First fly rod

[rockriver]

I have a very good female friend that I thinking about buying her the things that she'll need for fly fishing. She's always had a interest in it; but, she just never got around to having the time. Now she has the time and wants to learn. After reading this post, http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/fly-rods/311445-sage-one-looking-thoughts.html , I'm wondering if the Sage One, 9 ft. 5 wt. would make a good first rod for her. This seems the way to go, but I'm wondering if I should go with a slower action rod. There is no place around here to have her try one and the closest I have are my Z-Axis's. Any thoughts would be appriciated.

 

[gt05254]

Yikes, a Sage One! You must really like her! (has she cast your z-axis yet? Would give you a jumping off point if she likes that action).
Gary

 

[caseywise]

the one is a super fast action rod.
probably not the best choice for a person just learning to cast.
plus, at 750.00+, it's a pricey investment.
just my .02

casey

 

[dhayden]

I don't think I would ever buy a fly rod without trying it first

Fly rods have to fit the personality of the caster.
Some people case a softer rod better than a stiff rod, and vice versa

In general - and I'm sure there's a lot of differing opinions on this too, I think beginners will do better with a softer rod

There's a lot of great rods out there, that cost less than 200, that would make a better starter than a One - my 1.5 cents

 

[rockriver]

I would let her try one of my Z-Axis first before ordering, but the weather up here isn't cooperating. There is approximately a 6 week period before Trout Unlimited ships and I'd like her to be set up prior to the general opening of trout season. That's the reason for my question. Of course I could always order from Cabela's. There is no fly shop near us to try out a rod. Thanks for any thoughts on this.

 

[alexs]

Sage One is not for beginners. A moderate or mod-fast would serve her better.
My $.02

 

[1move]

When I started I had my heart set on a sage one and was literally at a store on the counter ready to be bought and the owner of the fly shop said lets just try out the Orvis Helios and see how you like it, compared the two and the Helios was way better for me. My girlfriend also went with a Helios and she loves it. The sage one was in my opinion too fast and I could never get the timing right it just frustrated the hell out of me when I think about it but I was in a rookie mind set as well I will just learn. The Orvis truly felt like an extension of my arm and I love every cast I make with it.

 

[gt05254]

OK, so she can't get a chance to cast any rods first. From where I sit then, I'd get her an LL Bean Quest outfit. They are incredibly inexpensive. One of my salmon camp partners brought one as a backup...to a man, we all loved it. And I'm talking guys all with 30-40 years experience. For about 130 bucks you get rod, reel, line and even a leader, all set up ready to go. I have yet to see that deal beat. Plus you get LL Bean standing behind it.

Gary

 

[1move]

OK, so she can't get a chance to cast any rods first. From where I sit then, I'd get her an LL Bean Quest outfit. They are incredibly inexpensive. One of my salmon camp partners brought one as a backup...to a man, we all loved it. And I'm talking guys all with 30-40 years experience. For about 130 bucks you get rod, reel, line and even a leader, all set up ready to go. I have yet to see that deal beat. Plus you get LL Bean standing behind it.

Gary

I just dont understand some people, if the man is willing to buy his lady a nice rod why recommend something so much less expensive and sub par? He has been fly fishing for a long time I am sure he is aware of the cheaper brands. He came with a question on a specific rod and what we thought about it not for a cheap out. If the money is there, why not?

Sorry but this was a sensitive subject for me Gary :ranting3: When I got into fly fishing I wanted to buy nice stuff so I am not throwing away money in the long run. It was a hell of an investment for sure but I had the money and wanted to outfit myself and my girlfriend completely, do it once and do it right as they say. Every single store (except two) that we went to has recommended lower gear for starting out and to spend about $400 on everything rather than the $7000 budget that I had for us. Understand this, we both love the outdoors, we both love fishing and we took courses for fly fishing and fell in love with it even more before even looking at gear. Then we saved money and purchased good gear. A cheap rod will do the trick and catch fish, but that rod will need to be replaced sooner than a nicer rod, and IMO that is just throwing money away. I am the type of person that will spend the money and take care of the equipment and cherish it as I know I worked very hard to get these things and I truly enjoy them. I consider myself hard working, but also consider that I want to play just as hard. It just makes me angry to see people recommend something that is not in the same category as his original choice, because I went through this experiance and I found it very annoying that the salesman was trying to sell me something I did not even want to look at.

The Helios for me is a great rod and the Helios two is out now and is an even stronger rod. I would highly recommend it as I have not heard anyone say anything about it. My girlfriend goes out with a lot of girls to fly fish and they love her rod. In price comparison it is about the same as the sage but much more enjoyable for the both of us.

 

[caseywise]

i think what gary was trying to say is that the bean outfit might be a better fit for a beginner.
heck, take the remaining dough and get her some casting lessons
p.s. the quest rods are pretty darn sweet, no matter the cost.

casey

 

[Meatco1]

If you want to buy her a nice rod, and think she's going to stick with it, you might consider picking up a good used Sage RPL, SP, SPL, or ZXL. I've been fly-fishing for 50+ years, and each of these rods is a keeper for sure. All were top of the line rods, all excellent moderate actions, and all terrific rods for beginners thru experts!!

That being said, I do have a Sage "One" 490-4, and am still trying to get a feel for it.



Respects,

Richard

 

[runningfish]

I used the Orvis Access 905-4 5wt 9FT 4pcs Mid-Flex as my learning rod. I found it very forgiving and helped me to find my timing and the feeling.
I paired it with the Access IV reel and Rio Gold line.
I think if she can splash our $ for Sage One, she would be able to get the Access Combo kit.

The Access 905-4 is as light as my Helios 905-4 but not as good as the Helios. However, I think it would be a good enough all around rod of a start up rod for her.
I can't comment about Sage, since I only use Orvis and Lamson

 

[Guest1]

I just dont understand some people, .

Me either. Gary was trying to tell him that dropping $750 on a rod that is not for a beginner is going to be a bad idea. First of all it will make it less enjoyable for her and harder for her to learn on. Now if fishing with him is her idea and he is looking for a good way to get some alone time with out it being her idea, then yah, drop $750 on the Sage, he'll get a new rod and the alone time he seeks.

 

[1move]

...a rod that is not for a beginner is going to be a bad idea.

Dan, I don’t mean to sound like a prick but why not for a beginner? This is your opinion, I bought a rod that I can cast the best, sure it was an $850 rod but it is a damn good one. Why, should it be justifiable by us to decide how much money he should spend? If she can cast it and she likes it and she is a beginner why is it not for a beginner?

I personally think that a lot of fly fishermen out there push the cheap stuff onto us beginners and I honestly can’t help but feel this way as it has been proven time and time again, different stores, different fly fishermen, different salesmen. I don’t mean to offend anyone by saying this but I think a lot of the ones I spoke to and try and talk me down are basically saying "look here I couldn’t afford this when I started out so you shouldn’t either". Why? What’s wrong with a $850 rod? If its good for a professional why not me? Sure I won’t get to feel the difference of improvement because I start out at the top, but why spend $200 this year $400 in the next few years and then $800 5 years down the road on rods by improving. So you just wasted $600 by "learning" and jumping through the hoops of being told wrong.

I say go get a nice rod and spend the money and enjoy it, if you can cast it well and the rod is forgiving and feels great. Why not?

 

[Guest1]

Dan, I don’t mean to sound like a prick

But you did anyway.

I don’t mean to offend anyone

Really?

 

[gt05254]

Hey, 1move, take a deep breath. exhale slowly. think happy thoughts.
yikes.

Now, I'm going to show you a photo of a bunch of fly rods. Orvis. Sage. Loomis. Scott. Thomas & Thomas. Echo. Single and two-handers. They are mine. 45 years experience.
I strongly suspect guys like Dan and the others have very similar collections. One could infer from the photo that maybe the guy a. knew a little about fly rods and b. might have some decent advise/experience to offer up. Not showing off my toys. Trying to make a not so subtle point.

The OP asked for help, and I think (and I bet he does, too) he got some.
So chill.
Gary

LOL, and that's my dog's little white bear, not mine.

 

[1move]

But you did anyway.



Really?

So Dan you can dish out insults but you cant answer my question?

...a rod that is not for a beginner is going to be a bad idea.

What’s so wrong with a beginner having a great rod?

I didn’t mean to offend anyone and those were not my intentions so I apologize for you misunderstanding my argument. My argument is why should a beginner start at the bottom? Why not get the good stuff right off the start?

 

[gt05254]

OK, one more try:

"Why not get the good stuff right off the start?"

Because in this instance it is very likely the wrong stuff.
Gary

 

[1move]

Hey, 1move, take a deep breath. exhale slowly. think happy thoughts.
yikes.
Gary

Gary, thanks! I am calm. Is there some information I am missing? A rule? A catch 22? Where a beginner should be shunned for using good equipment? By all means whoever can afford it go for it. I will be happy for you and the next guy if you can get the good stuff go for it. I am not trying to be an ******* just want an answer why is it so bad for someone starting out to get a good rod, or equipment for that matter?

This is how I view it, a new driver wants to buy a new car and likes Audi or BMW but you say no you dont need to spend the kind of money to get you from point A to point B. Here is a Pontiac Sunfire it will do the job and you will save yourself a ton of money. Great right, saved money and got a car to get the job done. The time you will enjoy the drive = Never! Because you got sold something you did not want.

It is about enjoying fishing and enjoying the sport, connecting with nature and the fish. Not about who spent what on gear, so why guide someone down the path they dont want to take? If we caught the same fish with an expensive or a cheap rod it will be the same experiance at the end of the day, we caught a fish. But if you get the stuff you want you will enjoy it 10 times more and in the long run spend less

Sorry guys I am still a tad bitter about my own experiance and this is why I am ranting on about it.

 

[Guest1]

But Gary..... You mean you can't become an expert and overnight sensation by just tossing money at it? Darn! I had a fat wad of cash I was going to drop on a top end skate board so I could go win this years X Games.

Does this mean I can't tell Tony Hawk he's full of ****?

That rod requires a better caster. She won't like it. You can drop a fat wad of cash on a very expensive rod that will work better for a beginner. Is there a price cutoff that does not make you mad?


Edit. You are mistaking price for 'best'.