Retro Single Handed Help

[williamlenehan]

Looking for a little advice about a retro steelhead outfit. I have an older 7wt Winston fiberglass rod that I would like to use for coastal steelhead with a shooting head set up. I have the following questions I would appreciate your thoughts on:

1. I was thinking of having the Winston re-wrapped with bigger guides. The current wraps are not in great shape and the guides are extremely small. Any suggestions on someone in the San Francisco area that does high quality work? I could bring it up to Twin Bridges, but this is certainly not a collectible rod.

2. I am assuming that the traditional running line was Amnesia or another mono line. Please correct me if I am wrong.

3. Other than lead-core, what were the popular shooting heads for the Gualala, Garcia, Eel, etc.?

4. I was thinking on using an old Hardy for a reel, 3 7/8” should work I bet.

5. Any other considerations I should consider? I am basically trying to reverse engineer a 50s or 60s set-up.

I understand that there may be significant limitations to this sort of set-up when compared to Spey and/or switch rods. I am not looking to maximize casting distance or efficiency, just looking to try something different in order to learn.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Adam Grace]

Sorry that I do not know of any rod builders in your area but i have advice on aline setup. Amnesia is the old-school running line with a very ironic name since it has more memory than pretty much any running line out on the market today. Look at buying some nice running line, Airflo used to have some great running line, but there are probably some newer and better running lines out there currently. Get a running line with a slick coating and low memory. Then buy a couple of 28'-30' shooting heads ranging anywhere from 180-220 grains, depending on the power/action of your fiberglass rod. Get the shooting heads in at least 2 different sinking rates like a type 3 and a type 6, maybe something slower if you are fishing slow moving tidal water. That would be my best advice.

[Darian]

Interesting choice of outfits to refinish/repair.... The rod weight is and OK choice but I can tell you from many years experience fishing the same waters you mention that a shooting head system isn't necessary for the smaller coastal rivers/streams. However, they will serve you well on the lower Russian River around Browns Pool and/or Austin Creek Riffle or in places like the lower Eel or Klamath/Trinity Rivers. :)

Adam is correct about Amnesia, altho I still use it occasionally. :confused:

During the time I was fishing the ladder of rivers/streams over there, I found a simple weight forward, sinking line, type II or III were all I needed to cover all but the smallest waters (tidal or otherwise). I used this set-up on a Fenwick, model FF 789 rod with a Medalist, Model 1495.5 reel and was never disappointed with it. That outfit landed many tidewater Salmon/Steelhead, even in places like Singley on the lower Eel.

If you think about it, the running line portion of a modern weight forward line is probably the same diameter as that of most current running lines. Should you choose to go ahead with a shooting head system, pick one of the running lines recommended by Adam and go for it.... :D

Good luck. :fish2:

ps: Forgot to mention that due to the small snake guides, whatever you choose should have a running line that has a small diameter.

[jigger]

the golden gate angler and casting club could be a possible resource for you. It was referenced a lot in 'rivers of a lost coast' which i'm sure you have seen

[dpentoney]

In the late '60s and '70s on the Eel the standard set up was a Fenwick glass rod,a Pflueger Medalist, and a Scientific Anglers shooting head. Running line was Amnesia, Cobra, or just plain monofilament like Maxima that was twice the pound test of the leader used. I fished a Fenwick 756 for half-pounders and summer steelhead...7'6" for a 6 weight flyline on a Medalist 1494. I fished a Fenwick 858 for salmon and winter steelhead..8'6" for an 8 weight line on a Medalist 1495 1/2.
A few guys fished with Hardy Perfects instead of Medalists. I picked up 3 along the way. Flylines in tidewater were either #2 sinkers or slow sinkers, Hi-Density upriver in the riffles if needed..

I still fish with all the same stuff..........

[williamlenehan]

Thank you for the great feedback guys. Here is an interesting video from Russ Chatham on the subject: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxla1T8qTxs

If anyone has an old Fenwick that they would like to sell/trade let me know. I have researched it a bit and there was a 3 piece version in that time period that Green liked a lot.

[Charlie S]

Jim Clarkson at Raptor Rod Works in Chico is one of the best I know doing commercial redo of rods. His website is: http://www.raptorrodworks.com/. Highly recommend him for his work and reliability.

[williamlenehan]

Continuing to do research on this and it looks like there are a number of interesting options. Does anyone have a FL102-8 blank (one piece yellow fiberglass in 8.5 feet for a 8 wt), a 2 piece FF85, or a three piece FF85? Willing to buy outright or trade, etc.

[BS]

Continuing to do research on this and it looks like there are a number of interesting options. Does anyone have a FL102-8 blank (one piece yellow fiberglass in 8.5 feet for a 8 wt), a 2 piece FF85, or a three piece FF85? Willing to buy outright or trade, etc.

Here's something pretty close to what you're looking for.
http://chico.craigslist.org/spo/2895422473.html

Pretty good price too !!

Bob

[shawn kempkes]

Everybody keeps dissing on amnesia. There have been several products that line companies have come out with that cost about ten times more than amnesia that just suck.

If you fish the coastal rivers that you mentioned and happen to fish in a line up with anything that floats you are going to piss alot of people off. The great thing about amnesia
is that people can cast over the top of your line and not fowl up your drift. Including guys pitching spinners and bait. So my advice is when in Rome do what the Romans do.
The other disadvantage of fishing a floating shooting line is it hinders you sink rate such that you need to fish a faster sinking head IE a 2 sink instead of an intermediate.