Date: Tue Jun 30 20:20:05 1998
From: dennis higham <76250.1771@compuserve.com>
Subject: Grayrock '98 Tapers
 Grayrock's over  :-(   and, now that  I've caught up on some of the
honey-do's after the better part of a week away from home, I thought I'd
start  posting the tapers from this year's mic-o-rama. Six rods were
measured by myself, Reed Curry, Carlos Santos, and Miles Tiernan with
interference err.. assistance by a host of others. Usually one guy miced
and one recorded. We swapped around. One caveat, not every one mic's a rod
the same way. Most were miced in 5" stations with the rod assembled, pretty
much what we're used to seeing, but some measure each section separately
measuring from the end of the ferrule or from where the bamboo starts under
the ferrule. I'll start with the conventionally measured rods first, then
do the other rods in a later post. 
We miced the following:
                    1.  A  6',2piece,3wt. owned by Olaf Borge an incredibly
 sweet little rod.The blanks designed & made by Bob Taylor and finished    
                     by Steve Blake (who does many of Len Codella's
restorations)
                    2.  A 6', 2piece, 4wt Quad. Almost everyone really
liked this rod. Those that didn't thought it was a little buggy-whip. 
                    3.  A 6'6', 2 piece 3wt. by Fred Kretchman. This is the
rod eveyone fell in love with. This is a rod that when you start casting
you                              start grinning. Medium/fast
                    4. A  8', 2 piece, 5wt F.E. Thomas owned by Reed Curry.
                    5. A  9',3piece, 3wt Montague that we caught Carlos
casting (Carlos makes 4' rods and never touchs anything over 6'!) This is a
                              really pleasant medium action rod that you
could cast all day. It was also capable of casting a foot off the water
across                                    the river and dropping a fly
under an overhanging bush. Carlos wanted this taper!! 
                    6.  A 10',3piece, 6wt. B.F. Nichols owned by Reed Curry
that Kim Fairchild renamed  "The Dr. Kim-Bob Dream Machine"! A             
                         medium action wet-fly action rod that pretty much
casts itself.

I'll post the raw data and you can average the flats as you see fit.
Everything was measured over varnish. Here we go....

 Bob Taylor built/Steve Blake finished 6',2piece,4wt. Leonard hunt colored
cane, short Thomas&Thomas ferrules.
 Measured over varnish!!!

 0"  .055, .054, .055
 5"  .0675, .0695, .0695
 10" .0855, .0875, .089
 15" .102, .1045, .1015
 20" .1175, .1180, .1135                                                   
                                                                           
                                  
 25" .125, .1305, .1315
 30" .1360, .1355, .1395
363/4 .140, .140,. 1395
 40" .1705, .1630, .1715
 45" .1785, .1810, .1820
 50" .196, .1955, .1925
 55" .2165, .2115, .2110
 60" .2595, .2495, .2590
 61" .2820, .2850, .2910 (Swelled butt)
 Grip 

Guide spacing w/ rod assembled... 4, 87/8, 14, 20, 26, 321/2, 397/8,
473/4(stripper).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------

Fred Kretchman 6'6", 2piece, 3wt.   Over Varnish!!
1' .0695, .0675, .0680
5" .0785, .0785, .0785 (way to go!!)
10" .081, .0805, guide
15" .103, .101, .1035
20" .1195, .1165, .1200
25" .134, .1335, .132
30" .1485, .1475, .147
35" .162, .160, .1605
371/4 .1565, .1590, guide
41" .183, .183, .183
45" .1865, .185, guide
46" .195, .192, .195
50" .2065, .207, .204
56" .2195, .2215, .222
60" .228, .230, .2265
65 .2315, .237, .237
671/2 .237, .240, .2415


Guide Spacing.. tip... 47/8, 103/8, 163/8, 227/8, 2913/16, 37/38... BUTT
from the end of the ferrule.. 65/8, 161/2 ( stripper).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------


Dr. Kim-Bob's Dream Machine 10' 3piece 6wt.   B.F. Nichols Hard rubber reel
seat, w/ intermediates

1" .079, .0845, .0835
5" .095, .0935, .0925
10" .110, .1085, .1115
143/4 .1165, .185, .110
20" .130, .125, .1275
25" .142, .1425, .1445
30" .156, .157, .154
35" .166, .164, .163
381/2 .1665, .174, .171
43' .1835, .193, .186
43" .1835, .193, .186
45" .188, .1955, .1985
50' .2035, .2045, .202
541/2 .210, .220, .2135
60" .228, .232, .235
65" .238, .2395, .2435
70" .2515, .2575, .2505
75" .263, .262, .265
781/2 .262, .2635, .271 ( at the ferrule)
821/2 .285, .2835, .2945 (under ferrule guide)
85" .301, .2995, .301
90" .3125, .310, .3085
95" .315, .327, .3115
100" .3345, .3285, .3425
105" .349, .346, .351
108" .373, .3645, .370  swelled butt

no guide spacing

Ok..that's it for tonight.. I"m getting cross-eyed .. too many little ###.
Post the rest tomorrow. 

Grayrock was GREAT!!! If you haven't made it yet ..Please put it on your
calender. 
Judging by the quality of rods next year should be unreal and Grayrock 
2000...Cosmic!!
 
                                               Regards,

                                                              Dennis

 I saw the pics there were 20"+ fish caught, unfortunately not by me :-( .
" You should have been here yesterday."
 

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