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Thread: Fenwick FF85, Vintage Reels, Skagit Head

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Sacramento
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    11

    Default Fenwick FF85, Vintage Reels, Skagit Head

    Hello All,
    I'm clearing out some vintage gear and a shooting head. Too much stuff in the closet. Hit me up with any questions or offers.

    Up for sale:

    -Fenwick FF-85 8' 6" 6/7wt fly rod. This is a D serial number with a translucent blank. It is rated as a 6/7wt. This rod is in excellent shape for the age and comes with rod sock and tube. I use the "newer" version, FF-857 to single hand spey cast over on the coast on small streams. This rod would pair nice with a OPST commando head or similar. $125

    -Pflueger Medalist No 1495 1/2 Reel. Made in USA, over all very clean with some paint wear on the back. Reel has been cleaned and re-lubed. This would pair great with the Fenwick. $45

    SOLD - Clean Martin 63 fly reel in original box. Not much of a drag on this but a great match for a Sierra fiberglass rod. SOLD

    -Airflo Skagit Scout Floating 360gr Head. Great Shape. $30

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by tpeterson; 01-19-2022 at 10:43 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default

    What floating fly line works best on that FF85? WF6F or WF7F?

    I have been promoting single hand Spey for a long time now for brushy trout or steelhead or panfish stream.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
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    Default

    Hi Bill, thanks for the reply. For single hand casting it works well with both, but I prefer a 7wt floating line as I like the feel of a deeper flex. With a 6wt, it carries more line in the air easily and has better distance. It really is a sweet casting rod.

    After learning to spey cast I started playing with this length/wt class of fiberglass rod with short Skagit heads (OPST) and mow tips, swinging for winter steelhead on small coastal streams. I like this single hand spey casting set up for the brushy situations and ability to easily turn over heavy tips and big flies getting them down quick.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Placer County
    Posts
    1,135

    Default

    Wow, Fenwick and Pflueger was the set-up that we used in the Gorge on the SL during the 70's and early 80's. Back then, it was straight mono, but the modern day OPST systems would've been awesome to have back in those days. Same for the modern day cold weather clothing..... in fact, if I had to choose, one or the other, I'd chose the clothing of today and make do with the old rigging. That Gorge is a very cold place to be standing and fishing.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default

    I guess you are talking about the old San Lorenzo river.


    During my 50 plus years in the fishing tackle business in Sacramento I met dozens of old timers who moved up to this area and who had fished the small coastal winter steelhead rivers right after World War II. Most used a larger Fenwick fiberglass fly rod, larger Pflueger Medalist fly reel filled with Dacron and then monofilament line, a pencil weight setup, short mono leader, roe hook and fresh salmon or steelhead roe. It was called "strip casting".....
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Sacramento, Driggs
    Posts
    1,204

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tpeterson View Post
    After learning to spey cast I started playing with this length/wt class of fiberglass rod with short Skagit heads (OPST) and mow tips, swinging for winter steelhead on small coastal streams. I like this single hand spey casting set up for the brushy situations and ability to easily turn over heavy tips and big flies getting them down quick.
    Now I am curious, how small a stream are we talking?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Fresno, CA
    Posts
    2,749

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    I fished the San Lorenzo river a lot. Lots of the fish use to hold up in the Buckeye hole. Use to be a good run of wild Silver salmon and Steelhead in the river. It was a tidal water situation. At low tide you would be able to stand in the middle of the river. High tide we use to fish from the marker on the cliff up to the bend. There you were met with a lot of iron chuckers who would throw over your shoulder. Most of the guys who were wading would just touch their cigarette to cut off their mono lines. Lot's of arguing but very few fights. It was always fun to watch a few bank guys slide off the cliff into the water.

    A few other creeks/rivers that were good was Soquel Creek, which ran right by Ernie's Casting Pond and the Pajaro River. The Salinas river was another good river. On a high water/flood year you would find fish all the way up to Arroyo Seco. But the best river for the big steel head was the Carmel river. I caught a number of double digit steel head around Rosie's bridge and Farm Center...

    The good old days. Nice too look back
    Jay Murakoshi

    Commercial Fly Tier

    Travel Coordinator

    Web site: http://www.fliesunlimited.com/

    Email us at: jaysflies@me.com

    Call us at (831) 809-4221

  8. #8
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    Nov 2013
    Location
    Sacramento
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by PV_Premier View Post
    Now I am curious, how small a stream are we talking?
    I grew up fishing the smaller coastal streams in Mendocino County and still like to go back and fish them when the rain/water color/flows all align just right Access is getting more and more difficult because most of the logging roads are now closed but there are still some good accessible rivers. The conditions can be finicky as they fill fast and drain fast, generally I'm looking for 400-800cfs with the water coming down after a good storm. Nothing like being in a redwood grove with a nice green river fishing for wild winter steelhead. Bliss

  9. #9
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    Nov 2013
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    Sacramento
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    Default

    Photos added. If you want more images message me and I'm happy to text or dm them to you. Thanks!

  10. #10
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    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    That transparent FF85 is a truly super old really collectable Fenwick fly rod.


    Sadly, In my lifetime they dammed up most all of those lovely small coastal streams with wild Steelhead and some had wild Silver salmon.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

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