early 70s Fenwick and Browning Silaflex rods from 5-8wt and 6-8.5ft, three cheap but still nice aventik s-glass rods in 3, 4 and 5wt, and an Orvis SFG 764. After I settle on my favorites I may release some back into the wild, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Favorite so far is a beautifully rebuilt green and gold wrapped Fenwick FF855 with modernized guide count and factory downlocking reel seat, shown next to a stock FF855. They weigh and cast the same, but the rebuild is better looking and (to me) has a better reel seat.
View attachment 1641254703View attachment 1641254704

Nice you'll be hard pressed to find a more fun glass rod than a fenwick.
The FF855 is one of the few glass rods I let go and regretted it.

 

[Kms]

Did it break 3 times at the ferrule??

I don't mean to judge, but if it was 3 separate breaks in different ways (so not caused by the wax), either something was severely wrong with the blank or you're doing something pretty radically wrong on the water. Not that it has any bearing on your preference for glass, but a graphite rod exploding every third outing? That ain't normal.

No it didn’t. I snapped the first section twice, and I don’t blame Orvis for anything but the ferrule (which they covered).

 

[Bamboozle]

The folks at Orvis said the wax was the problem, so 🤷‍♂️. FWIW, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with graphite, just that it hasn’t worked for ME, because after the third break I was more concerned with breaking the rod than fishing with it.

All of my spinning rods are ugly sticks. I tried some fancier rods from other brands, broke them, and went back. My experience with the Clearwater felt like history repeating, so I made a change that I’m happy with, and as I like the look and feel of vintage glass, I don’t see going back.

Despite what Orvis told you, I think the outsourced Clearwater blanks are/were the issue, not the wax and Orvis just didn't want to admit it...

FWIW - I'm STILL fishing my 8'6" 6wt 2pc Orvis graphite Limestone Special that I bought new in 1980 or 1981 and I've waxed that ferrule since day one.

I also am still fishing my 9'0" 8wt 4pc graphite Orvis Power Matrix rod, a demo rod that I bought on the cheap from a dealer in the early 1990's. Those ferules have also been waxed since day one.

Besides the wax, the common denominator is both blanks are old as dirt and were rolled by Orvis...

Buy hey, there is nothing wrong with vintage glass or glass in general. I fish a ton of glass but the only vintage stuff I own is my very first spinning rod, an Eagle Claw Trailmaster and a 6wt Fenwick FF85-3.