Fellow blogger, Chris Barclay, is so taken with bluegills that he started a blog called The Bream Bum where he chronicles his trips in and around the St. Louis, Missouri area. I thought it would be neat to highlight his latest fly rod build and his thoughts on why bluegill are the best in his eyes.
Chris wrote... "'Gills and glass seem to be made for each other. I'm an unashamed bluegill lover. I'd rather fish for and catch a nice bluegill than anything else. That's why I built my latest rod, a McFarland Rods 763-3.
Some of the typical small bream are able to show off on a light 'glass rod but when you hook into the occasional bruiser bream or bass lurking in the same waters, that's when the fun begins! You've got feel, finesse and power to enjoy the fish without feeling so concerned for the rod's durability. I recently broke my favorite graphite bluegill rod on a rather large fish - I don't feel this is going to be an issue with the McFarland. The more I fish this rod, the more I like the material in general. You've got the finesse and subtle presentation of a 1 weight but with power, feel and the ability to battle some wind which is always a concern on open stillwater.
Right now, I have a 6'9" three weight blank on order for my small creek outings and am in the research phase of finding the right five weight blank for a light bass rod. I'd say I'm hooked!"
Chris...nice work on the build and look forward to seeing what's next. I've got some ideas for a five weight blank when you are ready.
Chris wrote... "'Gills and glass seem to be made for each other. I'm an unashamed bluegill lover. I'd rather fish for and catch a nice bluegill than anything else. That's why I built my latest rod, a McFarland Rods 763-3.
Some of the typical small bream are able to show off on a light 'glass rod but when you hook into the occasional bruiser bream or bass lurking in the same waters, that's when the fun begins! You've got feel, finesse and power to enjoy the fish without feeling so concerned for the rod's durability. I recently broke my favorite graphite bluegill rod on a rather large fish - I don't feel this is going to be an issue with the McFarland. The more I fish this rod, the more I like the material in general. You've got the finesse and subtle presentation of a 1 weight but with power, feel and the ability to battle some wind which is always a concern on open stillwater.
Right now, I have a 6'9" three weight blank on order for my small creek outings and am in the research phase of finding the right five weight blank for a light bass rod. I'd say I'm hooked!"
Chris...nice work on the build and look forward to seeing what's next. I've got some ideas for a five weight blank when you are ready.
2 comments:
Awesome looking rod! I think that I'm now going to head over to a pond of bluegills that I found last year... They are a beautiful fish!
TRD...did you get out for bluegill? Tough to beat a spring day and bluegill fishing. I'm a fan.
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