What flyrod/reel combo would you choose ?

[tie one on]

March 5 Good Day to All,

If you had your choice of a rod/reel combo by any of the many manufacturers available today who's rod would you choose & who's reel would you choose ? ( Let's say it would be the middle of the spectrum for fly rods : 9'-0" 5wt )

Let's not narrow it down not by price, but by how the rod/reel works & feels in the water. Let's face it if you had $1000 bucks to spend it could be done easily, but would it be your favorite combo to grab as you going out the door ?

Rods have changed quite a bit since I bought mine. ( I own 2 Scott Voyagers, one 9' 5wt & a 9' 9wt, a 10' 7wt Thomas/Thomas, along with a Cabelas 8'-6" 3wt for panfishing ) If I was going to buy a new rod/reel now I would seriously consider buying a Sage. I tested one of their Launch rods at a Rep Demo at my local fly shop & I was blown away as to how far & accurate I could cast this rod. For a reel I choose what best fits the fish I'm after, but I would more than likely choose a Ross reel. My 5wt has a Ross Cimmaron & I have never been dissappointed.

What are your thoughts or dreams ?

Always in the Water,

Tie One On

[Fish Bones]

Man!!! That's a tough one!!!

I'll not get into all that blah blah blah about everyone's different, depends on this, depends on that, etc... I could spend and hour doing that. So I won't because I don't think that's what you're after.

So, if I could have but only one outfit... my choice would be:

Rod - G.Loomis Stream Dance GLX Presentation - 4wt
Reel - Galvan OB 2 - in Green
Line - Cortland 555 Dyna Tip WF-4-F - in Avacodo

Dang... I think I'll go get one right now!!!

[cuttbow]

Hi
I would go with the Sage XP and the Ross Evolution because these two seem to balance real well together and I love the way this setup handles Every situation I throw at it

[fshfanatic]

Either a Galvan OB or Torque
Either a Sage or a Winston

[Snuffy]

The Winston Vapor which is medium priced and a fast
action rod. Either a Galvan or one of Tetons reels with one
of Rio's or Airflos lines.


Snuffy

[ffffg]

i have a sage midflex 5 weight. id used the tip flex off and on for most of my life, and allways poo pooed the mid flex as wimpy.. now that im older , dont worry about a couple extra yards, and want comfort and to stop snapping the fly off,,- i really like the sage.. i have two orvis large arbor i use the number 2 for the sage 5 weight, and the number one orvis large arbor on the temple fork outfiters four piece three weight..great combo. but im looking at a ross number three evolution for the big beasts that lurk at exotic locations otherwise known as the end of the rainbow.. .... ive chosen the 3-5-7 weights for different wind/fishing applications, and will probably put the ross 3 evolutiion on the number 7 with a mid flex rod, like sage if i decide weather i need it or not.. .. i dont know of all the other rods available tho.. dave..

[JBinUTAH]

I have a Sage XP 9'-6" 5wt. and a Orvis Large Arbor III throwing the Mastery XXD line and I think if I had to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Thats my most used setup. I have several others. In a few years, who knows. I would like to spend a day with the Loomis Streamdance, Sage TCR. But at my level right now, my go to XP is great.

[BigCliff]

One combo! hmm, gonna have to think hard on this one.

I'm not sure I can say, because I like such different stuff for fishing close in than I do far away. For casting under 50' all the time, I would go with a Scott 8'8" 5wt G2. I cast one at the show saturday and it just felt wonderful. I'd probably put a slightly oversized Ross Evolution on it and enjoy the extra room and line pick-up speed.

For casting further than that, 40-70+ on the avg, I'd probably take a Sage Xi2 7wt. This would be a good lake or flats rod, and would still make the average bass fun. I'd likely put a Lamson ULA Force on it, and likely the 8wt size, since they're so light.

[dougm]

I must assume graphite is at the center of this discussion and a degree of affordability ... If so, I will surprise everyone and go with the Echo2 5-weight, SA System 2LA 456 reel, SA Mastery Expert Distance WF-5-F, and a "furled leader."

Doug

[Curtis]

My current favorite setup is my Sage Launch 8.5 foot five weight and an Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor reel with Cortland 555 Dyna-tip fly line. This set up just flows together and everything feels as if it were made to be that way.