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jrp11948
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:19 pm • # 1 |
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Joined: 11/02/14 Posts: 25 Location: Davidsonville, Maryland
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The smallest rod in my collection was a 2 weight until my buddy bought me Half weight by TFO. I was kind of afraid to use it, it's soooo small! Finally got out with it on the Eastern Shore of MD, smaller fish, but lots of them. Using pop bugs, I caught crappy, a thousand blue gills, and good test of the rod, 3 bass, largest at 12". The 5' little rod handled them with no problem. Takes some time to get used to the size, it can be over powered easily and it doesn't load the way a heavier ones do. But all in all, a great experience and something I'll continue to use and experiment with. The rod came with a 1-3 weight 3tand reel. Cute little thing, but also impressive.
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plecain
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 11:36 am • # 2 |
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Joined: 07/25/13 Posts: 323 Location: Southern NH
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You said it doesn't load well. What line were you using? That rod will throw up to a 2 wt. line pretty easily. If you're using a lighter line, maybe a heavier one will help you.
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jrp11948
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Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 8:57 pm • # 3 |
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Joined: 11/02/14 Posts: 25 Location: Davidsonville, Maryland
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Using a number 1, with a 5x leader. I think I just need to get use to it! Easy to overpower.
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Sasha
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 11:10 am • # 4 |
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Joined: 05/10/09 Posts: 2238 Location: 208
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I have never fished the rod but reading up on the net would suggest that the rod does the best with a 2wt line. Here is an interesting review I came across http://www.byrdultrafly.com/tfohalf.htm
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PampasPete
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:37 am • # 5 |
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Joined: 09/09/14 Posts: 520 Location: southern Brazil
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Sasha wrote: I have never fished the rod but reading up on the net would suggest that the rod does the best with a 2wt line. Here is an interesting review I came across http://www.byrdultrafly.com/tfohalf.htmI remember reading the same review a while back. It was obviously written by an author who doesn't really like short rods. It does take some time to learn the intracies of casting well with one. Another limitation is the difficulty of having a tapered line load the rod at short distances, which is where the shorter rods are at their best. One shouldn't expect a 5' rod to cast 60 or 70 feet as well as an 8-footer for the same weight line. Level lines do load more easily at short distances, but they are unfortunately not in fashion and thus are hard to come by. If anyone is interesting in experimenting a bit, here is an old post on the subject: viewtopic.php?f=90&t=5500
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jrp11948
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Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 4:52 pm • # 6 |
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Joined: 11/02/14 Posts: 25 Location: Davidsonville, Maryland
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After a little more experience with the "half weight", I now realize that this rod is so light that I can't feel it load. Out on an open river I can get a good 50' cast going, but trying to set a hook at that distance was next to impossible. This is a short distance, small fish rod. I'm thinking an extra 12" of rod length might help?
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plecain
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Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 5:13 pm • # 7 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 07/25/13 Posts: 323 Location: Southern NH
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jrp11948 wrote: I'm thinking an extra 12" of rod length might help? Maybe. I have that rod, but I also have a St. Croix Imperial 6' 2 wt. I like the Imperial a lot better. I don't know if it's just the length. It just, for me, has a lot more feel.
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PampasPete
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Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:56 am • # 8 |
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Hero Member |
Joined: 09/09/14 Posts: 520 Location: southern Brazil
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jrp11948 wrote: Out on an open river I can get a good 50' cast going, but trying to set a hook at that distance was next to impossible. If you can get a 50' cast out of a 5' rod, that's not too shabby! As far as setting the hook goes, you can try combining your normal hook set (quickly raising the rod tip or sweeping it sideways) with a strip-set (quickly pulling back your line hand) at the same time. And yes, feeling the rod load and getting the timing just right gets increasingly tricky as the rods get shorter and the lines get lighter.
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hipshot
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:10 pm • # 9 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 02/07/14 Posts: 383 Location: The southern tip o' Texas
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I just ordered this rod. I cast one at the TFO demo booth a couple of years ago at the Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival in Houston and fell in love with it. I was making 35-40 foot casts easily, as soon as I picked it up, which surprised me with such a short rod (we won't get into my casting skills here, LOL.....). It was adorned with a BVK reel and an unknown (to me) line. I have lusted for one ever since. I finally saved up the shekels for one, and I just ordered it. I was perusing this forum for a line recommendation for it, and saw this thread. I did shoot TFO an email requesting a recommendation, but I thought I'd reach out to the expertise here. I'll be interested to see TFO's recommendation, and I'll post it here for y'all when I hear from them.
Addressing jrp11948's post above about hooksets, I have something to offer on that topic. I use my 8' 2 weight TFO Pro II in salt water a lot, and I generally throw small sinking flies 50-60 feet across a deep gut for specks. I have found that the most consistently reliable hookset for me is a strip set combined with a long, low side sweep of the rod. However, because we are comparing an 8' 2 wt. to a 5' half wt., we may be talking a whole new ball game; I'll just have to see.
Anyway, if anybody has any new input regarding line selection for the TFO half weight, post it up and I'll appreciate it. I'll let y'all know what TFO says.
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hipshot
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 10:29 pm • # 10 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 02/07/14 Posts: 383 Location: The southern tip o' Texas
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Well, I still haven't heard from TFO. I researched the topic, and got a few 1 wt recommendations, a couple of 3 wt. recommendations, and a whole lot of 2 wt. recommendations. I just put about 50 yards of 15 lb. Power Pro and an Orvis Hydros Superfine WF2F line on it. It was dark, so I didn't try casting yet. If I can get home before dark Sunday I'll give it a shot and see how it goes....
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joe the plumber
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 11:17 pm • # 11 |
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Joined: 10/11/15 Posts: 410
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I have the TFO one weight and 2wt dt casts really well for me for such a short rod.....el cheapo bass pro brand 2wt fly line . I have even used it on my 0 weight and it does fine.
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keebranch
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 11:10 am • # 12 |
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Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 5497
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hipshot wrote: Well, I still haven't heard from TFO. I researched the topic, and got a few 1 wt recommendations, a couple of 3 wt. recommendations, and a whole lot of 2 wt. recommendations. I just put about 50 yards of 15 lb. Power Pro and an Orvis Hydros Superfine WF2F line on it. It was dark, so I didn't try casting yet. If I can get home before dark Sunday I'll give it a shot and see how it goes.... WF 2 will load it fine. Les
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hipshot
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 9:02 pm • # 13 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 02/07/14 Posts: 383 Location: The southern tip o' Texas
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And so it does, Les. I still haven't had a chance to fish it yet, but I unlimbered it in the front yard for a few minutes. It's going to Goose Island with me the week before Christmas. When the 2 weight gets tired, I'll terrorize the specks with the half weight for a while, if the wind gods will let me use it. Oughta be a hoot........I actually took it to Matagorda the week before last, but I was chasing reds and never broke it out. Thought I might try it on the specks under the lighted pier at night, but the grillin' and spillin' sorta precluded any nocturnal angling endeavors.
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keebranch
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 3:38 pm • # 14 |
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Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 5497
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Those 1/2- 1 pound specs will be a blast on that rod. Even a stray ladyfish will blow your mind - I can only imagine the bend.
Les
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Cliff Hilbert
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Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:18 pm • # 15 |
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Joined: 12/27/10 Posts: 2255 Location: Plano, TX
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Who knows, Jim, you might hook into a jackfish and really have some fun on it!! (At least for a few seconds until it spools the reel )
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hipshot
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:45 pm • # 16 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 02/07/14 Posts: 383 Location: The southern tip o' Texas
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Well, I've been pretty busy and haven't gotten around to posting an update. I took the half weight to Goose Island, but the specks were hugging the bottom of the channel (8 - 11 feet) and I couldn't cast heavy enough flies with it. I mostly threw an eight weight with HEAVY Clousers; the fish would only hit while the water was moving, and the flies had to get down fast. I broke out the two weight the last day and managed to catch a few, but the current and the depth made it pretty tough.
I have a friend with a half-acre pond out in the woods that's never fished. He says that when he walks around the periphery, the bass follow him. I plan to do some hog hunting down there in the coming weeks; I just might break the half weight in there.
Stay tuned.........
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wheezeburnt
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 6:53 am • # 17 |
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Joined: 12/29/12 Posts: 1839 Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
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hipshot wrote: ...I have a friend with a half-acre pond out in the woods that's never fished. He says that when he walks around the periphery, the bass follow him. I plan to do some hog hunting down there in the coming weeks; I just might break the half weight in there.
Stay tuned......... I'm sitting here snowed in, drinking coffee by a woodstove. That one paragraph made my spirits soar. Yes, please do report on how you do on that pond. I, for one, need that. brent (waiting for daylight to break out my 12wt snow shovel.)
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hipshot
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:53 am • # 18 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 02/07/14 Posts: 383 Location: The southern tip o' Texas
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I had a 12 wt. shovel when I lived in upstate Vermont. It was difficult to master..........
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wheezeburnt
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 10:54 am • # 19 |
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Joined: 12/29/12 Posts: 1839 Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
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Mine works fine, once I learned to accompany the back cast with a colourful string of obscenities.
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hipshot
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 10:11 pm • # 20 |
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Sr. Member |
Joined: 02/07/14 Posts: 383 Location: The southern tip o' Texas
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Brent, what you need is a good dose of "Southeast Texas white bass spawning run" therapy. The therapy sessions generally commence in late December or early January, and peak on the March moon......... Grab an ultralight rod, tie up some sparse #8 or #10 krystal flash/small beadchain minnows an inch and a half long, toss 'em on your truck, and head south. If you time it right I'll introduce you to Harmon Creek. I've even got a spare kayak you can use. It's almost as much fun as redfish in the marsh.
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