Shimano fly rods

[pete41]

Anybody try one yet-down here in Fl. I have switched to spinning[oh,the shame] and use their reels.Finally bought one of their rods[calcutta] and its the best of the best.Don't know if they make it or shop it out but wonder what their fly rods are like.Thanks

 

[jdaddy]

pete41 wrote:
Anybody try one yet-down here in Fl. I have switched to spinning[oh,the shame] and use their reels.Finally bought one of their rods[calcutta] and its the best of the best.Don't know if they make it or shop it out but wonder what their fly rods are like.Thanks

Are you talking about Loomis or did Shimano really put out a fly rod to comPete with their Loomis rods?

 

[pete41]

that is what I am asking Sir.lol
If its Loomis,probably a lot cheaper through Shimano.
I know I would have to pay twice as much for a comparable big name spinning rod-they aren't worth $300 for a name.
Dropping a hint to budget careful types.

 

[jdaddy]

Jesus Christ Pete. What are you asking? Are you asking if Shimano has a new fly rod? It seems you are stating that Shimano HAS a new fly rod.

But ya. Shimano makes great reels, decent rods (with great warranties) but to my knowledge hasn't been in fly rods in over 10 years. All of my baitcasting reels are Shimano. They didn't have a great presence in rods back when I was bubba fishing, but the 11' spinning rod that I got for my Dad for SR float fishing is nice, nice price and great warranty.

 

[gfen]

Available in Thailand for only 3000 baht!
I'll bet they're quite servicable, entirely forgettable, and made by the same jobbers who pump out things for retailers like Cabela's.

I've got an old '80s Daiwa fly rod, its feels nice. Throws an admiable 5wt, comes in as a really pretty transparant brown, and has the cheapest components I've ever seen. I suspect Shimano is the same.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Do a google search for Shimano fly reels. Looks like a Loomis Venture. Hmmmm - I wonder if that's who makes the Loomis reels......

 

[jdaddy]

Loomis makes the Shimano reels. Obviously.

lol

I know a number of guys who swear by the value of the loomis reels.

having said that, PETE WHERE IS MY ANSWER?

 

[pete41]

I am saying shimano {sells]makes the best inshore spinning rods .Far better than St.Croix[sorry,true].
So I googled up to see if they sell fly rods~they do.
wondered if anyone one had tried them.
they might be a steal.
Wrong Gary.
the shimano Calcutta is a fine rod.Diawa I was disappointed in.The American mades are gone from this market.Twice has high and less quality.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Pete,

There ain't nothing new under the sun, the Rising Sun included.

The reality is that all anyone seems to do anymore is repackage or rebrand existing items and call them new and improved.

The very best fluke, schoolie weakie and schoolie striper rod I own is a Browning 6 1/2 foot baitcaster paired with a 920 Penn. The combo is 30 years old and it's handled everything I've ever thrown at it from Florida to Quebec. It'll cast a 3/8 ounce bucktail or an ounce and half Bomber and it'll handle 2 or 3 ounces of sinker with a fluke rig and never once has it acted up or failed. I bought it new and I have about $ 45.00 or $ 50.00 tied up in the whole rig.

You'd be hard pressed to get a season of fishing out of a $ 50.00 reel today without a failure, and rods are typically twice the price of reels. Personally, I fail to see much value or improvement in today's gear, though I do own a couple of nice Bass Pro Inshore rods and a a few All-Stars that were good buys and good values and purchased recently.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[jdaddy]

pete41 wrote:
I am saying shimano {sells]makes the best inshore spinning rods .Far better than St.Croix[sorry,true].
So I googled up to see if they sell fly rods~they do.
wondered if anyone one had tried them.
they might be a steal.
Wrong Gary.
the shimano Calcutta is a fine rod.Diawa I was disappointed in.The American mades are gone from this market.Twice has high and less quality.

Shimano makes some great gear, especially in their upper end stuff. Good news is that technology trickles down over the years and becomes much more affordable. Not sure if I am going to agree with a broad statement on Shimano v. St Croix, as each have sweet spots in their line up.

I think when you googled shimano fly rods you found a bunch of old outdated stuff from about 10 years ago. Your first google result searching for Shimano Fly Rod will be Loomis.

Calcutta baitcasting reels were a dream. Just a real dream.

I saw a Stella at Bass Pro. $700 spinning reel. I can't understand that.

 

[sandfly]

can't beat an old Harnell blank for surf casting..Can't find either any more..

 

[pete41]

In the past year Bass Pro and Cabelas have dropped a lot of brands,some deservedly so,some you wonder.lol

 

[jdaddy]

Pete, what would you suggest I look for in an inshore spinning rod? Or should I go casting? I plan on doing some light salt fly fishing in the future and want a decent backup for those windy days. Or the more frequent days where I can't get my cast out there cause I suck.

 

[pete41]

spinning-
and learn to use braid if you aren't use to it.Another world.always carry a spare spool ready to pop in.When braid tangles it tangles .lol
Mono is another thing losing out.The best brand by far,break away ,is no longer available.

 

[jdaddy]

Ya, I put braid on the 11' noodle rod and really like it. Much better than the Fireline braid of 10-15 years ago. But ya, a tight knot is a monster.

So . . . . length, weight range, etc? Is their a surf/inshore cross over?

 

[pete41]

Depends on where you are fishing more than what you are fishing for.
Surf in the south you can get away with a combo rod but you know full well compromises are never the best of either or both.
7 foot one piece rods are what i use for kayaking but better to get a 2 piece 7 foot than a shorter one.
Pick a rod that brackets the weight of lures you will use.1/4 [3/8] 1/2 oz rod for 3/8 lures.etc.
google up bass pro-saltwater-spinning rods and they have good descriptions with the different Loomis rods as to the action you want for different lures[soft plastics,hard plastics,spoons]then look for similar actions in st.Croix tidemasters or shimanos,more reasonably priced.
You can get some good enough rods from their store brands for around $90 to $100 by being guided by the reviewers.They are pretty honest and will post the good,bad and indifferent reviews.
Not to hard to tell who the jerks are that should be ignored.