Help me update my gear

[pwk5017]

Unfortunately, my late 20s have been consumed by career, marriage, and a small woodworking side biz. In short, i havent fished nearly as much the last 2 years. I think i was on the water 8 days this year, when i used to fish 100+ a year before that. I realize those days of freedom are behind me, but i am interested in renewing my involvement in the sport. I have more disposable income now than i did at 23, and i would like help in wisely upgrading my rod lineup. I currently have a 9' 5wt Ross RX(dont think these are made anymore) with an okuma helios reel and textured line from SA. A year or two ago i broke 4-6" off the 3rd rod section near the ferrule. The rod still goes together and casts, but it is a little shorter now. Maybe the action of the rod was affected as well? My second rod is a loomis NRX 7wt that is 10' long. It also has an okuma helios reel with textured SA line and a spare spool with a sinking line on it. This is primarily used for steelhead and the rare times i wade the yough.

Ok, time for the fun part. What should i buy to replace my 5wt? I havent ever euro nymphed, but always been interested. It seems like a fair amount of practice is required to develop the feel, so im apprehensive to dedicate an outfit to strictly euro nymphing. I do nymph/streamer fish 90% of the time. I also have the opportunity to buy g loomis 50% off, so i am heavily leaning in that direction. One thought is to go big with the Asquith 9' 5wt. Another is to maybe replace the current Do-All 5wt setup with two rods like a 10' 3-4wt and then a 9-10' 5-6wt. In this case I would probaby avoid the astronomical price tag of the Asquith and stick to the NRX, IMX or Pro4 lines. The NRX is still pretty expensive, but I do like my 2012 NRX a lot, and it is usually better to cry once with purchases. Also, most of their lines do not carry a 10' 3-4wt, so that is something to keep in mind. I will probably stick to scientific angler lines like sharkwave and a middle of the road reel like the Sage 2200 or Lamson Remix. As far as the rod lines themselves, it seems like they all score pretty well in al the magazine and youtube shootouts, but im more interested in people's opinions on multiple rods and rod length/wt.

Appreciate any and all feedback, thanks.

Patrick

 

[MKern]

Personal opinion, but...

Before you dump money on an expensive euro nymphing outfit, just buy a decent 9" 5 wt. (as you kinda mentioned)

I can high stick/euro nymph with my 9 footer, plus I can zing dries across most streams and lob streamers too.

9' 5wt. is just a good all-around rod. Anything over $200 will last you a lifetime (well until you shut it in a vehicle door).

 

[ryansheehan]

10 foot 4 weight, just as versatile as a 9 foot 5 weight imo. I love my orvis rods especially the helios.

 

[afishinado]

You probably read it, but there's an active thread here about longer rods.

Like Ryan ^, I too like my 10' 4wt and use it for nearly all my trout fishing with the exception of really small stream fishing. You can read the thread for yourself.

With that being said, you really can't go wrong with a 9' 5wt for both nymphing and streamer fishing. It may be easier to find a rod you really like in that length and weight.

The rod brand is up to you. I suggest you make it your mission to get out there and test cast as many rods as possible before you buy.

Welcome back to FFing!

Good luck

 

[pwk5017]

Yes, if i ended up getting a dedicated euro outfit, it would probably be a Pro4 rod and a cheap line. Actually, i think the Pro4 lineup is the only choice i have for a 10' 3-4wt. they make a 10' euro NRX rod, but i dont want to spend that much for a specialized outfit that i might end up hating and sucking with.

I guess ill ask it another way. Is it worth having a 10' 4wt AND a 9' 5wt? Would I be better served to do a 10' 4wt for the majority of my medium-sized trout stream, and a 9' 6wt for my small/medium stream smallmouth? If I struggle casting the 4wt on the yough, i can always go with the long 7wt. I guess i want to specialize slightly, but i also dont want to throw money up in the air and still only use two rods. If I do one rod, i will go with either the asquith(Who named this thing btw?) or the NRX Trout 9' 5wt. I think--without evidence-- that the 10' rod will catch more trout nymphing than a 9'. This is kinda why i am curious to try out a lighter longer rod.

 

[afishinado]

pwk5017 wrote:
Yes, if i ended up getting a dedicated euro outfit, it would probably be a Pro4 rod and a cheap line. Actually, i think the Pro4 lineup is the only choice i have for a 10' 3-4wt. they make a 10' euro NRX rod, but i dont want to spend that much for a specialized outfit that i might end up hating and sucking with.

I guess ill ask it another way. Is it worth having a 10' 4wt AND a 9' 5wt? Would I be better served to do a 10' 4wt for the majority of my medium-sized trout stream, and a 9' 6wt for my small/medium stream smallmouth? If I struggle casting the 4wt on the yough, i can always go with the long 7wt. I guess i want to specialize slightly, but i also dont want to throw money up in the air and still only use two rods. If I do one rod, i will go with either the asquith(Who named this thing btw?) or the NRX Trout 9' 5wt. I think--without evidence-- that the 10' rod will catch more trout nymphing than a 9'. This is kinda why i am curious to try out a lighter longer rod.

The Yough is big water. I can tell you that I fish the D River quite a bit and fished my 10-4 out-west on the Yellowstone and the Madison amongst other rivers. I kept my 9' 5wt with me as my back up, but I really didn't feel the need to use it. The rod aint no wimp and can handle all types of fishing and conditions. When floating, I mostly have my 9' 5wt rigged up as a streamer rod and fling it here and there when I find a place that looks like a good spot to fling meat for big fish.

If you do want to buy a 10' rod, be sure to test cast it. Just because it is 10 footer, doesn't mean it is a good general purpose rod. The Euro rods are great for that type of nymphing, but may not fit the bill for other techniques.

 

[ryansheehan]

Afish said "Just because it is 10 footer, doesn't mean it is a good general purpose rod. "

This is the most important thing to pay attention to and often overlooked. I have had 3 different 10 foot 4 weights and they are all very different. My helios is a great versatile rod and my go to stick for the gunpowder to the yough to big spring. My recon is nice but doesn't cast dries as well, it is mostly my backup for the times I've had my helios in the shop. The greys streamflex i used to have was strictly a nymphing stick, hated to toss dries with it. Go cast one youre interested in, better yet try to borrow one for a day. I don't have any experience with the rods you're talking about so I cant offer any specific insight.

 

[Millsertime]

Pretty sure Ross Rx rods have a warranty. I have a 9' 4wt and I like it and continue to fish it when conditions are fitting. That rod performs well and even rates pretty good in 4/5 weight shootouts if you're into them.

Why not put a warranty claim on the Ross Rx and then buy a 10 footer like others have said?

 

[pwk5017]

Thanks again for all the tips and info. You all are making me think more about this, but that is a good thing. I dont think i know any dealers in my area that sell G Loomis. Maybe Field and Stream stock them, but i doubt those associates will have rods lined up and ready to cast somewhere. These purchases will probably be made solely on publication reviews, and the faith that any major rod manufacturer's $500+ offering is going to be pretty good no matter what.

I honestly hadnt even considered what it would cost to repair/warranty. The way it broke was somewhat strange. I had a fish in close as i was netting it and the rod broke about 3/4 of the way up. Getting it repaired would be nice, especially for free! The Ross rod was a good step up from my first fly rod in college, but the 7wt NRX is considerably nicer to fish. Even if i did get it repaired under warranty, i think i still want to upgrade.

For those that own a 4wt, is it dumb to buy a 5wt? Ive heard people give advice before like "stick to even or odd numbers". I.e. buy a 3, 5, and 7, or buy a 4, 6, and 8. Not that it is the end of the world, but i feel like if i buy a 10' 4wt and a 9-10' 5wt that one of those rods is going to feel/fish better and the other will collect dust. I can always sell off the one i dont use, but then i get whacked by used depreciation on the reel, line etc. In my situation, it might be the only way to find out which one is best for me because i cant try them out before buying.

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

Give a little thought to a 10' 5wt. It will be an awesome nymphing rod, with enough substance to toss streamers and the ability to deliver dries at distance and mend on big water. It could also be a nice second rod for smallmouth. I love my 10' 4wt, but it isn't really cut out for much in the way of streamer work. It handles dries and nymphing beautifully, however. This year I plan on getting a 10' 5wt as a Euronymphing rod and just leaving a dry on my 4wt.

 

[Jaybird]

10ft rod is nice just simply because thats less water you have to wade into . A 5wt 10ft rod might be overkill on a medium to small stream . What ever you do cast it yourself first , to see if you like it .

 

[poopdeck]

Price is the worst barometer for rod quality closely followed by Rod shootouts. get two rods for 500, its easier to narrow down to two then one. Put the other 500 in your 401K. You can thank me in 30 years.

 

[outsider]

"Ive heard people give advice before like "stick to even or odd numbers". Who gives crap advice like this??????????

God, this reminds me of a post on another site that stated "some old guys said never to put head cement on a fly because the fish can smell it". Like old wives tales.

I don't know if this has been brought up, but one thing to consider (IMHO) is wind factor. If I choose to fish on a windy day, I always fish a heavier line, Another thing: large open waters are more prone to higher winds than smaller more protected streams. Like the winds that can barrel down the Susky.

 

[ryansheehan]

outsider wrote:
"Ive heard people give advice before like "stick to even or odd numbers". Who gives crap advice like this??????????

God, this reminds me of a post on another site that stated "some old guys said never to put head cement on a fly because the fish can smell it". Like old wives tales.

Lmao! I think it's great advice, all my rods are even or odd numbers.

 

[tridentfly]

Hi Patrick - a lot has been said here, but I wanted to weigh in.

The first and most important thing to consider is how you're going to be fishing. For example, if you're going to be spending all of your time and energy Euro nymphing, I would probably invest in a great nymphing rod in the 2-3wt in the 10-11' range.

Second, you'll find that any rod worth tight lining with doesn't really do anything else very well. They are very specialized.

If you're nymphing with an indicator a 9' 5wt will be more than adequate. The Asquith is a fantastic rod!

 

[pwk5017]

Ha, yeah I don't know where the advice has come from, but I've heard it multiple times. I guess it makes sense in that there isn't a tremendous amount of difference between a 5wt and 6wt etc. this is if you want to be the most economical.

I can agree with the price comment to an extent. I haven't fished a ton of rods, but my $120 rod was much better than my $50 rod. In the same vein, the $300 was better and the $750 is the best. If you get into a dollarerformance discussion then I agree that there is diminishing returns across the spectrum.

I'm flipping a bit on the 10' length. I was steelheading today and landing fish by yourself on a 10' rod with a 10' leader is awfully difficult. That might be just for big fish, but I was stretching big time to get them within net striking distance.

 

[ryansheehan]

pwk5017 wrote:
Ha, yeah I don't know where the advice has come from, but I've heard it multiple times. I guess it makes sense in that there isn't a tremendous amount of difference between a 5wt and 6wt etc. this is if you want to be the most economical.

I can agree with the price comment to an extent. I haven't fished a ton of rods, but my $120 rod was much better than my $50 rod. In the same vein, the $300 was better and the $750 is the best. If you get into a dollarerformance discussion then I agree that there is diminishing returns across the spectrum.

I'm flipping a bit on the 10' length. I was steelheading today and landing fish by yourself on a 10' rod with a 10' leader is awfully difficult. That might be just for big fish, but I was stretching big time to get them within net striking distance.

I'm a little confused on that last part. You feel like it would be easier to land a fish with a 9 foot rod and a 10 foot leader? I feel like a longer rod is an advantage in that situation.

 

[Dave_W]

Shorter rods are better for fighting and landing fish.

 

[ryansheehan]

I've never really noticed a difference between long and short for landing fish by myself. Then again I'm not a steelheader.

 

[fritz]

I got a 10' rod for steelhead a few years ago. I've had no problems landing or fighting. I like it every bit as much and maybe more than the 9' rod I was using.