North Fork Composite IM vs. HM

Looking at purchasing a NFC ST1002-2 (10' 6-10 lb) to tie up as my next steelhead rod. Was wondering if anyone has any experience with the different graphites (IM vs. HM) and their characteristics.

I have a 1002-2 HM and it is a very very light weight blank that balances very well. Compared to the HM the IM is a little more tip heavy, but still less tip heavy than most of the competition. I personally would pay the extra for the HM. My finished 1002-2 HM weighs 3.5 oz.

The tip weight is something I was wondering about and is definitely going to sway my decision. Thanks.

Tilly,

You ever come down to the Corvallis area? You'd be welcome to check out my 1002 HM. The HM is worth the extra $.

I've got a 964, 962x, 903, 904 and 961 too if any of those were on your radar.

I think the HM is more delicate and susceptible to snapping. I break a rod every few months so that weighs on my decision making process. Ask Wayne and Dianna at NFC which will meet your needs best.

Twitch, thanks for the offer that would be nice. I'll primarily be using this rod for fishing small fixed floats. So the length and light tip is very appealing.
The only other NFC I have is a one piece backbouncer 804-1 HM that I had quite a crush on this fall. Very light, tons of power, killer action.

Are these NFC rods your breaking?

If you are breaking rods it is generally because you are impacting the blank on something witch causes a weak spot.

Yep, buddy broke two rods within an hour of each other the other day. Both rods broke in the same general spot without doing anything out of normal. I'm pretty sure he got them caught in a tight spot during transport and created a weak spot.

the problem is that most rods are overbuilt to avoid warranty issues because the fact of the matter is that the things people normally do with their rods should break them! rod abuse is rampant among salmon and steelhead fishermen ( bass fishermen too)
I don't fish Gary's rods because i cannot afford them but if he is building rods that perform because they are not overbuilt I applaud him. I wish lamiglas would do the same but I understand why they don't. If they did people would constantly break them even worse than they already do..
We need a massive retraining campaign to teach people what a rod can realistically do and not do. if people would stop abusing their rods manufacturers could make much better products.

Good point I should clarify about the rods I'm breaking: I fish four different rod companies and I am always breaking my Lamiglas Certified Pro and HMX rods. My Lami HMX is the most brittle rod I have ever known. Twice it's broken at the tip between casts and I couldn't have told you what made it happen. It's also broken fighting fish.
My Loomis, St Croix and North Fork Custom Rod's are great. Never broke a NFC and fish them quite a bit.
The reason I began this line of conversation is that Dianna at NFC told me that the HM rods are more brittle.
My track record says I do abuse the rods. However, most every break is under functional use within the line rating and not high sticking.
I have never broke a Loomis or NFC and fish the heck out of them.

The HM is going to be your most sensitive light weight rod. I guide full time using Edge Rods, I have never broke one. I use HM for side drifting, no issues.

The IM is great as well. Light weight and sensitive as well.

In my opinion, the only reason to have an HM float rod is because it is the lightest rod on market.

Any questions on rods just PM me.

Kyle Buschelman
www.willamettevalleyoutfitters.com
541.517.7536

I almost always choose (HM), having said that the 1002 (HM) compared to the (IM) is a fairly large difference. The 1002 (HM) weighs 1.75 oz and the (IM) version weighs 2.2 oz. I think the longer the rod you are using the more important it is to use (HM) graphite for balancing purposes. I really like my 961 (IM) and think it was very similar to my 962 (HM), both awesome rods. If you can get your hands on a 1002 (HM) don't wait DO IT! It is my favorite steelhead blank.

On breaking rods, we fish pretty much all (HM) rod blanks including Chinook rods and have not had one break. We have also built up tons of (HM) sticks over the last three years and have only had ONE returned from breakage.

Who are Wayne and Dianna you are talking about? Normally when you call NFC you will get Jon or Steve or even Gary Loomis.

He is talking about North Fork Custom Rods, NOT North Fork Composites

Lami XMG's? Lami doesn't built on HMX blanks

I didn't think North Fork Composites would say the (HM) is more brittle. It would be more accurate to say (HM) blanks do not take impact damage as well as (IM) material. Both are extremely strong!

Check this out if you want to hear what Gary Loomis has to say about rod blank design.

Gary Loomis Video

I pulled the trigger on the 1002-HM (merry christmas to me!) Now I have to wrap that sucker up. I have never done a complete rod before so I'm a little apprehensive about the build.

I could use some advice on components for keeping it light. I know i want a shorter cork grip than normal and titanium guides but unsure of what reel seat i should use. I like the look of steelhead-stalkers, was thinking about not adding a fore grip.

I run a 12" rear cork, and mini guides on all my rods. While the mini guides don't cut down a whole lot In weight. they do make the rods less tip heavy giving the illusion of a lighter weight rod.

I've ran them as small as 2.5mm on the tip section. Starting at with 8mm for the first guide closest the reel, working down to 2.5's for the top 5 or 6 guides.
After a few years of running mini guides for steelhead/salmon rods. I will say that a 4mm is about perfect (so bobber stops can still be reeled up into the guides for storage) I never cast with my stops inside the guides so its a non issue of them catching.

Running those tiny guys really changes the feel of a rods actions as well. Makes for a really responsive rod. I have 2 blanks tied identical, one with 4mm guides and one with 6mm Fuji's and there is a very big difference.

Hey Tillanook,

If you have any questions about how we build up our rods I would be happy to give you all the details. Just email me or send a PM. I can let you know what reel seats we use, guides, the placement and other little things to make it perfect. Just take your time and it will be awesome.

Man that would be a huge help and keep me from screwing up a great blank. I like the idea of the mini guides. I think that would cut down on tip wrap as well which is a huge problem on some of my other longer rods.