small stream rod

A

atticus

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Feb 12, 2012
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Looking for recommendation on a reasonably priced six foot 2-3 wt fly rod and reel. Any thoughts?
 
If you don't want a fast action rod and don't have an aversion to fiberglass, take a look at the Cabelas CGR rods. They offer a 5-9" 3wt, a 6'2" 2wt and a 6'6" 4wt and the price is crazy cheap so you can splurge on a reel. ;)

Fiberglass excels at short casting distances which should one of the reasons you are looking at a short rod. Glass is all I use on rods shorter that 6'6' for that reason.

There is also the L.L. Bean Pocketwater Glass Rods (6'9" 3wt) at double the CGR price.

Good luck!
 
I have an Echo Carbon XL 2 weight. It is 7'3". It is pretty light (it is after all a two weight) but it gets the job done for brook trout in Shenandoah NP.

Just saw that you were looking for a six foot rod...
 
+1 for the Cabelas CGR. I’m very tough on my equipment and at the low price point I can live with dings and scratches, and the occasional break.
 
Yo atti
Bamboozle has it pegged re Cabela's CGR series. Though I have happily paid full price (such as it is) for the original CGRs, the following CGTs and the current CGRs, when they go on sale regularly, I snap them up 2 and 3 at a time. They all (at least up to 5wts) roll cast excellently too, which is useful in tight quarters. In tight quarters, the robust construction is a big plus. Fast action is less of a factor with short sticks. Bonus tip: with 1, 2 and even 3wts, the taper profile is so subtle with WF and DT that you can easily use level lines. As the tip wears, just cut it off and you still have plenty of fresh line left. Bonus bonus tip: the back of WF lines is level running line and a 5wt mikes out around 0.030 to 0.040. I just turn around a used up WF5F and there is my 2 or 3wt level line, depending on density and diameter.
 
was considering the CGR but was hesitant about the quality and durability given the price.
 
The CGR fit & finish is excellent considering the price point, save for the amount of filler in the cork, but that is a problem with rods at double the price and the durability of any glass rod exceeds any graphite rod at any price.
 
How about recommendation on a reasonable reel to go with CGR 5' 9" 3 wt.
 
I have no products I can recommend but I can tell you from experience with rods shorter than 6 feet, if balance matters at all look for something small & light. A reel between 2 oz. and 3 oz. will balance closest to the winding check.

You can positively get a full DT3 line on any standard arbor reel between 2-9/16" and 2-3/4" so don't fret about capacity unless you only are looking at large arbor reels.

If you end up with something really small and are worried about capacity, Barrio offers highly touted short lines just made for small streams or you can cut a double taper in half.

Good luck!
 
The CGR is a good rod for the price. I have a 6'2" Redington ButterStick that I like a lot too if you're open to spending more.
 
atticus said:
How about recommendation on a reasonable reel to go with CGR 5' 9" 3 wt.
Click to expand...
Reels for a 3wt are not important. All they are going to do is hold the line at least for me. I'd get an ebay special. For rods that small getting the correct balance isn't all that important either and I've found a slightly larger reel will help with less line memory. People overthink reels. For trout around here in PA a reel is nothing but a line holder. I literally hand strip in 99.9% of my trout.
 
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You might check out Richard Steinhart at Mr. Ants Rods he will put together a beautiful custom stick for you at a VERY reasonable price and he's a Pennsylvania guy to boot who lives in Plum Boro just East of Pittsburgh. Check him out here on Facebook for some great photos of his handiwork: https://m.facebook.com/104223721374092/
 
Going even smaller than a 3 weight...
I'd like to revive this thread long enough to get a recommendation or two. One of my son's chose a 6-6" 2- weight rod, when I asked him and his brothers to tell me what kind of rod they wanted me to assemble for them. I'm putting it together on a Rainshadow blank from Hook & Hackle. (It looks so pretty that I want to make one for myself.) I've been dredging the internet for a 1/2 weight fly reel and haven't found anything smaller than 3/4. Some places have 1/2 weights listed on websites but have none available to add to the cart. Other places list a 1/2 reel but the reviews are very non-complimentary ("junk" is the typical description).
Is there anywhere else to look outside a brick-and-mortar tackle shop (there are none within a couple hours of my location)? I tried the usual online stuff so some of you may know of a more obscure website.
There are ice-fishing reels available that look small enough. However, they're made for mono or braided line and I expect the tiny arbors would turn a fly line into a spiral phone cord.
It will effectively be a line-holder to be used in small places to catch small fish. It doesn't need a robust drag, nor does it need to sing songs when line is stripped off or reeled in.
Are there any recommendations for a 1/2 weight reel? (Previous recommendations on this string are limited to rods or rod/reel combos.)
Thanks.
 
I have an Echo Base 2/3. It’s an ok reel for my 2wt. Nothing much more than a line holder when you get to that point. IMHO
 
Dear 6xAdams,

I have an Orvis CFO I on my one weight and a Hardy Flyweight on my two weight. They are beautiful reels even after over 30 years but hard to find used at a price equal to what I paid for them brand new.

You could easily use a Martin 63 but if you want something nicer check with Bob Selb. https://www.classicflyfisherman.com/

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
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What are examples of these inexpensive reels that work fine? What make and model?
 
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