My Fly rod and reel was an Orvice setup that I bought for a pretty penny YEARS ago. I absolutely loved that setup but due to some unforeseen circumstances I am now in the market for a new setup. What is a good budget brand in today's market? I have been looking all over but there are just to many to get a hold on whats import, cheap, high quality, medium and so on. I may buy another Orvice but I would like to know what other brands are good us made poles. Thanks
I have a G. Loomis and two L L beans. The beans were returned rods from their outlet store. I was told from a good source that the beans were re-branded Loomis blanks.
Ok Jon I have a confession to make here. I never linked fishingpol to you actually fishing or having a fishingpol.
I'm trying for $150 range which I am discovering isn't much. I will probably up that to $200. Every year I go trout and bass with fly fishing in our rivers but I also LOVE to go to the salmon runs in the fall. Looking for a 7-8w rod right now good enough for some large but flexible enough for smaller.
Those are the two key questions. I too started with and Orvis rod many years ago (8' 6#). I loved that rod and fished the cr@p out of it. I would NEVER buy another Orvis graphite rod. They are over-priced and under-performing rods. Not bad, just too much money for what you get. For fresh water (2#-7#) I personally prefer Scott G-series (now G2) rods for trout. Their rods fit my style of fishing and casting, very forgiving for soft presentations of dries but stout enough to power nymphs and streamers when needed. My absolute favorite rod is my old, pre Y2K Scott 8'6" 4#, with uplocking cork grip and reel seat. It delivers dries with precision in tight quarters. I have used this rod for trout fishing in Mi and Pa. These rivers require soft and tight casts in little to no wind. In contrast, if I were to be fishing in wide open western streams with ever present wind, this rod would be complete inadequate. I'd go for a Loomis or other ultrafast rod. That said, these are all super premium priced rods. I can't say I 'm still up to date with the economy rod sector. However, the good news is that technology improves all the time. An "economy" rod from today will be far superior to a "flagship" or "premium" rod from 10+ years ago. In the end, my advice is get whatever feels best to you. Also, if your budget is tight, spend more on the rod and line and don't waste it on the reel. Most freshwater fish can be landed without the reel. Saltwater... that's a whole 'nuther story on reels.
Take a look at the -"Redington" fly rods. They compare very well against Loomis, Scott, and Orvis, but much less costly. They used to have an 8'6"- 2pc #5 that was a laser, best selling rod I carried. disclaimer- I was a Redington dealer in the late 90's. Not sure how they stack up now, but a good company to deal with. I'll check on reels. I know a guy that was making large spool reels, based out of the Sierras in Calif. I'll have to dig for his name, but these were the most quiet, bad-azz reels I'd seen at the time. I'll have to dig for his info. Hopefully he hasn't sold his design, but if he did, good for him. He was a really good guy. I'll let you know. .
As long as you avoid the absolute bottom of the barrel, there aren't really any bad rods out there. TFO, Redington, and Echo put out some good rods at lower to medium prices. I have a couple of cheap Cabela's rods that I bought for rare use in specific places that I end up using all the time. St. Croix makes nice stuff too. I've never used one of their fly rods but my favorite gear rods are all St. Croix.
I agree with most of what's been said above. I'm assuming you'll want a "medium action" rod, since that's what you've used in the past. I would second the TFO, Redington, and Echo rod recommendations, as well as put your money into the rod and line. I will also suggest another company, Allen Fly Fishing. They are a "newer" company in the world of fly fishing, but they have quite the following. They make great stuff. I have a reel from them that is bulletproof. I have casted their entry level Prelude in a 5 wt., and it was pretty darn sweet for a $79 rod. They have combos available right at your price range that includes reel, line, etc. They have rods from $79 - $600. Sign up for their emails, and they will send you discounts, etc. Cabela's has a sale going on right now, and you may find a deal. I had a Cabela's TLr rod and it was good for the price. I've since passed it on to my brother who was getting back into the sport. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. Another option is Sierra Trading Post. Again sign up for their emails, and you will get discount codes for their already low prices. They carry the overstock, discontinued, etc. stuff at steep discounts. Sure, they may be a couple models older than the new stuff, but you're not going to be paying $1,000 for a new rod. They have deals on line, leader and tippet too (where I buy most of mine). Good luck on your search.
Thanks for all the advice guys! The wife and I stumbled on a place called north woods wholesale in MI and they are about 1.5 hours away. I AM EXCITED! There's a couple hundred fly rods there!!! Maybe we can find some good quality rods mentioned above. The place look very interesting.
I found a very nice rod at the wholesale store. I will go take pics! You guys where not kidding! Carbon fiber is cheaper these days! Mine was state of the art when I bought it 15 years or so ago!!!
So the story behind this is that if you buy the pole you get the bag free. I didn't really want a pole without the bag.. The pole is a Fenwick Eagle GT 8wt and it is very nice I would go so far as to say as nice as my old one. It was $59 with the free bag. Here is the deal clincher! It also came with a second pole in the bag! I did not know this so I asked if that was right and to my surprise they didn't care. It is a wholesale item and we don't care what's in the bag it's yours! So I not only purchased $120 worth of pole and bag but received another $100 pole free that will now go to my good friend Troy. The bag is very good quality as well. I think you really helped me mike bayerl with the budget is still good quality advice. blacktail pjcalla NortheastAl fishingpol Beetle-Kill thank you for the advice! I saw a LOT of reddington stuff but it was to far out of my range. The Allen fly equitment looks FABULOUS that me be the next purchase down the road!
Wish I would have known you was into fly-fishing at the MI GTG. I don't own a Fenwick, but they have been around for a while. You did good. My first rod was a 6/7 Browning that was given to my dad by my brother-in-law in Alaska. Dad passed it on to me. Both have passed on now. When I got back into fly fishing I purchased a Redington rod from Cabelas and matched it with one of their cheapo reels. The price was under $200 ready to fish. Love the combination for all around use. I then bought a custom made 4 wt bamboo matched with a Redington Rise reel, to fish the small creek near me. I like the Redington more than the bamboo. I did ask Dennis, "How far Grayling was from him" when I was considering the GTG. Maybe we can GTG for a trip some time. The MI GTG was a week before Opening Season. How does that work? If there is a MI GTG next year could I come up a couple of days early and fish as long I release every catch?
