[Pocono]

For me the fishing season is over for this year; too cold locally and not enough money to get to warmer weather fishing. So, naturally, I went over to my local fly fishing outfitter's today for some "discussion"; next best thing to fishing when it's 27 degrees outside, there's snow on the ground and a lot of the streams are already partially frozen over.

We were talking about fishing in tight quarters; the pocket water that we have a lot of up here in the Poconos (and the Catskills; same mountains, same type of water, just a different state). I was talking about the rod that I fished, mostly, this season in those evirons; a Cortland, CL 7 ft. 4 wt. I like the rod. But the talk quicky turned to how I might improve my fishing with a "better" rod.

My take is that this is a good rod. It's a crisp action rod and it delivers dry flies or single nymph set ups with good accuracy in the 15-45' range; which is all that you really need for the majority of small freestone creeks up here. I was a defender of this rod - but I was alone in that position.

Am I missing something here? Is the general opinion that this is not a good rod? I know that it's comparatively inexpensive, but, for me, it fishes very well for Brookies and small Browns.

[sandfly]

For the Pocono's and catskills its fine....Fish with what you are comfortable with..If it makes you happy and you are catching fish thats good...Remember most shops/outfitters are trying to make a buck and will tell you just about anything to sell.....where did you go stroudsburg??
Rods do not improve your fishing you do by learning....and practice....