rods that you regretted....

O

outsider

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May 28, 2010
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What rods did you regret buying, selling, or not buying?

Regretted buying:

Sage 586 Rpl - I hated this rod from the beginning, and gave it decades to adjust to. Never happened. Traded it within the past 2 years for a Sage 586LL. Happy days.

Regretted selling:

Hardy bamboo 6' or 6 1/2' five weight, don't know what I was thinking

Fenwick Feralite 6' 5 weight, ditto

Orivis glass 7 1/2' rod, would love to cast it today

Regretted not buying:

Sage 389LL, one of the most sought after sage rods
 
My 2 cortland 10 wt. I had a gpx and broke it. I got a pro cast to replace (warranty). I bought those 2 rods with out knowong the game i was playing too well. The Echo ion 10wt. is a true fast action big streamer rod. The cortland 10's are just dogs...

And the winston ascent 8wt i got. Its too fast for steelhead and thats what i bought it for.
 
I've bought some vintage stuff that folks claimed were good rods only to find them to be clubs, luckily they can be easily sold. I don't think I've ever regretted selling a rod, as long as the buyer enjoyed the rod.
yes, there are some rods and blanks that I hit myself for not buying at the time. some are now worth huge money and are basically unobtainable for me, and I'd rather not talk about them now! :-x
 
When I wanted to bass fish more, I purchased a combo pack, a Crosswater 7/8 weight rod and reel, I beleive it was from Cabelas 5-6 years ago. This was before that series went through about 2 re-designs. Realized I did not care for the rod much, so when a bonefishing oppertunity came up, I bought an 8wt Sage Launch, to match the 5wt I already owned. Since that purchase, the Crosswater rod has gotten zero use and I have bass fished quite a lot.

Chalk it up to, seemed like a good idea at the time....
 
Hmm, my first rod was a White River outfit. Loved the action, but it broke, too easily. My mistake was buying the same rod over. It broke too! Since then, I don't think I've aquired a rod I regretted.

I have only gotten rid of two rods.

My wife bought an Orvis TLS Power Matrix 5 wt. She got it fairly cheap, she was a student in the PSU FF class and they sold the class rods to students at a discounted price. She didn't really take up fishing, and it essentially fell into my hands. It was a backup that got very little use, and I never liked it. She gave me the go ahead to sell or trade. Yes, it's the rod Old Lefty put on a show with at last year's jam, but it didn't work in my hands. I traded it for a Gary Loomis 7 wt, which represented an upgrade to my steelhead rod.

Having then 2 7 wts, and liking the Gary Loomis better, I sold the old one to Csoult. It was a Sage Fli 9 ft 7 wt. I liked that rod, just liked the Loomis better.

So I aquired a rod I didn't like or use. Traded it for a rod I did like and sometimes use. Then sold the rod the new one replaced. Upgrade in equipment AND gained money.
 
My first rod. But I can't be that upset. It was a starter combo and a really crappy rod. I sued it for 2 years and have taught a few friends with it; so it can't be that bad.

It's a cortland.
 
I have a Cortland GRX and absolutely love it! Purely from an action standpoint, I put it above all but maybe one of my rods.
 
I have all the rods,save one, that I ever owned. Only missing one is a steel Gep rod. I doubt any are still around. GG
 
I'm not knocking cortland rods, just the cheapy that I have.

However, it has served its purpose and I like it for that aspect.

I will add that I have had a rod for about 6 years that I have never fished; but I don't regret owning it.
 
Regrettes I have a few, but too few to count.
 
Dear outsider,

I pretty much have every single fishing rod I've ever bought in my lifetime except for a few that I simply wore out and lacked the knowledge to refurbish or that I broke.

That said I do have a few regrets

Regretted buying - G Loomis 906 GLX. It was a very nice rod, it fished well from streamers to midges, but it could have easily been a piece of rebar or a tomato stake. It simply had no soul or spirit whatsoever. I sold it and bought a 4 piece Scott to replace it.

Regretted selling - Sage 590RP, it was my first "good rod" and I caught many fish with it and was happy with it, but I wanted a 4 piece for travel so I got one and then sold the Sage.

Sage 890-4RPL it was gift from a friend who has since passed away. It was a great smallmouth rod and I caught 1000's of fish on it. My buddy had passed away and someone said on a board that they were looking for one so in a moment of weakness I sold it. Some days I regret selling out a gift received from a dear friend.

In reality I know they are just fishing poles, but every single one that I own has a story. It's probably nothing that anyone else on Earth would like to hear but it's still a story to me.

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
Honestly, I've been lucky, or maybe just not that picky, as I can't think of any rod that I've regretted having. From my first rod that I bought with my own money when I was twelve which was an old (new then) South Bend glass rod with a Medalist reel, up to my current rods... don't/didn't regret any of them. Yes, I have had a couple favorites, but none that I didn't like to some degree.

However, I do "regret" getting rid of one. A pre-fire Leonard Bamboo rod that I got for a song and dance, had to sell it and got 3 times what I paid for it, but if I still had it, it would now be worth 4 or 5 times what I sold it for then. :-(
 
My Scott A3 9ft 9wt. I bought it needing a salt and salmon stick. A month later I was gifted a 9ft 9wt Colton. I have no need for two 9wts, but would never sell the Colton because it was given to me. O well, one day I will break one and have a back up I guess.
 
I have been very fortunate to hold onto my favorite rods. I even have a couple in need of some major repair. My all time fav that i will never get rid of is a Cortland 444 Limited Edition 2 pc bamboo 5wt originally bought in 1973. It is a dream to fish with and looks just as good.


Well I may be able to help you if you are looking to replace a Fenwick Feather Lite. I have four Fenwicks FF535, FF605, FF755, and a FF858. All of these are in their original flannel sleeves and brown tubes.
 
mshury, pm sent
 
cabela's stowaway 7. i dont regret buying it, but i do regret losing one of the sections while hiking back from a stream
 
Hi there - it has been some time since you wrote you had a Fenwick FF535 for sale...is it still available?

Andrew
 
My Sage One. It was the first high end rod I ever used, so I loved it. This was at a time when I had no money/was in debt. 5 years later I got myself out of the hole, had money on the side for new rods and with new exposure come to appreciate slower rods. Found a great deal on a One and bought it, only to find out that I've grown in a different direction.

It's a great rod if you're on your feet all day, hucking bigger flies, but there's relatively no feel to it. I'd rather fish a heavier rod that bends.

That said, anyone want to buy it or trade for it?

--Dave
 
Orvis Helios 8wt tip flex. Way too fast. Use a 9 wt on it now for LMB.
Versitex IM6 8 ft 6in 4 wt. Had a wierd taper at the tip that threw tailing loops too easy.


That's it. I'm lucky. Unloaded 1 rod, a 9 ft. 6 wt Redington, not because it wouldn't cast a 6 wt, but because, and for the life of me I don't know why, it wouldn't cast a 7 wt line. Got a LL Bean Silver Ghost. Besides being too fast a rod for 6 wt., it casts the 7 wt great. It will fish OK with a 6 wt but you have to compensate for it's fast action.

Syl
 
One good riddance: 7' 3 wgt. early 90's vintage T&T Paralite. Maybe you could use it to put a size #14 Humpy under a hemlock bough at 25 paces, but I couldn't. I hated it and sold it for a good price.

One regret: Original (1982-3 or so) Fenwick Eagle glass/slow graphite composite 7' for a 5 wgt. Broke the very tip and had too many rods anyway, so gave it to my brother on the condition he put a proper tip top on it and fish it. Which he did. I wish I had it back, but its the only decent small stream rod he will allow himself to have. He's even cheaper than I am, which is saying something.
 
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