Five Rivers? (english version)

Interesting things sometimes come from small, "uninteresting" places...
I say this because it happened to me often to be surprized of things that happen and nobody has seen or heard of...But of what I am about to tell you in these lines below, looks like a lot of folks are talking about...
Some very talented rod builders in a small town of Oregon, are rolling graphite blanks under the name of "Five Rivers". Their goal is one and very simple: building the best quality graphite blanks, at some fair prices... and I am amazed of what they do, especially when I first received the Signature V 8'9" in lenght, 4 weight, 3 pcs., the old model, too me with pretty fast action and a great feeling. They would compare this blank with the very best Sage XP and Loomis GLX at that time, in terms of lightness and action...
Dan Craft, the blank designer, described them very precise and it catched my attention right away and decided to give them a try..."Dan Craft Enterprises is proud to present The Five Rivers Signature V Blanks. These blanks are 60 million modulus, Mod-Fast High line speed action, “Exploded Ferrule” design, Graphite Power Scrim"...
Unfortunately, I got only one blank at that time, and shortly after that, Dan changed the old 3 pieces "exploded ferrule" design with the new but very efective "tip over butt", and in a 4 pieces configuration...I'm still fishing with my old rod, but I also have other favorites...
The new "Signature V Finesse" is a bit different that the older one, with a softer action, but excelent recovery rate. The major improvement being the change in the ferrule type...available in the AFTMA from 3 to 8, with lenghts from 8'6" to 9'6"..."FIVE RIVERS SIGNATURE V FINESSE SERIES FLY ROD BLANKS ARE 60 MILLION MODULUS, ULTRA LIGHT WITH MEDIUM FAST "FINESSE" ACTIONS. THE FINISH IS MATTE CLEAR (GLOSS) THESE BLANKS WILL DEVELOP HIGH LINE SPEEDS AND ARE UNRIVALED IN THE INDUSTRY TODAY!"
For me , and I think not only for me, a good fly rod is one that can cast a line no matter what the conditions are, in close, medium or long distances, and in the same time won't dissapoint me when some wind occurs...
Here in Europe there are a lot of people that have not heard or seen rods built on these blanks...I have heard of a few frech and german folks that really like them but that's about it...
If I mention someone the name of "Five Rivers" here in Romania I often hear the same funny question:" Are they made by Loomis?...lol"
But anyway, talking to people in the business and not only to them, and also reading reviews, just to see what people think of these blanks, is always the best way to demonstrate that they are great blanks...and indeed to a lot of folks out there, including me, they are just oustanding.
Five Rivers rod blanks are between the very few still made in the USA, being designed by Dan L. Craft, with a 25 years of experience in rod blanks making, and they are constructed from hi modulus graphite fibers (51-60mil. modulus) and bounded with advanced resins.
These blanks have in general one very important caracteristic: they are very light. And from this major improvement, they come up in an amazing variety of lenghts and weights, all very light and responsive because of the hi-modulus graphite, with an extraordinary recovery rate even on blanks rated as mod-fast (Signature III-V si FTL). This is a great achievement, to have crisp actions and smooth feeling in the same time.
Five Rivers Signature III and FTL are for the more relaxed casting folks, even the least experienced casters feel great casting with them. But not only for them...I personally love their smooth feeling and ability to make precise presentations at any fishing distance, in small creeks or big rivers.
Five Rivers Signature III , are moderate fast actions, with great feel and extremely low weight, are my favorite for small creeks and medium size rivers, available in the AFTMA 0-3, with lenghts from 6' to 9', from 2 or 3 pieces, and some 4 pieces on special orders..." SIGNATURE III MEDIUM FAST ACTION BLANKS. BLACK FINISH 51 MILLION MODULUS. LIGHT WEIGHT AND FEEL."
Five Rivers FTL (Fast Taper Light), from 4, 5 or 6 pieces, AFTMA between 3 and 6, and lenghts from 6'6" to 9'0", are for those who fish remote places and not only. These blanks are among the sweetest blanks in Dan's line and they are also very light. The ferrules type is perfect and a 6 piece rod built on these blanks actually performs just as any other 2 or 3 piece, or even better...it' s hard to believe but it's a true fact... they are reminiscent of the older Signature IV, a very representative, custom cut line of blanks, that also had excelent recovery rate, smooth feeling and light weight..."FTL MEDIUM FAST ACTION 57 MILLION MODULUS BLANK. LIGHT WEIGHT AND FEEL."
Five Rivers Signature V Finesse, 8'6" 3 weght , in action...
Five Rivers FT (Fast Taper), are the "rocket launchers" in Dan Craft's line. They have very fast tip action, excel in windy conditions, achieving amazingly hi line speeds with very tight loops, making them excelent tools for lake fishing with fast sinking lines, medium or large sized rivers, pike or salmon fishing and not only...four piece configuraton, with great ferrules...They don't feel like broomsticks don't get me wrong...they have flexible tips that load easy (with at least one weight up) that protect fine tippets and they are great for playing fish. I use the 9' 2 weight in my local river for trout or greyling with a 3 weight rio Grand and it's great...
Available in the AFTMA 2 to 10, and 9' in lenght and one 8'6" model..."FIVE RIVERS FT FAST ACTION FLY BLANK. 57 MILLION MODULUS, STRONG AND POWERFUL DEVELOPING HIGH LINE SPEEDS."
The FT (Fast Progressive Taper) are 10' in lenght, and they are different from the 9' models, with fast-progressive actions. I find them very versatile and very light for their lenghts. From czech nymphing, classic nymphing or lake fishing and also for the most discussed rods lately, the switch rods, a hybrid for fishing either single hand or double hand whenever distance fishing is required, in lake or river. Available in the AFTMA from 3 to 10..."FIVE RIVERS FT FAST ACTION, PROGRESSIVE POWER FLY BLANKS. 57 MILLION MODULUS. HIGH LINE SPEEDS ARE EASILY ACHIEVED AND MAJOR AMOUNTS OF LINE CAN BE KEPT IN THE AIR. THESE 10' MODELS MAKE GREAT SWITCH RODS!"...Dan L. Craft, Dan Craft Enterprises...


Tightloops and easy selection!!

Five Rivers?

Lucrurile interesante vin de obicei din locuri mai putin cunoscute...
Spun asta pentru nu o data mi s-a intamplat sa fiu surprins de anumite lucruri care se intampla si de care nimeni nu a auzit...insa de ceea ce urmeaza sa va spun, se pare ca tot mai multa lume a inceput sa auda...
Niste contructori talentati dintr-un mic orasel din Oregon ruleaza blankuri din grafit sub numele de "Five Rivers". Scopul lor este unul foarte simplu...de a construi blankuri din grafit de cea mai buna calitate. Si am constatat ca o fac foarte bine, dupa ce am tinut in mana primul blank...era un Signature V 3 pcs., din seria veche, cu actiune rapida dar cu un feeling extraordinar. Ei il asemanau ca actiune cu Sage XP si Loomis GLX la vremea aceea...
Primisem o descriere a acestei serii de la Dan, in 2004, si am zis hai sa vedem ce-i cu ele..."Dan Craft Enterprises is proud to present The Five Rivers Signature V Blanks. These blanks are 60 million modulus, Mod-Fast High line speed action, “Exploded Ferrule” design, Graphite Power Scrim"...Din nefericire am achizitionat doar un blank la vremea aceea, 8'9" 4wt. 3pcs., si la scurt timp s-a modificat seria de la trei segmente la patru...
Noua serie "Signature V Finesse" este putin diferita de cea veche, cu o actiune ceva mai blanda, dar pastrandu-si calitatile si cu un feeling mai bun. Modificarea majora a constat in schimbarea tipului de mufare, de la designul "exploded ferrule" la standardul si eficientul "tip over butt"...disponibile in clasele AFTMA 3-8, cu lungimi intre 8'6"-9'6"..."FIVE RIVERS SIGNATURE V FINESSE SERIES FLY ROD BLANKS ARE 60 MILLION MODULUS, ULTRA LIGHT WITH MEDIUM FAST "FINESSE" ACTIONS. THE FINISH IS MATTE CLEAR (GLOSS) THESE BLANKS WILL DEVELOP HIGH LINE SPEEDS AND ARE UNRIVALED IN THE INDUSTRY TODAY!"
Pentru mine, si cred ca nu numai, o lanseta buna este cea care poate lansa snurul in orice conditii, aproape, la distante medii sau lungi, si care nu ma dezamageste la prima adiere de vant...
Probabil ca multi dintre dumneavoatra nu ati auzit, folosit sau vazut prea multe lansete contruite pe aceste blankuri, in masura in care in Romania se stia multa vreme de G.Loomis si Sage. Daca spun cuiva de numele Five Rivers ma lovesc deseori de nostima intrebare:"Asta de cine-i facut? De Loomis?"...
Dupa parerea multora, aceste blankuri sunt printre cele mai bine construite alaturi de alte cateva, si la un pret mult mai accesibil decat al marilor producatori. Spun asta in urma experientei acumulate in constructia de lansete pe aceste blankuri, din 2004 si pana astazi, si in urma discutiilor avute pe forumurile de specialitate din State si nu numai.
Am tot vorbit in stanga si-n dreapta despre ele, si in momentul cand am starnit ceva interes am fost intrebat:"Da de nimfa de 10' cl.2 sau 3 nu este?"...Evident ca o lanseta pentru czeck nymphing nu are nimic de-a face cu flycasting-ul...
In afara de cativa oameni intr-adevar pasionati si corect informati, putini sunt cei care inteleg ce se intampla, de fapt, in aceasta industrie atat de avansata a zilelor noastre, cei care stiu ce vor cu adevarat, la ce vor folosi o anume lanseta, etc.
Blankurile Five Rivers au ramas printre putinele cu adevarat "made in USA", fiind proiectate de Dan L. Craft, cu o experienta de aproximativ 25 ani in domeniu, construite din grafit inalt modulat (51-60mil.module) si cu rasini performante.
Ele au in general o caracteristica foarte importanta - sunt foarte usoare. De aici rezulta celelalte calitati importante ale unui blank de musca. Datorita grafitului inalt modulat, ele au o rata de revenire extraordinara chiar si in cazul unui blank cu actiune moderat-rapida (seriile Signature III-V si FTL).
Seriile Signature III si FTL sunt destinate in general celor cu un casting mai relaxat, chiar si cei mai putini experimentati simtindu-se confortabil cu aceste lansete.
Five Rivers Signature III , cu actiuni moderat-rapide, cu un feeling extraordinar si greutate extrem de redusa, reprezinta favoritele mele pentru prezentari delicate pe cele mai mici paraie de la noi, fiind disponibile in clasele AFTMA 0-3, cu lungimi intre 6'-9', din 2 si 3 segmente, sau 4 segmente pe comanda speciala..." SIGNATURE III MEDIUM FAST ACTION BLANKS. BLACK FINISH 51 MILLION MODULUS. LIGHT WEIGHT AND FEEL."
Seria FTL (Fast Taper Light), din 4, 5 si 6 bucati, AFTMA intre 3-6, cu lungimi intre 6'6"-9'0", sunt destinate celor care calatoresc intens si nu numai. Acesta linie de blankuri se remarca de asemenea printr-o greutate redusa. Mufarea este perfecta si in ciuda numarului mai mare de mufe ele se comporta la fel ca o lanseta din 2 sau 3 segmente...este greu de crezut dar lansetele construite pe aceste blankuri sunt printre cele mai apreciate de la Dan Craft. Ele sunt reminiscente ale seriei Signature IV, una dintre cele reusite linii de blankuri Five Rivers in materie de feeling, rata de revenire, greutate, etc..."FTL MEDIUM FAST ACTION 57 MILLION MODULUS BLANK. LIGHT WEIGHT AND FEEL."
Five Rivers Signature V Finesse, 8'6" clasa 3, in actiune...
Seriile FT (Fast Taper), cu actiune de varf, rapida-tip action, exceleaza in conditii de vant, mai ales in ceea ce priveste viteza cu care snurul este propulsat in bucle extrem de stranse, facandu-le de neegalat la distante mari...din 4 segmente, cu mufare impecabila.
Ele sunt adevarate tunuri de lansat, dar destul de blande pe varf facandu-le versatile la pescuit, sunt capabile sa lanseze un snur sinking la distante apreciabile, si sunt recomandate mai ales pentru cei avansati in casting, deoarece nu permit erori de timing in lansare, fiind extrem de rapide. Sunt disponibile in clasele AFTMA de la 2 la 10..."FIVE RIVERS FT FAST ACTION FLY BLANK. 57 MILLION MODULUS, STRONG AND POWERFUL DEVELOPING HIGH LINE SPEEDS."
Seria de blankuri FT (Fast Progressive Taper) de 10' lungime, sunt diferite de cele de 9' in sensul ca au actiune rapid-progresiva, fiind foarte versatile, de la czech nymphing, classic nymphing, tehnici de lac si pana la switch rods-urile atat de discutate in ultima vreme - un hibrid care poate fi folosit cu tehnici single hand sau double hand (spey), oriunde avem nevoie de lanseuri la distanta, pe lac sau pe rau. Sunt disponibile in clasele AFTMA 3-10..."FIVE RIVERS FT FAST ACTION, PROGRESSIVE POWER FLY BLANKS. 57 MILLION MODULUS. HIGH LINE SPEEDS ARE EASILY ACHIEVED AND MAJOR AMOUNTS OF LINE CAN BE KEPT IN THE AIR. THESE 10' MODELS MAKE GREAT SWITCH RODS!"...Dan L. Craft, Dan Craft Enterprises...


Bucle stranse si selectie usoara!!

How "tightloop" was born?

Hmmm, that is a good question...maybe because of my passion that won't let me sleep night after night or maybe from my ambition to always create something even better than the last time... the truth is hidden somewhere in the past of a flyfishing and flycasting fanatic...

Tightloop's story begins in the spring of 1995, when I have received my first composite fly rod, a Shakespeare, wich was pretty heavy from what I remember... it had a medium-slow action.

At that time in Romania was very difficult to find a decent fly rod and it took some time until the first graphite fly rods were available. My first graphite rod was a german brand ( called Balzer Edition IM6, 10' 5 weight) wich was a bit lighter than my first, and this was the rod that I went with on my first national fly fishing competition..he served me well but unfortunately it ended up broken by my good buddy on his first session on our home river Basca Mare.I did save the rosewood reel seat though..
In the summer of 2003, as a student, I've managed to get to the States for four months, in a small town of New Hampshire.
I was within a two hours drive from the legendary Orvis, the Connecticut River and some very beautiful brook trout lakes and streams from the northern range of the Appalachian Mountains.
Here I was about to embrace my new passion for fly rodbuilding. I had the chance to talk to some of the very best people in the industry, true craftsmen that were here before flyfishing rods becomed what they are today, and long before fly rods started to be made in China...they adviced me to start building my own rods to have something truly unique and designed to my specific needs...but they forgot to mention that this wasn't going to be easy...and I was about to experience it for myself..it is amazing what I could find out about fly rods from this people.
In the fall of 2003 I ended up building my first fly rod, on a Cabelas blank for wich I used the old reel seat from my Balzer rod..to me, that reel seat marks the beginning of my new passion.

The rods I carefully craft are mostly built on advanced graphite blanks turn into modern fly rods that generate tremendous line speeds but they are classic built fly rods. With blazing line speeds it's easy to form a tight loop than with the slower action of the early graphite rods, placing the fly wherever the fly fisherman wants to put it. The tighter the loop the easier to beat the wind and to get the best accuracy when delivering the fly to a rising fish.

Of course many will say that throwing the line into a tight loop is independent of the material the blank is made of and its action but we have to take into consideration the recovery speed of a blank, not necessarily the stiffness of a rod. The faster it is, the easier is to speed up the cast. Speeding up the fly line and stopping the rod in an abrupt manner will form the tightest loops. On the opposite side, sometimes we need to slow down and look for rods that let us relax when fishing, rods that load easy and are best for close fishing. Fortunately I can build some of those too. There are still some old-school medium action blanks out there that I love to build and fish with.

I love the classic looks on a fly rod no matter what type of graphite the blank is made of. My goal is to build you a rod that will help you cast and fish better, that looks and performs better than any other, one that will help you cast and fish well at any range.
We all now or we should know that some the most beautifully and correct built fly rods out there are handcrafted by only some fellow flyfishermen, true craftsmen that dedicate maximum amouth of time to create masterpiece rod works that are superior fishing tools, meticulosly built with maximum attention to details. In my humble opinnion, two blanks rated with the same action and weight are not perfectly identical. This is where all the differences between a custom rod and a factory rod come into place.

These fly rods are created with one goal in mind...to make the best possible fly rods for the specific need of a certain individual. For this job, only the best blanks and components available in the industry are to be used. The handles are hand shaped for the best comfort and from the highest grade cork that can possibly be found with various shapes and sizes to match the lenght and weight of the rod. The guides are properly sanded, aligned and positioned in relation to the blank's spine to get the maximum of performance.

The estetics sets my rods apart from all the other rods that we may have access to, in fly shops or on the internet. In order to really make a difference between a factory rod and your very special custom fly rod, they are painstakingly handcrafted to your specific needs and taste with elegance and class.

Thank you for your interest in my rods and tightloops to you all !!

Cum a aparut "tightloop"?

Hmmm, buna intrebare...poate din cauza pasiunii care nu ma lasa sa dorm linistit nopti la rand sau poate din dorinta de a crea intotdeauna ceva mai bun decat ultima data...adevarul e undeva ascuns in trecutul meu de fanatic al flyfishing-ului si al flycasting-ului...
Istoria "tightloop" incepe undeva in primavara anului 1995, cand mi-am achizitionat prima lanseta de musca, un Shakespeare din fibra compozita, care tin minte ca era destul de greoaie si foarte elastica, evident precizia lanseurilor fiind dezastruoasa. La vremea aceea in Romania era extrem de greu sa gasesti o lanseta de musca acceptabila, iar a acest lucru a durat destul de mult. Am folosit multa vreme o lanseta Balzer IM6 de 3m, cl.5, cu care am si participat la prima competitie nationala, dar care din pacate a ajuns sa fie rupta de amicul meu Zsolt la prima lui partida pe Basca Mare in urma cu multi ani...
Am reusit sa salvez totusi mandrina...
In vara anului 2003, student fiind am reusit sa ajung in Statele Unite, intr-un mic orasel turistic din statul New Hampshire.
Eram la o ora-doua distanta de legendarul nume Orvis si Connecticut River si cateva lacuri superbe din muntii Apalasi...
aici avea sa se nasca marea mea pasiune pentru rodbuilding..am avut ocazia sa stau de vorba cu muscari adevarati, adevarati maestrii ai genului, care au fost prezenti inainte ca flyfishing-ul sa devina industrie, inainte ca productia de lansete sa fie destinata maselor...Acestia m-au sfatuit sa-mi construiesc singur lansetele daca vreau sa am ceva intradevar de calitate..dar au "uitat" sa mentioneze si faptul ca nu va fi usor. Asta aveam insa s-o experimentez pe propria piele...
In toamna anului 2003 reusesc sa-mi construiesc prima lanseta, pe un blank Cabelas pe care am montat vechea mandrina Balzer, care reprezinta un fel de simbol al inceputului in acest minunat sport.
Intr-o traducere mot-a-mot, "tightloop" inseamna "bucla stransa", adica ceea ce firul de musca ar trebui sa deseneze in traiectoria sa in aer in timp ce "transporta" musca artificiala in locul vizat. Cu cat bucla snurului e mai stransa cu atat vom invinge mai usor vantul, vom avea prezentari mai precise si musca va fi ateriza exact acolo unde trebuie. Evident un caster neexperimentat nu va reusi sa faca diferenta intre o lanseta sa spunem "buna" si una "mediocra". Daca avem un casting corect toate aceste diferente se simt imediat, printr-un timing corect si prin faptul ca lanseta se incarca corect, evident cu snurul potrivit. Acest trend al lansetelor ultraperformante apartine lansetelor fast sau chiar mod-fast.
Companiile mari producatoare de lansete high end folosesc aceaste sintagme (ultra-fast action, tight loops, hi line speed) in descrierea avantajelor achizitionarii unor astfel de lansete, mai ales cand vine vorba de lansetele premium care ne rup buzunarul in cazul in care ne hotaram sa achizitionam asa ceva. In plus ele nu sunt intotdeauna ceea ce producatorii pretind a fi. Se stie foarte bine ca lansete superioare au fost dintotdeauna si vor fi in continuare cele construite manual, cu maxima atentie la detalii, pentru ca doua blankuri in aceeasi lungime sau clasa nu sunt identice cand vine vorba mai ales de actiune, care poate sa difere chiar daca doua blankuri sunt date ca fiind identice. De aici rezulta micile diferente pe care custom rodbuilder-ul le vede, iar fabricantul de lansete in serie nu. Evident designerul blankului urmareste sa obtina anumite caracteristici in proiectare, dar daca nu sunt respectate cu strictete toate procedurile de montare si de finisare, rezultatul poate fi unul mai putin bun...
Lansetele "tightloop" au fost create tocmai pe aceste considerente, astfel inlaturandu-se multe din problemele legate de lansetele de fabrica. Pe langa aceastea, ele inseamna mult mai mult decat atat. Ele sunt create din cele mai bune blankuri si componente din industrie, manerele sunt special slefuite din pluta de calitate superioara, de diferite forme si lungimi, care nu sunt intotdeauna prezente la lansetele high end ale marilor producatori.
Estetica finisajelor este la fel de importanta, cel putin pentru mine, precum toate celelalte elemente ale lansetei "custom design", pentru a face diferenta intre o lanseta destinata maselor si una personalizata pentru un anume utilizator, care prin calitatea finisajelor si a componentelor folosite denota eleganta si clasa.




Tightloops!!