|
TFO BVK FLY ROD 5 WT REVIEW ~ MARCH 2011
 |
|
A
healthy 5lb backcountry brown trout taken on the BVK 5wt |
This
is the first part of my TFO BVK fly rod review which deals with
the 5 wt model.
To
read my introduction to the BVK series, click here.
I
fished the 5wt BVK alongside my Loomis Streamdance (HLS) 5wt
during the summer of 2010/11, with two floating flylines: a Jim
Teeny Lafontaine and an Airflow Ridge Explorer. The Explorer is designed for turning over large dries and heavy
nymphs and therefore has a more aggressive taper than the
Lafontaine.
In
the hand, the Streamdance and BVK were of very similar weight. In
terms of action the TFO has a little more backbone and is slightly
faster than the Loomis. The BVK was consequently slightly better
at throwing large dry flies into the wind, as well as heavy
nymphs. The Streamdance, on the other hand, loaded a little
quicker, and was a bit smoother to cast, with the result that it
had a slight edge in quick-fire and presentation departments,
especially when casting dry flies at shorter ranges. These
differences were nevertheless marginal, and based on action alone
I would have a hard time picking either rod above the other.
The
Airflo explorer worked well with the BVK for casting heavy
tungsten nymphs, but owing to the speed of the rod I had to use
every trick in my book to achieve a decent presentation with a
size 12 dry fly. The
Teeny Lafontaine, on the other hand, was perfect for dry flies and
smaller nymphs and with the 5wt BVK I was easily able to
accurately cast cicadas up to size 8 on an 18 foot leader, any
distance from 23 feet (just five feet of flyline) to 60 feet.
Some fly lines, the Lafonteine being one, when casting
produce a weird screeching sound in the REC recoil guides on the
Loomis - a bit like finger nails on a chalk board. For
some reason this was not an issue on the BVK, even though it has
similar stripping guides. The 5wt BVK handled both 5wt fly lines
exceptionally well, and I would not recommend over lining this
rod.
During the two months I fished the 5wt BVK, I landed numerous
brown trout of four to five pounds. While the softer tip did a
good job of protecting 5X fluorocarbon tippets, the rod had plenty
of backbone to put the pressure on large fish and land them
quickly. I also subjected the rod to some serious abuse on tough
back country streams, and apart from a covering of superficial
scratches like those on my shins, it held up admirably, i.e. I was
not able to break it. I
have no hesitation recommending the 5wt BVK as an excellent all
purpose
New Zealand
stream rod. It would also make a great tool for stalking
trout along lake shorelines.
 |
Richard O’Driscoll putting the pressure on a 5lb back
country brown.
Note the beautiful curve and the fact that there is
plenty of reserve power in the lower section of the blank |
Acknowledgements:
Thanks
to Nate Jarvis of Feather Merchants, distributors of BVK fly rods
in New Zealand, for loaning me the BVK rods to
test.
READ
THE TFO BVK 8 WT AND 9 WT FLY ROD REVIEWS ... >>
|
