A Fishing forum. FishingBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » FishingBanter forum » rec.outdoors.fishing newsgroups » Fly Fishing
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

old fenwick rod



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 06:47 AM
Dan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod

I need some help from you fly fishers out there. I want to try to take up
again fly fishing for trout. I have a rod I bought for the purpose when I
was a kid. It's a cheap 30 year old Fenwick rod, made, I believe from glass
fibre. It is 8 1/2 feet long and says AFTM 7 on it. I assume this means its
"weight" is 7? My question is, would this be a reasonable rod to try fly
fishing again after doing it perhaps half a dozen times in Scotland as a kid
30 years ago? Opinions on this would be useful. I also need suggestions as
to what might be an appropriate reel to buy to use with it. Do I need to buy
a reel of a matching weight? I was thinking of maybe an LL Bean
"Streamlight" or an Orvis "Clearwater" or "Rocky Mountain" (These last are
now on sale.) Do any of these sound reasonable?

Just to make matters harder, I have no idea yet where I am going to fish. I
am located now in Southern California and know nothing about the
possibilities for trout fishing here, so opinions on where I might start
would also be welcome. As a kid I fished small rivers and lochs in Scotland
and I think I would like to do something similar. Northern California is a
possibility. I am somehow (and I dont want to knock anyone else's pleasure)
against sitting in a boat reeling in trout after trout in a lake that will
be restocked the minute I have gone home for the day. What I remember liking
about it as a kid was that the fishing was but one part of a whole day spent
in the wilderness with few people around.

This no doubt all sounds rather woolly, for which my apologies. I would be
genuinely grateful for any practical advice.

Dan Hugh-Jones


  #2  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 07:16 AM
Bill Kiene
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod

Hi Dan,

I sold that rod and own them too. That was on of the best casting sizes
Fenwick made in those days. Today for trout we use mostly 4, 5 and 6 weight
rods, but your rod is fairly soft and will work for lots of fly fishing in
California.

I would buy a little larger size reel that is for a # 7 line rod and all the
ones you mentioned would be fine.

I would spend some money like ~$50US for a good new WF7F.

There are lots of fly fishing clubs and good fly shops in California for
help.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Dan" lose wrote in message
...
I need some help from you fly fishers out there. I want to try to take up
again fly fishing for trout. I have a rod I bought for the purpose when I
was a kid. It's a cheap 30 year old Fenwick rod, made, I believe from

glass
fibre. It is 8 1/2 feet long and says AFTM 7 on it. I assume this means

its
"weight" is 7? My question is, would this be a reasonable rod to try fly
fishing again after doing it perhaps half a dozen times in Scotland as a

kid
30 years ago? Opinions on this would be useful. I also need suggestions as
to what might be an appropriate reel to buy to use with it. Do I need to

buy
a reel of a matching weight? I was thinking of maybe an LL Bean
"Streamlight" or an Orvis "Clearwater" or "Rocky Mountain" (These last are
now on sale.) Do any of these sound reasonable?

Just to make matters harder, I have no idea yet where I am going to fish.

I
am located now in Southern California and know nothing about the
possibilities for trout fishing here, so opinions on where I might start
would also be welcome. As a kid I fished small rivers and lochs in

Scotland
and I think I would like to do something similar. Northern California is a
possibility. I am somehow (and I dont want to knock anyone else's

pleasure)
against sitting in a boat reeling in trout after trout in a lake that will
be restocked the minute I have gone home for the day. What I remember

liking
about it as a kid was that the fishing was but one part of a whole day

spent
in the wilderness with few people around.

This no doubt all sounds rather woolly, for which my apologies. I would be
genuinely grateful for any practical advice.

Dan Hugh-Jones




  #3  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 11:54 AM
asadi
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod

Well, if you only, exclusively, fish for trout fine. Just go ahead and talk
that way. But, if you think that trout are the only fish you can pursue with
a fly rod....well...you could fish for just about anything with that rod.

ditto what Bill said on the quality line and slightly larger reel.
Personally, I'd get a Cabelas Cahill II model two reel or a Plueger 1495 or
1595 RC . . . nice and cheap they are. That Pfleuger will seem kinda heavy
tho'...but I like that on an older fiberglass rod...I'm weird.

I'd buy a quality line, two or three leaders (8 or 9 feet 5 X) and a roll of
tippet material.....say 5x from one of the guys here.

I like Cortland lines 'cause they mostly come with that little cleaning
patch for your line.

Then I'd look around for a fly shop that has some rather scruffy looking
individuals that are constantly hanging around and drinking coffee. I'd go
in there and ask them to put the line on the reel with some backing. And
buy some flies. Flies for all kinds of fish.

And if this sounds rather wooly, I'd get some wooly buggers too, got to have
wooly buggers. Big ones and little ones, skinny ones and fat ones, oh how
they wiggle and squirm.

And then I'd look for some City Parks with sunfish (bream) in them to
practice my casting . . .the heck with those tree lined streams for
learning.

.....got up early and made Impossible Bacon Pie for the little girl's
breakfast...came out pretty good....john


  #4  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 04:29 PM
Dan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod

Bill,

Thanks for your advice. I have (of course) a few more questions. When you
say a little larger size reel, what do you mean larger? Larger than what
exactly? Larger than #7? Could I get your opinion on the reels I mentioned,
viz Orvis "Clearwater" and "Rocky Mountain" and the LL Bean "Streamlight"?

I assume WF7F is a kind of line? I know there are all kinds of lines and I
have no idea which would be appropriate for whatever kind of fishing I end
up doing. I guess I need to buy a book and do some research.

In reference to the rod, I was doing some reading of old ROFF posts and saw
references to some old brown Fenwick fiberglass rods that were meant to be
pretty decent. Mine however would be bottom of the line. I bought it in a
local sporting good store when I was nine (and I would be surprised if it
cost more than $30. It was rebadged for Milbro and is amber in colour and
looks to be of low quality construction. OTOH, after 30 years nothing seems
to have perished at least.

Finally, is there trout fishing in Sequoia National Park, do you happen to
know? I go there quite a lot.

Thanks for listening,

Dan


"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
m...
Hi Dan,

I sold that rod and own them too. That was on of the best casting sizes
Fenwick made in those days. Today for trout we use mostly 4, 5 and 6

weight
rods, but your rod is fairly soft and will work for lots of fly fishing in
California.

I would buy a little larger size reel that is for a # 7 line rod and all

the
ones you mentioned would be fine.

I would spend some money like ~$50US for a good new WF7F.

There are lots of fly fishing clubs and good fly shops in California for
help.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Dan" lose wrote in message
...
I need some help from you fly fishers out there. I want to try to take

up
again fly fishing for trout. I have a rod I bought for the purpose when

I
was a kid. It's a cheap 30 year old Fenwick rod, made, I believe from

glass
fibre. It is 8 1/2 feet long and says AFTM 7 on it. I assume this means

its
"weight" is 7? My question is, would this be a reasonable rod to try fly
fishing again after doing it perhaps half a dozen times in Scotland as a

kid
30 years ago? Opinions on this would be useful. I also need suggestions

as
to what might be an appropriate reel to buy to use with it. Do I need to

buy
a reel of a matching weight? I was thinking of maybe an LL Bean
"Streamlight" or an Orvis "Clearwater" or "Rocky Mountain" (These last

are
now on sale.) Do any of these sound reasonable?

Just to make matters harder, I have no idea yet where I am going to

fish.
I
am located now in Southern California and know nothing about the
possibilities for trout fishing here, so opinions on where I might start
would also be welcome. As a kid I fished small rivers and lochs in

Scotland
and I think I would like to do something similar. Northern California is

a
possibility. I am somehow (and I dont want to knock anyone else's

pleasure)
against sitting in a boat reeling in trout after trout in a lake that

will
be restocked the minute I have gone home for the day. What I remember

liking
about it as a kid was that the fishing was but one part of a whole day

spent
in the wilderness with few people around.

This no doubt all sounds rather woolly, for which my apologies. I would

be
genuinely grateful for any practical advice.

Dan Hugh-Jones






  #5  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 05:01 PM
Tim J.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod


"Dan" wrote...

snip
I assume WF7F is a kind of line? I know there are all kinds of lines and I
have no idea which would be appropriate for whatever kind of fishing I end
up doing. I guess I need to buy a book and do some research.


Ding, ding, ding! A winnah!

'Though a book (or two or three) is best, here's a good website for some of the
basics: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/
--
HTH,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj


  #6  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 05:55 PM
Ernie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod

Dan,
I still have a Fenwich Ferrulite which is a great old rod. Eight and a
half feet is a bit long and seven weight is a bit heavy for trout fishing.
Since you need a reel and line I think I would look at Hook & Hackle's or
Cabela,s on line catalog for an economical eight foot four or five weight
combo. Cortland makes economic good lines. The line weight should match
the Rod. Reels only need to be big enough to hold the line.
There is some trout fishing up by Big Bear, but most fly fishermen from
Los Angeles go to the Eastern Sierras by Mammoth Lakes. There are many good
places to fly fish there.
Ernie

"Dan" lose wrote in message
...
I need some help from you fly fishers out there. I want to try to take up
again fly fishing for trout. I have a rod I bought for the purpose when I
was a kid. It's a cheap 30 year old Fenwick rod, made, I believe from

glass
fibre. It is 8 1/2 feet long and says AFTM 7 on it. I assume this means

its
"weight" is 7? My question is, would this be a reasonable rod to try fly
fishing again after doing it perhaps half a dozen times in Scotland as a

kid
30 years ago? Opinions on this would be useful. I also need suggestions as
to what might be an appropriate reel to buy to use with it. Do I need to

buy
a reel of a matching weight? I was thinking of maybe an LL Bean
Dan Hugh-Jones




  #7  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 06:19 PM
Bill Kiene
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod

Dan,

Just get the largest Orvis "Clear Water" or "Rocky Mountain" fly reel which
is the #IV for a #7/8 rod.

Probably the best deal on a fly line for your rod is a WF7F Cortland 444
(Peach colored) line or an SA/Mastery "Head Start" line. Getting a good fly
line is the most important part of the deal. Normally you will have to spend
over $30 for this and the "top of the line" is about $50 - $60US.

If you buy the reel on sale on the Internet, you can take your old rod and
the new reel to a good fly shop and get a good fly line from them and have
them install it properly for you. They can get the right amount of quality
small diameter 20# braided Dacron/Micron line on the reel with nice knots
for connections too. All well run fly shops can be a lot of help to people
getting started. If they don't seem interested in you and your old Fenwick,
just keep looking till you find a good fly shop.

Lastly, your Fenwick fiberglass fly rod was one of the best brands of fly
rods in it's day and they did not have different price levels so yours is
the same as all the rest and a good fly rod. They were mostly all sold at
discounted price through the discount stores in those days so they were
about $37.50???

Fenwick was started and owned by Don Green. He sold it to Berkeley Company
and then moved on to start the Sage Rod Company. Now you know the rest of
the story.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Dan" lose wrote in message
...

Bill,

Thanks for your advice. I have (of course) a few more questions. When you
say a little larger size reel, what do you mean larger? Larger than what
exactly? Larger than #7? Could I get your opinion on the reels I

mentioned,
viz Orvis "Clearwater" and "Rocky Mountain" and the LL Bean "Streamlight"?

I assume WF7F is a kind of line? I know there are all kinds of lines and I
have no idea which would be appropriate for whatever kind of fishing I end
up doing. I guess I need to buy a book and do some research.

In reference to the rod, I was doing some reading of old ROFF posts and

saw
references to some old brown Fenwick fiberglass rods that were meant to be
pretty decent. Mine however would be bottom of the line. I bought it in a
local sporting good store when I was nine (and I would be surprised if it
cost more than $30. It was rebadged for Milbro and is amber in colour and
looks to be of low quality construction. OTOH, after 30 years nothing

seems
to have perished at least.

Finally, is there trout fishing in Sequoia National Park, do you happen to
know? I go there quite a lot.

Thanks for listening,

Dan


"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
m...
Hi Dan,

I sold that rod and own them too. That was on of the best casting sizes
Fenwick made in those days. Today for trout we use mostly 4, 5 and 6

weight
rods, but your rod is fairly soft and will work for lots of fly fishing

in
California.

I would buy a little larger size reel that is for a # 7 line rod and all

the
ones you mentioned would be fine.

I would spend some money like ~$50US for a good new WF7F.

There are lots of fly fishing clubs and good fly shops in California for
help.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Dan" lose wrote in message
...
I need some help from you fly fishers out there. I want to try to take

up
again fly fishing for trout. I have a rod I bought for the purpose

when
I
was a kid. It's a cheap 30 year old Fenwick rod, made, I believe from

glass
fibre. It is 8 1/2 feet long and says AFTM 7 on it. I assume this

means
its
"weight" is 7? My question is, would this be a reasonable rod to try

fly
fishing again after doing it perhaps half a dozen times in Scotland as

a
kid
30 years ago? Opinions on this would be useful. I also need

suggestions
as
to what might be an appropriate reel to buy to use with it. Do I need

to
buy
a reel of a matching weight? I was thinking of maybe an LL Bean
"Streamlight" or an Orvis "Clearwater" or "Rocky Mountain" (These last

are
now on sale.) Do any of these sound reasonable?

Just to make matters harder, I have no idea yet where I am going to

fish.
I
am located now in Southern California and know nothing about the
possibilities for trout fishing here, so opinions on where I might

start
would also be welcome. As a kid I fished small rivers and lochs in

Scotland
and I think I would like to do something similar. Northern California

is
a
possibility. I am somehow (and I dont want to knock anyone else's

pleasure)
against sitting in a boat reeling in trout after trout in a lake that

will
be restocked the minute I have gone home for the day. What I remember

liking
about it as a kid was that the fishing was but one part of a whole day

spent
in the wilderness with few people around.

This no doubt all sounds rather woolly, for which my apologies. I

would
be
genuinely grateful for any practical advice.

Dan Hugh-Jones








  #8  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 06:25 PM
Bill Kiene
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod

Asadi,

You got it right on the money.

Nice to see someone that really cares about this guy.

We get people in all the time with old outfits. We just tune them up a bit
if it is workable so they can get started. It might mean straightening the
tip top with pliers so the line will shoot through better, just putting on a
little backing, some knots and a leader, tippet and a few flies. Then if we
are not too busy, we take them out side for a few minutes to give them a
quickie casting lesson for free. It is amazing how many of these people turn
into long term customers and/or send us lots of people they meet for help.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"asadi" wrote in message
...
Well, if you only, exclusively, fish for trout fine. Just go ahead and

talk
that way. But, if you think that trout are the only fish you can pursue

with
a fly rod....well...you could fish for just about anything with that rod.

ditto what Bill said on the quality line and slightly larger reel.
Personally, I'd get a Cabelas Cahill II model two reel or a Plueger 1495

or
1595 RC . . . nice and cheap they are. That Pfleuger will seem kinda

heavy
tho'...but I like that on an older fiberglass rod...I'm weird.

I'd buy a quality line, two or three leaders (8 or 9 feet 5 X) and a roll

of
tippet material.....say 5x from one of the guys here.

I like Cortland lines 'cause they mostly come with that little cleaning
patch for your line.

Then I'd look around for a fly shop that has some rather scruffy looking
individuals that are constantly hanging around and drinking coffee. I'd go
in there and ask them to put the line on the reel with some backing. And
buy some flies. Flies for all kinds of fish.

And if this sounds rather wooly, I'd get some wooly buggers too, got to

have
wooly buggers. Big ones and little ones, skinny ones and fat ones, oh how
they wiggle and squirm.

And then I'd look for some City Parks with sunfish (bream) in them to
practice my casting . . .the heck with those tree lined streams for
learning.

....got up early and made Impossible Bacon Pie for the little girl's
breakfast...came out pretty good....john




  #9  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 07:24 PM
rb608
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod


"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
We get people in all the time with old outfits. We just tune them up a bit
if it is workable so they can get started. It might mean straightening the
tip top with pliers so the line will shoot through better, just putting on

a
little backing, some knots and a leader, tippet and a few flies. Then if

we
are not too busy, we take them out side for a few minutes to give them a
quickie casting lesson for free. It is amazing how many of these people

turn
into long term customers and/or send us lots of people they meet for help.


That describes almost exactly my entrance to the sport. I walked into a
shop carrying an old hand-me-down HI fiberglass rod with a mashed tip top,
knowing little to nothing about what I was getting into. A new tip top and
a few minutes out back with the rod to determine the weight, and I was a new
flyfisherman with a 6 wt. line on a new Cortland Rimfly reel. A quick
casting lesson, a little advice, a few basic flies, & I was ready for the
river. Caught a trout on my first trip. I've been a loyal customer there
ever since.

Joe F.


  #10  
Old October 22nd, 2003, 07:42 PM
Tim J.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default old fenwick rod


"rb608" wrote...

"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
We get people in all the time with old outfits. We just tune them up a bit
if it is workable so they can get started. It might mean straightening the
tip top with pliers so the line will shoot through better, just putting on

a
little backing, some knots and a leader, tippet and a few flies. Then if

we
are not too busy, we take them out side for a few minutes to give them a
quickie casting lesson for free. It is amazing how many of these people

turn
into long term customers and/or send us lots of people they meet for help.


That describes almost exactly my entrance to the sport. I walked into a
shop carrying an old hand-me-down HI fiberglass rod with a mashed tip top,
knowing little to nothing about what I was getting into. A new tip top and
a few minutes out back with the rod to determine the weight, and I was a new
flyfisherman with a 6 wt. line on a new Cortland Rimfly reel. A quick
casting lesson, a little advice, a few basic flies, & I was ready for the
river. Caught a trout on my first trip. I've been a loyal customer there
ever since.


Some people in business underestimate that service aspect. If you can help set
someone down the right path to get what they want / need, sometimes even if it
means sending them to a competitor, that service is not soon forgotten. I buy my
heating oil from a local company for the same reason and refuse to even shop
anywhere else.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:33 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 FishingBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.