RODS

[flygoddess]

[font "Terminal"][black][size 3]What is your favorite rod (length, weight, and action) and what kind of fishing do you do with it? Also, if you could have any rod you wanted (cost no object) what would you pick and why?[/size][/black][/font]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

I have two rods I use
a 9 ft 5wt Scott that has a fast action tip. Now that I know more about fishing and have more experience casting I think a mid flex rod would have fit me better. But the Scott still is a nice rod. I had to use the life time warranty once so that was nice to have.

A 7ft 4 wt full flex cheap rod made for Bass Pro that is quite nice for small brushy creeks.

TFO has a 3 wt 4 or 5 piece rod that I have wanted in 7.5 ft that I want for small spring creeks. or an Elk Horn 5 piece. Both are very sweet casting rods.

I have not done much lake fishing but I would think a 10 ft rod would be good for that. I always wondered why manufacturers were so set on 9 ft rods. I think they mainly make them because that is what we buy but I think we buy the 9 ft because that is what everyone says that is what you need. From what I have read that preception may be changing.

I have an 8 wt Scott that I bought for striper fishing but then I moved away from striper country right after I bought it. It has never been fishing. That was 5 years ago now.
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[flygoddess]

Hey Scruffy_fly, you ever want to get rid of that 8wt. My brother in-law is looking for one. In fact he keeps telling me to bring mine so he can swipe it. He does steelheading a lot and wants to go for them on a fly rod.
I agree that the 9ft has been around so long that it has become the bases for length, but I sure like my 10' and plan on building another this winter.
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[Scruffy_Fly]

Flygoddess wrote:
[size 1]Hey Scruffy_fly, you ever want to get rid of that 8wt. My brother in-law is looking for one. In fact he keeps telling me to bring mine so he can swipe it. He does steelheading a lot and wants to go for them on a fly rod.
I agree that the 9ft has been around so long that it has become the bases for length, but I sure like my 10' and plan on building another this winter.
http://www.bluedeville.com [/size]
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I keep hanging on to the 8wt thinking that I am going to go carp fishing at the REI Hole. But I have not made it there in the two years I have said that. Instead in a few minutes I am heading for the F---- Hole on the south platte. Got a number patterns tied up that I want to see if the bows and browns like. (Brown hackles, grey hackles, IPWs, wet renegade, patridge and greens, green weenies, parchute adams with krystal flash, cracklebacks)

dB
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[DKSRenegade]

According to my wife, I have too many rods!
My new Saint Croix Legend Ultra 9' 5wt is sweet. Not sure on the action as it was a birthday present from my kids. I think that it is a fast action.
Some day I would like to own a top end Sage but I sure don't need one.
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[campfire]

I fish for trout allmost exclusively. I get the impression that 9 foot 5 wt is the accepted standard for trout and that is what I use. I prefer a medium/fast action but I am aslo comfortable with a medium action. As for what Rod I would like to have a recent experience kind of clowded my thoughts on that. I recently purchased a Cabela's LST rod. I have only fished with it a couple of times but I like it so far. While I was at Cabela's I casted the LST and a Sage XP side by side. I casted the LST noticablly better than the super high performance sage. It was just too fast for my less than perfect timing. I bought the LST and determined that more is not necessarily better for everyone.
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[flygoddess]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black]Maybe not the XP, that is an acquired taste, but the LL or even the first Discovery were med/fast rods that I think you would have liked. I am getting very disapointed with Sage, cause they come out with a great rod that everyone likes, then they up grade it and discontinue what everyone liked. I am not sure that Sage is in my future list of rods, although they just discontinued another rod and they are at a great price.[/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black]I want to try the new Scott E series.[/black][/font]
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[eBob]

Right now my favourite is my newest stick: TFO "Professional" 9' 4wt 4pc. It's my favourite since it's my newest. I put quite a few hours into it on the West Branch of the Ausable (NY) last week picking up a bunch of Browns. I also spent a pleasant hour and a half on the cut between the Cascade Lakes (south of Lake Placid) picking up some little Specks. All of the most successful fishing was using #18 dries of various flavours, and this stick worked just fine, for me.

My next favourite is Sage Launch 9' 6wt 4pc. I picked this up for the stillwater Trout Club that I belong to. It has since also become my primary rod for Bass/Pike fishing out of the Kayak. A beautiful rod that I can manage plenty of line and toss some fairly hefty flies.
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[eBob]

[reply]
...I always wondered why manufacturers were so set on 9 ft rods. I think they mainly make them because that is what we buy but I think we buy the 9 ft because that is what everyone says that is what you need. From what I have read that preception may be changing. ...

[black][size 2][font "Verdana"]It's always "been changing". When modern fly fishing was just getting going back in the mid 1800's it was common to use 12 or 14 foot "poles". Then the sizes started to shrink with 6'6" bamboo rods being more or less standard fare by the middle of the 20th. In the 1960's and 70's, rods of around 8- through 8'6" were the norm. Since then, longer and shorter rods have been promoted for "special purposes". I notice that in the last 5 or so years the "norm" has been to move toward 9-footers. I certainly notice the difference, especially when casting out of my Kayak or a belly boat: the longer (i.e. 9') rods help me keep my inept casting up.

You're certainly right that the manufacturers are just reacting to the demand which explains why almost everybody has a complete line of 9-footers, but their sorter (<8') and longer (>10') rod selections may occasionally be limited. Of course, if we all started craving 10-footers, then ...
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[flygoddess]

I agree, Lee Wulff being kind of the trend setter, thought he would try catching Steel Head on a 6 foot rod and every one started to follow suit.
I think in the future we are going to see more 10'. Again a trend maybe started from Polish nymphing.
I know my 10' 5wt TFO is my go to rod.
While working at Orvis, a 9 ft 5wt. was my rcommended rod to new comers. Flex depended on individual.
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[Dryrod]

[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]I have one 9' rod whereas the rest are 8½'. I like that length. Might be a little short fishing from a tube but who cares. These days no matter what I buy tomorrow it is out of favor. Happened with the two digital cameras I purchased a while back. The important thing is to buy the most expensive lense one can afford. Like some people buy a good quality fly rod then skimp on the line. Duh why would they do that?[/size][/green][/font]
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