A TALE OF TWO FLYRODS

Chip Chipman

     A few years ago, on my way home to Nutrioso, I noticed a friend of mine fly fishing at Nelson Reservoir. I stopped to see if maybe I should be fishing also. "Doing any good?" I asked.  "Not much," he replied. He offered me his rod. "Want to give it a try?"   His rod was a well-known brand that cost a couple-hundred bucks or so. I didn't hesitate a second, "Sure”.  I had been using my old rod for so long, I couldn't remember where or when I got it. One thing I did remember was that it didn't cost anywhere near as much as my friend's.

     So, I made a few casts. It made my rod feel like a club. It shot-out

line with the greatest of ease.  I knew then and there I could not use that club of mine any longer.  A few minutes later, at home, I called an 800 number and a few days later had a superb new fly rod that should last a lifetime.  I used my old reel and line, which saved some money.

     A year or so later I was down on the East Fork of the Black River,

crashing through thick brush to get to one of my favorite spots.  Another fly fisherman was already there. I stood back and watched for a while.  What struck me as odd was that he appeared to be fishing with about half a rod. But on closer observation I saw that it was a complete fly rod but just shorter than most.  We got to talking and he said it was six-and-a-half-feet long and weighed only one ounce. I had seen it advertised as the world's lightest flyrod.  "Would you like to try it?" he asked.  I didn't hesitate a second, "Sure".  It made my eight-and-a-half-foot rod feel like a club. "Boy", I thought, "this is just the thing for small-stream fishing. It's easier to get through the brush with it and lessens the chance of getting the line caught in trees and makes little fish feel like big fish.

     When I got home I called the 800 number again. That was a costly call.  That little thing cost about twice as much as my other rod plus I had to get a new reel and line for it.  But I had a superb flyrod that should last a lifetime.

     I use that little rod all the time when stream fishing. Then one day I

met a fellow from Phoenix over on the West Fork of the Black and he was using a seven-and-a-half-foot rod from a manufacturer that I knew didn't sell any rods for much less than 500 bucks.  I asked him how he liked it.  He told me it was the sweetest casting rod he had ever used.  "Would you like to try it?" he asked.  I didn't hesitate a second.  "No, thanks."

Chip Chipman is a flyfishing guide and lives in Nutrioso, AZ.

**This story has been reprinted with permission from the author.