Hi Nick - sounds like a design fault. There's a very good chance that I've just happened to pick the best of the Hexagraph range - more by luck than judgement, as I bought it secondhand.
I've just ordered a Harrison 4-piece Avon from Dave Lumb and looking forward to trying out a Harrison for the first time. It's just one to keep in the boot for that opportunistic session.
Hi Rich
thanks for your comments which are much appreciated - and yes, you have got the 'sweet spot' of the Hexagraph range - purely by chance i might suggest?
when Ken Walker and Jim Bruce formed the company you had real innovators and in terms of tubular rods and with the input of Arthur Oglesby they produced at the time some of the best salmon fly rods in the world - as did Hardy who in the end i used (another story)
but in the early days the 17'6" Walker was my go to fly rod - with the right technique it would cast a 40yd fly line out of the tip!
i think it was Ken Walker who really led the Hexagraph 'thing'? - i used to know Hugh Falkus very well and he was involved in the Hexagraph salmon/sea trout rods
Hugh was the best salmon/sea trout angler i have ever met - but, he had issues
as i said at the time i had a prime River Tay salmon beat and got offered rods to test (read approve) by all manufacturers - i remember having to go to Inverness to collect an HD Universal salmon rod in cane finish
next day day Kinnaird beat (my neighbour) i fished the best fly pool with lovely streamy water and was totally disappointed/sad with the Hexagraph which went back to Bruce and Walker
but that was twenty plus years ago
but bang up to date there was a tv programme recently about the 'best of British' and Bruce and Walker were shown to demonstrate rod building!
it showed modern tech being used in a stone age environment, and a woman with a haughty voice that would scratch a diamond talking about rod bag designs requested by customers
if you wanted to show best of British hand made rods look no further than Bader split cane rods - traditionally made to the highest standards and in demand all over the world
ref your new rod - Harrison and Dave lumb - you have chosen well
enjoy your new rod