New Offshore Fly Rod

[sage fly guy]

Have almost finished a new Offshore fly rod.

It is built on a 9' 3 piece 18 weight Graphite USA blank. It is Black Cherry in color, has a Perfection swivel gimbal, Aftco Big Game Reel seat and matching double footed AMTEK guides. I wrapped it using Variegated thread in a maroon and black, wiht Metallic Silver trim rings and dark grey overwraps.

As soon as the Epoxy dries, I'll post some pics of the various pieces.

[Roop]

Very cool - working on the chum churn this weekend so we can test it on some big boys!

[Mark Cahill]

that's going to be some rod.

[Jim Miller]

Hey Sage
Where do you get your blanks and components?
Be sure to post those pics!
Are ya sure you can't get someone to work the store for a week next December? --123-3 --123-3

[peter mac]

Sage Fly Guy,
I am curious about your decision to build a 9' 18wt. rod, is it for better casting? most of the larger rods (14wt and up) I have used/seen have been shorter rods, 8'9" like the sage rplxi or 8'6" like the Powell 14wt., T&T Horizon 14wt., and Loomis mega blank 15/17wt, and placed a premium on lifting power, more so than casting.......very interesting
Peter Mac

[riptide]

Why not build a 9'er? He has so freakin many Big Game fly rods a little diversity never hurt (#$119)

The chore for me now is to get them all bent this summer. :D

[sage fly guy]

Sage Fly Guy,
I am curious about your decision to build a 9' 18wt. rod, is it for better casting? most of the larger rods (14wt and up) I have used/seen have been shorter rods, 8'9" like the sage rplxi or 8'6" like the Powell 14wt., T&T Horizon 14wt., and Loomis mega blank 15/17wt, and placed a premium on lifting power, more so than casting.......very interesting
Peter Mac


An 18 weight is a different animal alltogether than a 14 weight. The butt section has considerably more lifting power and the tip has to be flexible enough for casting and deadlifting 200# beast's from 120 feeet below. If necessary..........

I know people have a hard time believing and 18 weight can cast at all. Think about the type of fishing this is used for and it's understandable. But at the same time your using massive shooting heads of incredible grain weight per foot. Most cast's are as simple as one backcast with the head outside the tip and then watch out, 30' of lead moving at an incredible speed, 90' casts are quite simple.

Although the blank was listed as a 8' 9", by the time I fit the big game handle and the perfection swivel gimbal, it's all of 9' feet. I honestly don't feel that the extra length is a hinerance at all. That said I do have a 7' GUSA 15 weight on order................Why??? I have no idea, other than I want to check it out.

I think this type of fly fishing is still relatively in it's infancy, especially here on the East Coast. The Australian's are light years ahead of us in the department, so much is still to be learned. I find the idea of fly gear capable of handling 250# shark's, tuna or billfish to be fascinating. To be on the cutting edge of this, rather than the tail end just fuels the fire.

[peter mac]

Terry the question was not why build it, but what was the thought process and the reasoning behind the choice.........a sharing of ideas. I hope you get all of sage fly guys big game rods bent this year, in addition I hope you get all of ours bent also come September......

Sage fly guy, interesting I have never cast an 18wt. but I have thrown the Loomis 15/17 mega blank and they are quite castable with a 700gr line, and the benefits of the extra lifting power are obvious..........have you ever looked at or fished the Cape Fear big game fly rods (18/19wt.)?

Good luck with the new stick.

Peter Mac

[sage fly guy]

Pete,

Don't mind Terry's poor table manner's, been a long rotten winter.

I have the Cape Fear 19, most unbelievalbe stick on the planet, in my opinion. I fully believe it is capable of landning a 300# tuna on the fly. I'll attach a pic of the one time last year I got to use it.

[peter mac]

Nice shark!!........I have heard the exact same thing from others who own the Cape Fear 19wt......I will hopefully get the chance to put one to the test this Year off of Cape May with The Ugly Mug boys........Right now 14wts. are as big as I go, and prefer to use 12wts. for the CC BFTs and the ones off Montauk

No worries with Terry, he runs one of the 6 boats in my CC BFT yearly trip, he works hard,and is never dull!.......its has been a long cold winter.

Peter Mac

[talbot3]

Guys--I read your posts with interest--I am working on a Loomis 15/17 wt now. I have Aftco reel seat and gimbal, nice cork from REC. What for guides?
REC Recoils???

Duncan LBNL Talbot

[riptide]

Hey Pete,

I'm just messing with Chris. If you saw all the blanks in his office you'd REALLY get the humor in my post! If you want to bend that 19wt let me know. Chris is VERY generous with lending me gear when a charter has a specific need that my arsenal can't meet. Under those circumstances he opens the vault and gets me one of the 3 or 4 thousand custom sicks he has tailored for the exact situation (right down to moon phase (#$119) ) and lets me borrow it. All kidding aside, I'll be sure to bring the big beast out with you guys this Sept. Shame is, it's really overkill for tuna under 100# :eek: The thing casts well and can lift a truck.

[sage fly guy]

Here are some pics of the finished stick.

Not as beastly as you would first think, should cast pretty well.

[peter mac]

Hey Chris,
Nice looking stick!!.......You'll have to let me know how it stacks up with the Cape Fear 19wt.......well done
Peter Mac

[sage fly guy]

Guys--I read your posts with interest--I am working on a Loomis 15/17 wt now. I have Aftco reel seat and gimbal, nice cork from REC. What for guides?
REC Recoils???

Duncan LBNL Talbot


I'd honestly stay away from the snake or single foot REC guides. The amount of abuse and the possible size of the knots and lines you may use make snakes almost obsolete.

Now those new collapseable double footed REC's absolutely kill. I used a set of them on a SAGE 11wt and they are super.

Fuji as always has many choices and AMTEK has really neat stuff.

[Jim Miller]

Nice work Chris!
BTW: I'll be coming to Chatham the end of June w/ my boat. Let's see if we can get after some tuna!
Cheers :-%

[laxcoach]

Sage Guy,

I want to build an off shore fly rod on a cape fear blank. How did you attach the perfection swivel? Does it screw onto the reel seat?

thanks,

Morgan

[sage fly guy]

Sage Guy,

I want to build an off shore fly rod on a cape fear blank. How did you attach the perfection swivel? Does it screw onto the reel seat?

thanks,

Morgan


Morgan,

When you have the pieces in hand you will see the how easy the components are to fit together. On all of my Cape Fear rods is used the AFTCO ARS-1 reel seat. Superb piece of equipment made to handle a lot more than a fly reel. Not to bulky, just perfesct for this application. Best of all it's usually priced under $25.00.

When you fit the reel seat, leave a little extra bit of the blank sticking out and this is where you can mount the swivel gimbal.
Some minimal grinding of the inside of the gimbal and it will slide just slightly over the end of the reel seat.

chris

[laxcoach]

Thanks Chris.

[Hawk]

Anybody have any experience with the Temple Fork 14wt. I need a offshore rod for a Tuna trip but it most likely will only be used once a year at best so would like to spend as little $$$$ as possible. Any thoughts?

[sage fly guy]

Anybody have any experience with the Temple Fork 14wt. I need a offshore rod for a Tuna trip but it most likely will only be used once a year at best so would like to spend as little $$$$ as possible. Any thoughts?


Not a TFO fan, but I've heard nothing but good things about them. You certainly can't beat the price point.

chris

[Hardtail Hunter]

Hey where do you get these blanks?

[MambaLeyla]

CD,

I would bet not many if any rods of 8 feet 6 inch were made for 3 weight lines. 7 foot to 8 foot maybe. I could be wrong though so often am. LOL. Most one season Fly Fishers should by just flexing the rod a bit get a good handle on what line will work ok. The CC system is maybe too miuch for new guiys and non rod builders to want to faff around with. Cantt say I am a total fan of the CC. I think the guys rely on it too much. But thats another debate for another time. Mind most of CC has been done to death.

Mikey. O>