jaybo41,
Sorry I didnt catch this earlier but here are the disadvantages and advantages of full flex rods. THis is just a small sample:
Full flex rods Pros:
Slower casting motion can sometimes spook fish not as much as a fast action rod.
Very accurate in short distance.
Protects light tippets very well.
Can lay a fly very delicately(not that a fast action cant but it is easier to do so with a full flex)
Slow action fly rods are also an excellent fly rod for beginners. The flexibility of the fly rod and the slow line speed allows beginner anglers to have very good control of the fly line, allowing for more accurate casts by inexperienced anglers.
Smaller Fish are Fun to Catch - The flexible nature of the fly rod makes catching even smaller fish a lot of fun. Even a 12 inch trout can seem like a monster on a slow action fly rod.
Full flex rods Cons:
Slow Line Speed - Anglers who need to make long casts will not want to use a slow action fly rod. The slower line speed of these rods prevents the angler - unless they are very experienced - from making real long casts.
Fishing in Windy Conditions - During windy conditions, slow action fly rods can be a real bear to cast.
Versatility - Slow action fly rods are ideal for many situations, but lack the all around versatility that medium action fly rods do. In short, if you can only own one fly rod and want that fly rod to be able to perform well in a wide range of conditions, a medium action fly rod is a better choice.
I will say that the new trout bums are a bit different than the old ones. The old ones were 7' 4wts and the new ones are 7 1/2' 3 wts. The new material they use makes the rod stronger which is good and it is a nicer looking rod. The extra 1/2" makes better casts and make it slightly more versatile. But it is slightly stiffer than the old model,even though it dropped one line wt. Also it is a bit more expensive. I still love it and I probably love it more!
I combo mine with the BBS II reel and use the orvis superfine wonderline. Im sure the CFO is a better reel for it but for the price.....well the BBS II is great! I bought Spectorfly the BBS I for his rod and he loves that reel.
Its all a matter of preference. My casting motion is geared towards full flex rods. As others stated, cast it and buy which one you fall in love with, which you did. ;-) That sage is going to treat you well bud, thats a nice rod and you made a good choice. Remember small stream fishing isnt about the rod, its about you ability to sneak up on the trout you are fishing. I know guys that swear by 8 foot fast action rods for small streams. The roll cast farther (which youll do alot of on small streams) and give you power when yanking out of a tree. I know guys that swear by 6 foot rods, saying they are easier to use in tight quarters. Its all in what you like. Check back after you use it for sometime on small streams and tell us what you think. Im betting your still gonna love it ;-)
Again sorry I didnt chime in earlier.
