rookie needs some help

[pie314]

Hey guys, im new to fly fishing and love it. I bought a cheap combo to start off with to see if i would like it and now im ready for something a little nicer. Im looking for a good quality rod under $200. 8ft. 4wt. any suggestions on a decent rod? I will specifically be fishing trout. Thanks for your help.

[Hardyreels]

Welcome to the forum,

What type / brand of starter kit / rod did you buy? Knowing this will help with advice.

Ard

[peregrines]

Hey Pie welcome to the forum--

and tell us a bit more about where you fish--- the general area--- not looking to steal any secret spots but it would be helpful to know more about the type of water you'll be fishing-- an 8' 4 weight would probably mean you're mostly fishing smaller streams or spring creeks with mostly smaller flies size 12 and smaller and casts of 40' or less as opposed to throwing streamers and hoppers to the far bank on a big western river

[pie314]

I'am mostly going to be fishing in smaller streams of SE and NE arrowhead of minnesota, I just thought that an 8' #4 would be a good rod but if you guys think something different might work better just let me know. I currently have a 8'6 #5, its a cabelas three forks combo, it works ok but its like tossing a wet noodle around and it has no feedback. I have looked at a couple different rods, sage and g loomis mostly because thats what my fly shop sells. I love the rods but im not in the market for a $600 fly rod, thanks for your help.

[texastroutbum]

I do not work for Temple Fork. At any rate, I would recommend Temple Fork Finesse Series, if you are talking about 200 dollars range. I have been using their 3 wt 7” 9 and it was a remarkable rod. I hooked up 17 inch bows sometimes and had no problem reeling them in. I used the rod for catching bass (some of which are fat and big) and had no problem with it.
I heard great stories about their 5 wt as well. If you find in the website about 5 wt shootout done by Yellowstoneanglers.com, they believe that the rod is even better than other expensive rods. One of my friends was also using 4 wt shorter 7”9 rod for spring creek fishing and really like it.
Their warranty service is top notch. One caveat is that the rod is slow and I like the slow rod. So before you purchase it, try them.

[wt bash]

I would second texastroubum's reply. It may angler preferance but the softer action rods help allot with short tight casts and they protect light tippets well.

[greystone]

I'm fairly new as well, so take my advice for what it's worth....

I have an Elkhorn 4wt 9' that I love. It's a great rod for the money. At the risk of sounding cliche, everyone is different. How much you like a rod depends on so many different things, including casting style, type of casts in your repetoire, size of the water you're fishing, type/size of fish, type/size of flies, fly line, wind, etc... I think you're doing the right thing by going for a less expensive rod. This will help you figure out what you like before you spend the big bucks. I'm interested to see what other recommendations you get.

[raindogt]

This is just my .02..... But, the three forks is a really respectable rig-- wait for it....... FOR THE MONEY. I actually picked up a 3 wt. 7'6" thre forks combo because of a screaming deal that I just couldn't pass up. It has almost become my go to rod-- (Admittedly, I do really like the feel of the lighter weight, but all in all, I think it is a gem of a rod...)

When you say a wet noodle-- what does that mean? You don't like the flex of the rod? Does it have a 'dead spot' in the cast?

I guess that I'm hinting at this: It doesn't matter what anyone here can recommend, the only way you will get the rig that you like, is by casting a number of rods and just see what you like. The three forks is not a bad rod, which tells me that you are not dealing with a dog of a rod and it comes down to personal preference.

Just a word of caution; there will be a fairly sharp learning curve with a much faster action rod, especially for a 'beginner' as you have stated you kind of are. I'm somewhere between a beginner and an accomplished fly caster (4 or 5 years fly fishing), and I still throw many tailing loops when I pick up my fast(er) action 5 wt. I've concluded that I just prefer a slower action-- mid flex is about perfect for me.

Also, a longer rod will typically give you more feedback/ feel--

Long winded, sorry....

//Edit// I think it was hardyreels that said something to the extent of; the only fly rod that he has cast, that wasn't worth using, was a broken one....

[creeker]

A 3rd vote for TFO, either the Finesse Series at $179, or the Lefty Kreh Professional Series at $149. I would offer up their 3wt 7'9" Pro Series as a great stream rod for the price. It handles the 6x presentations, but backbone's up enough to make gains on the 18-20" fish as well. I'm very pleased. They also have the $25 return policy that is quick and good.

I don't work for them. I just like the price given that my creekin' style may result in some damage now and again....

[MoscaPescador]

Hi Pie314,
You will get plenty of suggestions, but the reality is that you are best off casting a few. The one that casts best for you will be the one you want. For example, my girlfriend fishes medium to medium fast trout rods. I fish mostly fast rods. We both have quality rods, but we need to make adjustments to fish each other's gear.

Hopefully you have a retailer that will allow you to cast a few. As for brands, Redington, TFO, and Ross seem to be the most competitive at the price point you are looking for.

Good luck with your search.

MP