JCF Rods
Kym Goldsworthy test drives the Creek & River series 6-weight.
As one of the hardy band of fly-casters who volunteered his Sunday and his sanity to take part in FlyLife’s 6-weight shootout, there were a couple of things that really stuck in my mind.
First, that casting more than 30 rods in one day, giving each a score out of 20 on a range of different criteria, while maintaining a smooth casting stroke and an air of measured impartiality, is enough to sizzle your synapses. Second, that while there were a number of high-priced favourites, there were some pretty terrific value for money rods in the pack. And just lately I’ve been casting another rod that I reckon you could add to that value for money list. The JCF Creek & River series 6-weight is a 9-ft 4-piece rod from John Coles Fly Fishing.
The technical blurb describes it as a progressive fast action. I’m not sure exactly what that means but it feels more medium/fast to me. Think Glen McGrath rather than Mitchell Johnson. It’s a very stylish looking rod, metallic green blank, full wells grip, AAA grade cork, CNC reel seat over a hardwood insert, small fighting butt, two Pac Bay titanium coated strippers, titanium coated single foot guides, and it comes with a spare tip and tube.
The security of having a spare tip section shouldn’t be underestimated. A warranty is great but if you break the top section of a rod while on the water, I can guarantee your first thought is how to find a way to keep fishing.
But road testing a rod by just flogging a line down in the local park, casting for grass trout, is one thing. The real assessment of a rod is how it performs in the field, or better still, on the water. The JCF 6-weight was one of the rods I took on a recent trip to New Zealand. In two days on the Ahuriri, mostly spent casting a dual fly and indicator rig, the rod handled the wind and the heavy tungsten nymphs with ease. And when time came for a more delicate presentation with a fine tippet and a dry, it again performed faultlessly, with several fish up to 5 lb landed and released. I cast a couple of different lines on the rod and the SA GPX was the standout though I am sure there are plenty-more suited for this rod.
Peter Hayes gave a talk at our local club not so long ago where he quoted Lefty Kreh as saying that for the sport of fly fishing to have a secure future we need to find ways of making it attractive to new players, specifically women and young people. You don’t want to spend the equivalent of a corporate CEO’s annual bonus (er, that’s last year’s bonus, not this year’s) to find out a sport’s not really for you.
At $249, the C&R 6-weight is a quality product at a very reasonable price. Great for someone just starting out, and definitely worth considering as a back up rod for a more experienced caster.
For more details contact John Coles at www.jcflyfishing.com.au