Fishing Glass Kicks *ss

Tom Butler

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter
I think I fish the 8' 5/6 Steffan more than any other rod these days, it's just such a pleasure to fish. Met up with another forum member, and we both had good fishing. Yesterday it was hopper dropper rigs
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And today it was stimulators and pats for stoneflies
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He kept remarking how colorful the redbands are.
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Been out enjoying yours lately?
 
yep, my Steffen 7/8 was my goto for bullies a couple of weeks ago and my Bandit has been getting most of my tiger musky play this year. My tired old Steffen 5/6 still gets the majority of trout work and my BAG 7wt gets a bunch of smallie action (although, I've been working my Berkley Gowdy 7'6" 6/7 back into the rotation there).
 
This brings back memories of a small stream out east and a late summer trip when I was middle school aged. A little league team mates grandma had property on this stream so we all went out there for a few days and camped in the yard. I tied the flies, they had the access. Johnny's dad by the end of the trip couldn't get enough of my spent hopper, most killer fly he's ever fished with. It was basically a Dave's hopper I put spent clear raffia wings on, then drew patterns on the wings with sharpie. I had noticed the dull brown hoppers when they jumped actually had quite colorful wings like a butterfly. I can't stand all the foam rubber leg flies, give me a Dave's hopper.
 
SculpinSwinger said:
Iconoglass
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Fenglass
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I am a “glass man”
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Love the bend to handle, I can almost feel the fish. That's some big water.
I'm really beginning to feel that glass rod is the most precise casting rod I own, whether it's 1/2 a line up stream or roll casting most of the morning. Something about the feel is really enticing too.
 
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Tom Butler said:
Love the bend to handle, I can almost feel the fish. That's some big water.
I'm really beginning to feel that glass rod is the most precise casting rod I own, whether it's 1/2 a line up stream or roll casting most of the morning. Something about the feel is really enticing too.
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Great for roll casting, and I love the feel of a rod bent into the cork!
 
SculpinSwinger said:
That is the 8, I am seriously thinking of picking up the 4 and a 10…really liking the Iconoglass!
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I like to call my 10wt a 10+....it's a really powerful rod. On the 12wt, I've only had a couple of tuna on briefly, so haven't really tested it yet.
 
Took my old (1973) Fenwick 6#, added the vintage Daiwa I just bought, and went to a local suburban lake here in Oly for some sunset fun. Just float tubing along the weeds. Caught my first ever bass! Also some Perch, Bluegill and a couple Trout. Not bad for suburban bliss. Those Bluegills bend the rod...
 
A few pics of glass in action...

BAG 7wt with a little streamer eating trout on...
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The Bandit (El Bandito) tied into a tiger musky
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Seele (McFarland) 12+ wt glass playing with an albacore
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My Steffen 5/6 with the smallest of smallies...
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I was looking for Iconoglass online but can only find blanks. Is there a company that actually sells finished rods?
 
Random question:
I’m kinda weird with fishing gear in that I don’t like a deep quiver. I have always had glass rods, currently have a Steffen 7’6” 3/4 and a slooowwww Fisher, but have shied away from converting the quiver over entirely to glass. So the question: can those iconoglass rods be an only 5 weight or 8 weight in the quiver or does one still want graphite for windy lakes? my fishing often includes windy reservoirs and Pyramid Lake…
 
John Svahn said:
Random question:
I’m kinda weird with fishing gear in that I don’t like a deep quiver. I have always had glass rods, currently have a Steffen 7’6” 3/4 and a slooowwww Fisher, but have shied away from converting the quiver over entirely to glass. So the question: can those iconoglass rods be an only 5 weight or 8 weight in the quiver or does one still want graphite for windy lakes? my fishing often includes windy reservoirs and Pyramid Lake…
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Personally, the longer down the road I go, the less and less I use graphite, even in super windy conditions. It's really not all that difficult to generate the lines speed necessary do deal with wind with even moderate glass. But it does take a fair bit of getting used to. On the lake I fish for tiger muskies, the wind always picks up in the afternoon (it's a long lake, so kinda like a wind tunnel). I very rarely grab my backup graphite 10wt because of the wind (because I have 2 rods set up differently). Bottom line, it just take a bit of getting used to to make it work.

I mean, I wouldn't just go cold turkey there if graphite is what you're used to and most comfortable with.

These days, just about the only graphite that gets regular play in my quiver is my euro rod when trout fishing. There just isn't ever going to be a good glass equivalent there.

FontinalisFin said:
I was looking for Iconoglass online but can only find blanks. Is there a company that actually sells finished rods?
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blanks only.

If you build or now someone who builds, that's the way to go. Also, Shane at Graywolf Rods builds out some IG blanks. I think his complete price is between $5-600. Does phenomenal work.
 
Ditto on Shane @ Graywolf. I have an 8’ 6wt he built for me that’s perfect for the mountain streams here in NC. The rod I use for redfish here in skinny water is an 8’8” Steffen 3pc 8 wt built by Larry Kenney. It’s a dream to cast. Here it is at work:
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