Help w/ a 9' 5wt

The_Sasquatch

The_Sasquatch

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Jul 6, 2011
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Location
Malden, WV
I need to buy a new 9' 5wt rod. This weekend I really felt the limitations of mine. I resorted to using my Fenwick all weekend because I just couldn't stand how my old Cortland was casting anymore. The more I fish and the more I demand from a rod, the less and less this old rod measures up.

I don't want to spend a whole lot, maybe $100-$200. I have plenty of reels, that's not an issue. I was looking at some of LL Bean's stuff, and Tim Robinsin recommended an Echo. Any other thoughts? I have a few months before I actually pull the trigger and buy something (budgets, baby!), so I have the time to do some research, maybe find something used on Ebay, etc.
 
Cortland "Brook" Series. Good rod at a decent price point.
 
could of had one over the weekend..
 
I didn't have the cash for that Bob! Read that line about budgeting again...hahaha!
 
Sounds like you have two right now that you can use. I know you will not want to hear this and it might even offend you but... suck it up and save untill you got the $$ to get a good one you really want instead of getting a so so rod now. If you think about it does it not make sense? Unless of coarse there's a break neck hurry then you should buy now. :p
 
lv2nymph wrote:
Sounds like you have two right now that you can use. I know you will not want to hear this and it might even offend you but... suck it up and save untill you got the $$ to get a good one you really want instead of getting a so so rod now. If you think about it does it not make sense? Unless of coarse there's a break neck hurry then you should buy now. :p
Click to expand...

I'd agree with your advice if there's a more expensive rod that Squatch is eyeing up and is instead compromising on a $100-$200 rod, but what if he's not? Not trying to speak for Squatch, but even if I had the cash to buy a more expensive rod, I don't know that I could justify spending much more than Squatch is looking at here. $200 gets you a darn nice rod that will catch 99% (or maybe actually 100%) of the fish that a $600 rod will catch, assuming the same caster of course.

As good as many of the $200 rods are out there, I'd rather buy 3 $200 rods (in different lengths/weights) than one $600 rod. Spend your money as you like however gang, just trying to point out the opposite point of view.
 
Thanks for the thoughts, guys. I DO have a "dream rod" that I'll be saving up for in the future, but that rod is a reward for when I pay off all of my debt. I'm not there yet. This is a function issue. The Cortland ain't cutting it, and the Fenwick is only a 7.5' so I feel a bit limited at times by it.

Wish I could afford one of those glass rods Phil makes up at Kettle Creek.
 
Agreed... It's just while saving for something and waiting just awhile I've run into some really good prices on things I did not expect to find, it kind of forces you to look around and find them.I hate waiting for things I want but I have to admit it's happened quite a bit.
 
I know it was a month ago or so when the guy posted asking about the ross rx that was on sale for $189 or so. I have a loomis nrx and i have a 5wt ross rx. I really freakin like the rx. The nrx is a 7wt so its my boom stick since im used to 4s and 5s. Once again, look for that thread on the RX. It retails for $300 and is a great rod for that price let alone $189. Maybe check out the fx/fc too. It is their "budget" rod for $175 or so. I read alot of great reviews about those two rods before getting the RX.

I started out fishing kinda crap rods and the nice ones make the game a whooolllllleeeee lot easier and effective.
 
Anyone have experience w/ the Allen ATS series? I would LOVE to support that company.
 
I recently bought an echo carbon 9' 5 wgt rod and really like it. Has a little softer action that is great for drys, and it's very lightweight.
And with a price of only $160, I'd be surprised if there's anything better in this price range
 
I have fished the Echo Carbon - a nice rod. I was very surprised at how well it cast and felt for the price.

Another really nice rod is the St. Croix Avid series. Another surprise at how well it casts and fells for the price.

For a more traditional medium action rod for work under 50 feet you can't beat the TFO Finesse Series (8'-9"). However, if you are loking for something that can work larger bodies of water this is probably not be the rod you want. The TFO Presentation Series is a nice fast action rod that performs well both up close and at distances. I have not cast the TFO BVX but from people I know who have, it receives mixed reviews and those reviews are all over the place so I would suggest casting it and forming your own opinion.

One last rod that is pretty good (if you can find it on closeout) is the Sage Launch. That was a decent rod for the price.
 
Agree with others, get the rod you like most, even if it is a little more money than you planned on spending. When searching, disregard price, and try to put brand and prestige out of your mind too. I try to get a bunch of rods together for a test cast. Now, within reason, if something is ridiculously expensive you can exclude it from the group. But after you assemble em, don't look at them during the test! You don't wanna know which is which. Just decide which one you like best based on it's casting characteristics alone!

You're trying to avoid that brand appeal and marketing which is ingrained in our sport. And for me, anyway, I'm always a little surprised that after ranking them, price doesn't correlate very well at all with my rankings. It's not that I like cheaper rods, necessarily, it's just that there's no correlation with price, or a very weak one at best.

Of course, it's a very personal thing, so you're preferences are likely to vary. But I have found correlations with brand with my preferences. Of the major ones, I've never met a Loomis rod I didn't love. Even their lower models routinely come out at or near the top of my rankings. After Loomis, it's probably St. Croix, Cortland, Sage, TFO, Redington, Winston, in that order, they all make some good stuff and some bad. Scott and Orvis rods never agreed with me, for some reason. I buy lots of Orvis gear and like the company, but there's something about the action of the rods that just doesn't agree with my casting style.

I, of course, could pick up an Orvis model that I've never casted and end up loving it, or a new Loomis model and hate it. So these are observations, which I try to prevent from turning into brand biases. That's why I don't look at em when testing.
 
I'll give another nod for an Echo.

Great casting rod with a lifetime warranty and only costs $169. I would not put Echo rods in the "so-so" category.

The matte brown finish is really nice and the overall craftsmanship is spot on. The rod action (med-fast) is good in my opinion for throwing drys and nymphs. I also really like the contour of the grip as well.

I recently got a new reel for it and the guy that was working at the shop asked if he could cast it bc he had never held one. He liked it so much that they are looking into carrying the brand.
 
I'm a St. Croix guy. I prefer the Avid (which fits my fish style and budget). They do make slightly cheaper models that perform well. However, the avid you will have for life with no regrets.

BTW, I own 4 avids.
 
I would buy another Sage without question. I own 2 Launch series and have owned an XP for a while, fished the older DS series more than once, and played with a 99 for a day.

Their Vantage/Launch, Flight/Fli series are wonderful rods, made in the USA with a great warrenty.

Even the lower Sage rods, at least the ones I own or have used, preformed better for me and my style of casting and catching fish. I still own and sometimes use a GLoomis and a Cortland rod also, but the Sage'a are better tools in my opinion.

Many different brands out there and I am sure they are all good rods. Half the fun of buying is trying to figure out what to buy.
 
Also loomis and echo are designed by the same family steve rajeff and tim rajeff. So im sure they give each other ideas
 
i was looking at the 9' 5wt or 4wt mystic reaper. price $199. Not too familiar with it, but reviews seem positive.
 
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