Under 8 foot 7 wt...

[trevor]

Does anybody know of an affordable 7 wt under 8 feet long? I need something short and powerful for carp around cover and bank fishing, but still delicate for presenting the fly stealthily. I have been using a 7'4" 5 wt, but I need more stopping power.

 

[bkasten]

Check out the Sage Smallmouth Bass rod ($395) and the G. Loomis ShoreStalker ($330). They are both designed for that kind of fishing. The Sage can throw big flies a mile and has tons of lifting power. Iv never fished the Loomis but I imagine it is fantastic as well.

 

[trevor]

Are they delicate enough to not spook a carp? If they are, is the Reddington Predator good?

 

[bkasten]

I would think that they can be pretty delicate, especially at close range. Thats what they are designed for. The Sage rods come with their own lines that are "over lined" for the rod intentionally so that you can load the rod at shorter casting lengths. You can also shoot the line a long way with this set up. Iv never seen the Redington before, but looking at it online, it looks like the same idea as the one I mentioned. I dont think you can go wrong with any of them, probably just personal preference.

 

[gfen]

"comes with special lines to overload the rods"

That's gotta be some tasty Kool Aid those boys at Sage are serving where you'll buy a 7wt rod that requires a special Sage branded line so you can overload the 7wt and actually just fish a 9wt?

I'm confused.

Was it always this stupid, or is it because someone just needed a good way to line their pockets.

edit: btw, the cabela's cgr 7'6" 7/8 is fantastically delicate, versatile, under 8' and definatly tosses a 7wt line. Or a 6. Or an 8. Probably a 9, not so much a 5. also does not require the use of a cabela's branded line, although don't suggest that too loudly...how long before rio, et al, cash in on this with a special FIBERGLASS TAPER TACTICAL ASSIST TAPER TACTICAL STRATEGIC PLACEMENT LINE.

Huh? Cortland Sylk? Oh, well, yes, but that's bamboo not so much glass, there's a market there, people!

btw, i'm serious about the CGR. i'd love to feel a giant goldfish on the end of mine.

 

[bkasten]

The Sage Smallmouth casts more like a 10-11 wt line. I think its a 290 grain line. Iv fished it in mangrove creeks in Florida for snook and it was awesome. It can cast very large flies if you need it to and has a lot of stopping power, but still feels like a 7 wt.

I get what you are saying about the "specialty line" that you have to buy from Sage. They are a little pricey. Im sure it would cast great with another 290 grain line though.

I was impressed with the Sage, but a short rod that throws a 7wt line might be better for the carp fishing.

 

[midnightangler]

The redington predator is EXCELLENT. I recently lost mine when I swamped my canoe, and I bought another one without hesitation. I use it for a lot of my trout fishing (I have a 6 wt), so I don't think you have to worry about it not being delicate enough for carp. I'm a very big fan of those rods. They even have a lifetime warranty, which is not too bad for a rod in that price range.

 

[shakey]

i casted gfen's CGR at the jam.real nice rod.that would fill the slot nicely.

 

[gfen]

And at only $100, 25 years of garuntee and the fact that its glass so you can bash it against rocks and it'll keep on ticking.

Tocar was a fan of it, too. Its got some backbone, but it'll lay down shorter casts and gets a great bend even on moderate fish.

 

[bam]

I second the Predator. It's made for boat fishing and is plenty stout enough to handle streamers or heavy line, so I'm guessing it would fit you needs for carp nicely...