Jump to content
Fly Tying
Sign in to follow this  
tmatt26

Need fly rod suggestions

Recommended Posts

I am looking for a fly rod for carp, somewhere around a 7 or 8 weight. I need this fly rod to cast far but land soft as to not spook the fish.

I am using a 4 wt. right now for them and it is exciting but its hard to get close enough to cast.

 

My budget is about $200. Any suggestions?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I just got a 6 wt built by Steeldrifter (http://www.midwestcustomflyrods.com/). It only came in a few days ago so I haven't had a chance to try it out yet on the water, but it's a beauty and for under $200. He does outstanding work and will build to your specifications. I highly recommend contacting him and telling him what you are looking for.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

if you decide to go Off-the-Shelf instead of custom, Albright A-5 is the most quality for your dollar. Period.

 

In my experience, a soft landing is due to the operator, not the equipment (??).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Amazing fly rods. Sage. All The Way.... If you can find an old Launch which i have and really like. They came out with the new VANTAGE which is in your price range and will lay a fly down just like you want. amazing rods. AND THEY HAVE UNCONDITIONAL LIFETIMEWARRENTY

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

TFO or St Croix preform like a sage but they are half the cost of one.

 

Since we are talking about rods has anyone tried the new sage 99 rod? They look to be a great chronomid rod which would have no trouble casting a big strike indicator.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Looked at the Albright website and saw the A-5 but they are out of 5/6. What do you all think about the Albright topwater fly rods. I know they say topwater but since I'm fishing shallow water anyways. should that make a difference?

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Looked at the Albright website and saw the A-5 but they are out of 5/6. What do you all think about the Albright topwater fly rods. I know they say topwater but since I'm fishing shallow water anyways. should that make a difference?

 

No, topwater is just a name. You can fish a hundred feet deep with it if you want. Again, if you want a gentle presentation, it's up to you. You can do it with any rod, or a broomstick.

 

My son has an Albright "GP" 5/6 9 foot, which is the next level "up" in quality from Topwater... and it is on sale now for $50!!! I was shocked when I got it home and looked closely at it, then cast it, IT IS EQUAL IN QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE TO ANY $200 ROD OUT THERE. Hell the A-5 is like $125 (I have a 3 wt) and I have heard and read people talk about them easily equalling $500 sage and other boutique rods.

 

There are good deals out there. $200 is a lot of money for average people to spend on a fishing rod. I've done it more than a few times. The ONLY reason some rods cost $500, $700, $1000, is because we as fly fishermen are a bunch of suckers. If you've got the $200 in your pocket and it makes you feel good, then by all means spend it. Just like vises, reels, fly hooks, waders (holy crap I just saw a pair of waders for $700...) whatever, if you're happy with it and in your mind it is worth it, then it's all good.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
There are good deals out there. $200 is a lot of money for average people to spend on a fishing rod. I've done it more than a few times. The ONLY reason some rods cost $500, $700, $1000, is because we as fly fishermen are a bunch of suckers. If you've got the $200 in your pocket and it makes you feel good, then by all means spend it. Just like vises, reels, fly hooks, waders (holy crap I just saw a pair of waders for $700...) whatever, if you're happy with it and in your mind it is worth it, then it's all good.

 

 

I used to be like you. I used to be almost angry at the industry. The reason that the products are that much is because people will buy them. But dont hate the player. Hate the game. Ice-T taught us that.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
There are good deals out there. $200 is a lot of money for average people to spend on a fishing rod. I've done it more than a few times. The ONLY reason some rods cost $500, $700, $1000, is because we as fly fishermen are a bunch of suckers. If you've got the $200 in your pocket and it makes you feel good, then by all means spend it. Just like vises, reels, fly hooks, waders (holy crap I just saw a pair of waders for $700...) whatever, if you're happy with it and in your mind it is worth it, then it's all good.

 

 

I used to be like you. I used to be almost angry at the industry. The reason that the products are that much is because people will buy them. But dont hate the player. Hate the game. Ice-T taught us that.

 

 

I try very hard to not hate anyone, and I don't think I implied that I did. There can be no doubt though, that there is a LARGE segment of the fly fishing community which equates dollars with status. IMO that is just stupid. There will continue to be overly expensive waders, rods, reels, lines, vises, etc because people are very concerned about image. If people want to spend the money, then go ahead. I said, and I believe, fly fishermen by and large are a bunch of suckers. They go on a guided trip, and the guide has all kinds of fancy gear which they got either free or at hugely discounted cost, and the fisherman thinks the gear equals ability. They see the stuff in the magazines, on TV, whatever.

 

It reaches a point of being an utter dumbass though, especially (flame on...) among the trout specialists. The damage, in my eyes, is that the image is presented so that a person is implied to be inadequate if they don't have super-expensive equipment, no matter their ability. The BEST line I ever saw was in an issue of "Fly Rod and Reel" a couple years ago in an interview with a famous Chef from New York City. He went on about NEVER killing a trout (but a quick check of his internet site showed he served all kinds of fish in his restaraunt) and paraphrasing here, "just had to buy a piece of riverfront property in upstate New York, I considered it part of the initial equipment purchase." !!! Holy Sh*t man! I wrote the mag a letter, and even heard they published it, but I have not picked up an issue of the magazine ever since, even to just leaf through it at the book store.

 

We're just trying to point out sensible options, with a little bit of open minded research, a person can buy a hell of a great rod for $200, which I would say over 99% of fishermen would not be able to use to full advantage. I didn't mean it as any kind of slam about the careful presentation being the result of the user not the equipment. I dearly love to ride my bikes, mountain and road, as well as fish. Giving me a $1000 whiz-bang super tech rod, a $600 reel, and a $90 fly line and telling me to fish for trout (or tarpon, or sailfish) would be the same as giving me a $12,000 full-on Trek Madone team-kit road bike... I'd still be the 220 pound slow guy. It wouldn't really be any advantage to me at all over my current ride, which is very nice and sensibly priced, and capable of performance far beyond what I can do with it. I've got some very nice fly rods, to me quite expensive, in the $200 range. I'm quite sure they are able to cast further and more accurately than I can. I'm an OK caster, the same as probably the vast majority of fly fishermen.

 

OK I'm rambling. Point is, if a person decides to not get caught in hype and image, he can get great gear for a reasonable cost. This ain't even really the right place for this post, it's way off topic. Sorry.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Actually nobody was calling anyone a hater, I believe the meaning was lost in "Forum Speak".

 

Dude your best bet is to go and try to cast some rods, I will say that I don't totally believe in saying dollars equates to status, but I will say that dollars do equate to performance of gear, BUT....It is not a linear relationship.

 

If I spend 800 dollars on a rod is it really 4 times better than a 200 dollar rod, no...is it still significantly better? You bet your junk it is. Is a 50 to 200 dollar rod a bad rod? Not unless you don't know how it casts before you buy it then are stuck with it when you don't like it. It is only over priced if you buy it sight unseen, cast, fished whatever you want to say and you hate it and so you need to go get another.

 

I have 3 older St. Croix Imperials, they are great rods I don't remember but I don't think they were over $200. But they definitely are different rods in comparison to some of the cannons in the stable. My first fly rod was a Berkley I don't knwo what....I fished that rod for 10 years, and it was fine.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah I was just stating that I used to hate the prices. Not that you hated anyone. I noticed your observations and I think a lot of people agree with the conclusion.

 

I bought a pfluger 2 pc 5 wt in Laramie Wy, while working in cheyenne I got a day off and dammit I was going fishing. I left my rod at home but I had my reel. I got the rod for $40 I think. I had a St. Croix and a tfo 5 wt at the house that by compairing prices I payed respectively 5X and 6X more for. And damnit if I couldnt tell that the pfluger from my other trout rods.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...