Nice Quality Beginner Rod w/ Room to Grow

[alfordjo]

****Updated****Nice Quality Beginner Rod w/ Room to Grow

I am looking for a nice quality rod for a beginner (me) that will provide for plenty of room to grow. I would like to keep the rod under 300, but would be willing to pay a little more if the rod will last me for quite a while. I plan on fishing smaller rivers (my buddy fishes a 9' 5wt.)

Probably will fish 10-20 days per year.

I am not opposed to buying used, but it seems buying new from some of the more well known companies helps tremendously to my piece of mind with warranties.

Any recommendations / help would be appreciated.

***Decided on a Sage VT2 - found a new one so it has a warranty - just got it yesterday. Got a discontinued Lamson Velocity to match it with.***

Thanks,

Jonathan

 

[plecain]

Join theclymb.com. It's free.

Then get one of these:

http://www.theclymb.com/all/brand-event/337905/show-product/493745?f=mi

Spend the rest of your money on reels, lines, etc.

 

[mikel]

+1 for Plecain's post. IMO you won't find a better deal right now...but you must like the softer feel of the CT (or the new Tempt rod) for it to work for you. If you have a chance to cast and compare with some faster sticks you should do that.

The CT's were approx $165 originally, AND were a good value at full retail, so at 70 bucks they're tough to beat...if you are a soft stick guy. Good luck.

 

[plecain]

+1 for Plecain's post. IMO you won't find a better deal right now...but you must like the softer feel of the CT (or the new Tempt rod) for it to work for you. If you have a chance to cast and compare with some faster sticks you should do that.

The CT's were approx $165 originally, AND were a good value at full retail, so at 70 bucks they're tough to beat...if you are a soft stick guy. Good luck.

Good point about the faster rod.

theclymb.com also has the Redington CPX, which is a very fast rod. It's around $160 on sale.

For your $300, you could buy one of each.:icon_smil

 

[FlyBum]

As a company I am a Allen Fly Fishing fanboy. However, the only other rods I like just as well are the Redington CT's they are soft compared to a lot of other rods, but I like them as they work well for me for both nymphs and dries.

I'm not familliar with the other Redington rod that was mentioned, but buying both the slower and a fast rod would be beneficial. The faster rod would be good for swinging streamers. Matter of fact if were me I'd get a 4wt CT and a second Medium Fast Rod.

Now you mentioned $300 is that your total budget or is that just for the rod.

If it is your total budget I'd personally recommend the Reddington CT, Allen ATS Reel, Rio Gold wf line with that you would still have some left over for tippit material, flies.

One great option for try out different rods is to join a fly fishing club. Often they have casting practice, before meetings and most guys will allow you to cast their rod. You will likely be given free casting lessons too. To top it all off they likely also offer free or cheap classes on everything to do with fly fishing from beginner to advanced.

 

[jaybo41]

My recommendation is go to a fly shop, tell them what you're looking for out of your fly rod and see what they can recommend. I'm an advocate of doing this not solely for establishing a good relationship with your shop and patronizing their business. All of us can make recommendations based on our preferences and experiences with rods but the rod needs to work and feel right in YOUR hands. A respectable shop will listen to what you are looking for, find options in your budget and let you test cast them. There are a ton of benefits that a legit fly shop can provide you that I won't get into here but that's my recommendation and I'm sticking with it.

This is worth a read if you are considering buying pre loved tackle.

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/fly-rods/271620-tips-buying-used-rods.html

After you have narrowed it down to a few different models, come back and ask for opinions and experiences from others on them to help you hone in on your decision. Welcome to the forum.

 

[mridenour]

My recommendation is go to a fly shop, tell them what you're looking for out of your fly rod and see what they can recommend. I'm an advocate of doing this not solely for establishing a good relationship with your shop and patronizing their business. All of us can make recommendations based on our preferences and experiences with rods but the rod needs to work and feel right in YOUR hands. A respectable shop will listen to what you are looking for, find options in your budget and let you test cast them. There are a ton of benefits that a legit fly shop can provide you that I won't get into here but that's my recommendation and I'm sticking with it.

This is worth a read if you are considering buying pre loved tackle.

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/fly-rods/271620-tips-buying-used-rods.html

After you have narrowed it down to a few different models, come back and ask for opinions and experiences from others on them to help you hone in on your decision. Welcome to the forum.

To expand on this, get some good instruction before you buy a rod. Testing the rods in the shop is a lot more useful if you have already corrected some casting problems. Just saying what I should have done!

 

[alfordjo]

thanks for the responses so far - $300 just for the rod to answer a question above.

 

[cannonball]

Echo 3 from South Holston River Fly Shop.

I went with the Echo Edge / Lamson Konic combo in 9' 5wt

 

[alfordjo]

Ok - I went by a shop earlier today - Orvis. the guy there watched my cast and said the Access with Mid flex fits my motion.

Does that change anyone's opinion?

 

[biggie_robs]

Ok - I went by a shop earlier today - Orvis. the guy there watched my cast and said the Access with Mid flex fits my motion.

Does that change anyone's opinion?

That's a nice rod, and it will last you a long time. MIUSA if that's something that matters to you.

 

[fly_guy12955]

The Access is a fine dang rod. You can't go wrong. Wonderful mid-flex,,a real peach to fish. I LOVE mine.

What weight and length were you thinking of ?

Mike

 

[alfordjo]

That's a nice rod, and it will last you a long time. MIUSA if that's something that matters to you.

Not sure it is - the Reel had a logo MIC.

If possible, it does matter to me - if I can afford it.

Thanks,

Jonathan

 

[biggie_robs]

Access rods are MIUSA (VT), but the reels are not.

 

[alfordjo]

The Access is a fine dang rod. You can't go wrong. Wonderful mid-flex,,a real peach to fish. I LOVE mine.

What weight and length were you thinking of ?

Mike

Mike - thanks 9' 5wt.

Just wondering if I could get something either a little bit nicer for the same price or just as nice a little cheaper. Not sure how much I am paying for the name.

Jonathan

 

[jaybo41]

Everything I've read about the Access series rods is that they are a lot of bang for the buck. I have never cast one but have looked at them in a shop. How did it feel to you when you cast it? Have you tried any other rods beyond the Orvis? Not saying that it's not a good choice, many of our members seem to like them. Just saying there could be other options that to YOU feel better.

There's a recent discussion about the 9'0 5wt here on our form that's pretty recent.

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/fly-rods/326944-orvis-access-9-5-weight-custom.html

Once you get to a certain price point, you're generally getting higher grade components--cork, spacer, hardware, guides, hook keeper, winding check, sock, tube, etc.

Have you thought about taking a casting lesson by chance? As mridenour mentioned, getting instruction will pay huge dividends in the long run. It may also allow you to test some various rods and spend time with some them before you make a purchase.

 

[alfordjo]

How did it feel to you when you cast it? Have you tried any other rods beyond the Orvis?


Have you thought about taking a casting lesson by chance?

I thought it felt nice - not sure what I am looking for though.

I did cast a Sage Vantage and my buddy's diamondback. Hard to tell what I liked better.

I have thought about a casting lesson - just have not pulled the trigger yet.

Thanks for the information and reply.

Jonathan

 

[caberguy]

Honestly, since you don't know what you want, or what you're looking for, you should probably buy the Redington CT. A) it's a very nice rod, many of us have them and like them. B) it's more than $300 less than the access C) it a pretty slow action stick which generally suits beginners D) it's a mid to full flex, which seems to work well with what the Orvis dealer told you E) once your casting stroke develops if you want a faster rod you can hold onto the CT as a backup, or a loaner, or for smaller water, or resell it for a minimal loss, no big deal at that price F) buying a CT will prevent you from spending $300 for a rod that's too fast for your skills and will frustrate you and drive you away from the sport while eating up your whole budget G) you can set the rest of the money aside and save it until you have developed your skills and have a better sense of what you actually want, and what fits your style once it's actually developed a bit (or you can use it to buy a whole lot of beer, or sausage, or cheese, or kale... whatever your poison happens to be).

All that aside, if you're looking for a nice American made rod well within your price range, you'd do well to check out some of the St. Croix models, the Imperial in particuler is American made and well within budget.

 

[fly_guy12955]

The CT's are wonderful rods too and worth at least three times what they cost. I also have a 4wt st croix Imperial that I think is a super all around rod.

Fly Rods,,the ultimate delima, eh ?

Mike

 

[MoscaPescador]

Ok - I went by a shop earlier today - Orvis. the guy there watched my cast and said the Access with Mid flex fits my motion.

Does that change anyone's opinion?

Hi Jonathan,

It did not change my opinion one bit.

Disclaimer: I worked in the fly fishing retail biz for six years.

To stay consistent with what I have told others, I usually respond by telling a forum member to visit a local fly fishing shop or an Orvis specialty shop. You have the ability to test some rods out in order to help narrow down your selection. You can put various reels on those rods to help figure out which reels complement the rods the best. You can sometimes test fly lines to see which ones work best for the rods you are trying out.

There are other perks, as well. You can learn of local waters that you would not even consider fishing (don't push your luck on secret spots). A sales associate can tell you of the hot bug that all of the fish are targeting. You can learn a bit of entomology to understand why that bug is working. You can have someone analyze your cast (didn't that Orvis guy do that for you?) or even give you a casting tune up.

There are other services that are associated with shops. If you need a formal casting lesson, fly tying lesson, or want to go on a guided or destination trip, the shop can arrange them.

The reality is that you will most likely pay a bit more at a local fly shop or Orvis store, but you the relationship between you and the shop will be priceless. Feel lucky that you have access to a fly fishing retailer near you because there are some regions don't even have fly shops.

If you really liked that Access, that should be the rod for you. It will work well for you now, but it should be a fine stick as you progress.

Good luck with your search.

Dennis