This Sunday 12/3/17 - "Castaway" new rod tryouts at Pasadena Casting Pond

[yikes]

It's that time of year again - - want to take your next rod for a test drive?
There's a free "Castaway" event at the Pasadena casting pond on Sunday, Dec 3rd, 9am-3pm. Manufacturer’s reps (including Orvis, Sage, Redington, G-Loomis, Scott, Echo, OPST, Patagonia) will be on hand with their lineup of rods ready for tryout. Single Hand, Switch, Spey… want to compare the new Orvis H3 against 2017 shootout winner Loomis NRX? Now's your chance. Many different reels and lines also available. Rods will also be on sale at a discount.

This event is hosted by the Pasadena Casting Club and produced/sponsored by a local fly shop. The club will provide refreshments. There is also a raffle to benefit Project Healing Waters.
As an aside, this year is the club's 70th anniversary, and you can also see memorabilia in the clubhouse, such as Russ Peak's earliest fiberglass rods.

For pond directions, click here.

 

[acorad]

Re: This Sunday 12/3/17 - "Castaway" new rod tryouts at Pasadena Casting Pond

yikes, I'm going to try to make it but it'll be after lunch.

Will you be there?

Andy

 

[yikes]

Re: This Sunday 12/3/17 - "Castaway" new rod tryouts at Pasadena Casting Pond

Andy, I have to leave by about 1 pm due to other commitments.

 

[yikes]

Re: This Sunday 12/3/17 - "Castaway" new rod tryouts at Pasadena Casting Pond

Bump for this morning!

 

[brownsauce]

Re: This Sunday 12/3/17 - "Castaway" new rod tryouts at Pasadena Casting Pond

Yikes, are you a PCC member? I went to the event and had a fantastic time. The people there couldn't have been nicer.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[yikes]

Re: This Sunday 12/3/17 - "Castaway" new rod tryouts at Pasadena Casting Pond

brownsauce, yes I am. They are the ones who helped me get started in fly fishing. The casting pond is an invaluable resource, and the Pasadena Casting Club will loan out rods to anyone who wants to try on Sunday afternoons.
The annual "castaway" event is a great chance to talk directly with manufacturers reps and try out rods on something other than grass and asphalt.

My take-aways from this event:
1. Loomis NRX vs. H3 in a 5 wt shootout: I like the NRX slightly better, but in both cases a 4 wt. will serve me better than a 5 wt.
2. A very short Redington butterstick would be perfect for our local streams.
3. Trying diffrent rods is like trying different dance partners. Some are better for you than others, but trying them all out makes it obvious where your own skills need improvement. Yes, there is a big leap in quality and feel when you invest $700+ in a rod, but for myself, the biggest improvements to be had are not in my hardware but in my skills.
4. A short Redington butterstick would be perfect for our alder-choked small streams.
5. I tried skagit for the first time, and decided that two-handed, water-loaded slow casts seem a lot less stressful for a long day of fishing.
6. The castaway event seems to bring out a number of So Cal flyfishing luminaries as a mini-reunion of sorts. Im new to the sport, so I don't know most of them other than from YouTube videos and magazine articles.

 

[mcnerney]

Re: This Sunday 12/3/17 - "Castaway" new rod tryouts at Pasadena Casting Pond

My take-aways from this event:
1. Loomis NRX vs. H3 in a 5 wt shootout: I like the NRX slightly better, but in both cases a 4 wt. will serve me better than a 5 wt.
2. A very short Redington butterstick would be perfect for our local streams.
3. Trying diffrent rods is like trying different dance partners. Some are better for you than others, but trying them all out makes it obvious where your own skills need improvement. Yes, there is a big leap in quality and feel when you invest $700+ in a rod, but for myself, the biggest improvements to be had are not in my hardware but in my skills.
4. A short Redington butterstick would be perfect for our alder-choked small streams.
5. I tried skagit for the first time, and decided that two-handed, water-loaded slow casts seem a lot less stressful for a long day of fishing.
6. The castaway event seems to bring out a number of So Cal flyfishing luminaries as a mini-reunion of sorts. Im new to the sport, so I don't know most of them other than from YouTube videos and magazine articles.

Yikes: Thanks for sharing your experiences. You made some excellent observations from the rod tryouts. I especially liked #3 above, I see way too many times where a new fly fisherman thinks that buying that new $700+ rod is going to make him a better caster/fisherman. It seems like very few people ever consider in investing in a few casting lessons from a certified casting instructor. I just wish more fly fishing clubs would put on events like this one so more people could have the experience.

 

[yikes]

Re: This Sunday 12/3/17 - "Castaway" new rod tryouts at Pasadena Casting Pond

I just wish more fly fishing clubs would put on events like this one so more people could have the experience.

Thanks, Larry. Much credit goes to our local flyfishing shop, which I won't name since they aren't a NAFFF sponsor. But it's really a commercial+club partnership, at a facility we lease from the city. It takes all 3 layers to make a cake this big.