South Fork Rod Company
Classic Series C6622
 

Score  4.00

6' 6", 2-Piece, MSRP $278.00, AA  70, ERN  1.12

 

Jim Stuard's Comments:  I consider myself a neophyte enthusiast in fiberglass. This rod, made by David Redington, is pure refinement in that arena of the rod makers art. What you give up in pure power, you make up with the ability to drop a fly down onto the water as if it was lowered on a thread. Delicate presentation is the name of the game with slow glass. This rod is about as slow as I’ve ever cast. Fly delivery is danger-close and you need the slowest of casting strokes to take advantage of this rod. Definitely an acquired taste, I didn’t like it as much as the Hardy glass but this is truly one of the classiest rods of this shootout.

 

Joe Cornwall's Comments:  How can I say "I love this rod" without sounding like I'm pandering?  In my casting notes I wrote: "WOW! What a surprise  - this rod fishes much differently that it feels in the hand."  I wrote this in reaction to the power of a rod that, in the hand, feels like a very sloppy 1-weight.  It's not.  This little stick's got cojones - big ones!  I went on to note  "a dream to roll cast" and "if this rod were any more relaxing to cast it would come with a valium and a six pack".  The aesthetics, while bright by some standards, are joyfully colorful to me. The fit and finish rank with the best of my rods - at about half the price!  With a fish on this rod dares you to break the tippet; it's not going to happen unless you're so ham-handed you should be fishing a winch.  The rod definitely peters out at 35-feet or so, the timing gets tricky when you try to push it.  Probably not a choice for a first timer.  I'm a glass fanatic and this rod, by the inimitable Dave Redington, embodies all the best attributes of that medium.  I can imagine there are a whole lot of bamboo fans out there who'd love this rod, too.  The Bass Pro UL reel was a fine match in weight, just the slightest bit light. Any reel in the sub-3 ounce range will be delightful.  Smooth and classy, this is what a quality fly rod is all about.

 

Jeremy Kurtz's Comments: Another fiberglass entry. This rod is built on a Lamiglas blank with what I believe is a custom taper. The rod features good quality Super grade cork, and nice up-locking reel seat with a beautifully figured wood insert. The wraps and wrap finish are top notch. Guides and tip top are Hopkins and Holloway brand, good stuff! This rod is one of the slowest rods I've ever had in my hands. I was kind of skeptical as to how it would actually perform until I had it lined up and on the water. There, I was pleasantly surprised. While the rod is very slow, it does manage to throw a very nice line. It is best suited to short distance casting, but it will get 40 feet with a haul. I think that this rod is actually a bit overrated for line weight, and it should cast well with a 1wt, or even a 0wt line. I didn't have either of those lines available, so I wasn't able to experiment with it. Comes in a nice quality aluminum rod tube from REC. If you like slow glass rods, this one may be for you.

 

Paul Feldman's Comments: This rod has the classic appearance of a fiberglass rod with a golden amber translucent blank and red wraps. It has a beautiful walnut burl reel seat and the workmanship is excellent! When I first assembled the rod and wiggled it I thought what a dog! It had the typical noodle feel of glass rods that I remembered from years ago! Casting it, however, was a pleasant surprise. Once I got used to the slooow action, it was a lot of fun to cast. Maybe it was nostalgia, but I enjoyed fishing it and found it to be quite accurate and capable of casting a reasonably long line. I couldn’t however roll cast with it. I didn’t land any fish with it, but this rod bends all the way into the grip and wouldn’t be my choice for big fish, but hey, it’s a two weight. For all the glass rod aficionados out there, this would be a great rod!

 

Manufacturer's Comments:

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