Hands Down Best Rod You've Fished?

[csoult]

Orvis T3 8'-6" 4wt

 

[ryguyfi]

Ramcatt wrote:
Hardy Sintrix 1pc... hands down

I see a lot of companies are coming out with "nano" technology rods lately. Anyone cast a bunch of the nano's and compare manufacturers yet? I figure the technology is the same but the rods themselves cast very different. Seems like good technology though. I've yet to cast one, but plan to in the near future.

 

[Ramcatt]

ryguyfi wrote:

Ramcatt wrote:
Hardy Sintrix 1pc... hands down

I see a lot of companies are coming out with "nano" technology rods lately. Anyone cast a bunch of the nano's and compare manufacturers yet? I figure the technology is the same but the rods themselves cast very different. Seems like good technology though. I've yet to cast one, but plan to in the near future.

yes
i've cast a bunch of them... including some prototypes


pairing the "nano-tech" to the 1pc is absolutly amazing
Hardy and loomis are the only ones offering this right now
I prefer the hardy

i have the 5 and 8 wts... and can't say enough good things about them
super light
amazing recovery
fast but still able to feel the rod load deep

a 1pc 8'10" rod will not travel well
but for a boat/car its fine.. or ship it

 

[N8ureboy]

Winston B2MX 9ft 5 wt

 

[pwk5017]

Loomis NRX 7wt. Man, its almost too powerful. No holding lie is too far to hit. It has a softer tip, so it has a nice tactile response when casting.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

ponner1us wrote:
Winston IM6 8' 4wt
Sage 470 7' 4wt
Versitex 7'9" 3wt

What model Sage are you refering to?

 

[Chaz]

7'6" 4 wt Trilogy by Loomis, Metolious Stream dance, 8'6" 4 wt also by Loomis.

 

[dryflyguy]

I have an old loomis IMX 2 weight that is one sweet rod. I bought it on clearance when they discontinued that line, and replaced it with the GLX. Have never cast one of those, but I'd assume they're just as nice

 

[jrmyln]

I love my Scotts but recently a few friends started building rods.
I am surprised at how well some of the less expensive blanks cast. I recently had a few built on the Pac Bay Quickline series... very nice.
Needless to say, I haven't bought any Scotts the last year!

 

[JJZ]

Both Dreamcatcher rods...hard to beat in the way they cast with silk or plastic.

 

[mcwillja]

Orvis T3 9ft 5wt. 4 piece (tip flex). Best rod I ever fished with

 

[ponner1us]

What model Sage are you refering to?


I'd have to check when I get home to confirm, but I believe its a 470LL.

 

[ponner1us]

Yes, it's the 470LL

 

[WildTigerTrout]

ponner1us wrote:
What model Sage are you refering to?


I'd have to check when I get home to confirm, but I believe its a 470LL.

The LL is a great rod. I was just curious what model Sage you had. I have a "TXL" 7' 4 weight. I use it for smaller streams.

 

[k-bob]

Small stream, dry fly: 7'3" Mystic 2 weight.

 

[jrcll]

my loomis 9' 5wt streamdance

 

[krayfish]

pretty much a tie between my St. Croix Elite and my Z-Axis. Might have to lean toward the Sage slightly due to better hardware but based on price, the St. Croix is hard to beat.

For small stream fishing.... 7'9" 3wt Sage. Don't remember the model but its prior to the LL series coming out (early to mid 80's)

 

[PennypackFlyer]

My first flyrod was a walmart special that weighed too much. I got tired quickly every time I went out.and purchased another walmart special renegade. (still have it and use it from time to time.)

Then I purchased two St Croix fly rods from ****s.
I enjoyed them briefly.
I went from the St Croix fly rods to the Orvis Clearwater II as I started to hone my skills. There was a hugh difference in the weight of the rods and expectations. Whether it is a proven fact or not...when you feel good about your equipment/investment it builds confidence and I was able to reach higher expectations. I also like the warrentee that come with them since I have broke two tips off already. Car accidents i tell ya (rolled up my rear window and heard a distinct snap).

 

[Shock]

One of the fun parts of shopping for a new rod after having saved up the money is visiting a fly shop and actually casting differnt rods from different makers.

My experience is that eventually, one just seems to cast effortlessly for you and it is not always the one you expect or the one that costs the most which is really nice.

My latest experience is an old Orvis Limestone Special, 8 1/2 ft 5wt that I bought. It cast nice on grass but being a little slower than I am used to, I was not blown away but I wanted it for softer casts and it fit the bill.

The real suprise is how well it fishes. On grass I was pushing the rod but on the water, where I'm making casts from 15 to 40 feet normally, the rod really shines and never feels slow at all.

Under those conditions its the best rod I've fished.

Shock

 

[Darryl]

Sage VXP 9' #5 or Orvis Superfine 8' #4. I enjoy both of these rods tremendously depending upon the context they are to be fished in.