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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 12:51 pm • # 1 
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Joined: 02/14/17
Posts: 380
Location: Georgetown, Texas and Corpus Christi, Texas
Oh man, I've got some catching-up to do on this forum! Hope everyone is well!

As we were planning our trip to Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico (see Dave Fason's post on the roadtrip here http://fiberglassflyrodders.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=64090), I asked Chris about the possibility of an even lighter version of the Synthesis 68L I love so much, planning to use it for small native trout. What he came up with is a four-piece, 6'10", 2-weight. For good reasons, it wasn't completed in time for the trip out west, but I finally got to fish it this week. It's a stunner.

Chris is offering this rod, along with the Synthesis 68L (3-weight) "off-menu."

The finished rod weighs-in at 1.6 oz and packs down into a 23-inch tube. The wrappings are Pearsall’s Gossamer silk with red accents, Snake Brand Original darkened chrome guides, narrow cigar grip with birdseye maple reel seat (the maple came from a salvaged bowling alley floor in Nacogdoches, Texas -- the city of my birth; I imagine my folks rolling balls across it back in 1968).

Chris describes his Synthesis series as the best of both parabolic and progressive tapers (and, depending on how much line you are casting, they can be either); this rod, in my hands, is much more progressive than parabolic with some welcome (relative -- it's still a glass 2-weight) stiffness in the lower third.

So far, I've cast it with two lines: the Monic micro DT2F and the Wulff Triangle Taper WF2F.

I would fish the rod with the DT2 -- it's fine, especially past 20-feet or so, but it really sang with the TT WF2. 30-40' seemed to be the sweet spot, and I could push it to 50', which seemed to be the limit (again, in my hands -- someone else might be able to do more). Some folks like to go up a size with the Triangle Taper, since it has such a *long* front taper and is so light toward the tip; I'd be interested to see what the rod will do with a more aggressive front taper, or even a standard WF3F.

Where the rod truly excels is in accuracy. That was put to the test yesterday when I took a spill in fast water and my beloved Heartwood Trade landing net floated away in the current. By the time I got myself together and turned around, the net was shooting downstream toward an over-my-head reach. I was able (on the third cast, admittedly) to drop my fly into the 7"x16.85" hoop as it was moving away from me. I looked down and had yellow running line in my stripping hand -- the color changes on that line at about 36', I believe. Anyway, I recovered the net.

Flies: I'm notorious (within a very small circle) for throwing inappropriately heavy flies with ultralight rods. Over the past three days of fishing I've used the following on the 2-weight: #6 Candy Crawford with dumbell eyes; #6 Scarpian (backstabber-type carp fly); #8/#10 mini Master Splinter mouse; #10 Carp-it Bomb (bead chain eyes with 8-10 twists of lead wire) #12 damsel nymphs (mono eyes, 6-8 twists of .015 lead wire on shank); #14 Rio Getter (x-small dumbell eyes); #14 elk hair caddis. Not suprisingly, the heavy #6 crawfish imitation went nowhere. Surprisingly, the #6 scarpian was somewhat castable. Everything else was varying degrees of just fine, and the #14 Rio Getter, even with the little dumbell eyes, was just about perfect. The dry was more perfect, but that is exactly what the rod was designed for.

Reels: I used an Orvis Battenkill I (2.8 oz) and Vosseler RC-1 (3.6 oz). I plan on putting a 3-Tand TF-20 (3.0 oz) on the rod at some point.

With fish on: In three days of fishing, I didn't find any of the bigger bass I was looking for, or smaller carp (!), but on the first day I caught four similar to the one shown below, and a variety of sunfish. They were a ton of fun on this rod, and as with my 68L, I would feel confident targeting the occasional much larger fish.

Bottom line: I love the rod. Fit and finish are as you'd expect from Chris, This is a very, very capable and extremely fun small water rod; I'm gonna fish the heck out of it and someday one of my boys will be happy to have it, I hope.

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:38 pm • # 2 
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Joined: 01/26/09
Posts: 617
Location: Oklahoma
Okay, Aaron, I understand that you have to say nice things about Chris' rod after hanging out with him for several days on the road trip. But for a really impartial review, as I have no connection to Chris other than knowing he's a nice guy, you should send the rod to me for a long term review where I can really wring out all its strengths and weaknesses. I think about a year should be long enough. :smokin

Larry


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 11:24 pm • # 3 
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Joined: 02/14/17
Posts: 380
Location: Georgetown, Texas and Corpus Christi, Texas
Larry, it's already in the mail to you. Along with that check. ;-)


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:14 am • # 4 
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Joined: 01/26/09
Posts: 617
Location: Oklahoma
Could you send me the tracking number so I can be watching out for it? I would hate for someone to snatch it off my front porch.

Larry


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 8:03 pm • # 5 
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Joined: 06/28/18
Posts: 121
Location: Cornelius, NC
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Pictures were great too.


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 6:12 pm • # 6 
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Joined: 05/28/18
Posts: 603
Location: Tucson , Hellazonia
Nice rod .


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