Backup 9' 5 wt recommendations

[CheeseburgerFly]

Fellow anglers,

Did some searching but did not come up with much. Can you let me know your thoughts on picking up a rod to keep on the shelf and to use when i fish bigger water the one week out of the year that i do so. Is it best to just keep an eye out for a good manufacturers older model? If so any recommendations? Im not looking to spend a lot, but also want good performance and value for the use it will get.

Thanks in advance,

Cheeseburgerfly

 

[silver creek]

Same recommendation as a good medium fast action starter rod = Echo Base

But as in any rod you are going to buy, cast it before buying to see if it fits your style of casting.

https://www.yellowstoneangler.com/i...h-sagemod-sage-bolt-loop-optistream/echo-base

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/89-echo-base-turning-heads-dropping-jaws/7713408

http://flylifemagazine.com/gear-review-an-entry-level-rod-yes-but-far-more-it-turns-out/

2017 5 Weight Shoot Out

 

[sweetandsalt]

Cheesburger, You live in NJ and don't regularly use a 9'/#5? What are you fishing and where? And, when you do fish "bigger water" where might that be?

 

[mikechell]

BPS Dogwood Canyon Combo. $99.00.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/white-river-fly-shop-dogwood-canyon-fly-outfit

I've got two and love them both.

 

[CheeseburgerFly]

Cheesburger, You live in NJ and don't regularly use a 9'/#5? What are you fishing and where? And, when you do fish "bigger water" where might that be?

All the trout i do is for small stockies in smaller streams and rivers with an 8'6" 4wt. The bigger river ill be hitting is the youghiogheny in Md.

Thanks guys!

 

[brownbass]

Cheesburger, You live in NJ and don't regularly use a 9'/#5? What are you fishing and where? And, when you do fish "bigger water" where might that be?

Good questions. Check out Sierra Trading Post. they have some good rods at lower prices. Older, discontinued models for sure but still decent rods. Reels as well.

Bill

 

[sweetandsalt]

All the trout i do is for small stockies in smaller streams and rivers with an 8'6" 4wt. The bigger river ill be hitting is the youghiogheny in Md.

Thanks guys!

I enjoy fishing 8 1/2'/#4's too, which one are you using...this will tell us a little about your preferred rod action.

 

[clouserguyky]

Not sure of your budget or preferred type of rod, so I'll just recommend my favorites from a couple different price ranges...

>$200: Orvis Clearwater, TFO Pro. II, Redington Vice
$200-300: TFO Mangrove, Mystic Reaper
$300-500: Sage Pulse (my favorite), Sage Foundation, Orvis Recon

 

[cpowell]

https://www.shop.com/ZEBCO+CC65CNS6...Lb7pjqQh0ta6479zdYILosNG2ysWgeaMaAkvQEALw_wcB

 

[sparsegraystubble]

That Zebco outfit reminds me of the outfit I bought from a Field & Stream ad when I started. $19.95 for a Garcia Royal Javelin 8 ft. 7 wt. It included a level floating line and a South Bend automatic reel plus a leader and 12 flies. Oh and a 6 page folder with diagrams that I used to teach myself to cast in the backyard.

I think the original poster can do better even by haunting some garage sales.

Don

 

[coolkyle]

You can get a Hardy Shadow for under $200. Looks like a nice rod.

 

[singlehand]

In my opinion, few if any rods come close to the Fenwick Aetos as far as bang for $. To quote last year's 5-weight shootout:

No one can match the Fenwick Aetos as the best performing inexpensive rod at $189.95.

It's a consistently good performer in reviews and it definitely lives up to the hype in my experience. The #8 is fantastic as well. You can perhaps find it closer to $100 if you're really lucky.

 

[coolkyle]

In my opinion, few if any rods come close to the Fenwick Aetos as far as bang for $. To quote last year's 5-weight shootout:



It's a consistently good performer in reviews and it definitely lives up to the hype in my experience. The #8 is fantastic as well. You can perhaps find it closer to $100 if you're really lucky.

Isn't the Aetos a brand engineered Greys XF2? XF2 was incredible at $300 or whatever.

 

[joe_strummer]

For a cheap rod that's going to sit 51 weeks of the year and then be useful when its time does come, it's hard to beat the TFO Pro II.

 

[glacierjohn]

I like the OPs idea of looking for a previous generation good used rod. I think you can get some really nice rods for half price new.

 

[flav]

I don't see much difference between an 8'6" 4wt and a 9' 5 wt. Now maybe if your 4 is a soft glass rod and you want a faster 5 wt to cast bigger flies in the wind I'd understand, but bigger water doesn't automatically require a bigger rod.

 

[sweetandsalt]

I don't see much difference between an 8'6" 4wt and a 9' 5 wt. Now maybe if your 4 is a soft glass rod and you want a faster 5 wt to cast bigger flies in the wind I'd understand, but bigger water doesn't automatically require a bigger rod.

This is why I asked OP what 4-weight he is enjoying, to shed perspective on a potential #5. And yes, the current Fenwick (now not a company just a brand) is the Greys and still sold as Greys in Europe, same rod built in China.

Another good inexpensive rod is the Douglas DXF but suspect John's suggestion of a discontinued or lightly used discounted rod is probably better.

 

[CheeseburgerFly]

This is why I asked OP what 4-weight he is enjoying, to shed perspective on a potential #5. And yes, the current Fenwick (now not a company just a brand) is the Greys and still sold as Greys in Europe, same rod built in China.

Another good inexpensive rod is the Douglas DXF but suspect John's suggestion of a discontinued or lightly used discounted rod is probably better.

I have a cabelas rls combo that was a gift from my wife for my bday. Action is medium fast.

 

[mike_r]

Unless you only desire to fish for trout, why not jump up to a 9’ 6wt? A much more versatile rod in my opinion and it would serve as a good smallmouth bass rod, as you have plenty of smallie fishing water in the mid-Atlantic states!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tcorfey]

I agree with Mike_r, since you have a good 4wt a 6wt would be my choice. Especially if you are going to cast some larger flies occasionally. Not that a 6wt is limited to larger flies, you can fish small flies too. Last winter I was using my 6wt to fish streamers when mid afternoon a hatch of small BWO's came off. I just switched the leader and tied on a size 20 emerger pattern and caught a few nice trout.