Vintage Graphite

   Not too long ago, a good friend of mine found a large box of flyfishing and fly-tying magazines that I had given him somewhere around 2008. He has since quit fishing altogether and asked me if I wanted them back. I need more flyfishing stuff like I need a hole in the head, but I thought it might be fun and interesting to see how the sport has changed over the last 25 years.

  Most of these magazines were dated between 1995 and 2002 when a printed magazine was still somewhat relevant, and before everything literary went digital on the internet. I have to say, I had a blast looking through these old magazines, and reminiscing about my early days in the sport. Perhaps one of the most intriguing observations was seeing what companies were around back then, which ones have gone by the wayside, and which ones are still in business. Hell's Bay Skiffs wasn't even in business yet, and Hewes and Maverick were still the king. Tibor was just entering the market, and rods? Well, let's just say that the number of rod companies that have come and gone since then is staggering. The old reliables, Sage, Scott, Loomis, Winston, and Thomas & Thomas however, are still going strong.

  Speaking of SAGE, last month when I went to Dallas to retrieve the fishing equipment that was gifted to me after the passing of my friend, I noticed that there were two SAGE RPL rods, still in the original tube, in 8 and 9wt. This model predates my involvement in flyfishing by a few years, so I was anxious to see how far technology has come. If you have never cast one of these, you really should...what a beauty of a taper. While it may not be the lightest rod ever made, it's certainly not overly heavy. And, coupled with a casters line (not a brick on a string), this rod will shoot line like a laser.

  I have to admit, I have an affinity for these older graphite rods. My favorite taper of all time is the Scott Heliply. The 8'8" is for me the perfect length for sight fishing, and the "springiness" in that layup to this day yields almost effortless presentations that I am still amazed at.

  During the recent interview that I did for the Mastering Rodbuilding podcast, my good friend Bill Falconer made a passing remark about the Loomis GLX being the "hottest thing out there" when remembering what rod building was like in the 1990s. I responded "man, I am not so sure that 30 years later it's STILL not the hottest thing out there!

  Regardless of how far technology has marched forward, I still love fishing with the older gear. And the fact that this rod belonged to one of my best friends, and to the best of my knowledge brought at least one IGFA Bonefish record to hand means even more....on that note, I think I'll go have a cast with Bubba's ol' SAGE RPL.

Hope you all are having a great week,

Andy