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 Post subject: Perfect UL Spinning Rod
PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:48 pm • # 1 
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If you are looking for the "Perfect" UL Spinning rod, look no further than one of our own members; "6footrod", I did some swapping with him for an UL rod he crafted from a 7'3" TFO Finesse 2wt 4 piece flyrod, he used the top three sections and it made an awesome "hands down" best, 5 1/2' spinning rod. The second best IMHO is a St Croix Avid 6' 2wt flyrod turned into a spinning rod.
I have been on somewhat of a flyrod hiatus for the last year or so and have went OCDC into UL Spinning. I live on a Creek and fish almost daily.
I have adopted Joe Robinson's book, Piscatorial Absurdities as a UL spin fishing bible, being a stubborn eccentric, I have intertwined my own ideas with his and have never been more happy and successful with my passion/hobby!
In just a year I have acquired over 40 UL spinning rods and fly/spin combos, vintage and new, including the high dollar Japanese makes, and I still goto one of the above mentioned rods.
The most important thing I think I took from Joe's book is the art of "wave casting" casting tiny lightweight "flures" to fish.
I do not know Joe, lol but he certainly will lead you on your way to great fun in UL Spinfishing.
If you heed my advice great, but don't be afraid to stray off the path and come up with something better, hopefully letting the future UL Fishers gain from your experience.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 8:00 pm • # 2 
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The Japanese domestic market (JDM) UL spinning rods are a step above anything available on U.S. market. They are worth looking into.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 10:06 pm • # 3 
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Grey Ghost,

Do you have any references or videos showing Joe's art of "wave casting".

I have heard of this technique but never seen any details, sounds interesting.

Regards,
FK


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 10:18 pm • # 4 
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Found a video that I believe may be Joe Robinson with demo of cast.

Search YouTube for "High Speed Video of Ultralight Spin Casting".

Regards,
FK


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 11:36 pm • # 5 
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Can Joe's book still be found? I'd like to get a copy.

I have a TFO fly/spin rod that was supposedly made in response to Joe's methods.


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 12:29 am • # 6 
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Knotty,

The book is available from Sportsman's Finest in Texas.

Piscatorial Absurdities by Joe Robinson

Regards,
FK


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 7:30 am • # 7 
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Knotty, That TFO fly/spin rod is actually my third choice, it definitely has it's roots from a flyrod, and I'll pack a little hardy flyweight with a 3wt line to use on it. It's no joke as a flyrod.

FK, You should be able to find the three different casts on youtube, as well as one with Joe in his front yard demonstrating. Someone on the Fiberglassflyrodders is Joe's neighbor and helped him with his book research.

Apparently Dave Whitlock introduced the UL Spinning idea to Joe, lot's of history I read thru.


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:18 am • # 8 
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Grey Ghost,

Thanks,,, I found two additional videos by Joe.
Search YouTube:

Joe Robinson SloMo casting XUL Spin technique

Fundamentals of Fly Casting Demonstration-Joe Robinson


I really like how he demonstrates "how to throw the entire fly line".

Regards,
FK


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 10:48 pm • # 9 
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Grey Ghost wrote:
Knotty, That TFO fly/spin rod is actually my third choice, it definitely has it's roots from a flyrod, and I'll pack a little hardy flyweight with a 3wt line to use on it. It's no joke as a flyrod.


Glad to hear that. So I'm off to a good start. Any spinning reel recommendations to match with the TFO?

When I first started fishing I got the rod so I could carry one rod but both a fly and spin reel and use whichever the location dictated. Never really did this, as fly casting became my obsession, but now I'm interested again.

fk, plan to order the book this week.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:20 pm • # 10 
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I'm kinna into the vintage stuff, One of my favorites is the old Shakespeare 2200, put a new bearing in them and give the drag mechanism a good going over,and it is a perfect mate to that TFO rod, color even matches. or Mitchell 400 or 308, or all the one's in Joe's book, Orvis 50a, Alcedo Micron, Cargem Mignon 33 But I recently handled a 30$ Lew's reel,(forgot model#) ported, really smooth drag, I am hesitant to buy a carbon bodied reel, because the bail ramp is part of the body and wears out fast, I want to look at the schematics on it first.
The Daiwa 500c is very popular right now, and I love mine, but it does seem too small on heavier 5 1/2 foot poles and longer rods,
If I were to make a "dream" reel, it would simply be a lightened up Penn 716z, I am actually looking into bench top milling and lathe machines to work over "hotrod" those reels, as well as the Mitchells.
I am still on the fence on taking the bail off and going "manual", I think I have a great technique for keeping the slack and loops from forming on the spool, even with 1 pound ice fishing line.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:35 am • # 11 
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Glad you mentioned the bail. I know Joe suggests bail-less reels to avoid line twist and tangles. Just to play around, I took the bail off a $20 Dick's rod/reel combo but not really sure about the proper technique for using it that way. Hopefully his book will shed some light.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 7:43 pm • # 12 
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Knotty, it's easy. Just lift the line up with your index finger for the cast and then after the cast lift the line up and rotate the spool. The pick up roller will automatically catch the line.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 9:53 pm • # 13 
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Knotty wrote:
Glad you mentioned the bail. I know Joe suggests bail-less reels to avoid line twist and tangles. Just to play around, I took the bail off a $20 Dick's rod/reel combo but not really sure about the proper technique for using it that way. Hopefully his book will shed some light.

Knotty, with the bail attached to the reel, cut the bail off at the reel pickup. Then remove the screw that attaches the other end of the bail to the reel housing. What you have left of the bail assembly is just the pick up.

I think the casting is self explanatory once you've gone this far.

Not only will you not have line twist, you will also experience silence in your casting; silence should be a real plus on those small streams you've posted pictures of. Makes for more enjoyable
fishing too without that bail flipping noise.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 6:03 pm • # 14 
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I still have my Mitchell 409 and Orvis 51A (the left hand bail version). They were great reels for their era, I caught thousands of fish with them. They don't manage XUL line as well as the shallow spool Japanese reels and are a bit heavy for shorter graphite rods. One of the best US made reels I've used is the Penn 4200SS, it has a great drag and is very light (graphite body) and tough as nails.

I have a Fenwick 6 1/2 foot glass rod is rated for 4-8 lb line that can make the wave cast with light spoons or inline spinners (it's a noodle). I use either a Quick 221 or Daiwa 1300 or 700 on it.

I've seen Japanese small stream fisherman use a similar cast for flicking small lures into impossible spots.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 6:08 pm • # 15 
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jkurtz7 wrote:
The Japanese domestic market (JDM) UL spinning rods are a step above anything available on U.S. market. They are worth looking into.


The Japanese market is far more discriminating concerning ultralight spinning tackle.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:24 am • # 16 
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Thanks for the reel suggestions but despite being "not young" I'm fairly new to fishing and thus have no nostalgia for storied gear of past years. I think my answers are most likely to be found in the Japanese domestic market hardware. Thankfully Chris "Tenkarabum" Stewart has started selling JDM gear as noted in FK's post http://ultralightflyfishing.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=107&t=11649


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:45 am • # 17 
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Knotty wrote:
Thanks for the reel suggestions but despite being "not young" I'm fairly new to fishing and thus have no nostalgia for storied gear of past years. I think my answers are most likely to be found in the Japanese domestic market hardware. Thankfully Chris "Tenkarabum" Stewart has started selling JDM gear as noted in FK's post http://ultralightflyfishing.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=107&t=11649


Chris is great to deal with, rest assured the JDM path is the way to go. I enjoy the memories I have of my vintage UL spinning gear, but no way that it compares in sensitivity or quality to the higher end JDM stuff.

Nostalgia tints accurate recollection, as the saying goes...


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 6:38 pm • # 18 
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Yes, the Japanese are leaps and bounds ahead of us in spinning gear! There is another reel, made by daiwa, it is basically a generic "Steez" , you add a few more bearings readily available and upgrade the drag and you have a 500$ Steez, all for around 100$ I will have to look back into my research and see what that model was.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:51 pm • # 19 
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Update on the TFO Fly/Spin rod, I mounted the little Hardy Flyweight on the rod loaded with a WF3F line and I could get into the line where the color changes with ease and accuracy, to my surprise, the rod roll casts like a pro. That's all, wanted to let everybody know the rod roll casts like a dream!


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:03 pm • # 20 
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Grey Ghost wrote:
Update on the TFO Fly/Spin rod, I mounted the little Hardy Flyweight on the rod loaded with a WF3F line and I could get into the line where the color changes with ease and accuracy, to my surprise, the rod roll casts like a pro. That's all, wanted to let everybody know the rod roll casts like a dream!


Appreciate the info. I used mine with WF3F as well but was still pretty green. Need to go back and try it again now that my skills have improved.


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