First fish with my D Fuller "Old Reliable"

[Richard Flanders]

Got my first chance to fish the rod Dave Fuller made for me this past winter. This is the first fish I landed with it. The first hooked and almost landed was an 18" grayling and the largest I have ever gotten here. I had it in hand and the hook pulled but I could tell it was larger than anything I'd caught here before. The rod is wonderful in every way. Casts a #4 DT line perfectly, even with a large wet fly. First time I've fished a cane rod since about 1966 or so. I also got to try my new(1964 vintage)cane Orvis 3-wt and it was pure magic also. Caught a bunch of nice grayling like this on it last night also. Nice cane rods are definitely the way to go. Life is definitely too short and tenuous to fish with an ugly fishing rod.... Very fun evening in the river.