The Scott Heliply

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Andy,

Yep... some rods border on magical!

By today's standards, Heliply are slow and heavy, not to mention 3 piece and short.

But cast one and you go "What?!!!"

I have a 7, 8, and 9.

I actually wore the 7 out after about 10 years of continual use. It was my favorite small snook and tarpon rod of all time. The blank broke right in front of the handle while fighting a small snook of no particular distinction. I actually observed a moment of silence with its passing.

My first cast with one started the magical relationship. One cast.

Back then, there were "Fishing Shows" that travelled around Florida each year. I would go to any or all that came close, with watching casting demos by the likes of Chico, Flip, or Lefty being my main interest.

At one, I was amazed to see Lefty at a casting pool all by himself.

I immediately ran over to ask a question - what it was I have no recollection. As was his style, instead of showing off, he handed me the rod and asked me to cast.

I made what I thought was the finest cast of my entire life up to that point. And I knew it wasn't me... it was the rod that did it. At which I stared in disbelief - and desperately searched for the info on the blank to determine the make / model.

It was a 888-3!

Lefty snorted and took the rod back, asking "Who sent you over here?"

I've cherished my relationship with both of them ever since!

[Paul Arden]

I don’t think I’ve ever cast one. The rod of that time that made me sing was the Loomis IMX. Years after, Chris Rownes told me that Mel Krieger had told him that that was (in his view) the finest, state of the art, flyrod of all. I think you could feel this in his original DFR rods that he designed.

Lefty was certainly a character! I would like to have met him more, and preferably fished with him. I met him only once, at Denver, and we cast together before the show opened. We had a few email exchanges after that.

Scott have always impressed me as a rod design and building company. I worked for the UK distributors. It was on my insistence that they bring in a top US rod brand. My favourite rod then was the STS, but they had so many good rods.

Cheers, Paul

[VGB]

Do you need a #10 Gary?

https://www.riverbayoutfitters.com/scot ... ieces.html

[aldear]

The Heliply is an interesting study in that it doesn't look or feel like it should be able to do what it does. I love the 8'8" length since most shots at Redfish rarely go further than 70 feet. And, it just "swings" better with a shorter length. I feel certain that part, if not most of the magic is in the use of radial reinforcement rather than woven scrim. That method of construction adds a certain bounce and spring that scrim based layups don't seem to have.

By today's standards, Heliply are slow and heavy, not to mention 3 piece and short. But cast one and you go "What?!!!"

This is a PERFECT way to describe that rod!

Andy

[FishNoGeek]

I've had a HP888-3 since the mid-90s....it was my steelhead rod before the DHD stuff really got rolling. I loved it back then, but I haven't fished it in the last two decades - haven't even thrown it more than once or twice.

Andy and Phil inspired me to haul it out again, and I tossed it at the park one evening last week. It's definitely unique - quite different from most of the faster modern saltwater rods. That's both good and bad, but it's also the prime reason I've kept it all these years - it's a very useful contrast to almost everything else. Also, I'm a little sentimentally attached to it, I think - you never forget your first good steelie, right?

I gave it a spin with a few different lines - a MED8, SA AMP Bonefish WF8F, a Hydros WF8F, and some mystery bricky-stringy line - maybe an old Rio Redfish? I had a few other rods out for comparison purposes: a 790 Meridian, 886 Winston Air 2 MAX, and a custom build on a 8'9" 6-7wt glass taper designed by Marty Romeo and rolled by Mike McFarland.

In general, it felt most similar to the glass rod, which isn't much of a surprise. It's a big heavier, maybe a big wavier in the mid-section? Regardless, those two excelled at close range accuracy, followed closely by my beloved Meridian. No surprise that the Winston didn't shine at close range; Adam explicitly designed it to chuck beastly sink tips, and it's great for that.

I found the HP888 to be quick off the mark, which is so critical in the salt. From fly-in-hand to 40-50ft only takes 1-2 false casts with any of the lines I tried, and just one with the heavier heads. In the 60-70ft range it felt surprisingly similar to the other rods. I hadn't expected there to be symmetry among the rods anywhere along the way - that was part of why I grabbed that mix of sticks - but in the 50-70ft range they all did everything I wanted with relatively similar amounts of effort. Good, I guess?

Lightning and rain chased me off the field before I got a chance to go too much beyond that range with all four rods. I'll probably take it back out this week....I'm curious to see how the HP888 will handle the MED8 in full 170 mode going for distance. I'd like to say I could predict what'll happen out there, but I'm really not sure. Should be interesting, I'll report back.

One thing: the handle on the HP888 is friggin' enormous. Andy tells me it's a "Ritz" design, and that's about right - it's like a roll of Ritz crackers both in shape and almost in size. I don't have small hands, and it's uncomfortably big - enough so that it inhibits my ability to flex into my ring and pinky when I'm trying to power-snap (does anybody still use that term??) or roll over in the 170. That's one of the reasons I haven't reached for it in recent years. I've been tempted to sand it down, but it's all original and surprisingly pristine despite those gonzo steelhead adventures back in the day. Just can't bring myself to do it.

Upshot: if you're looking for a unique saltwater rod that'll excel in short range accuracy but still has guts for longer shots, the HP888 is probably one of the only "slow-ish but still salty" 8wt rods still in circulation (unless you slide to glass) that gives you lots of feel. For inshore fishing, it'd be plenty of rod for any competent caster.....and definitely easier on beginners than lots of the ultra-fast stuff that's topping the market these days.

[FishNoGeek]

Do you need a #10 Gary?

https://www.riverbayoutfitters.com/scot ... ieces.html

I think Phil was looking, I'll pass it on to him as well.

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Do you need a #10 Gary?

https://www.riverbayoutfitters.com/scot ... ieces.html

Vince,

Thanks for tempting me! You are a very nice person.

But I know there is one in a friends dusty closet that is mine if/when I ask. I believe it was actually in my possession first? But I let it move on in favor of an even shorter 10 that I still use to this day. (Although it is in desperate need of new guides)

I think Phil will really be a better partner for it!

[Merlin]

Can somebody measure the actual weight of a 888. It is supposed to be 4.4 Oz, but my Meridian is labelled 3.8 Oz and weights 4.0 Oz.

Measuring speed is another story, but is possible. My Meridian (908) is 3.1 Hz.

Thanks

Merlin

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Merlin,

I can weigh mine when I get home, but I believe it's a custom build so it might be a little different.

Also I believe you walked me through the Hz measurement protocol years ago - clamping, hanging weight, counting cycles?

If so, I can do that too - but it might be a while.

Gary

[Merlin]

That would be fine Gary, Hz measurements can tell about the rod (action).

Many thanks in advance and do not hesitate to ask for information.

Merlin