The 4wt 3 piece custom split cane rod was all I ever dreamed and hoped for. Easy to cast all day, delicate in the presentation of dries in the 12 - 24 size range. It is such a great fishing tool that after two 16 hour days I did not even have a callus on my right hand and it had the backbone to be taken into the backing by chunky wild rainbows and bring them in after numerous runs and jumps. I only have a few pictures because rod, net, fish and camera and a deep wade are something of a handful.
The rainbows shown were taken on a #14 double badger tied with golden badger, a number of other rainbows taken on the LaFontaine pupa sparkle caddis emerger (orange Antron shuck, not yellow, they were very particular) were larger, at least as long as the opening of my net (18 inches). The browns are 2 representative fish taken on a #18 bullet head caddis (deer hair overwing, olive CDC body) from the Willow Pool and a 12 foot hand-tied leader, which was like a mirror and need far and fine presentations. They were the two I could photograph because I could bring them conveniently into the bank.
The rod handled short and long distances, and presentations that needed to be straight, or with the leader bellied or any variation needed for braided currents, and side-casts into tight quarters under the branches, or the roll cast.
You really executed on the design and building of the fishing rod of a lifetime.
All the best
Hugh Rosen
Professor Hugh Rosen MB.ChB., D.Phil.
The Scripps Research Institute
