Sources for shortish, heavier weight rods?

There are pods of carp, sizeable carp (a good few easily in the 30+ inch
range) cruising one of the spring-fed creeks I routinely fish for sunfish,
vacuuming up eggs from the nests of the afforementioned sunfish. I'd like
to thin the carp population a bit and I reckon that it would be more fun on
a fly-rod than if I resorted to bait and spinning tackle.

The size of the carp and the abundance of tree roots in the stream have me
thinking that a 7-weight or better would be called for. It's mostly a
narrow stream with high-banks and tunneled through low-hanging tree limbs.
Even roll-casts are touchy with an 8' rod. A seven and a half foot 7 or 8
weight would seem to fit the bill, but nine-foot seems to be the starting
length for rods of that heft in all the catalogues I've found so far.

-Doc

I have a 8 foot 8 weight GL3 Loomis rod that was made about a decade
ago that is a very good streamer rod. I have no idea if it is still
made. I heard a rumor that one company had been testing a 7.5 foot 8
weight rod for mangrove fishing in Florida, but it turned out to be a 9
weight rod and I doubt that it will go into production.

Big Dale

"Doc Elder" wrote

A seven and a half foot 7 or 8
weight would seem to fit the bill, but nine-foot seems to be the starting
length for rods of that heft in all the catalogues I've found so far.



I looked once with no luck, years ago. I had found a similar situation,
big LMB in a very tight brushy year round irrigation canal. As you point
out, there are places where a short, heavy, rod would seem to be just the
ticket. I considered, but didn't pursue, trying fly lines/ casting with
some short spinning rods if I could find a store that would let me ... then
getting the blank that worked best and building it with fly components

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 16:19:48 GMT, "Larry L"
wrote:


"Doc Elder" wrote

A seven and a half foot 7 or 8
weight would seem to fit the bill, but nine-foot seems to be the starting
length for rods of that heft in all the catalogues I've found so far.



I looked once with no luck, years ago. I had found a similar situation,
big LMB in a very tight brushy year round irrigation canal. As you point
out, there are places where a short, heavy, rod would seem to be just the
ticket. I considered, but didn't pursue, trying fly lines/ casting with
some short spinning rods if I could find a store that would let me ... then
getting the blank that worked best and building it with fly components

Heck, if you just MUST use fly tackle, just find an inexpensive 'glass
8ish that you can live with (a charity store/tag sale rod or a
Wallyworld special - for example a Wonderod in need of a rework would
make a good choice, IMO) and shorten it (the butt end) - you're not in
need of precision line cannon for this application, merely a useable
short-range line-flipping tool. Pair it with a inexpensive, but decent,
7DT and be the carp-killingest guy on your block for $50USD and a coupla
hours of rod-mod time.

TC,
R

http://www.gatti-flyrods.it/tele.html

Many Italians use a different approach - using these variable length
rods - but I've never used one myself

Build a rod on the 3 power 7 1/2 or 8 ft. popping rod blank such as the RX7
models from Rainshadow. Others make them, but these are an excellent value.
Fast light tips, would throw a flyline very well and they have the power
needed for the job. The three and four power popping rods are used by the
mangrove combat fisherman for fly rods.