[sean]

Had mixed feelings about this rod for the last couple months. Was fishing a windcutter but with my T&T honed casting skills I could never get a good load with the dry tip. Probably more a testament to my poor casting skills but I was getting ready to hang it up...

Thanks the MJC and the red shed fly shop I was able to get a 7/8 airflo long delta on this rod. Now it is a cannon!! Couldn't ask for anything more for a summer dry line rod. What a sweet combo.

Now to get one of those new RIO shooting heads for close in tip work this winter....

-sean

 

[NrthFrk16]

..but...but...but the 1307 Custom and the 7/8 Long Delta is such a wonderful combination.

I am, however, the only one that holds that opinion.:chuckle:

 

[juro]

I was casting this rod this morning between chores on a river near my house... void of steelhead and salmon of course, although a small bass was interested in my yarn puff. Keeping practiced for Ontario

I took time to work on the lift today, since there were rapids on the dangle I really had no choice. Any attempts to aggressively yank the line into a d-loop were fruitless due to all the tension. The slower I'd lift, the more I'd clear the currents, the better the d-loop. The better the d-loop, the better the cast. I was using a mid-spey 7/8 and it was shooting well into the running line and turning the long leader completely over gracefully. I kept thinking too bad there are not steelhead behind that rock or in that seam.

Then I put on a 7/8/9 windcutter with the type 8 15' tip and it was shooting a serious distance and laying out nicely. I had the same lament about no steelhead as the line swung deep through the lies.

But it was fun and revealing to slow the lift in the rapids and defeat them effortlessly with a relaxed timing rather than force. Had some super clean loops today, the left side was working very comfortably. No fish, not even a fly - but a pleasant morning of casting for sure!

 

[Marlow Bumpus]

Ryan

I agree, this is a great rod with the right load. I have only used a short head, 40', but I'm very impressed. The only way it could be improved is if it were a 4 piece but for the price, there's no other choice.

 

[juro]

Marlows already even more familiar with it than I am but the new Skagit Cast Specialist comes as a 4-pc at 13' 8" length for a 9wt. It's designed to cover the same water as the Custom 13' 8wt would but it's made of the proprietary carbon fiber material of all the Specialist models which are the top of the line. It will be officially available in Q4 of 2003, potentially as early as next month.

FYI,
Juro