another Beginner thread.... what rod/reel combo to get?

[romanl]

hey guys,, im first time poster here.
for the longest i've been wanted to get into Fly Fishing, i've done it once before in UT and loved it. i fish, just not fly fish.
i live in SoCal and will mainly fish in CA, and occasionally in CO *(travel there a bit)

i've been to local shop, did some demos, but would like some advise.
i've been looking at ORVIS Clearwater 905-4 combo, for $300 its about as high as i would like to go on my first set up. i know its their step up above basic Streamline combo.
i've been doing lots of research, and my main problem, is there are so many brands out there, many are region specific, thats why i've been looking at ORVIS, SAGE, *(big national brands) and seems like ORVIS gets tons of good reviews. SAGE doesnt seem to have anything in that price range ..

any recommendations/ feedback? will be greatly appreciated..
thanks

 

[MoscaPescador]

The Clearwater is made overseas. That's why Orvis can market it at a very reasonable price.

Sage's lower price point rods are made in the USA. Labor costs are much higher.

With that said, you can always look at other brands. Research Redington, TFO, Echo, and Greys until you are blue in the face. These brands make some very good performing lower price pointed rods and reels. Also research Lamson for reels.

A few other pieces of advice:

1. Don't be afraid to buy items a la carte rather than getting the prepackaged combination. Sometimes you can build something nicer than what is in the package for nearly the same cost.
2. There is nothing wrong with buying discontinued gear. You can save some money here. At your stage of the game, you won't be able to tell the difference between current and discontinued products.
3. When working with an independent shop, see if it will throw in line and backing with the purchase with a rod and reel. You may not get a premium line, but at least you will have something to start with.
4. Support the independent shops as much as you can. Without them, everyone loses a valuable resource.

As you can tell, I did not give you a whole lot of specific information on products. There are pages of threads out to be read. Enjoy your search, and welcome to the sport.

Dennis

 

[Waterborne]

The following comments are based on my assumption that you're primarily targeting trout in moving water. Since you're in SoCal, you'll most likely travel to the Upper Kern in the Southern Sierras and Upper/Lower Owens in the Mammoth/Bishop area. I'm also in SoCal, and the Kern and Owens are my typical overnight or weekend destinations.

The Orvis Clearwater 905-4 Outfit will work fine for a variety of fly sizes (weighted streamers to small midges) in all of the those waters. My personal preference is to balance the line weight to the both the flies I typically throw and the size of fish I expect catch. I rarely throw streamers and most of the fish I catch in the mentioned waters are not huge. If I had to have only one rod for the locations mentioned, it would probably be a 8'6" 4 weight. My preference is for rods that feel light/crisp in the hand. 9' rods use more material in the butt section and generally have higher swing weight which results in a heavier overall feel. I do appreciate the versatility of longer rods when it comes to mending and line/leader control (more reach to hold line off the water in some situations).

As for brands, Orvis and Sage are great companies and both offer rods in the ~$200-$800+ range. Echo, TFO, and Redington offer some great fishing rods in the <$200 range. If you're looking for value, I would look at those brands as well. Warranty and customer service are supposedly pretty good as well.

Reels are nothing more than line storage devices when fly fishing for trout. For 9' rods, go with something about 5.5 oz or lighter. For rods 8'6" and shorter, go with 4.5 oz or even lighter.

Fancy, high end, high performance stuff is always nice to own, but it doesn't have to be that nice to catch fish. I also buy my gear on eBay, used, or on sale/clearance from online vendors. There are a lot of independent fly shops throughout the country who've figured out how to take advantage of the internet. Regardless of whether you walk in or buy through the mail, this is a win for both the shop (who expands their customer base) and the customer (who finds an assortment of deals on new, closeout, and used gear).

A really good statement I found from an online outfitter is this: "Fly fishing is not a sport of necessities. It is a sport of preferences, opinions, credos and mystique. There are no right and wrong choices."

How to Choose a Fly Rod

 

[romanl]

thanks guys,
ill go back to a local shop *(there's one not too far away) and i do like to support local shops when it comes to such technical sport. *(if i was buying a new toaster, walmart it would be)
i think Redington Classis 9' 5wt is what i actually got to try when i went in there on sunday. it was fine, but did feel a little too "fast action" and the only way i can compare, because 15 minutes after i left the shop i was at a local park where a guy was practicing casting, and he had some very very nice custom rod, which was medium action *(it bent in the middle in a very nice even curve) and WOW what a difference i felt rigth away.
so seems like medium action fits me little better.
ill keep researching and will go in and try some more rods before buying.
seems like $300 is enough for a decent set up *(not including other equipment like waders, vest, etc)

 

[Mnflyfish]

The Sage Vantage comes in at about $250, at least at cabelas. They have it in a combo with a redington Surge reel. A little over $300 though.

 

[streamwalker]

Id trow out allen fly fishing to you. Seriously a great conpany to deal with and i love it my rod and reel from them. Send justin an email and talk with him. Hes a great guy to deal with

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