I spent decades on the New England coast with a 10-weight in my hand. So I appreciate large fly rods. Believe me. They get the job done where big fish and difficult conditions are the order of the day. That said, I have a special place in my heart for little fly rods. Yes, they have limited application, but where peewee size fly rods fit the fishing, they are a hoot.
So what qualifies as a peewee? To my way of thinking, it’s any fly rod 8-feet or shorter to handle a 4-weight, or lighter line. And it must also have moderate to slow action. No tip action rods should apply. A peewee should bend right down into the corks.
A Kabuto Fly Rod
Check out this little rod. It was built by Yasuyuki Kabuto, a custom rod builder in Japan. The rod is a 7-foot, 3-piece, 3- weight. www.kabutorods.com The fiberglass blank is pale lemon yellow. The guides float under transparent wraps, and the slide-band reel seat is made from stacked piece of bamboo. It weighs 3.4 ounces. The workmanship is top-notch, and shows a steady hand and a desire for perfection. To the eye, the rod has a Zen-like simplicity. As you expect in Japanese Art, there is nothing unnecessary. Beauty resides in the bare essentials.
Kabuto Signature
Kabuto Stripping Guide
Kabuto Reel Seat
So how does it fish? It handles a 3-weight line nicely, although some folks will prefer a 4wt. And it does all I ask of it on the stream. Great trout tool. Can I nitpick for a second? The tip-top on this rod seems a tad small and is not heavy chrome. There is no hook keeper. And the black finish on the reel seat is not very durable.
At a later time I’ll go into the more casting details. Be sure to read them if this rod interests you. While we’re on the subject of little fly rods, I’m want to do the next post on another peewee. It’s a Winston fiberglass fly rod from their Stalker Series, of the 70’s and 80’s. Learn more in recent update
(Back on April 27, 2011, I posted a review of Cabela’s Anniversary custom fiberglass, 5-foot, 9-inch, 3-weight )
Interested in reading about other Winston Fiberglass fly rods? Check out these links. Winston 2wt Stalker, Winston 5wt , Winston 6wt, Winston 8wt, Winston 1owt, Winston 12wt
Want more about glass fly rods, visit this excellent site www.thefiberglassmanifesto.blogspot.com
