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sunflower
Posts: 745 Officer
I love Temple Fork rods. I own about 6 of them. I like them better than my two G Loomis that cost twice as much, I like them more than my friend's Sage and St. Croix. For me, they cast better, I love the construction, and the fabulous customer service TFO provides.
I like them more better than a fat kid likes cake.
I wrote back in March about getting a TFO 6 as a gift, that I exchanged for a TFO Mangrove 12 for tarpon season. I was horrified when I opened the bag in my car driving away from the local shop and found a rod with a little tiny fighting butt like a croppy rod. It was completely unsuited for fighting big fish, much smaller than the butts on my 8's, and unsightly to boot.
Like I said ... I like big butts.
Here is the runty butt vs an 8:
No worries. I called TFO, and the rep said they had been hearing that, and that some new shipments would be coming in with bigger butts in the next months. I could exchange then.
No worries.
So, April and May and June run by, and no bigger butts come in. I call about July, and the guy says probably no changes for at least a year.
Oh, well.
So, in November I go to Christmas Island to fish for big GT. It turns out I can barely get my Hatch 12 (which is a beast!), on the Mangrove 12 because the real seat is short and flimsy, and the reel feels loose and wiggly. My G Loomis 12 has a much longer reel seat, and a moderately-bigger fighting butt.
"Luckily," I never catch a GT with it ... so it isn't put to the test.
Here is the butt of my TFO vs the butt of a G Loomis:
So, now I am unhappy. I call TFO thinking maybe I can exchange the under-constructed Mangrove 12 for one from a different TFO series that is made for big fish. Now the rep I speak to tells me all the previous conversations I had couldn't possibly be true. I am lying or I "misunderstood." They never planned to change the rod, "Flip wants it like that."
Nothing can be done. Flip wants it that way.
So, I send him a copy of an email referencing those prior conversations. I guess I never made them up!
So, now, he says "OK." He can help me. He has a solution. They have made the rods now with bigger reel seats, he has replaced the original butt with a bigger one, and the new butt is on the way.
Sweet Merry Christmas!
I am so excited, I plan on getting another 12 just like the custom one on the way. (I do like the Mangrove 12 action and weight)
And the new, improved, big-butt butt comes in the mail (it's on the right!)...
Ta Da!!
Not!
I like bigg butts ... (to be continued) ...
sunflower
Posts: 745 Officer
I love Temple Fork rods. I own about 6 of them. I like them better than my two G Loomis that cost twice as much, I like them more than my friend's Sage and St. Croix. For me, they cast better, I love the construction, and the fabulous customer service TFO provides.
I like them more better than a fat kid likes cake.
I wrote back in March about getting a TFO 6 as a gift, that I exchanged for a TFO Mangrove 12 for tarpon season. I was horrified when I opened the bag in my car driving away from the local shop and found a rod with a little tiny fighting butt like a croppy rod. It was completely unsuited for fighting big fish, much smaller than the butts on my 8's, and unsightly to boot.
Like I said ... I like big butts.
Here is the runty butt vs an 8:
No worries. I called TFO, and the rep said they had been hearing that, and that some new shipments would be coming in with bigger butts in the next months. I could exchange then.
No worries.
So, April and May and June run by, and no bigger butts come in. I call about July, and the guy says probably no changes for at least a year.
Oh, well.
So, in November I go to Christmas Island to fish for big GT. It turns out I can barely get my Hatch 12 (which is a beast!), on the Mangrove 12 because the real seat is short and flimsy, and the reel feels loose and wiggly. My G Loomis 12 has a much longer reel seat, and a moderately-bigger fighting butt.
"Luckily," I never catch a GT with it ... so it isn't put to the test.
Here is the butt of my TFO vs the butt of a G Loomis:
So, now I am unhappy. I call TFO thinking maybe I can exchange the under-constructed Mangrove 12 for one from a different TFO series that is made for big fish. Now the rep I speak to tells me all the previous conversations I had couldn't possibly be true. I am lying or I "misunderstood." They never planned to change the rod, "Flip wants it like that."
Nothing can be done. Flip wants it that way.
So, I send him a copy of an email referencing those prior conversations. I guess I never made them up!
So, now, he says "OK." He can help me. He has a solution. They have made the rods now with bigger reel seats, he has replaced the original butt with a bigger one, and the new butt is on the way.
Sweet Merry Christmas!
I am so excited, I plan on getting another 12 just like the custom one on the way. (I do like the Mangrove 12 action and weight)
And the new, improved, big-butt butt comes in the mail (it's on the right!)...
Ta Da!!
Not!
Mark
grace finds goodness in everything ...
grace finds goodness in everything ...
Replies
http://www.mudhole.com/Rod-Building/Fighting-Butts/FBCC-4-Cork-EVA-Fighting-Butt
I just checked, my Patron Silver bottle is empty ... and the stopper is gone.
Oy, teenagers ...
grace finds goodness in everything ...
grace finds goodness in everything ...
I just ordered an flor grade full wells for my BVK to replace that ugly pitted cork and will also add a REAL fighting butt while I'm at it.
I mean really...how much more would it cost them for good components? $3.00 max in Korea where they are made or less.
Concerning your big butt problem.
First off I'm not here to disrespect TFO "Rick Pope" Rick treats me very well and is a gentleman. Rick uses my guide in Loreto Mexico, and I have spent hours on the phone with him concerning my Crease flies he buys from me. I have never shook hands with him in person.
I have used the TFO 16 wt meat stick fly rods in Mexico for the past few years, and YES every one of the fighting butts just fell off the rods. I also broke one of my meat sticks, they replaced the broken rod and forgot to fix/replace the fighting butt, soon as I received the repaired rod, I called them back and complained, the guy on the other end of the line said " I will send you a brand new bottom half fly rod free" I said no just send me some new fighting butts and I will epoxy them on myself.
I can't understand why they didn't help you further? I'll bet you, if you called up and asked for Rick, your problem would be solved.
They also have a custom rod shop in house.
Carl Blackledge
Mark, I think I have a few extra of those same fighting butt inserts that possibly would fit in your rods, or could be adapted. I also have one of the old FOMAC "Ugh" buttons, from the 60's-70's era if you're the nostalgic type. Only problem is that all this is in Mexico and I am in Florida now. But I could make sure you had one by tarpon season.
I certainly don't mean to beat up on TFO, who I still think are a great company in every way. They do seem to be trying to get this solved. Just not very effectively. In fact, the one thing I have taken from this entire thing, even with the problems ... is I'm STILL going to buy another Mangrove 12. I love the rod specs and action. I'm just going to start out with a different butt from the get-go.
And I don't doubt that in the end it is probably not much of a performance issue. The small butt is probably fine. It just doesn't match my aesthetic sense of how a fly rod should look. No one fly fishes because they want to catch fish. For me, fly-fishing is all about "catching pretty fish in pretty places in pretty clothes in pretty ways with pretty things." I fly fish for the art of it, not to catch fish. I don't even want to cast an ugly fly or rod.
As Tarpon and DKD point out, it really is a very solvable "problem." I can easily get some local rod guy to make the modification. Permit, thank you truly for the generous offer. I will check for my local options, but keep you on hot-dial if they don't pan out!
grace finds goodness in everything ...
I totally disagree with that middle statement "No one fly fishes because they want to catch fish. For me, fly-fishing is all about "catching pretty fish in pretty places in pretty clothes in pretty ways with pretty things." I fly fish for the art of it, not to catch fish. I don't even want to cast an ugly fly or use a ugly fly rod"
I also enjoy the above, however casting too, hooking-fighting and landing the trophy fish is just more frosting on the cake, I would be very disappointed with myself if I didn't accomplish all the above, I do go fishing to catch fish.
Carl Balckledge
that is a GREAT-looking rooster of yours ...
But what the heck is that ugly yellow thing holding it?
This is how a rooster should look!
grace finds goodness in everything ...
Better wear a hat Mark! I can see those rabbits are moving backward up there…LOL Ray I like your solution, send me a bottle of that stuff so I can make one of those Butts.:wink
Here is a really ugly guy....with a Rooster that would eat both of ours
Carl
Oh....YES Carl...I was aware that Frank had passed.