South Bend rods... any favorite?

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (DT4F) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:25:20 GMT

I have a 290 7 1/2 ft. with two tips,which has never been refinished, however it has a metal down-locking reel seat and a cigar-shaped grip. It is one of my favorite go-to rods to fish.

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (PflighFission) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:05:05 GMT

I have and fish two SB's, a 290, 71/2', 2/2 and a 323, 8 1/2', 3/2. They are both great casting rods. I usually fish both of mine with either Cortland 444 "Peach" or "SYLK" DT5F lines. Have never tried the WF lines. However, I have a couple of RIO lines in WF5F (RIO Grand and Selective Trout) that I am looking foreword to trying out this year. Does anyone have experience with the WF5F lines on these rods? My Hardy "Marquis" #6 looks real pretty...

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (cheffy) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:06:12 GMT

I've gone through several S/B's including an early 290 that I kick myself for selling. My new favorite is a Double Built 253. Had to have been built right when S/b and Cross merged. The "double built label is a Cross as are the wraps and ferrules. the seat is a South Bend. Granted at 9' it's a monster but with Cortland peach 7wt it makes a great rod for belly boating for smallies. the real plus was picking it up with it's original labeled tube and bag for only...

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (freestoner) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:36:36 GMT

I have some 8 1/2' South Bend rods that I like a lot.

The two immediately below are unmarked- I think my ID of them as South Bend is good, though, based mostly on the reel seats and the ferrules. They both have full wells grips, which I'm guessing puts them in between the South Bend Cross era and the Comficient Grip era. If anyone has any idea of the exact era or the model number, I'd be interested to know.

Just from eyeballing it, I'd say they use the...

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (Lockfast) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:41:48 GMT

The only SB I have is SB/Cross 1500, 7½'.
Very nice rod with DT5 even though a bit faster than the rods I like the most.

Lockfast

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (bow river) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:48:29 GMT

hey you sask granger man ,
you most likely have more grangers then all in sask , they work great , i used them in my drift boat , working mans rod , them and heddons , you know i have a heddon that caught 100's of fish over 20 inch's on and never a set or anything go wrong with it , it is my go to rod in my drift boat , 7 1/2 southbend , i heard good things about that rod , with a medalist reel , good outfit for sure ,
you come vaughn in the end march or april , we'll...

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (WLYBGR) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:15:05 GMT

Thanks to the fine and knowledgable people of this forum I have completed my simple blue collar collection!(for awhile anyways!!) This winter I purchased a South bend 290-7 1/2ft. and a 359-81/2ft. They rest in the corner of my tying room, waiting for spring with my 4 Grangers. So now I have my 1/2 doz. of cool cane each with a Pflueger Medalist most with a round line guard(NO RED AGATES!!- OH WELL!!).Now, I must use what I have and save money for gas,food,hotels to fish in the beautiful...

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (nativebrownie) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:29:07 GMT

Enjoy a 159- my 9' is slow and deliberate but likes a 5-6 for wets and pond fishing. Someone very talented restored it and it looks like it walked out of the shop - puke yellow seat and all. But the cane is gorgeous...remarkable for a low end rod - very functional ferrules and thr refinisher added guides...

Really enjoy a SB Cross Singlebuilt 1500 - 7.5/2/2 - a wonderful 4-5 wt taper - all one needs for a small stream - again in the original and beautiful cane work...

...

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (flyslinger) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:06:47 GMT

I own a 290 that was completely redone. In fact only the taper and ferrules are left. One tip is missing.
It is however a great fishing rod. It's the rod I bring with me to fish after work. I don't worry about it getting stolen or messed up. It is a great taper though. Just about everyone who has cast it agrees.

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (tedgolden) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:06:42 GMT

Compared with the ubiquitous model 359, I found the159 to be a slow actioned rod, probably intended for use with wet flies or, more likely given the era, bait. I also think it was a fraction of an ounce heavier. 159s are not common and I consider them to be an interesting part of the history. I would think a DT 6 line would be a good place to start.

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (searun) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:56:38 GMT

I inherited grandpa's 9'-159 (grandpa liked 'em long) with the "comficient" grip. I've never cast it.
Anyone know what wt. line I should try with it? Greg

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (slantrock) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:55:44 GMT

Own a 9ft. South bend double built #336 , great caster.

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (troutist) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:21:16 GMT

Someone asked "what's not to like"? Well, most of the SB's I've seen are guide poor. I would have bought a 8-1/2 footer, mdl 359 in EC yesterday, but when I counted the guides, it only had 7 which includes the stripper. I like their tapers, though. Not crazy about the reel seats...

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (cebfishing) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:55:13 GMT

I fish the a couple of 290 and also a couple of 323, and a 29. Also have a 2-piece 8 1/2 ft model 51 that I will try this year. It is in perfect condition. Probably a 6 wt line, but we will see.
Chuck

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (Chip Node) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:16:32 GMT

I have an 8'6" #24 that has one tip that was never used due to ferrule fit. The other has been fished hard and a DT6 Cortland peach works nicely. Makes a nice high water rod for nymphing or streamers. On the 9' 59 I use a WF8 to cast wind resistant bass bugs to potomac smallies. Had a SB291 that took a DT6 to bring out it's charachter.

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (bulldog1935) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:55:26 GMT

my 8-1/2' 24 is marked HDH or D, but is happiest with an H&H WF7, and will not load with a modern DT6.

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (winston59) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:51:27 GMT

Nice to hear from those who have and fish South Bend Rods... Andy, my 24 8.5 very well may toss a 7wt with the standard dry fly of nymph. The last time out I had a bass taper wf line and that did the job pretty good. You will enjoy the 8 footer you picked up, I would be interested to know what line it tosses best.

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (nayashewon) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:39:49 GMT

I have a couple of SB 8.5' model 59s that I fish for Steelhead and night fishing for Browns. One of them is the original configuration, the other was refinished by Bob Lancaster and has a ventilated grip, new Super Z ferrules and an oil finish. Bob refinished it in the style of the Paul Young rods. I fish them with DT7 lines.

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (jeffkn1) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:29:28 GMT

To paraphrase Will Rogers, I never cast an 8' SB bamboo rod that I didn't like. Whether SB or Cross, the 8-footers are nice rods to cast and the 300 series, all the dry fly action rods, are all bargains in my opinion. Anyone who has fished a Jordan-era Battenkill or Madison should find the 300 dry fly rods a bit familiar in feel. I can't speak for the actual tapers but they have the same feel to me. What's not to like on those SB's, other than the world's ugliest...

Re: South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (teter) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:43:16 GMT

The 8 1/2-foot 323 has a nice, sweet action for trout. I have an 8 1/2-foot SB 57 (8-weight) that I use for stripers in the surf; it's pretty much indestructible. I also have a couple of 290's and also 291 4/1 that I throw in my suitcase if I'm traveling somewhere in warm weather, in case I see a pond that ought to have bass in it.

South Bend rods... any favorite?

feeds@yuku.com (winston59) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:11:12 GMT

Blue collar rods that were cheap and came in many tapers. Do you fish a South Bend rod?
I must admit to just owning two, model 24 and 377.

The 377 is a 5/6 wt dry fly rod in the coveted 8 foot length, 3/2 configuration. Fun rod to fish with plenty of power to turn over the leader on a windy day.

My model 24 is 8.5 3/2 bass taper and fishing best with an 8wt line to toss a decent size hair bug or streamer.

What wt line do you fish with your South Bend rod?...