Which Fly Rod to Buy?

[moon1284]

I can think of at least 4 fly shops that would let me test a rod on the water. I cant imagine many fly shops would not let a regular customer do so.

With that said a better fly rod is a nicer tool. It's not going to magically make you better. The only way to become a better caster is to cast more. Buy the best you can then go from there.

 

[jifigz]

springer1 wrote:

My question is, will spending the money on a higher end rod make me a better caster or catch more fish, or is all of that stuff just marketing? Will using a rod from a high end manufacturer make casting easier?

No. Many expensive rods are faster action made for those “expert” casters that the makers want you to feel you aren’t ..... so it’s your fault and not the rods. And much of their expense is to cover their marketing and warranty replacements. Before you drop down serious money on a rod similar to what you already have - try a 7’ or 7’6” glass 4wt and see what your thinking is about the industry after only 1 day using it and realizing you can spend more time focusing on fishing better / smarter rather than trying to cast a rod they deem is for experts. Hey everyone is allowed their opinion & that’s mine.

Why do you feel like a fast action rod is "harder to cast" and "made for experts?" In my opinion fast, moderate, and slow action rods are all equally easy to cast they just require a slight adjustment of technique which, if you are a good caster, happens within moments of beginning to fish that other rod. I can cast fast action rods much further, better in windy conditions, and just as accurately. That said, I fish moderate to slow action rods and own ZERO fast action rods. But each have their pros and cons with none being more difficult or better than the rest. They are all just a compromise of certain attributes.

 

[pete41]

"What ever rod feels best in your hand is the right rod.High price doesn't equal more fish. I'd buy a better grade line IMO. Reel and line should balance the rod,I think this is important in making casting easier,imo." GG
That WW2 steel rod still your favorite,Gulf ?

 

[gulfgreyhound]

I wish I had that Gep Rod. That would complete my rods from the past. I still have my first rod as well as the fenwich i bought inthe early 60'S? REELS AS WELL. Does trhat make me a hoarder? GG

 

[PennKev]

poopdeck wrote:
What local fly shops allow you to take a borrowed fly rod to the creek?

+1

If a shop lets you actualy fish a rod you know your really "in" with them.

 

[PennKev]

waf120 wrote:
I am looking to get a 4wt rod about 8' or 8'6", but not sure what to buy. I have been looking at rods under $500. Sage, Scott, Orvis all make a rod just below $500, but then the Fenwick Aetos at $180 gets really good reviews.

Get an Orvis Recon and call it a day. Seriously.

Or not. Whatever.

 

[Mwheaps32]

PennKev wrote:

waf120 wrote:
I am looking to get a 4wt rod about 8' or 8'6", but not sure what to buy. I have been looking at rods under $500. Sage, Scott, Orvis all make a rod just below $500, but then the Fenwick Aetos at $180 gets really good reviews.

Get an Orvis Recon and call it a day. Seriously.

Or not. Whatever.

I totally agree especially with the combo of the hydros

 

[krayfish2]

You looking for more opinions? Good. LoL.

I’ll agree with some of the prior posts that many of the higher end rods are of a faster action and won’t be user friendly to the novice. Honestly, a low end rod today is leaps and bounds above low end rods of 10 or 20 years ago.

Based on a budget of $500, you could approach this a few different ways………

Shoot the whole budget on one rod and get an Orvis Recon ($425 - $450), Hardy Shadow (seen on clearance for $199), St. Croix Legend Elite ($450). Would you be happy with ANY of those rods? Odds are…yes. Do they have different actions and flex profiles? Yes.

You could also go with more of a budget conscious approach………
** TFO Finesse, Redington CT, St Croix Imperial or Orvis Clearwater 2019 model. Again, all good rods that will more than serve the purpose and leave you $200-$300 left in the bank.

The last option is to improve your quiver of rods by adding multiple sizes and/or actions…….
** Redington CT rod picked up on sale $100. Add a GOOD quality DT line for $75 or so. You then add a 9’ 5wt or 6wt to the arsenal for bigger flies, windy days, warmwater fishing, etc.

Budget 5wt rods that perform nicely without breaking the bank………
** Redington Path (anywhere from $60 - $125)
** TFO Pro II ($169 - $199)
** Fenwick Aetos which is rumored to be the old Greys XF2 blank ($170 - $190)
I’m guessing that one of these just might become your new favorite rod. ????

Budget 6wt rods that perform nicely without breaking the bank………
** Echo Ion XL ($170)
** TFO Signature II ($125)
** Redington Path ($60 - $125)

Of course, I’d also suggest a quality textured line in WF for the new 5-6 weight rod ($75 – 90$)

So, You could get a Redington CT, new DT line, Fenwick Aetos, new WF line and be in for the same price as a new Orvis Recon or St Croix Elite.

I’m a very frugal guy that is also a bit of a gear whore at times. If you want help finding deals on any of the stuff I’ve listed, shoot me a PM :-D

 

[afishinado]

krayfish2 wrote:
You looking for more opinions? Good. LoL.

I’ll agree with some of the prior posts that many of the higher end rods are of a faster action and won’t be user friendly to the novice. Honestly, a low end rod today is leaps and bounds above low end rods of 10 or 20 years ago.

Based on a budget of $500, you could approach this a few different ways………

Shoot the whole budget on one rod and get an Orvis Recon ($425 - $450), Hardy Shadow (seen on clearance for $199), St. Croix Legend Elite ($450). Would you be happy with ANY of those rods? Odds are…yes. Do they have different actions and flex profiles? Yes.

You could also go with more of a budget conscious approach………
** TFO Finesse, Redington CT, St Croix Imperial or Orvis Clearwater 2019 model. Again, all good rods that will more than serve the purpose and leave you $200-$300 left in the bank.

The last option is to improve your quiver of rods by adding multiple sizes and/or actions…….
** Redington CT rod picked up on sale $100. Add a GOOD quality DT line for $75 or so. You then add a 9’ 5wt or 6wt to the arsenal for bigger flies, windy days, warmwater fishing, etc.

Budget 5wt rods that perform nicely without breaking the bank………
** Redington Path (anywhere from $60 - $125)
** TFO Pro II ($169 - $199)
** Fenwick Aetos which is rumored to be the old Greys XF2 blank ($170 - $190)
I’m guessing that one of these just might become your new favorite rod. ????

Budget 6wt rods that perform nicely without breaking the bank………
** Echo Ion XL ($170)
** TFO Signature II ($125)
** Redington Path ($60 - $125)

Of course, I’d also suggest a quality textured line in WF for the new 5-6 weight rod ($75 – 90$)

So, You could get a Redington CT, new DT line, Fenwick Aetos, new WF line and be in for the same price as a new Orvis Recon or St Croix Elite.

I’m a very frugal guy that is also a bit of a gear whore at times. If you want help finding deals on any of the stuff I’ve listed, shoot me a PM :-D

^ Great post great info from Kfish. He listed a whole bunch of rods and options that make a whole lot of sense.

My advice is to take his advice, maybe narrow down your choices to all the rods you can test cast, and try out each one. You can then make your decision based on what works the best for you and the kind of fishing you plan to do with the rod. Buying a rod based on a description or the opinion of others often times fall short. I for one would never buy a rod for that kind of money or any kind of money, for that matter, without a test drive first.

I'm sure there's a great choice for you in his list above. Your job is to find that rod and make the money you spend, however much or little, money well spent for a rod that you will enjoy fishing for years.

 

[Fredrick]

Nothing beats having the rod in hand and being able to cast it, when ever I am in the search of new gear I go to the fly fishing show and do my own gear reviews you will never find a better venue to play with different gear .

 

[FarmerDave]

gulfgreyhound wrote:
I wish I had that Gep Rod. That would complete my rods from the past. I still have my first rod as well as the fenwich i bought inthe early 60'S? REELS AS WELL. Does trhat make me a hoarder? GG

Yes it does, but there is a cure for that. Send me a couple of those old reels. ;-)

 

[mcarney99]

some rods are not worthy of the price and some are. If you’re going to spend the money you want to be sure you’re getting a rod you feel is worthy of that price point. If the market for a cheap rod is $100 and high end rod is $1000. I don’t regret the $800 I paid for the Scott radian because it’s a phenomenal rod that I have spent hours casting with and intend to for years. The Scott flex on the other hand I am very dissatisfied with for $470 or so dollars it is not worth it! H3 is iffy I got it at an extreme discount but wouldn’t recommend buying at full price. Winston’s can be a solid investment but only if you’re going to invest in a higher end rod. The $475 for kairos imo is also not regret in the last couple years. In my opinion if I was going to invest $500 or less on one rod today I would look at TFO rods, the Orvis Recon, or my new personal favorite the Gloomis imx pro. A friend of mine bought an IMX loves it and I got one and love it as well. And loomis is the only rod company I know that will either repair your rod or you can pay 135$ on the spot and they hand you a brand new one. I know no one wants to spend 135$ unnecessarily but I’ve been in situations on trips where I broke a rod and wish I had that option. Anyway long rant just check out the imx that’s my advice, good luck man!

 

[Prospector]

I agree that Krayfish2 covered all bases. Very sound advice.

I have more rods than I need and if you don’t believe me just ask my wife. If I had to recommend a rod to someone either new or experienced I’d pick the Reddington Classic (CT) 8’ 6” 5WT. 4 piece rod. It’s a medium action and I use it on all size streams. It’s very versatile and I fish streamers, nymphs, wets, dries all the way down to midges.

I like it so much I bought a spare. A few years ago there were a number of new ones on EBay in the $85 - $110 range and I bought one for my son and the spare for me. I believe the price has increased to the $130 - $150 range but stay active and maybe the deal will materialize.

I love that I rarely break off a dry fly on light tippets. These are just super rods on small wild trout streams both for the fight and so you don’t break off your fly when you get stuck in branches. Super Rod on medium to small streams. An adequate rod on the largest trout streams due to the medium action.

Great rod for the money and I know of at least 2 owners that broke their rod tip and Reddington sent them new rods.