lookin for a 2wt rod under 150$

[1hook]

About a year ago i started building a 2 wt rod. it was the first rod that i ever attempted to build. Well i got about half way done and got busy, never finished. I have a reel and line for it. I'm sure some day I'll finish the rod but in the mean time I'd like to buy a 2wt rod to throw this reel.

The reason i wanted the rod was for brookies and panfish, tight spots, ect..
I'm willing to spend about 150 dollars for a rod. I beat the crap out of my fishing stuff so nothing too expensive.

Got a couple questions for you guys.

1. My main fly rod is a 7'6 3wt. I love it. I've never fished with anything lighter...is there a real big difference a 2wt and a 3wt? Maybe i should go 1 wt?

2. I was lookin at the cabelas clear creek rods. The price is right. they carry 1 wt combos i might be interested in. Have you guys had any experience with these rods?

I dunno, just lookin for ideas. What does you guys think is a good way to go?

 

[jayL]

I know bass pro shops has a cheap ultralight combo. I'm pretty sure it's a two weight. I can't find it at the moment, but perhaps someone can provide insight.

 

[albatross]

1hook,

I have a 6.5 foot Cabelas Traditional 2 weight Traditional. I've been very happy with it for tight little brookie streams.

The Cabelas Clear Creek would probably be nice as well. They come in 5 foot or 7 foot in a 2 weight.

I have no experience with a 1 weight.

 

I own an Orvis 1wt. and really like it........ for what it is: "A novelty wt. fly rod" and that's about it.
When they first came out, I bought it simply because; "I'd never seen, nor fished, with anything that light and I wanted one".

I've had fun, when nothing else is happening, by using it on a few local farm pounds around my area for panfish and the like. But it's not something that I'd use for "serious fishing" on anything that may hit a fly and be 12" or larger. A rod of the 1 wt, stature isn't going to tire out any fish, of any size very quickly unless I want to run the risk of busting the rod maybe.

So, with that in mind, I can't see risking a fish's survival by playing it for as long as it may take, using an inferior rod for the purpose, "just because it'd be fun to do".

As, for, other rods like the ones already mentioned, I'm not much help. 3 wt. is as light as I go for trout.

But, I would like to ask, just out of curiosity (and being the nosy type, too!), "Why are you, (as you stated), so hard and abusive to your fly gear?? I'm just curious from the standpoint of the "cost of most rods and the fact, none are built like an "Ugly Stick"!?!

 

[1hook]

lol, i figured i might get that question. one of the first rods that i ever bought was an ugly stick!

I dunno, i don't really try to be rough with my equipment its just happens by chance. I'm always fallin, or droppin my rod it seems. I never buy a real expensive rod, i catch a lot of trout on pretty cheap rods and don't have to worry about breaking them. I have the attitude if i break it no big deal, i'll just by a new one. i couldn't think like that with a 500 dollar sage!

I took a pretty nice spill on pine the other day... last step before exitin the creek, hit a slippery rock and down i went.

 

[Padraic]

flybinder wrote:
So, with that in mind, I can't see risking a fish's survival by playing it for as long as it may take, using an inferior rod for the purpose, "just because it'd be fun to do".

Someone always makes this point when light rods are discussed. It always makes me wonder why 5x can handle 4.5+lbs on a 5wt but it suddenly gets weaker when tied to a 2wt line.

You'll definately feel the fight with a large fish more with a 2wt. Landing the fish is not harder IMHO if you are willing to put a bend in the rod, fight the fish off the butt and trust your knots.

I have an Orvis 6.5' 2wt and have landed browns of 16" and maybe a little more (I don't measure them very often, so I'm trying to be conservative). Anyway, I don't think it takes any longer to land a trout on a rod like that.

I wouldn't want to drop the Orvis rod too much, but then again it is guaranteed. So you could get a replacement after one of your trips.

 

[Raven456]

I own a 6'6" Orvis Supefine 2wt and love it. I must admit that I don't use it as much as I thought I would. My primary rod is a 7'6" 3wt. The 2wt is great for throwing delicate flies but doesn't do much if you're nymphing or trying to really reach out to some distance. Also, I would spend the extra cash to but a rod that has a guarantee. I've used my Orvis guarantee before and received a brand new rod, no questions asked.

 

[jayL]

Pad,

We've debated this before, and I think we both are talking purely in borderline-theory opinions... but here goes.

To use your 4.5+ lbs example (assuming a you want to use 5x with the size flies that a 2wt is capable of turning over):

If you have a 5wt rod exerting 4.25lbs of pressure on a 16 inch fish vs a 2wt doing the exact same, the 2wt will snap the tippet before the 5wt every time. Think about it. For argument's sake, we'll say the 5wt is probably about 1/3 to 1/2 way through it's "pressure threshold", whereas the 2wt is approaching 100% maxed out. When the fish runs, the 2wt either

a) snaps
b) does one of those 90 degree bends that we see the spin fishers with when they're snagged every april.

Neither one allows the rod to absorb any more pressure. The 5wt protects the tippet, the 2wt does not in this scenario. Therefore, the 5wt allows the fisher to put this level of pressure without the risk of maxing out his gear.

This is the same concept that applies to very long noodle rods. Some of those things were essentially of 1wt backbone in the upper sections, yet easily landed 15+lb steelhead. The length of the rod allowed more pressure to be exerted (among many other factors), thus protecting the tippet.

A fully stressed rod protects nothing. Drag notwithstanding, too. We all know the rod keeps the line from breaking on sudden runs or headshakes.

That's the way I see it at least. I'm curious if you disagree, and would like to hear your points. I'm sure there are multiple logical holes in this. I haven't finished my morning coffee yet.

I'm no physicist, and I'm just an engineer in training, and a software engineer at that... but I get the feeling that there's some concept out there that illustrates that a fully stressed "spring" loses it's energy significantly as it approaches the "maxed out" level. I could be wrong, but I swear I've heard something along those lines. I could get out my old "before = after" physics equations, but all I remember about springs and torques is that there's something to do with the letter 'k' in the equations.

 

[markwaldin]

I build custom fly rods and have a 2wt 2pc rod for $140. This is a Batson RX-7 based rod. Medium fast action. Nice rod. You can check it out at www.flycatcherinc.com The company name is Flycatcher

 

[MKern]

I built a pac bay 6'6" 2wt. and paid $38 for the kit. I believe the rod retails for $100.

It's my favorite rod (probably because when I use it I'm in the middle of the wilderness fishing for the most beautiful fish in PA. The way it feels to have a 8" brookie on the end is undiscribable).

 

[ian_brown]

The TFO series one costs $100, and the Professional costs $140 at Cabelas. I wouldn't buy the Cabelas rod without trying these two.

 

[abbrod]

I am not sure why a 1 or 2 wt. rod is ever needed at all but if you must have one...why not just finish the rod you started? Rod building is nice because with the excption of baby sitting the finish curing time(if you do not have a rod dryer) the work can be completed 5 min. at a time. Wrap a guide per day and it will be done soon. No more than 10 minutes each day.

 

[Padraic]

"When the fish runs, the 2wt either

a) snaps
b) does one of those 90 degree bends that we see the spin fishers with when they're snagged every april.

Neither one allows the rod to absorb any more pressure. The 5wt protects the tippet, the 2wt does not in this scenario. Therefore, the 5wt allows the fisher to put this level of pressure without the risk of maxing out his gear. "


Using side pressure and fighting the trout off the butt, the tip section of the rod should not be "maxed out" and will absorb the surges of a running trout.

A flyrod can lift way, way more weight than a trout. If you use the rod butt. It can shatter with just a few ounces if you exert "J" bend in the rod. This is true of a 2wt or a 5.

Lee Wulff landed a landlocked salmon the tip section of a flyrod. I'd say that the chances of landing a trout has more to do with technique than thickness of a rod blank.

 

[mute]

agreed

 

[jayL]

i still disagree. I'll give you the fact that I'm probably just not skilled enough. Even so, when the water gets warm, I won't fish the light rods. Alchemy or not, it's just how I see it.

 

[Padraic]

Alchemy or not, I am not a big fan of using 2wts simply because it's so hard to cast a fly of any size or with any weight. So I tend to use my 3wt more. With a 2 wt "can" throw a wooleybugger, but I don't think you'd want to do it all day.

 

Pad:
If you think a 2wt. is ridiculous to cast much with, you should try a 1wt.!

I have an Orvis 1wt. that "I was SURE I NEEDED", so bought one when "seeing how light you can go" was popular, during one of those "Fly Fishing manufacturers are getting bored again", periods.

I have a 3wt. and a 4wt. of the same lengths and pretty much to the same actions of the 1wt. just with a hair more "punch" to them. If I want to buy Orvis's "hype" (which, I admit early on, I fell for!), about "presentations, etc. with a 1wt. I can do exactly the same thing, with the right leader/tippet combo on my 3 or 4 wts.

Now, the Orvis 1wt. makes for a nice place to hang larger flies while the head cement dries, where it's hung on the wall for a few years!