fast or slow rods, which do you prefer?

Are you building a boo from scratch or did you buy a blank??    I have always wanted a boo for steelies Looking at some blanks the last few weeks

That's awesome   Why don't you post some pics "in Progress"
 
 
 

ORIGINAL: thedrake

I have always been a fan of slower rods. How bout you guys?

My personal favorites are Winston WT's, and I am currently getting into bamboo, actually i'm building one myself.

Not a fan of fast or slow action , but do like moderate action rods the best.

Mid-size to big streams i like fast action, small streams i favor a slow action rod.

Different rods for different jobs. I have everything from a slow 7 footer to a fast 9 1/2 foot 8 wt with a med 13 1/2 ft spey to boot.

ORIGINAL: dano

ORIGINAL: thedrake

I'm building one from scratch. A good friend of mine is teaching me the art. Here is his website: http://www.adhrods.com/

I never thought there was so much to building a cane rod. The one I am building is a taper designed by Thomas Maxwell (half of Thomas and Thomas rods). Cant wait to finish it. I'll post the pics when its done.

I've been lucky enough to cast a few good rods though I've thinned out the collection. Mostly blue collar types. Grangers, Orvis, Phillipson DF,  Heddon Featherweight. .  
I've been thinking about taking the plunge to maker for a few years now but it's a tough sell getting the initial investment past my wife. She doesn't understand why I need more fishing rods. Go figure.   I've read W Cattanach's book and realized its not something I'd want to do without hands-on guidance. JD Wagner offers a class but it's like a $Grand$ for a week long course plus the rod you made.  
You're Lucky to have someone to take you under their wing. Good Luck.

Which specifis taper are you talking about????
From what I've read on discussion boards, I'm now intriguied by the Maxwell Era Leonard Baby Catskill (short 3-wt). 

 
The taper is one that never got a chance to make it to production. The rod was called a "penns creek taper". A close friend of mine had got the original rod from Thomas Maxwell himself. Its a 7.5' 5 weight with a thick butt and light tip.

For steel i like a mod. fast action spey and a slow action for trout.

Slow for short casts and always for nymphing, moderate for a dry fly geared day. A slow rod really seems to lose its punch fast.

ORIGINAL: waDerboy

Different rods for different jobs.

 
 
 That about sums it up for me.
If its dry flies, big water and windy, I'll chose a tippy rod. Even though I prefer casting something with a more moderate action.
The only exception is when I want to fish a particular rod. I'll look for water where it fits.
I'm right now realizing I have way to many 5 weight rods.
 
 

I prefer fast action for my casting stroke, and the type of line I use.
I have med. & med. fast rods. They are gathering dust waiting for the kids to get big enough for.

a few random thoughts....
 
Another reason I dont often fish faster rods for trout is this: with slower rods you can keep your linespeed slow during the cast, resulting in more time to mend your line in the air before it touches the water. This can improve your dryfly fishing.
 
Lots of people prefer fast rods because they believe they can cast farther. I have a few good friends that can shoot a 90ft line with a bamboo rod. In trout fishing, how much further could you need to cast?

Drake, there is truth behind the advantages of a slower loading rod.
I'll add the fact that fast rods suck at roll casting.
 
But, there are benefits to fast action rods and fishing the dry fly.
The reason I fish a fast 5wt XP and fast 4wt Ultra Legend on some streams is the same reason salmotrutta speaks of. Tight loops.
Near the end of April when the grannoms first appear and into the early May hatches, we usually don't have many calm days where wind isn't playing havoc with your line. The higher line speed, helps to give a low trajectory, tight looped cast in these windy conditions. This is important to me because of the large size of the streams I fish.
 Another advantage is the shooting capability of a fast rod.  Strip off some line - cast - point & shoot.  This is where the 9 ft. XP fits.
 
 On the 8 ft. fast 4 wt I fish. The advantage to that rod is in shooting and driving flies under the low overhanging tree branches that shade the opposite bank. This is very important on a couple of streams I fish where they like to rise in those hard to reach places.
 
 I guess we have to settle for trade-offs because there is no one rod that is exceptional at evrything.
 I feel more comfortable and relaxed casting a slower rod but I can't overlook some of the benefits of a fast stick.

I fish the Sage XP. They recently discontinued the XP, but can be found on Ebay  new with warrenty card. I picked up a 6 wt. this way recently.
When trout fishing I use a 7' 6" 4 wt. (476XP).
Sage has a great warrenty. Doesn't matter how you break it- they fix it, or send a new one for $40 (to pay for labor & shipping).
I use Royal Wulff Triangle Taper lines to keep loops tighter, and the taper also helps with roll casting. When I get a new line I usually trim 6-8 feet off of the front to suit me. With those two products married together I can do things I had only dreamed of before. I also use an Orvis CFO on the 4 wt..
If you resolve to get an XP I would advise getting a light reel so as to not throw the outfit off balance as well.
The outfit is very light, and that counts if you have shoulder, or elbow soreness after fishing all day. This I know from experiance. I have several mid. grade Orvis rods that felt like a chore to cast all day because of the weight of the rod combined with the energy you need to get the materials to flex.
When I fish the Xp it is almost a mindless flick of the wrist and I can hit a paper plate @ 30 feet all day long.
As far as nymphing- I can feel anything bumping that fly in the handle.
I am still in shock they would discontinue such a wonderful rod.
I'm not forcing my opinion on anyone. This is what works for me.
Tight lines.

Big Brown-
Tried them out, and they are too fast for me. I discussed this with several others who hace tried them and all agree it is too fast. The only person who didn't agree was the fly shop salesman that thought they were about the same, if not slower. Go figure.
I'm not putting the rods down, but they are not what I would care to have.

i love my superfine its great for  small streams. it is a slow full flex rod.