Cabela's Fiberglass Fly Rods

[Stagger_Lee]

1st off a heads up cause most of their rods are on sale.

Whats the difference btwn fiberglass and graphite?
Anyone own fiber from Cabela's?

I ask this cause last night I was there just looking @ short rods and the guy brought me to them cause of the sale (50% off) ... $75 which seems like a good price .... am I right or wrong???

I figured for 75 bucks u really can't go wrong. I have a 7'9 4 wt so I was eying the 6'6 4 wt so I wouldn't have to invest in a new loaded reel but many of you go with lower wt for small creek rods and they have a 6'2 2 wt or 5'9 3 wt.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

If you're used to graphite, the Cabelas glass rod probably won't be too much of an adjustment for you. I casted the rod and it was too fast for my taste. I fish glass because its slower, has a softer touch to it. The Cabelas glass rods are fine for small streams, I'm sure. It just wasn't my casting style.

 

[lestrout]

Stag - I have the 6'6"#4 CGR and like it quite a bit. I have a bunch of other glass and it's not as refined as, say, a Russ Peak, but when I bought it for 100, I was very pleased. So at 75, it's probably a steal. Now that I'm looking at the site, maybe I'll snap up a couple.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Yep @ both of u ..... for $75 and I have a loaded reel, why not? This seems to be the perfect inexpensive rod for small streams and Cabela's backs everything with their warranty.

Now for kicks and b4 I decide .... Is the handling of fish size the only difference when discussing wt?

Why have I seen many write that catching brookies and lower wt rods is a blast? Is there something I'm missing?

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yeah I mean, I wouldn't go below a 3wt, and w/ the 3wt rod I'd line it w/ 4 wt because as I said, this rod isn't as uh, "lively" as other glass rods and I felt it needed to be slowed down.

Benefits? I'm not sure there are any "benefits" to small, light line weighted rods other than to fill a niche. It's a fun niche though. If you small stream fish with a small, light weight rod, you're going to really have a blast! The shorter rods also help make tighter casts at times. I wouldn't want to be rockin' some of the streams I fish with an 8 or 9' rod. There are many times when I'm glad to have a 6' rod.

 

[troutbert]

The 7'9 4 wt is an ideal rod for fishing small streams, such as the typical PA brookie streams.

The rods you are describing will not cast nearly as well. Even on small streams such as the one you posted a photo of recently, the 7'9 4 wt would be a much more effective rod to use than those rods.

If you really want one, go for it. But I think you'll find them a struggle to cast with, compared with the rod you already have.

 

[Number6]

Just a heads up, I think these are the CGTs, the successors to the CGRs. They're a bit faster than the CGRs. Not like traditional glass, like say a Fenwick FF75.
Of course, Cabelas' will take it back if you're disappointed.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yes the red blanks, not the green ones. The green anniversary glass is no longer in production.

 

[paragon]

I have the short 3wt CGR. I like it a lot for small stream fishing. I put a wind river reel on it and had a super compact rod for under 100. I would disagree with overlining it though. I have a 3wt line on mine and it casts well. If you have never cast a glass rod, you will have to switch up your casting rhythm a bit. This one is extra slow too. So overweighting it, in my opinion, would make it too slow. As far as landing fish, I've never attempted anything too big. It makes the little guys really exciting though. Hope this helps. I'll be camping at Poe Paddy and fishing Penns all weekend if you are around and want to cast it.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yes, you do NOT want to overline the CGR. The CGR was a great classic glass action rod. We aren't talking about the CGR though. This is the CGT. The CGR was discontinued.

The CGT is a fast rod for glass.

 

[paragon]

Oh sorry. I probably should have read all the posts before posting myself. Anyway if you can find the CGR, I'd recommend it. It's a fun little rod.

 

[crs2006]

I have teh 6'2" 2 wt CGT. For the price, its awesome, but it does not cast like glass

Its just a tad slower than a standard mid flex graphite rod, and is DEFINITELY not a 2 wt. Its a 3 wt. Overline it. I've casted up to 5 wt line on it to throw poppers in a pond.

I used it on Penn's because I let a buddy of mine use my 9 foot Helios for the day

With a 3 wt Rio Perception line on it, I was surprised. It was a killer little stick on the smaller section of Penn's we were fishing that day. Fished dries, tandem weighted nymphs, indicators, swung some weighted streamers. I never really felt udergunned, I just had to aerial mend everything because of the length.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Considering their return policy I’m going to get one this week.

Went out agaon last week and doing ok w/ the 7’9 on small creeks but I have yet to have to cast for distance so for the price why not

@troutbert – what do u mean by not casting as well. Not that my casting is anything to rave abt just wasn’t sure what u ment???


@cr2006 & everyone else … rods can function well overweighting it as much as u described? I ask cause I’m really leaning towards the 6’2 2 wt but also considering the 5’3 3wt … I will use the rod but I also want to give this to my son to use on locally for panfish

 

[troutbert]

Stagger_Lee wrote:

@troutbert – what do u mean by not casting as well.

A 7'9 4 wt is just a better tool for casting then a 6' 2 wt.

It's just physics. Leverage, inertia, velocity, etc.

Many casts that you can make easily with the 7'9 4 wt will turn into a struggle with the 6' 2 wt.

Many people have talked about the casting limitations of the short, light line rods, many times on this forum in the past.

But if you want to try it, and compare how the 2 rods cast, go for it. It will be fun. And it's not expensive. And you can always re-sell it.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Yea .. just wasn't sure what u meant TB ... thanks

 

[troutbert]

A fly rod is basically a lever used for throwing fly lines, and stuff attached to that fly line.

A longer rod makes a better lever than a shorter rod.

Within reason of course. With a fly rod 20 feet long you'd get weight disadvantages.

For fishing small brushy streamers, if you get too much length, you start to have issues with hitting branches with a long fly rod.

A rod about 7 1/2 ft long is a good compromise that allows you to cast long distances, throw big shaggy dries, fish weighted nymphs and streamers, AND not get in the way of the tree limbs very much.

With a 6 ft rod, you may gain a little advantage with the tree limbs. But everything else suffers badly.

And the rush advantage of the short rod has very little practical value. Because you can learn to cast in very tight situations with a 7 1/2 or 7'9 rod, with some practice.

There are a whole bunch of "small stream casts" that are a lot of fun.

Sidearm, roll casts, air rolls, backhand, flip casts, and... the "extended backhand flip cast with line shooting!" My favorite, but there must be a better name.

 

[bikerfish]

while I do fish a 7 1/2 foot glass rod on many small streams, I also use a 6' and a 6 1/2 foot, both glass, FH Paddock blanks that I bought as blems and built up, simply awesome rods that do everything I need a small stream rod to do, so there ARE some shorter rods that work great.
I also have a 3wt 6 foot bamboo that is I swear is telepathic! it just knows where I want that fly to land!!
as with any rod, I think you just have to find the one that fits YOUR casting style and preference, not what the manufacturers or your buddies say you have to use. YOU have to fish with it, not them!!

 

[crs2006]

@ Stagger

Yeah uplining these rods is a must. The weight printed on the blank is a lie lol

I've casted the 2 wt with 5 wt line and 2/0 popper. Totally doable and does not feel like it was pushing the limits of the rod, but if you botch the cast, you REALLY botch the cast.

The 3 wt line works great, I was pleasently surprised. I started the day slinging meat so I gave my friend my 5 wt and just stuck my 2 wt in my pack as a "maybe just to screw around a bit" option. I really got that rod for small water (think sidearm casting under brush on a creek you can spit across), but it has enough to it to deliver pretty much anything that immitates a bug at good trout fishing ranges (out to around 50 feet).

If you have a kid fishing this rod, I'd go with a longer one. Longer rods will be a bit more forgiving.

 

[tbrom]

I just picked up 6'2" 2wt. I plan on using a 3wt line. I made a couple yard cast and it seems like I am going to like it. Thanks for the heads up on the sale also!

 

[Stagger_Lee]

So i got the 6'6 4wt and didn't have to invest in reel, backing, and line. Used it twice and seems fine for small creeks. Couldn't compare it to other glass rods cause I've never used one and I haven't had to cast that far ... don't think u can beat it for $75. Better yet ... might take my son out on Thurs and he will use it.