In need of cheap / yet good rods....

[sixfootfenwick]

As others pointed out...
There is something in your technique or how you are walking/wading that needs addressed.
I fished 250 days a year, for 5 years, on some pretty rough terrain with the same outfit and never had an issue with the rod dinging or cracking.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

That said of you like slow and want a cheap rod, go with glass.
CGR, Vintage Rods etc...
All good options.

 

[WV waver]

You could always snag a yellow 6’6” 3/4 weight (4) Eagle Claw featherlight? Functional and moderately tough but unsightly.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

As others pointed out...
There is something in your technique or how you are walking/wading that needs addressed.
I fished 250 days a year, for 5 years, on some pretty rough terrain with the same outfit and never had an issue with the rod dinging or cracking.

In our experience, dings and cracks have come from heavy streamers or poppers striking the rod than from anything else. Actual conditions may vary, but it can happen to anyone at any time.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I guess I don't get the philosophy. You fish a lot so you want a cheaper rod to reduce the time you use your better rods. You buy things to use them. What pristine conditions would you unveil the good rods? I on the other hand think because you fish so much and enjoy it, spending more on gear is justified. Maybe perhaps there are a few circumstances where you know the chance for abuse is very high and you'd use the cheaper set up? It might be worth the experiment because there is a chance you'll find you enjoy the 250.00 rod as much as the 800.00. You may shift brands/models in the long run.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Redington CT.....
Redington Vice.....if you want fast action.

Take the CT, leave that gaudy Vice.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Cabelas 3 forks rods are good. Same with a lot of Bass pro stuff. I like Redington a lot too.

I don't know man, maybe the 3 Forks models have improved over the years but the 9ft 8wt model I received in a trade back on July 6th of 2018 certainly didn't impress me much. It did tag a nice smallie on lake Canandaigua but subsequently broke while lifting a bugger off of some algae in a local pond, something a 2wt could do. The rod was pretty dinged up when I got it so it may have had some preexisting damage but that incident left a bad taste in my mouth, not that I really cared for the action of that rod but it may have been the only larger caliber rod I owned at the time. That being said if the OP could find a Cabela's Atoll, either 1st or 2nd iteration, I think that would be a fun rod to have from Cabela's and it has a sweet electric blue finish. I'd venture to say these rods are quite hard to find now as they have been discontinued for awhile. I think they're pretty good sticks that are aesthetically pleasing unlike the Three Forks with its boring olive drab blank coloring. Those Atoll rods retailed at $300 and if they were made by a big brand name they would have sold for $500-$600.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Yo Jer - if your methods involve a lot of wear and tear on your gear, consider glass. The Cabela CGRs are tough and amazingly cheap. Sometimes they go on sale, which makes them a virtual steal. Also, believe it or not, bamboo rods are even tougher.

I don't know man, not a huge fan of the C.G.R., they seem pretty janky.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

I don't know man, not a huge fan of the C.G.R., they seem pretty janky.

They are great quality at their price point and are probably better made than some of the vintage mid to high end rods.

I own one for a beater rod or a loaner, and it's a decent rod.
Considering the way the fiberglass flyrodders, Cameron from fiberglass manifesto etc all talk about them, I don't think janky is a good word to describe them.

They are actually pleasant to cast.

 

[Bamboozle]

I like slow to moderate rods for most of my fishing, looking for any ideas.

Based on this comment, I'd recommend fiberglass.

hiking in very bouldery rivers, it happens at least with me... over time, cracks or dings happen.

Does this mean you FALL or whack your rod on stuff while getting to the water or do you slip, trip, etc. while wading,..

...or both?

If the damage is coming from those issues expect it to continue regardless of what rod you use unless you are little more careful and/or resist stringing up your rod until you get to the water.

A simple way to safely carry a rod without stringing it up is to mount the reel on the butt section, leave the other rod sections in place and use just the rod sack to carry it to the water or put your reel in a pocket and carry the rod by itself in the rod sack.

If desired you can take it a step further and do what I did and get a spare rod sack, split the seam along the outside of the widest compartment so the reel can get past the seam so all the sections will be even in the rod sack.

If you have a sewing machine or know someone who does, they can restitch the split seam so it doesn't split any further and they can add ties to the rod sack so you can keep things secure for the hike to the stream.

BTW, if you reels are getting similarly dinged up, wrap a neoprene reel pouch around the reel & reel seat before you slide it into the rod sack.

Good luck!!

 

[krayfish2]

Take the CT, leave that gaudy Vice.

Oh shush. You're just saying that because you don't like the Grand Theft Auto graphics and green metallic paint job. I got the 790 for streamer fishing and it's perfect for that. Not sure of durability but it is strong and does the job well from 30' - 70'

 

[C_kreek17]

I run the low end redingtons pretty regularly (Path mostly) and really like it. I’m never really worried about it either. I actually broke the tip off and glued it back on with no problems. I also have a TFO nxt black label 5wt. Originally bought it for trout but I think it’s way to stiff for my liking. I use it to throw big bass propers, double hauling pretty far, with no real issues. It’s landed some big bass too with no issues.

I will say, I have heard TFO is better if you’re looking for a decent warranty (not sure if this has changed in the past couple years). Redingtons warranty and repair center is worthless and you’ll never hear anything back from them.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Is your Path a larger line wt in a 10 foot configuration? I have a friend who has the 7wt 10ft and man that thing is heavy! I know 10 footers are heavier than their 9 foot and shorter counterparts but this rod felt heavier than what I suspected it should weigh in terms of actual weight and swing weight when lawn casting it. I feel like one would need a Hatch 12 (a pound of good ol' billet T6061 aluminum) to balance the rod properly. During another incident while fishing for "steelhead" in Erie (NOV 2022) I swapped a white label Orvis rod that is no longer in my possession for a Redington 7wt 10 foot. I forget what model it was but it was a light blue metallic (rod looked good, perhaps a pairing for a certain reel I own bearing a Roosterfish graphic design). That rod was heavy too and I immediately asked for my own rod back. I'm typically down to swap rods for a fishing session just to try out new things but this was something I didn't want to use right off the bat.

My friend has a Vice 4wt 10ft that I helped him acquire (bought it for him online and he paid me back) for half off of retail. It is currently out of commission due to a broken rod tip that he says just magically broke while he was taking the leader off of the tip. He does fish like a guerilla and I shudder to think of what he would do with my rods. He did get a chance to fish one of my more prestigious nymph rods that day due to breaking his, albeit, for a short period of time.

About the only Redington I like was the CT 4wt 8'6". I fished one for a bit (tossed a bugger) and I felt the rod was pretty good and made good roll casts, which was how I had to fish my streamer that day because I was bank fishing. Rod has a nice color too with its deep red blank color, a good cosmetic pairing for a SAGE 500 series or a SAGE Trout reel in bronze.

I'm not going to say Redington is inherently bad, these are my opinions and experiences, but my when I pick up enough sticks from a specific company and they had traits that I strongly dislike like weight (both actual weight and perceived swing weight) along with cheap looking finishes, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but hey, a lot of people seem to like the company and two people that I steelhead fish that are much better anglers than I use them, so...

Ultimately I judge rods with a high level of scrutiny. A rod is a good or bad based off of objective qualities and I don't care about price. A rod cuts it or "jives" with me so to speak. I've had high end rods that have been flops and cheap to mid-priced rods that have been astoundingly wonderful fishing tools.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

They are great quality at their price point and are probably better made than some of the vintage mid to high end rods.

I own one for a beater rod or a loaner, and it's a decent rod.
Considering the way the fiberglass flyrodders, Cameron from fiberglass manifesto etc all talk about them, I don't think janky is a good word to describe them.

They are actually pleasant to cast.

I mean I guess they have quality at the price point of $80 but their cosmetics certainly don't appeal to me (feel awfully cheap).

I don't allow another angler's opinion on a rod until I test it myself. I have no doubts that Cameron is a substantially better angler than I and has a d*** good opinion of how a glass rod should feel, the C.G.R. 6'2" is just not a feeling I like.

As for pleasant I did not find that rod very pleasant to cast. I bought it at a discount to pair with an old Bronson Flylite that I no longer have (I actually sold the combo to a buddy to target natives in NY). Upon lawn casting it with RIO Trout LT 2WF-F and a tight-line nymphing line in a 1DT, both lines simply didn't work on the rod (and they SHOULD HAVE!) and I was so disgruntled with the setup I almost broke it over my knee and chucked it across lawn.

I do know with glass rods there's a style people like. Some prefer the looser and slower casting rods as opposed to the faster action glass rods that track a bit truer. Comparing this rod to my current gen Orvis Superfine 2wt 6'6" glass, the SF KILLS the C.G.R. in every category, and my Epic 4wt 7'6" 3 piece (Fastglass I) is probably the nicest glass rod I own and I have fond memories of fishing it and pulling off some whack*** maneuvers. I know the Epic and SF are more expensive rods so they should be better in theory, but I compare all of my rods for performance value and really only bring up the price point if a certain high dollar rod is performing miserably and I think to myself how such a piece of crap could cost so much. I may also have to fish some other C.G.R. models. Maybe there's sweet spots in the lineup but I hate the 6'2" and I also don't like fishing sub-7 foot rods in general.

Funny enough, I sold that C.G.R. with the FlyLite to my friend in NY and he absolutely loves it and is having a blast with it so I am glad that the rod got rehomed and is being loved. I think helping rods find an owner that appreciates them is a wonderful thing. That rod was gathering dust with me and may have even gotten kicked after a particularly bad day of fishing when I'm having a hissy fit.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

To go back again on OP was inquiring about I again agree with the cracks forming in his rod as an issue of user error. I find the notion to run less-costing rods to avoid breaking a higher end rod silly as that makes the notion of owning a high dollar rod in the first place pointless. A rod is a tool, I choose the tool for the job. My tool could be one of the modern 1k sticks or an $85 glass rod I bought from a forum member.

That being said, the argument of durability between materials such as glass and bamboo versus graphite are silly. Yes, bamboo and glass are less resistant to breaking but I think people are trying to equate glass/bamboo rods to steel I-beams and painting graphite as if it were made out of literal glass that will explode as if it's packed with Tannerite for essentially no reason.

 

[WV waver]

To be honest, I’ve noticed fishing small mountain streams (blue lining) is very tough on rod/reel. There have been instances where I have began to fall due to loose footing, slick footing, tripped by limb or Laurel and I’ve had to drop my rod to catch myself. Wading knee deep or deeper I find way easier than going from ankle to calf deep. I am “top heavy” I admit, but using a wooden staff has helped a bunch. That and slowing down has helped a bunch but inevitably, my rod/reel seems to hit the deck every other trip. Boulders and rocks in my area seem really abrasive too. So I do understand the OP’s reasoning.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

.
That being said, the argument of durability between materials such as glass and bamboo versus graphite are silly. Yes, bamboo and glass are less resistant to breaking but I think people are trying to equate glass/bamboo rods to steel I-beams and painting graphite as if it were made out of literal glass that will explode as if it's packed with Tannerite for essentially no reason.

Or it could be that they are just less prone to breakage.

I don't know anyone that equates bamboo or glass to literal steel beams and graphite to literal glass.

Small streams are rough on equipment considering the more dense surroundings.

You yourself say a fishing rod is a tool.
I can screw in a Phillips head screw with a flathead or I can choose the tool best for the job.
That includes durability of the tool for the type of job.


Graphite shines in higher lines weights and longer lengths where they rule on bigger open rivers for longer casts with a lighter rod.

Just saying....

 

[hooker-of-men]

I like that the Vices match my beer.

They generally work just fine too.

 

[JeremyW]

To be honest, I’ve noticed fishing small mountain streams (blue lining) is very tough on rod/reel. There have been instances where I have began to fall due to loose footing, slick footing, tripped by limb or Laurel and I’ve had to drop my rod to catch myself. Wading knee deep or deeper I find way easier than going from ankle to calf deep. I am “top heavy” I admit, but using a wooden staff has helped a bunch. That and slowing down has helped a bunch but inevitably, my rod/reel seems to hit the deck every other trip. Boulders and rocks in my area seem really abrasive too. So I do understand the OP’s reasoning.

well also bouldering can be hard on rods, setting them down, picking them up, occasionally dropping them while trying to scale a rock.

 

[troutbert]

well also bouldering can be hard on rods, setting them down, picking them up, occasionally dropping them while trying to scale a rock.

What stream or river is this? It sounds interesting.