Beaver Meadow Glass (3 wt) Review by Joseph Lloyd
I’ve had the opportunity to fish the new Beaver Meadow Glass from JP Ross in his 7’ 3 wt for over 3 months now and I can concisely and accurately describe the rod as excellent. The last two months have seen a real work out as I have fished it almost every day in the streams, creeks, and rivers of Central Kentucky for smallmouth bass. It’s been fished daily so I have a pretty good idea of what the rod can do and can’t; simply put it’s the nicest rod I have ever fished.
The mechanics of the 3 wt Beaver Meadow Glass are strong and it has provided me with hours of fun (and successful) fishing. It casts like a dream, even when loaded with a 5 weight line and still offers an outstanding level of sensitivity. The response of the rod might be considered a medium progressive and it allowed me to both fish the delicate presentations of top water flies and the quicker strip-method of soft hackle and streamers. Surprisingly the rod allowed me to tell the difference between bumping a rock, hooking a leaf, or feeling the small tug of the bass as they took the fly. The length of the rod certainly allowed me to fish more some of the more technical water of my home state—overhanging tree branches, still forest pools, and specifically targeted structure proved to be no problem as the rod quickly became an extension of the arm and aptly delivered the casts with the classic elegance that a glass rod is known for.
The rod loads the line quick and exacting presentations were quickly attained which was a huge bonus as I found myself having to stalk spooky fish in summer pool depths. Surprisingly, the 3 wt Beaver Meadow Glass handled both tackle and fish that perhaps it shouldn’t have as the rod successfully brought to hand many 9-12” small mouth that gave the rod a serious bend—but the sensitivity of the rod allowed me to land these fish on 4-5x tippet (not usual for the species).
The aesthetics of the rod contain a simple elegance as the antique white color seemed to pick up the dominant color of the area being fished. The antique white reflects and absorbs the color of the water or the trees around it which proved to be effective camouflage when on the hunt! My rod came as a complete package which gave me more time to fish rather than finish but the details of the build are simply amazing. The thread wraps are clean and have stood up to the beating I have put on it over the last couple months, JP’s choice of stripping guide size and layout supplements the natural grace of the glass action and the cork handle and reel seat are just simply elegantly crafted.
I’m hard on my gear. Probably not as bad as I was a few years ago but I look for function and style in my tackle these days. Not only is this a workhorse but it is a beautifully crafted rod that anybody would be glad to handle; and that might be the true measure of a craftsman and his work: one might be able to build a classic piece but have it perform day in and out?
JP Ross has figured out how to make both function and style live together.
