[speybum]

Only Dana Knows
Where do I get one of these?????
Kush AND Double Spey showed up with CND"s 16’6” Thompson Special and the 14 for a 9 CND.
These rods stole the show
Everyone who cast them liked them.
I am not a big fan of 16 footers as I have posted before.
This is one rod that I am going to have.
I very rarely try to cast long lines but this rod is build for it.
Even I could cast a long line.
You could not get the rod to quit.
The 14 for 9 was a pleasure to cast.
Snake, Doubled and Singled like a dream using the Arrowhead Salmon line from Michael Evans's.
I did not get a chance to use others but watch as it ran though the lines and did not see one disgruntled caster.
This is one rod that could be a great entry-level rod and you may not ever need another.

SPEYBUM
:smokin:

 

[juro]

NOBUO Knows!

I too had the pleasure of meeting the CND master recently and Nobuo Nodera mentioned that the rods will be available for purchase soon when the website comes on-line. CND is interested in sponsoring us, so once finalized we'll make sure their information gets posted right away. I am sure Nobuo is out field testing one of his rod designs somewhere out there as we speak.

I agree with the assessment, the 14' 9wt 3pc is what Spey rods were supposed to feel like and it really doesn't leave anything to be desired. The 16'6" is a big river angler's dream rod yet incredibly light, powerful and responsive. I can imagine that Kush and Doublespey were demonstrating these rods abilities very well, knowing how well they both cast.

Once again, as soon as we work out the details of the CND sponsorship we will post the information here.

I wish I could have attended the clave today!

 

[ChromeFever]

Soon I Hope

So when are these rods going to be available to the general public. I would be very interested in getting my hands on one of these rods. Any information that you have on these would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

 

[fredaevans]

Joan happened to read this thread over my should and

asked "how much is this one going to cost me?"

Now a good, LIGHT 16+ footer sounds like a hoot! What line wt is this set up for; suspect a 10/11 as the shorter rod was for a 9. Anyone have the general 'spec's' on this rod: blank weight, line wt, projected cost, etc.
fae

 

[kush]

Fred - how did I know that you'd be asking...?

Let me be clear, the production model of the "Thompson Specialist" is still a ways off. The proto-type I had at the clave was in fact the first one off the mandrel. The fact that it so good as a "first try" is a testament to Nobou's genius. We still have a few things to try before we will be satisfied with it.

As it is now, it is 16'6" and weighs 11.2 oz, this compares to the 16'1" Sage 10161 at 10 7/8 oz. and the 15' Derek Brown Favourite at 14 1/2 oz.

I'm naturally excited about the rod - but it is still in development. The other production CND's will be available very soon, I have nothing to do with that but I'm told it is "in the works". The two production rods both come in 14' and 15'- the Expert and the slightly faster Custom are quite different beasties from the Specialists, however those who cast my Expert at the Clave liked it alot.

As for pricing, again I'm not involved with anything other than the design team of the Specialist, but I have been told that the prices will be very competative. Again, I'm afraid I may have put a little premature pressure on CND and the intro of these rods to the public. However, I really wanted to go to the Clave and I really like casting this rod. So if I have prodded the powers that be to giddy-up on the intro - then maybe that is a good thing!

 

[flytyer]

Kush,

I cast the 16'6" rod at the Clave and found it to be a bit slow for my tastes and casting style. However, that said, it was not a bad rod at all. Wish it had more authority in the mid section and butt of the rod though. I found it very easy to overpower the rod and have my cast collapse as a result.

Any chance that they might make a fast 17 footer for a 10/11? I ask because I prefer my T&T 16' 11 weight over this 16'6" CND and really would like to have a nice fast 17 or 18 foot 10/11 rod that has power and authority in the butt and middle of the rod.

 

[kush]

Flytyer,

It was good to meet you at the Clave, I'll look forward to comparing notes with you at the next one.

As for CND making a 17 or 18' rod, I can't say. I am only involved with the design of this particular rod.

 

[SpeyFitter]

Yeah damnit! When are we gonna see a 17 or 18 foot super fast cannon designed to cast 13 and 14 weight lines?

 

[Dana]

for long lines, shooting heads, or something in between?

I think to a large degree the "action" of a rod (defined usually as how much it flexes and/or how quickly it recovers, depending on who you talk to) becomes dictated by the job it needs to do and the personal tastes of the caster. While lots of rods with progressive actions will do a good job with a variety of line styles, some blank designs will be better suited to shooting heads, others long belly lines. Even the casting style or technique a person uses will greatly influence the way a rod behaves and performs. So if a rod maker is looking to create a "purpose designed" two-hander, (s)he would need to start off with an analysis of a specific angler(s) casting method and line choice, and then design something that works well within those parameters.

Terminology is also important: what exactly does "fast" mean? Quick recovery? stiff butt/quick tip? For example, the CND Customs I would classify as a classic spey feel (so let's say medium-ish action, meaning to me that the rod flexes well into the blank during a typical cast) with quick recovery. They don't feel fast, but they are relatively quick: have a look at the videos here to see what I mean and watch how quickly the rods unload on Tak Shimosawa's forward stroke.
Loop rods on the other hand feel faster and are faster progressive action rods. These two rod designs feel different to the caster but both recover quickly for tight loops and high line speed.

Consider the rod Steve Choate used this summer--it was a 17-1/2ft Daiwa Amorphous as I recall, which I'm told is not a fast action rod (I have an Alltmor and have only had the Amorphous described to me, so take my comments lightly), yet it is a very powerful rod designed to throw long belly full sinking DT lines, which makes it a great rod for the grains of the long line Steve used to win the contest. To throw extended belly lines with efficiency a rod needs to flex into the butt section--a rod that is too stiff (fast) in the butt will make it really tough to effectively throw long lines (you might even blow up the rod), but will be great with shorter heads.

I think where I'm going with all this rambling is that "faster" does not necessarily mean more powerful or necessarily capable of greater distance when it comes to two-handers used for spey casting.

 

[flytyer]

Dana,

Very well said indeed.

I like a fast, somewhat stiff rod. However, if it does not flex into the butt (what many would term a pregresive action, or more accurately, flexing more of the rod further down the blank with increased line load) when working a long belly line at distance, it is pretty much useless to me, and I would be afraid of breaking the rod as well. The fastness that I like comes from having a stiffer tip and upper mid section of the rod, much like the T&T's or Loomis GLX's, very much progresive rods, but distinctly not tip action although fast rods.

I detest tip action rods for casting long belly lines (in fact, I don[''t like tip action single-handers either), eventhough they are OK with shooting heads like some of the guys use on the Skagit and Sauk. The tip action rods just don't have the smoothness needed to cast a long belly line effectively, nor do they have the power reserve in the butt to muscle out the long lines at distance.

 

[david moon]

Try 17ft Diawa Amorphous excellent for lifting heavy sinking lines from the water straight into a single spey. Will handle wetcell 14 Hi-D and copper tube when you need to get down.
www.aquariusfishing.co.uk are currently developing an 18ft spey casting rod, drop them a line and specify your own requirements. The amorphous is slightly heavier as the day goes by but more than makes up for this as you seldom need to roll out your sinking line(no wasted effort). We prefer longer rods in Scotland for Spring and Autumn salmon.

 

[Dana]

17ft Daiwa Amorphous

Interesting you'd mention the Amorphous, David, as I believe it too was designed by Nodera.

Did you send an email to Aquarius encouraging them to consider an ad on the Forum?

 

[Speynut]

CND Rods

Dana or Tyler,
After reading your comments and the linked review of these rods, I'm really interested in picking up one of CND's 7/8 wt. Custom two handers, and I'd rather not wait for some far off distant date if avoidable. These rods almost sound like they rods have similar characteristics to some of the Burkies? Any idea if they will come with some kind of warranty?

Will anyone be selling these rods in Canada or the states in the very near future? And if not, might either of you know when and where will they they hit our markets?

Also, if you know if these rods may be purchased direct from an English speaking overseas distributor or perhaps the manufacturer direct I'd appreciate this info?


Thanks for anymore info you can provide, and sorry for all the questions but your commentary was too favorable to ignore. John

 

[ChromeFever]

Speynut

I am with you on that one. The sooner I can get my hands on one the better. I would be interested in a 12'-13' 7/8/9 wt as well depending on what CND has available. Would be willing to order one off the net or from a distributor/supplier wherever that may be, USA/CANADA/EUROPE/ETC...

 

[flytyer]

Peter-s-c,

I've had the same thoughts about the manufacturer simply added another butt section to an existing single hander and calling it a spey rod with some of the ones I've picked up or tried as well. I'm always affraid that I will break the tip or mid section of the rod if I load it with a longer belly line and reach for some distance with the tip action rods. If is was just going to use shooting heads in the manner of Ed Ward, the tip action would probably be OK, but I much prefer to use long belly spey lines with the 2-handers.

I mean, I can (and I'm sure many on thies board can do so as well) cast a quality fast action single hander with a shooting head and tips over 100 feet with relative ease, so why would I want to use a more expensive 2-hander to do the same thing with a shooting head? I use the 2-hander because it is better control of the line as it fishes and it is much quicker to get another cast out there than stripping a gob of line after each cast.