Some fly rods depart an indelible mark. Typically on the business or the game as a complete, different instances simply within the minds or hearts of lots of the anglers who fish them. Most, however not all, producers have a number of of those rods amongst their pedigree. Colorado-based rodmaker Scott, who’s celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this yr, has quite a lot of. To have fun a half-century of rod constructing, Scott is doing one thing new by bringing again the outdated — providing anglers the prospect to get their arms on brand-new builds of a handful of its biggest blasts from the previous.
Whilst supplies know-how and design advances, many of those “outdated” rods — these constructed by Scott and different rodmakers — proceed to carry out, or in some instances outperform, their trendy descendents. It’s for that reason that you’ll find used variations of many of those heralded rods promoting on-line and in fly outlets for 3 quarters or extra of the value they had been initially stamped with.
However to discover a model new rod initially made a decade or a number of a long time in the past? Effectively, you’ve obtained to have a serious stroke of luck—a fly store that finds a dusty field in a forgotten nook of a storeroom, a person purchaser that for no matter motive bought a rod they by no means took the cork wrap off, or what have you ever. That’s, till now.
The crew at Scott has hand-picked 5 of its most celebrated rods from the final 50 years — the designs of Harry Wilson, Larry Kenney, and present Scott rod designer and Scott Fly Rods president Jim Bartschi — and is producing them once more for anglers to buy. Not complete collection, thoughts you, however particular person fashions—5 rods in complete. Scott is constructing the blanks for these rods to their unique specs, whereas utilizing up to date construct strategies and trendy, best-in-class elements to complete every rod. Every may also be adorned with a fiftieth Anniversary inscription on the clean and engraving on the reel seat.
Right here is Scott’s rundown on what’s outdated that’s new once more:
Scott F 703/4
When Harry Wilson based the Scott Fly Rod Firm in 1974, he constructed a reputation for himself and the model by making a few of the most coveted light-line multipiece fiberglass fly rods. At a time when the standard fly rod was a heavy, clunky 8-foot 6-weight two-piece rod, Scott’s light-line multipiece rods opened up new alternatives for anglers fishing chilly, clear streams with dry flies by offering gentle, responsive, and easy rods for the duty. Superior tapers and the Scott hole inner ferrule had been central to engaging in this feat. No mannequin exemplifies this higher than the F 703/4.
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Scott G 904/4
When graphite arrived on the scene within the mid-Seventies, Wilson envisioned an extended, light-line rod utilizing the brand new materials. When he instructed pals within the fly-fishing neighborhood about his thought, they stated it couldn’t be achieved. After many makes an attempt and challenges, Scott lastly launched the primary 9-foot 4-weight line graphite rod. It modified fly fishing. Anglers had a brand new instrument to fish lengthy leaders and small flies on technical rivers like Henry’s Fork, Hat Creek, and the Paradise Valley spring creeks. With the graphite rod, anglers might management drag, fish gentle tippets, and interact giant trout like by no means earlier than. To at the present time, the G 904/4 is called among the many most interesting light-line fly rods ever constructed.
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Scott ARC 1287/3
The ARC collection of salmon and steelhead rods had been the primary to deploy ultra-lightweight, unidirectional graphite laid up off the zero-degree axis. Now discovered in lots of premium fly rods, it was a serious innovation when launched. The fabric and development breakthrough allowed Scott to make a few of the lightest and smoothest double handers of their time. Gone had been the times of lumbering two handers that drained anglers out after a half-day of fishing. The ARC 1287/3 remains to be one in all Scott’s most-searched-for salmon and steelhead rods.
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Scott STS 909/3
The STS collection put Scott on the saltwater map. Extensively adopted by Florida Keys captains and saltwater anglers across the globe, they had been launched at a time when saltwater fly fishing and journey to new locations within the tropics had been taking off. STS constructed on the success of ARC by utilizing multidirectional layups and took supplies alchemy a step additional, using the primary multi-modulus clean designs. Anglers who’ve adopted Scott’s historical past fondly bear in mind the corporate’s “Jet Ski period”—photographs of casting from the wing of a submerged plane and lifting cinder blocks with the rod from the highest of a poling platform. By a large margin, the STS 909/3 is taken into account the crown jewel on this transformative collection.
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Inscription on the “new” Scott Radian fiftieth Anniversary version (photograph: Scott Fly Rods).
R 905/4
Just like the G 904 40 years earlier, Radian rods basically modified the angling expertise. Via materials and design improvements, Radian rods solved the dilemma of bringing collectively quick motion with really feel. In addition they showcased a brand new method to elements that set new requirements and made them much more endeared to anglers. When contemplating which rod from Scott’s current previous to supply as an anniversary version, the selection was clear. Sworn by many to be the best quick rod of all time, the R 905/4 is essentially the most coveted historic Scott rod mannequin.
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Scott’s fiftieth Anniversary collection rods can be found instantly from Scott licensed sellers. MSRP ranges from $995 to $1,395.
