Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (BruceHandley) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:29:09 GMT

As long as we're talking graphite here and I for one find it tobe a nice change of pace. Do any of you people fish the Spring Creek, 9'3", 5 wt. ? The rod I have is dated 0189, any idea when this rod went "on line"? I no longer have any of the older Orvis catalogs to use as a reference.
Bruce

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (wb4tjh) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:40:50 GMT

I took my 1991 made Orvis HLS 7' 9", five weight rod to Roaring River State Park here in SW Missouri last Friday for the opening day of Winter catch and release season. I was really pleased at how well the rod handled the short and long casts and the way it played the 5 rainbows I managed to land. The biggest two were only about 14 inches, but it was fun. It's truely the sweetest graphite rod I have ever fished.

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (cross creek one) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:49:44 GMT

When Orvis was saying that, they were using a scrim for which it was somewhat true. Winston sanded/painted their rods during that same time period, with no loss of strength that anyone noticed. To me, unsanded, unpainted rods had tougher surfaces, because paint and clear coat scratched rather easily, and they obviously used fewer toxic materials (a good reason to return to that retro-finish, and market the "green-ness" of the rods). For Orvis, it made their rods distinctive and...

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (wb4tjh) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:32:12 GMT

Orvis said that the unsanded rods retained the full strength of the graphite fibers, since sanding would damage the outer fiber layers, hence their rods were unsanded. I guess cosmetics mean more these days, and it seems that just about all rods are sanded except for a few custom fiberglass makers. Peronally, I wish they still made them this way.

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (cross creek one) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:03:14 GMT

I think "new, unsanded, Superfine 1wt" may be confusing some. Orvis still has some of the original unsanded 1wt 2pc blanks left and will make them up on special order. As far as I know, that deal is only available on the 1wt, but I could be wrong about that--they may still have some other blanks left, too. The current Superfine Trout Bum 4pc rods aren't available unsanded (wish they were).
-CC

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (quillg) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:39:35 GMT

I picked up a 7'9" 5wt Far & Fine with the unsanded blank from Bob Summers. The rod was described as "new unfished". When I received it, the rod it was definitely unfished...it had the Orvis date code on the blank of 10/03. However, the butt cap had the "Far&Fine 5wt (04/81)" on it. I emailed Bob and he replied:

The "Far & Fine"...

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (wb4tjh) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:21:47 GMT

I have had the same experience, Flyman. They usually don't say much when they see how well the "older" style rods perform. But I really love it when I have a good bamboo in my hand and meet a younger, hi-tech fisherman on the stream. I always watch their eyes when they see bamboo in my hand with a Hardy reel on it. We'll be standing ankle deep, chatting, and he'll keep staring at my rod. Some of them finally get up the nerve to ask me about it, but some just seem to fee...

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (Flyman615) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:11:49 GMT

I have to agree with Bill.

I have several of the early, un-sanded, Orvis Superfine and Western series rods and I've always liked the ferrule system and have never had a problem of any sort.

But on a couple of occasions I've run into young, "Gen Y" high-tech fly fishers on the stream and the quizzical looks I get with my "old, unfinished" graphite rods and 1970's (or earlier) reels are truly priceless!

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (wb4tjh) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:04:40 GMT

The original Orvis sleeve ferrules were made with a high concentration of fiberglass to maintain their flexibility. I remember Orvis talking about this in some of their early literature. Since the sleeve was much larger diameter than the graphite blank, it was made of fiberglass to give a more continuous flex to the rod and not make a stiff spot at the ferrule. Personally, I really liked them and I never knew of one that broke. I wish they still made the unsanded blanks with the original...

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (cross creek one) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:30:14 GMT

Don't get me wrong--I didn't mean to imply that Orvis is trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. I think they are doing it that way to make a very slim profile tip over butt ferrule, and the sanding is part of the final fitting. The rods are still made up of separate blanks, though, unlike Winston or Scott, for instance. I'll leave it to the rod designers to say whether or not that gives them more freedom in design. Sage also uses this method, and their rods are pretty...

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (hexhatch) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:24:09 GMT

I was fooled by that. After looking closely they are sleeve ferrules sanded to look like spigot ferrules. Thanks for the info.

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (cross creek one) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:19:14 GMT

Orvis used sleeve ferrules, not spigot, on their graphite rods. Even their current production are tip over butt with the male portion sanded and wrapped to look like a spigot. -CC

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (OldCanerods) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:05:07 GMT

hexhatch wrote:
I hope it is OK to ask a graphite rod related question here, Does anyone know whether or not the blanks for the Orvis Far & Fine 7' 9 " 5 wt were made by Fisher? Were these blanks used also for the Silver Label and Rocky Mountain rods? I just got a 1998 Silver Label model with unsanded graphite and spigot ferrules that looks a lot like Fisher to me, and I'm trying to learn more about them. Thanks...

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (cross creek one) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:19:08 GMT

To show how times have changed, not only did that model get fished with 6 wt lines as an all-round trout rod, there were those who thought it a good light bass rod, and even good for bonefish on windless days! Most graphite fishers today would think it far too slow for a 6wt line, mostly suitable for panfish. I still fish mine with small poppers for bass sometimes, but have never gotten it salty--yet. If there are classic graphite rods, that's got to be one of them.
-CC

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (dder) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:10:17 GMT

Thanks for the info Cross Creek. Rod is amasingly lite for its age and I,ve always enjoyed using it. Daryl

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (cross creek one) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:33:29 GMT

Daryl, your rod is a Superfine Trout, mfg May of 1981, several years after Orvis started making graphite rods. That configuration was the original Orvis graphite prototype and, although you don't hear so much about it these days as you do the Far & Fine (7ft9in, (4)5wt), it was, for the first decade or so, about the most popular rod they made. The Trout came in three configurations--8ft 2pc, 8ft 3pc, and 7.5ft 2pc. The two piece models were available with either the cork and ring seat...

Re: Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (dder) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:35:48 GMT

I don,t want to hijack this thread but since your talking Orvis graphite rods can I ask if anyone could tell me where an older rod I have (bought used) would fit into the line up. On metal butt is stamped
8ft
Trout
1 7/8 oz (6)
05 81
It has grip shaped like far and fine and cork seat with slip rings. It is a nice casting rod although seems to cast better with a 4 wt than a 6 wt to my thinking. My understanding is May 1981 was date made.Does anyone remember this model...

Orvis Far & Fine Graphite Question

feeds@yuku.com (hexhatch) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:23:03 GMT

I hope it is OK to ask a graphite rod related question here, Does anyone know whether or not the blanks for the Orvis Far & Fine 7' 9 " 5 wt were made by Fisher? Were these blanks used also for the Silver Label and Rocky Mountain rods? I just got a 1998 Silver Label model with unsanded graphite and spigot ferrules that looks a lot like Fisher to me, and I'm trying to learn more about them. Thanks very much.