Greys' Fly Rods - Got One?

[mic]

I took a leap of faith, and bought a Greys four weight, 10 foot, medium fast flex rod, the Streamflex .  I got it at 40% off.  I also got to try it out in a casting pond before buying.  They appear to be a rod company in England, but I had never heard of them.  It has a lifetime warranty, but was warned it takes time because it goes back to England.  I have been practicing with in the yard.  Based on that, I think I will really like more then what I currently have.  

Anyone have any experience with these rods? Anyone know anything about the company?  Greys Fly Fishing Rods - Pure Fishing

 

[Gavin]

Have heard good things, I’m sure you’ll like it. 10’ rods are usually better roll casters than overhead. Learn a single Spey cast.

[mic]

Well I got it on the water yesterday on a winter trout pond.  Once I figured out to slow down a little, it casted like a dream.  I was getting distances that I used to had to have to push hard.  Probably not related, but it did bring in three trout also.  The roll casting was just ok, but I'm learning so it was probably user error.  

The shop owner recommended that I switch to a diamond five weight line if I planned to roll cast a lot.  Don't know what that means, but he is a master caster.  If you know, let me know.  

[feather n fin]

Faster action rods being stiffer by nature do not roll cast as well. Consider some line is in the water and that water's resistance (pull on the line) puts more bend in the rod is stored energy and will tranfer that energy to the line. At least this is my notion of what is happening.

[fishinwrench]

Grey's is a spinoff from Hardy.   I doubt that they build their own blanks but nevertheless they should be quality.  

[tjm]

3 hours ago, mic said:

he shop owner recommended that I switch to a diamond five weight line if I planned to roll cast a lot.  Don't know what that means, but he is a master caster.  If you know, let me know.  

Maybe he said "DT 5  weight?

I much prefer (Double Taper) DT lines for roll/spey casting because they have long a level body/belly that carries the roll well. With WF (weight forward) lines I often find the running line is too close to the fly, meaning that the cast is limited to the WF "head" length. Going up that one line weight will mean a bit better rod loading with the D loop. I've used  lines two weights heavy for roll casting and a weight lighter than rod rating for overhead casting for years. The sad truth is that there is no standard way to rate rods for line weight, and the numbers marked on the rods are really suggestions. Every 5' of line added to the cast ups the line mass by about one line weight. There is also a degree of subjectivity in what feels right and works best for an individual when lines and rods are matched, we aren't all 6'7"tall with arms as big as stovepipes, and our strokes vary as much as our sizes do. I also use DT lines for dry flies and  surface streamers. A good DT that doesn't cost too much is the Cortland 444 Peach.  or  SA's equivalent the Mastery Double Taper. But I have some China DT  lines that cast well @<$20 too.

Your medium fast  rod should be a general purpose rod according to all the reviews I see. One source from a few years ago  said that Greys are sold under the Fenwick name in the USA.   Pure Fishing Brands.

[mic]

I wonder if he was talking about a fly line like this.  A couple of sites agree with the marketing that it is a good roll casting line.  https://royalwulff.com/products/triangle-taper-classic-float.  

[feather n fin]

8 minutes ago, mic said:

I wonder if he was talking about a fly line like this.  A couple of sites agree with the marketing that it is a good roll casting line.  https://royalwulff.com/products/triangle-taper-classic-float.  

That line roll casts well for me.

[Foghorn]

I bought a Fenwick Fenlite Streamflex on sale last year that looks a lot like the Grey's. It's a 6'6"  3 weight that is a lot of fun when fishing the trout parks. 

[tjm]

The Wulff Triangle Taper does rollcast well for the distance that the head is long. About 40'-45' plus leader, but then like any other WF it turns into limp running line that can't support the head. It also has a very long front taper that gives very little loading up close. I've used them since the late '80s, most often a TT7 on an Orvis #5 rod.  Any fly line will roll cast, but long level body roll casts best at distance. A "Long Belly" WF line works fine too. Warm water fishing where the fish are not leader shy I most often use an SA AirCel Level line L7F because that lack of front taper gets the rod loaded just that little bit quicker.

@FoghornIt's supposed to be the same Asian made  rod with different label, Pure Fishing owns both names along with many others.