[jonj]

Hi all,

I need your advice on fly rod selection. First let me give you some background info. I come from Iceland and mostly fish for brown trout (1-14 lbs). I fish them in large lakes, with slow sinking lines and heavy weighted flies. Here, the wind blowes most of the time and it can blow quite hard at times. In the lakes I usually fish from shore upwind. Therefore I need a powerful rod that can throw heavy flies long into the wind. I´ve been flyfishing quite hard for the last 7 years and would say I´m a decent caster, probably a bit better than the average guy but not great. My current flyrod is an Orvis T3 8 wt 9´ mid flex and before that I had Orvis trident, also 8wt. I like both rods but I want to try out some other rods and see how the Orwis compares.

I´m interested in getting two new rods. One 6wt and one 8wt. Both need to be able to handle throwing heavy flies upwind. The 6wt would be used on calmer days as well as for river fishing. I´m not sure if the "normal" trout rods would be ideal for this type of fishing. 700 USD is the max I´m willing to pay for a single rod. So what do you think I should go for?

Jon

[BlueDun]

I recently purchased an 8 wt. Before I made my decision, I tried different rods from a number of different manufacturers. I ultimately chose the Sage Xi2, but I also liked the Orvis Helios and the TFO TiCr X. The Helios required a bit more effort to cast than the Xi2. The TFO cast very well, but again, the Xi2 fit my casting style better than the TFO. I could cast it further than any of the other rods that I tried AND it did very well on shorter distances. Few of the rods that I tried could load well for both short and longer distances.

Some people really like Winston's BIIMx series for its power and I think that line is worth trying - depending on your casting style. Some people also really like the Sage Z-Axis. I did not try it b/c the Xi2 worked well for me and it has a stronger butt section than the Z-Axis. Another rod worth trying is the Scott X2s.

If $700 USD is your limit, try Sage Xi2, Scott X2s, TFO's TiCr and TiCr X, and Winston BIIMx. Others might include something from the St. Croix or other manufacturers. I didn't because I do not have experience trying the other rods.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi jonj,

Welcome to the forum. I saw you post earlier today but wanted to think about it for a while.

BlueDun has give some very good advise. The most powerful rods available are usually saltwater rods. The Xi2 should be a very good choice. The best choice may be the Sage TCR but it is a very fast/stiff rod and you need to be a good caster to handle one. It sounds like you may be at that level.

The new Scott S4 would be a good choice. It is new for 2008. If you could find last years S3 you might get a good price. You should also look at the Loomus Cross Currant in a 9' GLX.

All of these rods are top end. Salt water rods usually have heavier butts to increase lifting power. You may not need this feature. If there is any to cast them it would be a big advantage.

My comments are directed at your choice for an 8wt.

Frank

[burk48237]

One other rod to throw on your list to try is the Diamondback Flawless. I've been turning heads with those rods lately at demo's. I have a sample bag full of Hardy Zanes, but when I need distance in the wind I've been reaching for the Flawless lately with excellent results. The retail for 299$, but in the last three weeks I've had customers compare them to the best of Sage, Loomis and Scott for casting performance. They are very impressive SW action rods.

[jonj]

Thanks all for the advices.
I´ve been having hard time finding useful information on manufacturers pages in choosing rod for my application. I´ve been leaning towards "saltwater" rods (esp. G loomis GLX Crosscurrent). Still I wasn´t sure if they would be suitable for "freshwater" so it´s nice to see you recommend some to me The other rod I´m interested in is Sage XP, mostly because they can be had for decent prices. I looked hard at the Sage TCR but since I´m not a great caster and cant try it out before buying I´m not willing to pay big money for it. I´ll definatly take a look at the Xi2 as well as other recommendations.

If you have a 6wt recommendation it would be greatly appreciated. It doesn´t need to be as tough as it will also be used for more delicate fishing, e.g. dryfly, but it must be able to handle weighted flies comfortably.

Thanks,
Jon

[BigCliff]

If you like the Sage XP's for their price point, I'd also look into the Sage RPLXi, which was the predecessor to the Xi2. Its very similar to the Xi2's, though in a 3 pc configuration.

A Scott STS is of the same vintage, and is also a great and very powerful saltwater rod.

From where you are, you might find more dealers that would let you try rods made by Loop, Hardy, and Daiwa. They all make some great stuff and should have some like what you're after. While there's great deals to be had on the interweb, its always best to cast a rod before buying it.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Jonj,

You are smart not to buy a TCR if you can't cast one. It is a love/hate type of rod.

Cliff's suggestion of the Sage RPLXi is a good one. It may be your best choice considering price. Your comments about your casting ability makes me reconsider the Croscurrant. Most saltwater water rods are going to be stiff compared to what you are use to. You asked about powerful rods and the most powerful are the saltwater rods. I still think the Scott S3 freshwater would be a good fit or the Sage Z-Axis. With 8wt rods they will still be strong casters in the wind.

Frank

[randyflycaster]

Great suggestions. If you don't want to spend as much I'd look at the St. Croix Ultra Legend. It's on the stiff side but has a lot of power. If you want something a little softer I'd look at the Avid.

I believe the new St. Croix IPC technology works.

Randy

[mhclayton]

I was recently looking for a new 8 weight and bought one of the new St.Croix Legend Elite Freshwater series rods, which as I understand it, is a little softer and lighter than their Salt Water series. It is an excellent rod for the money with a nice balance of power and sensitivity, and I got it for $445 online. I have had my eyes on a Loomis Native Run GLX, but just couldn't see paying 50% more for it after casting them both.

[jonj]

Thanks, you guys are really helpful. Out of curiosity I sent a letter similar to my first post to Sage´s technical staff and they recommended the Z-axis.

I´m sure most decent 8wt rods should handle this situation quite well so maybe a saltwater rod would be a bit overkill. My T3, which is a midflex, works great but I just want to see if there is something out there that will do even better... Actually I´m more worried how a 6wt will handle the weighted flies.

Of course I dont want to spend more than I need to. We have most of the top brands here in Iceland but they are very expensive. Here is how I´m looking at it, if I can get a good deal on one of the older models on ebay I can try it out in "the real world" (I think that almost all rods work great indoor) and it should be easy to sell without loss if for some reason I dont like it. Both because of that and because I´m happy with my T3 rod I´m limiting my selection to popular brands that are supposed to be the best, like G loomis, Sage, Winston, Scott etc. If I find good deals I might even try two out for the price of one

Anyway I like to have good gear and think that I should be the limiting factor in casting, not the gear. What really triggered my underlying quest for a new rod beside trying out new things was this fly rod comparison where my Orvis T3 gets a terrible score: Fly Rod Comparison on 8 weight rods Albright G.Loomis G-loomis Orvis Scott Temple Fork TFO Thomas and Thomas St. Croix Orvis Zero Gravity Orvis T3 Redington CPS Albright XX Sage Xi2 Sage Z axis Loomis cross current Loomis Native Run

Any thoughts on this test? Boy, how much headache a simple thing like choosing a rod can give a guy..