Hi to Everyone,
I've decided (with the help of the positive comments of this board) to buy a fiberglass rod, will most likely get the Diamondback 7' 3wt, but also lokking at one from Steffen brothers. Having never cast one before and because of where I now live (Germany) don't have the opportunity to cast one before I buy,what should I expect from a fiberglass rod, pro's and con's please. Will mostly be dry fly fishing mountain streams for browns and grayling, cast to be made 10 to 40 feet.
Thanks
Paul Kalbrener

I have a Steffen 7' 3/4w 4 pc. and it casts like bamboo. Good bamboo. Very sensitive. Not as noodley as the old glass rods. I think it's made of s-glass which is stronger glass so the walls can be made thinner and the rod is lighter. It uses spiggot ferrules, has a n/s bird's eye maple reel seat. I've been using this lately and letting the 'boo rest. I'll cost you more then a Diamondglas will, and I've never thrown a Diamondglas rod so I can't compare the two.

Paul,

I have found that my fiberglass is more accurate (pinpoint) than a graphite but the graphite gives more distance (needed for real spooky fish). I only cast maybe out to about 25 or 30 feet but I can get longer casts with my fiberglass. Just ask Jim (5/0) . Jim has seen me get the line out pretty far with my fiberglass (last Friday) and I was casting into the wind most of the time so don't think that it can't perform at longer distances. My fiberglass casts line very well. Mine is a Featherlight meaning that it is a very lightweight rod and I can cast it all day long without getting fatigued. Both fiberglass and graphite have their places depending on the situations. I know you will like your new glass rod .

Paul,I think fiberglass is the best choice for the kind of fishing you describe. I use Steffen glass for 90% of the fishing I do and I'm obviously a big fan of Steffen's glass rods. I don't have much to add to the comments above except that I really enjoy the action of glass after the hook up. The energy of the fish is better translated through the more sensitve glass than through other rod material.Even the smaller fish bend the rod and are just more fun to catch with a glass rod compared to the stiff,faster action rods. I suggest you email Mark Steffen and discuss what you're looking for in a rod. He's extremely knowledgeable and also just a heck of a nice guy.

Hi Paul,
I fish with a few Diamondglass rods and also a few Steffen Bros. I have the D'glass 7' #4 discussed and like it. My Steffens are 7'6" or longer (can't comment first hand on the shorter ones). Both Steffens and D'glass are S-glass. Both rods cost about the same, if you stick with standard hardware. You can find D'glass readily on Ebay (save $). They are faster than traditional glass rods and very versatile. You'll forget it's glass until you hook a fish... If you had planned on fishing small nymphs and wets as well as dries I'd recommend them. BUT...
You've stated you're looking for a small rod to fish dries. If the planned use for the rod is dry fly fishing, get the Steffen Bros. Not as versatile but I think they are the best dry fly rods I've fished... Light in hand. Very smooth... Most folk seem to prefer a DT line with them. Mark Steffen says he fishes DTs on them. Heavier lines than a standard WF seems to feel right on them. Airflo Delta tapers, Wulff Triangle tapers, Airflo longbelly and most any distance taper are also good choices. -Scud

I'm always interested in these discussions of fiberglass rods, but puzzled why the
Scott F rods are hardly ever mentioned. Is it just that they're kind of rare, or that people don't like them, as compared to Steffen Brothers and Diamondglass rods? I have a 7'10" 4 weight 4 piece Scott that I got about ten years ago--brown blanks, before they switched to black, and a cork cap and ring set seat. It's really a lovely rod, with a very flexible top half and some muscle in the butt. It's slower that the Scott Gs I have, but not at all whippy. I haven't been able to wiggle the other rods of their of theirs, or the Diamondbacks or Steffens, but am wondeing how they differ. And of course I'm all ears about the new T&T fiberglass, but would never buy one at the price--I think I paid about $400 for the Scott new. But $600!?

I've got one of the black blank Scotts,the f703/3.It's a nice,smooth rod but my Steffens kind of moved it out of of the rotation. I'd really like to try one of the older brown Scotts like you have jlk but they command too high a price when they come up on eBay. My uncle talked me into buying a Winston Stalker recently. I took it out for a day last week. It's a nice rod too, great for drys. I think it's slower than the Steffens. Both Scott and Winston have a long history with glass. I think alot of these rods have been scarfed up by collectors and not fished much.















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