best 4wt 10 foot rod and reel set up

SNJChef

SNJChef

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my wife asked me what i want for x mas, so what is the best 4wt 10 foot rod and reel set-up? keep it around $500.00. she still needs to buy her coach bag (my gift). thanks in advance. fishing the ne east pa area lehigh I also get to fish the slate, pine and allegany. any suggestions? haven't bought a rod or reel in 10 years so out of the loop.
 
ROD - TFO BVK 10' 4wt - $250

REEL - Redington Rise - $160

LINE - Rio Gold - $75

Puts you in under $500 with a pretty sweet set up.
 
Yea, the BVK is pretty highly thought of.
 
Is that set - up pretty flexable as what and where you are fishing? Becker knows i dropped a little money on a boat so my fly fishing money dropped a tad.
 
Yea that is a nice set up and would be fine on the Lehigh, PO, Pine.
 
I can personally second the rise reel have a 3/4 and love it! The other line option I would recommend would be avid trout from rio $20 cheaper and that's what I have on my rise, again love it though its pretty much rio grand with out the slick stuff added, same exact taper. I use that line on my mystic 3wt and my eagle claw black eagle 5wt perfect on that 5wt. And a bit over lined on the mystic, for my tastes at least.

Also just cast for the first time today my new throw together rod (black eagle grip section with two more random blank rod pieces), that weighs in at an even 4 wt with med/med/fast action. Niceittlw treat, though I think I will be running a 3wt line on that one.

 
Are you going to use the rod for long line / coiled indi fishing? For that style or float tube fishing, the 10' would help. Another couple of questions... What action do you prefer? You have rods that are medium flex, med/fast, fast and silly fast. You can also get a fast rod that feels softer or has a softer tip. After testing a fair selection, I've figured out what suits my casting style and gives me the feel I want. I thought I wanted user fast and stiff but after using it one trip, it was sold. I couldn't feel it load with less than 40' of line out and short casts were inaccurate. Do you want a rod to lob open loops w/ nymph rigs, cast tighter loops with dries or a mix of the two? Even with a reduced budget, there's something out there that will be close to perfect for your needs and wallet. Answer those questions and I'll offer my 2 cents. I love doing gear research.
 
SNJ chef

Another rod option is the cabelas CZN series. I have the 9'6" 3 wt. and love it. I heard the 10'4 wt is sweet too. They cost $199.00. They have a stiff butt and soft tip which is nice if you are euronymphing which is what I got mine for. They also cast a nice line in a pinch for dryfly fishing.

The reel I typically use on mine is an orvis battenkill barstock II whick balances the rod nicely for $125.00

I also use and recommend the Rio Gold line as well.

I've heard good things about Andy's suggested setup as well.
 
Fastest:
St Croix Imperial 10' 4wt $240
9' 4wt $220

Fast w/ softer tip:
TFO BVK 10' 4wt $249
Winston Passport 9" 4wt $230
Cabelas LSI 9'9" 5wt $159

Moderate action:
Redington Temp 9' 4wt $170

Reels:
Redington Rise or Rise II $159-179
Lamson Guru $179

The TFO has the best warranty policy ($25 and they send you a new rod). Another rod I looked for but couldn't find was the Redington RS4. It's discontinued and you might find it on ebay. Nice rod with a med/fast action and the tip isn't too stiff. Probably can find one for $170 or less.
 
FWIW....

I also found:

Orvis Hydros tip flex 9' 4wt for $296
Hardy Uniqua 9' 4wt for $228
Redington CPX 9' 4wt for $208

 
Cortland's "Brook Series" 10 foot 4 or 5 weight is a nice rod. The last I knew they run about $220. I bought the 5 weight and REALLY like it. It will use that rod especially for nymph fishing over other rods that are much more expensive. I did hear a rumor that Cortland discontinued making them. I don't know how true it is but it would be a shame as IMO it's the best series of rods that Cortland ever built. I teamed mine up with an STH "Cayuga M" Reel and Scientific Anglers Nymphing fly line. This combo works great for me.
 
I own a Redington Rs4 and a Winston Passport. Chef you are always welcome to try it out. My Passport is a 4wt and my Redington is a 6wt.
 
If I were you....I would go to the local fly shop and test out a few rods in the 4Wt. or visit Bass Pro Shop (Harrisburg) or Cabelas Off of highway 22 and 78 (I believe).
I'm partial to the Orvis Brands. They have a wide range of rods, reels and lines. And combos that will fall in that price range.
Questions:
What would you use the 4wt 10' for?
What is the expanse of the river/s that you plan to fish? If it's small rivers/creeks the 10' may be too big and loosing flies to trees can be expensive and agravating- (the fight is great though on small wt rods).
What size flies do you plan on using? The smaller the weight of rod and line - thus the smaller the fly you will need to use.

 
krayfish wrote:
FWIW....

I also found:

Orvis Hydros tip flex 9' 4wt for $296
Hardy Uniqua 9' 4wt for $228
Redington CPX 9' 4wt for $208
Click to expand...

Krayfish: I was on the Orvis website and typed in Hydros....Nothing came up.. Where did you get the price and listing from? They discontinued that model!
 
PennypackFlyer wrote:
If I were you....I would go to the local fly shop and test out a few rods in the 4Wt. or visit Bass Pro Shop (Harrisburg) or Cabelas Off of highway 22 and 78 (I believe).
I'm partial to the Orvis Brands. They have a wide range of rods, reels and lines. And combos that will fall in that price range.
Questions:
What would you use the 4wt 10' for?
What is the expanse of the river/s that you plan to fish? If it's small rivers/creeks the 10' may be too big and loosing flies to trees can be expensive and agravating- (the fight is great though on small wt rods).
What size flies do you plan on using? The smaller the weight of rod and line - thus the smaller the fly you will need to use.
Click to expand...

He wants a rod that he can nymph with and still cast dries.
The streams he plans on fishing it with, it is fine for.
Your last question is weird when you know he is looking for a 4wt. He will be able to cast almost anything with it.
 
Here's where I get confused and am not sold on the Euro nymph thing. When you get into those 10' rods using a 3-4 weight line, it's a pretty specific use rod. I'm not saying that you can't throw dries etc with it but that's not what the rod is designed for. If you get a 9' rod that suits your casting style / feel preference, you will most likely end up with a better all around rod. I never got into that coily and sighter fishing so a 10' never was on my radar. I got a longer one for steelhead on the SR but I can't say it's any better than a 7' rod. I guess if you are going to grid riffles and pound them for hours on end, the 10' 3wt thing might work better. If you then try to use if for casting dries and it sucks, can't say you didn't see it coming. Is 1' that big of a diff when Euro nymphing? I'd rather see the guy get a good 9' rod, fast to med/fast action that has a soft tip. It will work for nymph rigs, dries or even streamers. Just a thought and honestly, what do I know anyhow?

 
I have a 10' nymphing rod. Believe me that extra foot makes ALOT of difference ,ie. you can hold more line off the water and reach out while still getting a drag free drift. Mine throws dry flies just fine too. Getting that drag free drift is what the game is all about. IMO that's more important than the fly you choose.
 
So.....Euro nymphing is similar to the boudoir. An extra 12" can make all the difference in the world. Got it. :^)
 
I really don't think he is specifically looking for the rod because of the euro nymphing technique. He just wants a longer rod to keep line off the water and mend easier. I have fished with him a few times and he has smaller rods. This is fine for dry fly fishing, which he prefers, however he is just getting into the nymphing thing, and was having a hard time with the smaller rod. I purchased a 10ft 6inch echo shadow 3wt specifically for euro. I have actually found it to cast dry flies pretty nice. However, I am not taking it to the D or Lehigh to fish. Lol However, I really enjoy it on medium sized streams. Further, I have not influenced him in anyway for what size rod to get. A 9 or 10ft will be fine, for what he is trying to accomplish.
 
krayfish wrote:
Here's where I get confused and am not sold on the Euro nymph thing. When you get into those 10' rods using a 3-4 weight line, it's a pretty specific use rod. I'm not saying that you can't throw dries etc with it but that's not what the rod is designed for. If you get a 9' rod that suits your casting style / feel preference, you will most likely end up with a better all around rod. I never got into that coily and sighter fishing so a 10' never was on my radar. I got a longer one for steelhead on the SR but I can't say it's any better than a 7' rod. I guess if you are going to grid riffles and pound them for hours on end, the 10' 3wt thing might work better. If you then try to use if for casting dries and it sucks, can't say you didn't see it coming. Is 1' that big of a diff when Euro nymphing? I'd rather see the guy get a good 9' rod, fast to med/fast action that has a soft tip. It will work for nymph rigs, dries or even streamers. Just a thought and honestly, what do I know anyhow?
Click to expand...


Andy,

My stick of choice for the D is a 10' 4wt.

As you know, the fish are very surly on the D and dictate how and where you fish. So during the course of the day, I usually switch back and forth using many techniques. The rod I have nymphs well, mends well and casts dries well. I can also chuck some streamers with it (if I have to).

I really don't like the rods specifically made for Euro nymphing. But there are some all-around 10' rods out there that do many things well.
 
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