Here is a saga concerning some breathtaking carelessness on my part. The drummer arrives at my house with his Toyota sedan filled to the top with drum equipment, monitors, etc. Earlier I put all my rods in the van, so I wouldn’t forget them: the lead guitar is an engineer who is preparing the shipping container for my rods, and we are going to his studio to practice. So I pull the rods from the van, put them on top, and fill the van with the drums and bass stuff. We head on down the road. I hear a “thump” and wonder what we ran over. Three blocks later I jump out of my seat, have the drummer throw on the brakes (he drives), and I scream “my rods”! Well, the offshore rods are OK, but the $1000+ noodle rod is missing. I rip down the street backtracking, telling the drummer to circle back as I split. Pop a blood vessel in my throat as I haul ass down the street. The van and I arrive at the same time at the spot in the road where the noodle rod had fallen. Just in time to watch a mini van run it over, tip to handle. G Loomis guarantees the rod, but not against being run-over by cars charging down a major street!

So, having made many plans based on this rod for my upcoming 10-day, I start the search for a replacement. Then it dawns on me: I don’t need a truly top-shelf noodle rod, because I am not fishing wild rivers, but instead I am fishing off a boat! I am using small spinning and casting reels, not a fly reel. The line will be between 8 and 12 lb test, so the rod has to be smooth, as does the drag—but neither rod nor reel will ever have to deal with huge forces—the line is too light for heavy action.

After many hours I find an extraordinary shop, in Canada. They are packed with great stuff! I find the G Loomis rod that I want (STR 1265). It is a steelhead casting rod, 10.5 feet long, rated for 8 to 17-lb line, medium heavy blank, moderate action. This rod is perfect for lures (e.g., spinners, spoons, baits) between ½ oz and 1 oz. A beautiful rod, very light, well balanced. Here is a picture…

The rod only cost around $250 with three-day shipping. The dude in charge, David, is da kind. And Derrick, who handles shipping, is very accommodating and nice… Here is the contact information: David Lafayette; The Fishing Store; www.iflyshop.com; Fax: 705-495-8865; Sales: 1-800-435-2755.

One more photo:

Best!

Here is a picture of the types of lures (spoons, in-line spinners) that require the super-casting capabilities of the long rods. The longest spinners weigh 1/2 ounce and mimic common bait fish (anchovies, sardine, mackerel), as well as other prey fish (juvenile dodo and hoo). The rooster tails, all 1 oz, were custom made. The small spoons, 1 ounce and less, are common in my region for fishing salmon and steelhead. Not shown is my fly box, with 50 flies that I tied in a rainbow of colors: streamers mostly, as well as some shrimp patterns. With the long rod these small lures (or flies with split shot) can easily be cast 50 to 100 feet. Should be fun to play with in times when the fishing deck is clear.