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Posted: 5/15/2016 2:01:12 AM EDT
Somehow over the years I have become the guy who ends up with the old fishing gear my relatives leave behind when they pass away. This happens more and more since my dad was the youngest of 10 kids and he's already in his late 60's. I don't mind too much because I sort of like fishing with old gear especially when it comes from relatives I can't fish with anymore except in spirit. The other day I was going through a tangled up bundle of rods and reels and noticed one was not a regular rod with the typical zebco spincast reel. I had stumbled across a fly rod. I had been interested in fly fishing since I saw a river runs through it and even got an inexpensive little kit to try to learn on. It worked fine, but I started trying to figure out what all the flys were and which ones would I need and got a bit overwhelmed. After finding this rod I got out my fly rod made a couple casts and decided I might like to give it a try again. Now my question is what do I do with this old fly rod? do I search for a vintage reel to put on it or stick a new one on it and which new one would I use? If it helps the rod seems to be a Garcia conolon live fiber 2404 about 8' long and 2404 is an educated guess based on a partial number and a quick Google search. Is it still something that could be fished, too valuable of a collectable to fish, or just a nice wall hanger?
Link Posted: 5/15/2016 8:05:56 AM EDT
[#1]
Not a particularly rare or valuable rod, but it should fish well. Check for a star rating - they rated rod/ build quality by stars with 5 being the highest end.

I'd grab an old medalist and test it out with some 7 or 8 weight line. Should be fun to fish.
Link Posted: 5/15/2016 11:01:04 AM EDT
[#2]
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Quoted:
Not a particularly rare or valuable rod, but it should fish well. Check for a star rating - they rated rod/ build quality by stars with 5 being the highest end.

I'd grab an old medalist and test it out with some 7 or 8 weight line. Should be fun to fish.
View Quote


Most of the decals are just about worn off so I didn't see a star rating or maybe I just don't know where to look. Since I didn't have a tapered leader or fly on the old Shakespeare starter rod I temporary put the reel from it on the old rod I found. It seems to put the line where I want with just a bit of interference from the wind of course. Still, I would like to find something to put on it a bit more permanent. I looked up medalist and they seemed to run around 100. Then I noticed you said old and eBay reels seem more in my price range, but I really hate ebay. I don't have a real reason for it, I just don't like ebay. So, where else would I look for old fly reels?

Edit: to make a sentence a bit more clear I accidentally wrote that I put one rod onto another rod instead of just the reel.
Link Posted: 5/15/2016 11:24:48 AM EDT
[#3]
First figure out what line it likes. Then find a Pfleuger Medalist appropriate for that size. Sometimes you can find them reasonably priced on craigslist, but most of the time they think their stuff is gold.

Fish it and enjoy the memories!
Link Posted: 5/15/2016 11:46:46 AM EDT
[#4]
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Quoted:
First figure out what line it likes. Then find a Pfleuger Medalist appropriate for that size. Sometimes you can find them reasonably priced on craigslist, but most of the time they think their stuff is gold.

Fish it and enjoy the memories!
View Quote


The reel I tried is either spooled with 5 or 6 According to what the rod says. I got the combo years ago and didn't get very far with it at the time so I don't quite remember a lot about it. It seems to do about the same on this old rod as it does on the other one. I did notice it seems to produce a whip like crack easier than the other so I have to be more careful not to do that or it could just be my inexperience. I think I might like this rod a little better though as far as balance and weight. I'm still so new to this that I wouldn't know yet how to tell if a rod likes a particular line or not.
Link Posted: 5/15/2016 2:19:13 PM EDT
[#5]
There isn't really a "right" line size - try a couple in the 6, 7,8 range til you find one that suits your casting style. Given that it's a fiberglass rod it will likely work well with multiple weights.

Once you figure out the right size line, get the used medalist from CL or EBay. 1496 is probably the right size. Expect to pay ~45 for a nice, but not collector grade example.

Go out and have fun with it.

ETA: Don't worry so much about a tapered leader to start. Just toss some 10lb mono on there and have at it, particularly if your near a warmwater fishery. Gotta get a fly or two though.
Link Posted: 5/16/2016 12:04:41 AM EDT
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
There isn't really a "right" line size - try a couple in the 6, 7,8 range til you find one that suits your casting style. Given that it's a fiberglass rod it will likely work well with multiple weights.

Once you figure out the right size line, get the used medalist from CL or EBay. 1496 is probably the right size. Expect to pay ~45 for a nice, but not collector grade example.

Go out and have fun with it.

ETA: Don't worry so much about a tapered leader to start. Just toss some 10lb mono on there and have at it, particularly if your near a warmwater fishery. Gotta get a fly or two though.
View Quote


Got a 25 piece assortment from south Bend the other day tried looking up what flies are in it and I'm back to where I left off last time I thought about trying this. Trying to find a way to fish without having to be a full blown entomologist to do it .
Link Posted: 5/16/2016 7:59:52 AM EDT
[#7]
Quoted:
Somehow over the years I have become the guy who ends up with the old fishing gear my relatives leave behind when they pass away. This happens more and more since my dad was the youngest of 10 kids and he's already in his late 60's. I don't mind too much because I sort of like fishing with old gear especially when it comes from relatives I can't fish with anymore except in spirit. The other day I was going through a tangled up bundle of rods and reels and noticed one was not a regular rod with the typical zebco spincast reel. I had stumbled across a fly rod. I had been interested in fly fishing since I saw a river runs through it and even got an inexpensive little kit to try to learn on. It worked fine, but I started trying to figure out what all the flys were and which ones would I need and got a bit overwhelmed. After finding this rod I got out my fly rod made a couple casts and decided I might like to give it a try again. Now my question is what do I do with this old fly rod? do I search for a vintage reel to put on it or stick a new one on it and which new one would I use? If it helps the rod seems to be a Garcia conolon live fiber 2404 about 8' long and 2404 is an educated guess based on a partial number and a quick Google search. Is it still something that could be fished, too valuable of a collectable to fish, or just a nice wall hanger?
View Quote



That's one of the easier parts of the game.

Local fly shops will help and name what's hitting, the internet, etc.

Here's a helpful site:

http://www.perfectflystore.com/waters.html
Link Posted: 5/16/2016 8:30:19 AM EDT
[#8]
Congrats, OP.

I'd always wanted to learn how to angle since I was a kid.  I made my decision in Iraq, surrounded by sand, dust, and wind, that I'd learn once I got back.

My next duty station my boss had fly-fished since he was 12.  He taught me everything (including tying flies).  By the end of my two years there he said I'd learned enough and had enough passion for it I could probably get a job guiding.

I sincerely hope you have a great time learning -- I'm jealous.  :)
Link Posted: 5/16/2016 12:40:48 PM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



That's one of the easier parts of the game.

Local fly shops will help and name what's hitting, the internet, etc.

Here's a helpful site:

http://www.perfectflystore.com/waters.html
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Somehow over the years I have become the guy who ends up with the old fishing gear my relatives leave behind when they pass away. This happens more and more since my dad was the youngest of 10 kids and he's already in his late 60's. I don't mind too much because I sort of like fishing with old gear especially when it comes from relatives I can't fish with anymore except in spirit. The other day I was going through a tangled up bundle of rods and reels and noticed one was not a regular rod with the typical zebco spincast reel. I had stumbled across a fly rod. I had been interested in fly fishing since I saw a river runs through it and even got an inexpensive little kit to try to learn on. It worked fine, but I started trying to figure out what all the flys were and which ones would I need and got a bit overwhelmed. After finding this rod I got out my fly rod made a couple casts and decided I might like to give it a try again. Now my question is what do I do with this old fly rod? do I search for a vintage reel to put on it or stick a new one on it and which new one would I use? If it helps the rod seems to be a Garcia conolon live fiber 2404 about 8' long and 2404 is an educated guess based on a partial number and a quick Google search. Is it still something that could be fished, too valuable of a collectable to fish, or just a nice wall hanger?



That's one of the easier parts of the game.

Local fly shops will help and name what's hitting, the internet, etc.

Here's a helpful site:

http://www.perfectflystore.com/waters.html


Thanks, I took a look and just bookmarked that website.
Link Posted: 5/16/2016 12:49:57 PM EDT
[#10]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Congrats, OP.

I'd always wanted to learn how to angle since I was a kid.  I made my decision in Iraq, surrounded by sand, dust, and wind, that I'd learn once I got back.

My next duty station my boss had fly-fished since he was 12.  He taught me everything (including tying flies).  By the end of my two years there he said I'd learned enough and had enough passion for it I could probably get a job guiding.

I sincerely hope you have a great time learning -- I'm jealous.  :)
View Quote


I think I might try to find someone who already knows this sport like you did. I'm kinda looking forward to Friday because there's a free fly tying class put on by Flatland Fly Fishers at the great plains nature center in Wichita. I'm hoping it's a good opportunity to get to know at least a couple of the members and decide if I want to sign up.
Link Posted: 5/16/2016 1:04:33 PM EDT
[#11]
Found a bit of discussion on your Garcia Conolon rod:  Garcia Conolon rods  sounds like there is a bit of nostalgia about that particular rod.
Link Posted: 5/16/2016 10:37:02 PM EDT
[#12]
I probably wouldn't try to learn to fly fish on that any more than I'd try to learn to golf with a 50 year old set of clubs.

There is certainly some nostalgia, but for $50 you can pick up a rod that is light years ahead as casting is like 5% of what you have to learn and you can't start picking up the rest until you have that down

One rod that has been fine and a great deal are the greys rods. You can find the gs and gs2 on ebay cheap.
Link Posted: 5/17/2016 11:11:09 AM EDT
[#13]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I probably wouldn't try to learn to fly fish on that any more than I'd try to learn to golf with a 50 year old set of clubs.

There is certainly some nostalgia, but for $50 you can pick up a rod that is light years ahead as casting is like 5% of what you have to learn and you can't start picking up the rest until you have that down

One rod that has been fine and a great deal are the greys rods. You can find the gs and gs2 on ebay cheap.
View Quote


I see your point. I don't really plan to use the old one I found to learn with I already have a newer one for that (bought it after I first saw a river runs through it ) . The old one just inspired me to pull the newer one out of the closet and give it a try to see if I can get past the initial learning curve. I should have more patience with it now that I'm older and hopefully wiser.
Link Posted: 5/21/2016 12:11:29 AM EDT
[#14]
Well, I have an update. What I have seems to be in the 4 star line of rods. It supposedly has the same fiberglass core as their higher end rods, but not as high a grade of finish. They were made for department stores rather than sporting goods stores during the 70's. Oh, and upon further inspection it's a 2454 not a 2404. I also attended my first fly tying class and have my first woolly bugger. From what I've seen so far it's a general purpose fly that everyone needs to have...I think? I also got my hands on what an experienced fly fisherman uses for a rod and think the Garcia conolon comes closer to that than the flyrod like 8' rubber brick I thought I would be happy with that I got off Amazon without doing any homework. At least I'm out less than $20 on it and I already figured going in that it would at least some level of crappy, but at least I have something I can fish with until I decide what I want in a rod. Almost forgot it appears that it's a 7 weight rod. I guess I'll have to find a 7 weight reel and line (something better than the stuff I have it felt like sandpaper compared to what I saw today.)
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