Sunday Classic / The Scott F2 Blows My Skirt Up…Again!

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My First Fish on My New F2 3wt Photo by Louis Cahill

I fell in love with this little fiberglass beauty on the casting pond at the IFDT show in New Orleans in 2011.

Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Fly Rods, saw me throwing long graceful loops with the F2 7′ 3 weight and came over to correct my form.

“This thing is awesome!” I told him.

“Thanks,” he replied. “Let me show you what it’s made for.”

Jim knelt down at the edge of the casting pond and showed me how the F2 will form a loop casting only the leader. “This baby is designed for a stealthy presentation on small water, where a twelve inch fish is a trophy.” He showed me the wrap twelve inches from the butt of the rod. I was hooked.

It took a while to put an F2 in my collection but I did and I fished it for the first time yesterday. I thought I loved this rod, but I had no idea how much. Casting it at the casting pond was fun but fishing it was bliss. I fished with my good friend Dan Flynn. On the second run we fished, he asked if he could cast it. He never cast his rod again. We shared the F2 for the rest of the day.

The action of this little rod is like butter. It drops a dry fly with the delicacy of bamboo and is as accurate as a Seal team sniper. It’s quite possibly the best roll casting rod I’ve ever fished but the real treat comes when the fish is on. The F2 bends to the cork. I know Jim made this rod for a twelve inch fish and we caught those too but my first fish on the F2 3wt was eighteen inches and it was a party. Dan landed a twenty-four inch bruiser on 6X tippet. That was epic.

Dan Flynn Photo by Louis Cahill

The beauty of this rod is the feel. I’ve cast rods that would throw the whole line for me, that I hated them, because they had no soul. No feel. Whether casting or fighting a fish the F2 is all soul. It’s the Sam Cooke of fly rods!

Dan agreed with me that it was a joy to fish. He’s already saving for one. And why not? We fish for the joy of it and if a rod can make that experience more joyful, then what more can you ask for?

I’ve heard it said that the F2 is a one trick pony. There may be some truth to that. It’s not the rod I’d choose for fishing a heavy nymph rig and a thingamabobber. It’s not a streamer rod. Yesterday, it did anything I asked of it with a dry and dropper. It landed a twenty-four inch fish on 6X tippet and, after forty-two years of fly fishing, it made my heart swell when I held it in my hand. It may be a one trick pony, but that’s a pretty damn good trick!

 

Here’s a little Sam Cooke to get you in the mood.

Louis Cahill
Gink & Gasoline
www.ginkandgasoline.com
hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
 
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7 thoughts on “Sunday Classic / The Scott F2 Blows My Skirt Up…Again!

  1. Terrific article and I agree completely. Picked one up last Sept on day one of fall creeking trip and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Mine is the 7′ 2″ 3wt and I chose that one after casting 3 of them side by side. My first fish on it was a 17″ cuttie. I’ve found that it needs a slightly heavier reel to balance the front end; the size 0 Ross Evo LT I had is way too light. Super rod, worth every penny. I’ve got 3 Scott’s and this is the one I can’t wait to pick up every time.

  2. Sounds like a great trip and one heck of a test for the F2! I have a running debate between this rod and the C. Barclay 64p; anyone have some hands-on with both?

  3. Louis,

    When did glass get so expensive? That is really crazy money, but it’s fly fishing so I guess it’s what you can expect.

    For me I’ll just not pay that for a plastic rod regardless how good it is. But that is just me.

    Good post however thanks.

  4. Great article! Fishing is a great leisure that you need to ride a bike! Still need to take a backpack for fishing trips, consider fishing is good!

  5. Just received an Abel 3N in cutthroat finish and balance is just right on my 723. As a bonus, the colors on this rig are unbelievable!

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