fly rods

[sherrib 0]

Wish I had your years of experience behind me. Were it not for the great deals I have found I would still be fishing with a cheaper rod. I am lucky I guess, I have around $100 in my sage rod. But I also have an older browning 6 wt rod that I enjoy fishing with, I gave $5 for at a yard sale. I wonder if upping the line weight on that rod would help? Not sure who mentioned the Eagle Claw rods but I have one of those in a spinning rod/reel. I have had it a long time, it has outlasted 2 Falcon rods wich have lifetime warranty but have broke where the Eagle claw hasn't and that is with my kids fishing with it!

[shooter 0]

Wish I had your years of experience behind me. Were it not for the great deals I have found I would still be fishing with a cheaper rod. I am lucky I guess, I have around $100 in my sage rod. But I also have an older browning 6 wt rod that I enjoy fishing with, I gave $5 for at a yard sale. I wonder if upping the line weight on that rod would help? Not sure who mentioned the Eagle Claw rods but I have one of those in a spinning rod/reel. I have had it a long time, it has outlasted 2 Falcon rods wich have lifetime warranty but have broke where the Eagle claw hasn't and that is with my kids fishing with it!

 

 

 

on the feather lite eagle claw rods i use the with 5 wt rating i use 9 and 10 wt dt lines and generate great line speeds. but you must remember i am roll casting with these rods,from a boat ,in timber where you must keep the line in front of you on the water as there is not enough room to pick up the line and back cast,to many limbs.

i would say try an 8 weight ,if you look on ebay you can find some great deals on good flylines,i just bought two new 9 wt dt and one new 10 wt dt floating lines and gave $22.50 for all three.

 

[sherrib 0]

Thanks for the info will give it a shot.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Being a custom rod builder for a living and building around 150 rods in the past couple years I'll add a litte insight into this topic. I've been lucky enough to own/cast/build almost every rod brand you can think of with only a few exceptions. I've owned/cast/built- CTS, Gatti, Winston, Sage, Orvis, Redington, Scott, Batson, American Tackle, Pac Bay, Eagle claw, St Croix, Browning....I'll stop there cus' you get the idea

 

When you say "cheap" rods I guess the most important factor is what is "cheap" in terms of money. Because theres a big difference between "$25 cheap" and "$125 cheap".

 

As a rod builder I will tell you that in "most" cases a rod that has $100 invested into it is going to cast and be just as good a quality as a $500 rod. There are many excellent blanks out there that will do everything you could ever want out of them without costing an arm&leg. Casting 40'+ into an headwind can easily be done with a lower cost rod, you just have to pick the right action blank to accomplish that. I have a Fly Logic FLO 6wt that I built for streamer fishing on a full sinking line. Total cost in parts of that rod are around $100 total. Yet I can cast that rod easily 80-90' even with a big streamer on it. Mainly because I picked the proper taper/action to accomplish what I wanted. So thats why there need to be a destinction between what is considered "cheap". Because in a $25 rod you dont get the choice of different actions. You get most times a slow action blank, plastic reel seat and plastic hoods, cork grips that are very pitted and overall a heavy feeling in the rod.

 

So to me personaly...theres a big difference between a $25 rod and a $125 rod....but the difference between a $125 rod and a $500-$700 rod is really very minimal.

 

Far as warranty- a warranty is always good for piece of mind, but in the past few years most rod manufactures have fine print to thei so called "life time" warrantys were now it costs you $45 shipping...and then they determine of they will fix it for free or if theres a charge.

 

Steve

[JSzymczyk 0]

 

So to me personaly...theres a big difference between a $25 rod and a $125 rod....but the difference between a $125 rod and a $500-$700 rod is really very minimal.

 

Far as warranty- a warranty is always good for piece of mind, but in the past few years most rod manufactures have fine print to thei so called "life time" warrantys were now it costs you $45 shipping...and then they determine of they will fix it for free or if theres a charge.

 

Steve

 

very well put. :headbang:

[Redfeather 0]

if your on a trip of a lifetime, spent big money to travel to some trout shangrila and the winds blowing. do you stay sitting on the bank admiring the scenry? because you won't cast into wind? or maybe not have the equipment that would allow you to ?

 

 

Bud

 

I could not agree more. As a less than fantastic caster, I was on a trip to Alaska last year. We hiked in, dodged bears, and hit the spot we were searching for. The wind blew 20 to 30 all day, changing directions often, with driving rain. The fishing was once in a lifetime, 300 + fish, Averageing 23 to 24 inch for three anglers. I was equipped with one of my custom Burkheimers. It was a day I will never forget.

 

I have had similar windy days in Wyoming when I was equipped with lesser rods and just could not beat the wind. I truly feel a high tech rod can allow some to fish when they otherwise woulf not be able to.

 

 

 

[PA Dave 0]

Hey Shooter, I hear ya. Of all the rods I own, the most I've spent was $120 on one I built, but the one I keep finding in my hand is an 8ft 8wt fiberglass rod that I rebuilt. I stripped down an old Berkeley Buccaneer to the red/brown blank and replaced everything. It has this wonderful relaxed slow action and is just fun to fish. Total investment...$38...including the $8 I paid for the original rod at an auction of household goods. I don't begrudge anyone their high end gear...if you can afford it an you enjoy it, have at it. I just don't think it is the key to enjoying fly fishing.

[shooter 0]

Hey Shooter, I hear ya. Of all the rods I own, the most I've spent was $120 on one I built, but the one I keep finding in my hand is an 8ft 8wt fiberglass rod that I rebuilt. I stripped down an old Berkeley Buccaneer to the red/brown blank and replaced everything. It has this wonderful relaxed slow action and is just fun to fish. Total investment...$38...including the $8 I paid for the original rod at an auction of household goods. I don't begrudge anyone their high end gear...if you can afford it an you enjoy it, have at it. I just don't think it is the key to enjoying fly fishing.

 

 

well Dave as you know i agree with you ,i too have some nice higher dollar rods,but as with you i seem fish the rebult or the cheaper rods, they just fish better for me.

i know the high modular rod blanks of today will and can out cast most cheap rods,and if one can afford the cost go for it.

i will say this if you buy a good line ,in a weight that will load those cheaper roods ,one will be surprised what a plain glass rod can do.

 

i use up to 10 WT/DT F line on 6.5 foot rods and get great line speed roll casting,and great control to boot.