Cane Fly Rod

I normally wouldn't have done this!


As a favour to a customer I took on building a cane fly rod, he already had the blank which had been sat around for a few years waiting to be built by himself as a project.

 
Time consumming!

He had a couple of other cane rods which were used as base templates, these were the rods that he wanted the new one to fish and feel like.  
The design brief was to use modern components, resins & threads on the cane blank.
The end result, words from my customer.
"I tried the cane rod today, and with my #5 Hardy Marquis and floating line it casts very sweetly indeed", "it is smooth as silk and lands the fly gently, it's a lovely job".

 

Last few trips

Since the last report a few more trips out have been taken.

Fish caught, yes!

20th July 2011 - Nothing big though, all around a couple of lb, with the odd one going to 4lb.
The Feedshallow has paid off again in producing the takes, along with my first use of the OSP Rudra 130sp.
The OSP casts with no problems and in the colour I have (shad), it has an appearance in the water of a sands smelt almost. The action is good with working it as a jerkbait, wind, stop, pause & jerk, this allows the flanks of the lure to roll and act more natural.

The above picture shows the Rudra.

 

The feedshallow above is extremely worn, it doesn't take that many sessions to show the paint work fading on the lure. From new, I now coat all my lures in a clear resin to offer some protection & add to there life span.

26th July 2011 - This was one of those early morning sessions with so much hope!
Well the hope faded fast after a couple of early morning schoolies & mackerel.

What a difference a day makes!
I know the day before it was producing all through, couldn't get out though! The wind switched and along with it the fish to. Apart from the early couple of small schoolies and mackerel the day finished early and back for breakfast.

Just had a review done. Lure Fishing For Bass.
It is gratefully recieved, the rods I have been using myself and have only got praise for the blanks.
Lightweight, fast and crisp, with the real feel of Japanese quality in the blanks & components.
The Blanks are T-Russell, components from Matagi & guides from Pacific Bay (minima 4's, model SV in TiCH/TiCH).

A few words from the review;
"To be honest though this is the beauty of having a rod custom built for you, it’s a personnel experience and you try to include specifics from rods you have liked and exclude things that bug you."

Last few trips

 

 
Since the last write up at the end of June a few more trips out have taken some bass. The biggest being a a little under 58cm, with a couple at 50cm. Felt great again to find the fish in a feeding mood.

The 1st of the sessions produced smaller bass in the hours of dark to light, these can be my favourite times of the day as most things start to come to life. The bait fish are moving and the predators are not far behind, sea birds diving with the sun rising.

Chatreuse Feed Shallow taking the above 2 fish at first light.

The 2nd session! No bass for me on this one but a fish.............

Now the Sassuke 140 in its mouth is one of my favourite lures, it has so much of it that purely looks like a bass slayer? But, this lure has now taken wrasse, mackerel, pollack & bass.

The 3rd session was one of mixed weather which eventually got blown off.
The water was clear, the surf was looking great, white water everywhere, perfect conditions. What started as a strong but fishable wind changed to one that you could lean into with your body weight and be supported. This changed the water clarity, to one that would have still been fishable if the wind hadn't strengthened.
5 bass in total for this one, 1 just under 58cm, a couple at 50cm & a couple of 45's thrown in.
No one lure took all the fish, but it was a day that saw a couple more lost and heavier sinking lures needed to work against the wind and tide.

 

 

I am spoilt for choice when it comes to the rods!
The rod that covers most of my clean ground lure work is normally either the 10ft 6' or 9ft 6' T-Russell bass rods, they can give me that extra distance that I am looking for, to cover the ground further out. With the extra distance gained, the sinking lures have more time being fished at depth.

New blanks are on there way.......................................