Going to spend 500.00 on a pole. Orvis or llbean brand. Opinions pls

[Philly 0]

Tom, My saltwater club has done a couple of tying demonstrations and Casting For Recovery events at the Marlton store, the staff I've met struck me as knowledgeable and willing to help the customers with advice and information. The LL Bean store is more of an outdoor store that carries fly rods as far as I know they don't carry fly tying materials. The club's also done tying demonstrations there and the last one we did in the spring they had staff out in the parking lot giving folks casting lessons. I've haven't been doing much fishing because of the heat, looks like it's going to cool down next week so hopefully I'll get a chance then.

[SilverCreek 0]

Don't buy a pole! A rod is better suited for fly fishing.

 

^^^^ What he said.

 

Pole:

 

 

 

Rod:

 

[Tom Cummings 0]

Lol. That's the ribbing I expected and makes me smile. Hope to get the chance to meet up Philly. Next time your clubs in Marlton lemme know. I will come out even if I take a day to do so. Not many around here does fly but do shop orvis for gear and clothes.

[Rob_Laidlaw 0]

I love Orvis, I learned to fly fish on the river Test here in the UK with Orvis and have always used their gear, I currently have two Helios 2 rods, an 8'6" #5 and a 9'6" #6 and love them both. Personally I would not shop anywhere else.

[Saltybum 0]

Caught a lot of fish on both and certainly started with the pole.

[Tom Cummings 0]

490.00 spent. Superfine carbon cast like a dream and it was done into wind that would have me heading to the tavern on my starter rod. Also picked up 2 @ 50 packs hooks 2 packs dubbing and 1 pack shellback. Now to get home to mount my reel tie a few scuds and get the line wet at my favorite lake.

 

Thanks for the responses

[Dave G. 0]

Congrats and enjoy it !

[flyty1 0]

Make sure you post pics when you remove the skunk from that new "pole".

[mikechell 0]

I searched "Pole vs. Rod" and this was the first reference that came up ...

 

"A fishing "pole" is traditionally recognized as being made from natural elements such as either cane, reed or bamboo, etc.

A fishing "rod" blank is constructed out of conventional composite materials such as graphite, fiberglass, boron or kevlar, which can also include a combination of these materials."

So, based on this reference ... it would be correct to say you have a bamboo fly pole and a fiberglass fly rod.

[Tom Cummings 0]

I tried all top brands. Winds at 5 gust to 10. Superfine felt far better and more delicate. Went to lake winds 10 gust to 15. Cast was like still air spot on acct and farther than my best cast previous. Registered today via call and they had all info instant. Great service and support in my opinion.

[rstaight 0]

I have several "rods". I agree with Mike's definition. If it's natural materials it's a pole. Manmade is a rod.

 

With that being said, I own bamboo, fiberglass, and graphite. Everything from 2wt through 9wt and multiples of some of those. I have never spent $500 on one. Even the boo or Sage.

 

Just never seen the need to spend more. If I feel I may be in windy conditions I use the bamboo. Just something about the mass that helps power through the wind.

 

I'm in Ft. Myers FL at the moment and what I brought along is a 9wt St Croix Avid (previous generation) and an 8wt I built on a Rainshadow blank. No more then $250 for either of them.

 

But to each his own.

[Monk57 0]

Hey SilverCreek, isn't that bamboo thing one of the early model Tenkara rods that rich folks pay several hundred dollars today?

[j8000 0]

Silver creek: Just for the record, that "pole" you have posted saved my tail end of the season when I broke my only rod. Did a fair job too.

 

Jeff

[Tom Cummings 0]

I have fished the superfine carbon in creeks lakes and a river now. Both limited cast and open and it has done outstanding for me. I roll cast maybe 70 percent but when open I shoot 50 ft np with feather light lay. The choice to upgrade was well worth it and have yet to be camp grounded due to weather that my previous setup would have done to me.

 

Bottom line is you get what you pay for. Works in all aspects. Relationships flourish when nourished wood work is better with high grade tools not home owner black and Decker and so on.

[Poopdeck 0]

What's important is that you like your new rod and you have confidence in your rod, Please don't be offended by this but I dislike the myth that spending lots of money is a must to be able to fly fish effectively. Or the more you spend the better off you are. It was this myth that prevented me from starting to fly fish earlier in life and I don't want others to delay fly fishing because of misleading expense reasons. You may disagree but I think this is a noble venture of mine.

 

I think action, length, line, leader and knowing how to cast a particular rod has more to do with it then "high end" or "low end" or how much you pay for something. All rods cast and cast well but they all cast differently and knowing how to set up and work a particular rod is what makes it castable not the price, the brand, or its top secret carbon fiber formula. softly landing a fly has everything to do with the fly, flyline, leader, and technic and next to nothing to do with the rod itself. How much you pay has nothing to do with a soft landing fly. I always say that my father was an accomplished fly fisherman and the cheapest rods made today are of a far better quality than the "high end" rods of his day.

 

Being a lifelong amateur woodworker I would disagree with your wood working analogy. Any monkey can cut dovetails with a jig and router or CNC machine. A true craftsman is the one who cuts them with nothing but a pencil and a cheap pull saw.