Earlier this year I parted ways with my G. Loomis 8 weight. I didn't realize how much I would miss having an 8 weight. I debated the last few months between various rods, and ultimately decided to go with a TFO BVK. I must admit, I was hesitant to pull the trigger on a non-american made rod. At the end of the day, though, I simply couldn't justify spending $700 plus dollars on a rod that I only use a few times per year for chucking large streamers. I used the BVK on Saturday and was very impressed. The rod is fast, but still has some touch. I was using sink tip with articulated streamers, and didn't have any problem with accuracy or distance. I was shocked by how light the rod felt, not only in the hand, but during casting. The weight is listed at 3.2 ounces. I didn't know the weight until I looked it up today. It feels as light as my Sage Z-Axis 6 weight. Strangely enough, the 8 weight BVK felt much lighter than the 5 weight I was using during the same day. I rate the rod as high or higher than the G. Loomis I was using before. My only complaints thus far are as follows:
1. The rod did not come with a case, which is absurd. Any decent quality rod should come with a case.
2. The alignment dots are a little off.
3. The reel seat seems a little small. I much preferred the Loomis set up with regard to the reel seat.
I am very happy with the purchase. Now I need to put it to the test on a big brown. I hope to have that opportunity later this week.
Four of us left Bryson City around 10:00 a.m. and headed up to a small creek in the woods. We saw a lot of bear hunters, but not a single fisherman. I got out of the car, walked to the creek and saw a 18 inch bow scatter. I knew it was going to be a fun day! The four of us worked up and down stream. I caught a few bows and brookies fairly quickly, but they were of standard size. I made my way down stream scouting for big fish. I came up on a small pocket of water under an overhanging tree, and much to my surprise, I saw two large rainbows feeding. I got low in the water and started casting with short roll casts and bow and arrow casts. I got the big bows to bite the fly 2 or 3 times, but couldn't get a hook-up. I finally went with a big fly. On the first cast, the fish bolted. I exited the stream and went up river to fish. After fishing for a few more hours it was about time to go. I decided to take one last shot at those fish. I went back to the spot and the two bows had returned. The rain started coming down hard and the other three in my group got in the car to leave. After a few minutes I finally got the fish on - it was a heck of a fight on 6 x tippet and no net, but I finally landed the 18 inch female bow. I tried to get a picture, but with the rain and trying to handle the large fish, I couldn't get a good picture. Nevertheless, a hell of a day. Between the four of us, we managed over 100 fish. I didn't care about numbers - catching the big bow was all I needed!
