Just purchased, used, a 15ft Bruce and Walker, Powerlite Speycaster (Ghillie). Had a chance to try it prior to purchase. Much softer action than my Sage 9141, but one heck of a rod. Anyone else have experience with B/W?
I have used Bruce & Walker salmon rods for the past 20 odd years. My favourite is the Powerlite Speycaster #11. Great for windy days - it doesn't feel like it is going to break like some other rods. These rods have stamina. I have tried various other rods, many much more expensive but none are a match for this one. Pity it's not a four piece.
Like Willie and 'C-mon' above, I've had the pleasure of using a few B&W's over the years. Only one I didn't like (probably my problem, not the rods) was the 10/11# - 18 footer I purchased.
Do any of you B&W lovers know when they stopped building rods with a "Bruce" or "Walker" designation. I believe it was to differentiate rods designed for spey casting versus overhead casting? I've a B&W which is a "Walker" flex rating from about 20 years ago.
Both of my 15-foot, 3-piece B & W's are among the slowest graphite rods I've ever tried. One is a Ghillie for 5/6/7 lines; the other is a "Bruce" for 9/10 lines. Both, with their sliding ring reel seats, are scale-light but tip-heavy. I had hopes for the Ghillie as a dry line rod, but it feels as heavy in the hand as a typical 9 or 10-weight rod.
I'd like to learn more about B & W rods, how the different series relate as to action and fittings.
I got my B&W Merlin XP 15 ft - 3 piece for 10/11/12 lines in 1991. This one has also a very slow graphite and the flex goes right down to my feet. It handles short and longbelly lines very well,also with big flies. I use my B&W in big Norwegians salmon rivers when waterlevel is high and chance for drilling big atlantic salmon. And best of all, my B&W is solid and almost unbrakeable, though heavy, but my best rod for big waters.
The Walkers were very much faster than the Bruces.
The modern B&W are very different animals from these early rods, I am not sure when the names changed but it was probably around the time America was "inventing" speycasting.
The Walkers were very much faster than the Bruces.
The modern B&W are very different animals from these early rods, I am not sure when the names changed but it was probably around the time America was "inventing" speycasting.
No doubt it was a response to the fact us simple colonists figuring out a rod did not have to weigh 10 pounds and take 5 years to unload on the forward cast.
Is that with, or without the kilt?:Eyecrazy: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Mike
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