[tdeitr]

I got a steal of a deal at a local sporting goods here in Utah! They were unloading their "last one" older Redington Crosswater 9' 5wt 4-section rod and Crosswater reel with line on clearance. It was originally $129. The box was missing backing line, and leader. They threw equal products in for free and sold me the setup for just under $48 tax and all. I've used the rod on a small public pond and am quite happy with it. The problem is...I'm so new to fly fishing that I don't know what better is? Is the Crosswater 2 a noticebly better rod than the original Crosswater? I know Sage bought out Redington and supposedly added nicer parts to it, but does it feel or cast better? I've caught a number of trout with it and it feels pretty good. Would I be tons happier with a St Croix Reign, or a TFO Signature or Professional? I've got only a few shops around that would be able to tell me (maybe) what rod would suit me best, maybe it's wisest to go to one or two and see what they suggest?

[Frank Whiton]

Originally Posted by patio87

Ha, that's going to be negated by Martin Mtn Brook that I will probably be putting on it(thing is heavy). And I will be probably trying out the Cortland 444 SL that I got for 20 dollars on sale. I have been using it on my 4 weight, and it's alright, but if it's not good enough on my 6wt, I will probably be changing to Headstart(love that stuff).

Hi patio87,

The Cortland 444SL is a good line. A line that works on a 4wt rod should not work on a 6wt rod. The line is too light and won't load the 6wt rod properly. You should match the line wt to the rod rated wt for best performance.

Frank

[Frank Whiton]

Originally Posted by tdeitr

I got a steal of a deal at a local sporting goods here in Utah! They were unloading their "last one" older Redington Crosswater 9' 5wt 4-section rod and Crosswater reel with line on clearance. It was originally $129. The box was missing backing line, and leader. They threw equal products in for free and sold me the setup for just under $48 tax and all. I've used the rod on a small public pond and am quite happy with it. The problem is...I'm so new to fly fishing that I don't know what better is? Is the Crosswater 2 a noticebly better rod than the original Crosswater? I know Sage bought out Redington and supposedly added nicer parts to it, but does it feel or cast better? I've caught a number of trout with it and it feels pretty good. Would I be tons happier with a St Croix Reign, or a TFO Signature or Professional? I've got only a few shops around that would be able to tell me (maybe) what rod would suit me best, maybe it's wisest to go to one or two and see what they suggest?

Hi tdeitr,

If you are casting OK and catching trout then I wouldn't worry about what is a better rod until you get more experience. You can get advice here on the forum but you really need to cast a better rod to see if it improves your casting or accuracy. At this stage of your experience you may not be able to tell the difference between your rod and a better rod if your rod works reasonable well.

Frank