old f--ts with flyrods

[choo choo]

Fine looking fish Choo Choo.

Looks like the little 3 weight could use some rehabilitation.

Rg

Thanks Rg.....
Good eye Rg, she is over 23 years old and a beat up little old warrior. Cork is shot, hook keeper & winding check are gone, reelseat worn .............but she still likes to "hunt" and fish with me , flexes and loads like a dream still after all these years, and it is my favorite rod for trout. I just hate to put a knife into her......but I think this is the year I will operate and have her looking good again. I bought the blank in 1993, a blemished Sage blank, just under 9' , #3 weight  LL light line series. I built it for 100 bucks including blank... all components other than the blank from an old guy named Harold who had a retail and mail order shop in Sloatsburg NY, which is long gone now..... Midland Tackle .

[trapper2000]

you are fishing a  sage  and  you only have  a bill invested?   

[rgfixit]

Think of it as a labor of love. I've rebuilt several of my "old faithful " rods. Did my all time favorite last winter. A Pfleuger Medalist IM6 I've been fishing for some 30 + years. It seems very happy with the facelift.

Funny how a fly rod can become an extension of your arm. So comfortable you forget everything and just put the fly where you want it to be. That's when it becomes fly fishing.

Rg

[choo choo]

Think of it as a labor of love. I've rebuilt several of my "old faithful " rods. Did my all time favorite last winter. A Pfleuger Medalist IM6 I've been fishing for some 30 + years. It seems very happy with the facelift.

Funny how a fly rod can become an extension of your arm. So comfortable you forget everything and just put the fly where you want it to be. That's when it becomes fly fishing.

Rg

Nice Rg...labor of love ...I will keep that in mind when I do the repairs.
And well said Rg...extension of your arm...put the fly where it needs to be.

you are fishing a  sage  and  you only have  a bill invested?  

Yes, I bought the blanks from a fly shop in Washington State who were selling the Sage Blanks real cheap.... they were Sage factory blemished blanks that could not be sold for full retail value....but they were just cosmetic blemishes and the 3 weights were just like 65 or 70 bucks instead of over double  that at the time, for a perfect Factory blank. I bought and built some others too..a 4 weight, 5 weight 7 weight and an 8 weight , those are all RPL's and were a little more money but still dirt cheap blemished blanks. They don't sell the Sage blanks like that anymore.

[rgfixit]

I get some blemished Rainshadow IM 6 blanks from a fellow on eBay. They run around $45 delivered. Built a 10' 6 wt for myself this year. Haven't wet a line with it yet, but it felt good in the back yard with a DT 5 F on it. I think it's gonna be a long distance shooter . Should be nice in the boat and on the rivers.

Rg

[choo choo]

Well this weather is slowing down our spring fishing and not many posts or pictures, so I thought I would warm things up a little. Fished Saturday afternoon at 2 of my favorite rivers, the Lower Beaverkill near Horton & Chiloway then the East Branch of the  D below Fish's Eddy. Weather was windy, breezy, cloudy, sunny , raining with the temperature cooling through the afternoon. A couple times I said "this is ridiculous " impossible to cast or fish, and almost went home....but there were just enough breaks in the wind /rain,and a few peaks of sunshine, then full sun late which keep me and the trout happy. Spurts of hatching between the squalls had the trout looking up and feeding and I was able to land some browns and bows. Interesting to see the different color and spotting patterns from the different age/size fish coming from the same river system. Smaller class of fish Saturday, but lot's of elbow room ...very few fisherman along those stretches of river.Here are some of the fish from Sat., cell phone pics:

[kc]

nice job Steve

[oatkasut]

Steve what were they hitting? I caught mine on a #16 BWO.

[choo choo]

 Thanks kc and oat..... Saturday was challenging , but  fun.

 oatkasut.....16 & 18 Blue Dun /Blue Quill...and traditional style Dun hackled, wood duck winged, Quill Gordon 14

[perchgypsy]

Choo choo your on fire this spring...trout magnet 
that last pic that rainbow has beautiful markings

[choo choo]

Choo choo your on fire this spring...trout magnet  
that last pic that rainbow has beautiful markings

Thanks perchgypsy....  16"/17" acrobatic screaming bullet , drop dead gorgeous fish ...late afternoon,... and a great way to end the day.

[trapper2000]

got a new rod  today I wanted a  nicer 9WT I decided on the TFO  NXT series 9 foot 4  piece ....it's  fresh and  salt water rated ....

[rgfixit]

Love the TFO rods.

Rg

[trapper2000]

RG it's beautiful  loads  nice and throws a clouser  out there nice looking  rod  reasonable  price  and  good performance ......guess i'll have  to go up and  chase a few fall backs now

[rgfixit]

I have 2 and have built several more on their blanks. The Finesse series is just a pleasure to fish with.

Rg