Sell me a fly rod!

[WyOpitz]

I'm looking at picking up a nice 7wt fly rod to throw streamers and hunt some Browns with. My 5 wt just isn't enough. Anyone have a recommendation? Trying to keep it to no more than $5-600. Looked at Clutch, Sage, St Croix "Bank robber", Scott and G. Loomis so far.

If nothing else, let's see some trout!!

*not my picture

 

[TheDudeAbides]

I have a Redington dually 7 wt and like it a lot, I got it for $225 at the time.

http://www.redington.com/fly-fishing-rods/dually/

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I have become a huge fan of St Croix Avid. Easiest casting rod I have ever felt. If you are a very proficient caster a moderate action may not be your best bet and a fast action would be better. If that is the case a Scott A4 might be the ticket. I'd look at a 9ft 6 wt. But that's just my opinion.

 

[nrpate05]

I would take a good look at the TFO BVK series. I have an 8wt and a 5wt and they are definitely solid rods. I wouldn't try to throw a #20 dry fly with them but they are sweet for throwing streamers. They don't have a ton of feel, but they have a ton of backbone for throwing streamers. I think a 7wt will run you $300 at the most. They have a lifetime no-fault warranty. Send them a check for $25 or something like that and you get a repaired or new rod. Turn around time is very fast as well. I can't justify spending a lot of money on a streamer rod because you don't need them to be very precise and hucking all that weight is bound to break a tip at some point. Thanks for getting me thinking about fishing!

 

[RobG]

I'm not sure how many rods my wife and I own from 1 to 10 wt. The only size we don't own is a 7 wt. A 7 wt is too small for an 8 wt job yet too big for a 6 wt job. It is like a three door truck . I use my 6 for throwing streamers at trout and my 8 for pike, bass, or saltwater.

You can save some money by building your own rod and it isn't that hard so check if your flyshop has a class. Don't expect your first one to turn out pretty but it will work fine.

None of the above is intended to help you answer your question, but I wanted to take advantage of your "if nothing else" clause.

 

[shanny28757]

I love a 9' 6wt. I have a fast action St. Croix Avid Series that's served me very well. They have an excellent customer service department. If your rod is damaged and can't be repaired, you will get a credit for replacement or you can upgrade to any model equal or greater than what you broke. That 6wt is my go to when tossing streamers and night fishing for chunky browns. Like RobG said, 7 is probably either too much or not enough for most applications IMO.

 

[dcopas78]

Can't go wrong on any of the previous mentions, but I do prefer Sage over most that I have had. The Sage rods just always seem to have better control than competitors but that may just be me. That being said, I'm getting ready to try muskie on the fly around here and I am looking at a rod TFO specifically designed for the toothy critters. They are 10-12 weights. TFO makes excellent rods as well.

 

[Curtis.mullin]

I know people are going to laugh, but I have been using LL Bean rods and reels for years and they have never let me down. I grew up in Maine so I know I am a little partial, but they have great feel and have always performed extremely well. The reels are also matched to the rods so the balance always feels good.

 

[MNElkNut]

I would have the professionals at Thorne Bros build you a custom rod built exactly to your specs. Start with whatever blank you want and add the options you want. They have built me freshwater rods and I can't say enough about them. Awesome.

 

[Sawtooth]

I would second the idea of building your own rod. You can build a rod using most of the name brand rod blanks or one of the lesser known rod blank companies. It is lots of fun, and you can make the rod to your specifications.

 

[TheJason]

I've built a number of fly rods. It's easy to do and fun. My first build was kind of tedious, but once you get the system down it isn't hard at all. I think I've built about eight fly rods and a couple of spinning and casting rods.

Madison River Fishing Company has great packages if you go that route. For throwing streamers a Sage RPL+ would be a great choice if you can still find them. I have a 9.5 foot 8 wt that I love.

 

[elk1990]

I am a Winston guy when I can afford them but if im going more budget I always like Echo.

Echo Ion is a great streamer stick. Really designed to throw the big stuff. Will feel a little heavier than your average 7wt. I have caught everything from 20lb pike to steelhead a ton of trout in between on mine. You cant beat their warranty and at a price point in the low $200 they are a hell of a deal.

 

[LopeHunter]

St. Croix. Are you positive 7 wt is what you will need?

Craig's List can provide some bargains on some nice rods. Some folks with money to burn get into hobbies then tire quickly so they hold on to nice, slightly used items until the spouse says to free up space in the garage by selling or donating stuff.

 

[WyOpitz]

Thanks for the replies! Id love to build my own, but would hate to screw something up. I settled on a 7wt rather than a 6wt mainly cause I already have a 5wt and didn't think the 6 would gain Mr much. An 8wt just seemed overkill and the 7wt seems just right. I definitely want a fast action rod. I'll check out an 8wt and see how I like the feel and casting ability.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a good Craigslist find as well.

Thanks guys!

 

[backsmasher23]

Can't go wrong on any of the previous mentions, but I do prefer Sage over most that I have had. The Sage rods just always seem to have better control than competitors but that may just be me. That being said, I'm getting ready to try muskie on the fly around here and I am looking at a rod TFO specifically designed for the toothy critters. They are 10-12 weights. TFO makes excellent rods as well.

Also a Sage guy and love the action they have. Also used a St. Croix 3wt of brothers and had a blast on it with smaller fish, felt like a great rod.

 

[JohnCushman]

I'm a TFO fan myself. I have 3 different weight rods of theirs. TFO also made a 'Heroes on the Water' rod that a portion of the proceeds from that rod goes to that foundation (I believe G Loomis founded it) to get wounded veterans out on the water fishing. That means a lot to me. I was already using TFO rods due to their good backbone and fast action and quality and warranty, but this HotW rod seals the deal for me to be a life long customer.

 

[SixPoint]

I would say that TFO rods are the "Vortex" of the fly rods, with Winston, Sage, T&T, etc being the "Swarovski". Don't get me wrong, I personally own six TFO rods that are awesome. You can't beat their warranty and they make excellent rods that cast great. However, for the connoisseur, I do believe there is a little something to be said for a Winston, Sage, T&T etc, albeit they don't catch anymore fish, but there is something "special" about a fine rod. Personally in a streamer specific rod I like a cannon, so i'd go TFO. No need to worry about presentation, just getting the fly to smack the far bank is all I want. Look for a stiff 6wt is what i'd suggest. best of luck. remember, you can never have too many rods in your quiver!

 

[6speed]

I've had TFO, still have St. Croix and since getting a Winston I use it most of the time. I also have a Reddington that has been a much better rod than what I figured for the price. If I were you I wouldn't buy anything until you had a chance to cast it then pick the one that makes you feel the best.

 

[sneakem]

I think the big thing to look at is the use of the rod. You have all your top brands, you generally get what you pay for, quality products, good materials, quality workmanship. Many people say there is no difference, between the rods they all cast the same. Truth be told, most people won't know the difference... That is until your fishing/casting skill develop to a point. Guys that shoot 100+ feet on the flats in wind, or say a soft cast with a tiny 3 weight to rising fish.

Most people will develop a taste for their casting preference. For shooting line distance, I like a fast action, tip flex... Dries on a 3 weight I prefer a mid flex, medium action rod... Roll casting a slower action rod... Differs for everyone. Cast them is my advise, Most shops have demo rods and anyone wishing to sell you one should do their part. I use many rods... all vary in quality, some just have a different purpose.

Some of the higher end Rods are generally Orvis, Sage, Winston, Scott. Obviously each of these make lesser quality rods that are more affordable and there is a difference between them and the more expensive ones.

Mid run would be Reddington, TFO, St Croix(Upper Middle rated), G loomis....

Personally I fish a lot of upper end Sage and Orvis rods, They are very good rods. That being said I fish a 6 weight Reddington 2 Piece probably 65% of the time. Its not the greatest rod I own but very practical multi purpose rod, a jack of all trades, and I don't feel bad about banging it up.

 

[kansasdad]

I haven't bought a flyrod in ages, but for me a huge consideration was portability. A four piece rod packs into the high country or travels through an airport sooooooo much easier than a two piece rod.