help me choose a 2 wt

[tjflyfisher]

looking for a 2 wt combo or rod and reel and line budget is $150 including shipping but cheaper the better

this rod will be used mostly for small to medium gills in the local ponds and will see a lot of use as i catch a lot of them 60-70 in a day is not uncommon but my 5 wt is not ideal for that type of fishing so im looking to go lighter on the cheap

any suggestions would be great also where to buy online

thanks guys

tjflyfisher

[midger]

Finding a 2 weight setup for that price range could prove difficult. Most rodmakers lower end rods start at 3 weight which would be fine for the bluegill especially if you look for a more moderate action rod which most will be at that price point. You might try cabelas, sierra trading post and ebay for online possibilities. I was in sierra trading post's Boise store today (there are no California STP stores) and they had a couple of 3 weight rods in the $110 range--no 2 weights.

You might also post your request on the FAOL board in their wanted section. You might find something.

[tjflyfisher]

forgot to mention the ponds i fish in do not really require any distance casting i dont think i have ever casted

over 10-12 ft in any of them thus i don t need the hot rod longest casting flyrod to get the gills my average cast is
5-7 ft and i usually watch the gill hit the fly as i strip it thru the water its pretty much no brainer fishing with
size 16 nymphs and surface flies at short distances i just need something that will cast less than 15 ft and make those 3 inch fish feel like they are 8 inches lol

thanks
tjflyfisher

[WanderingBlues]

That's easy. Tenkara!

Now, if you are looking for traditional western, TFO has a 6' 2wt for $109. Find a ebay reel and line and you might hover at $150.

http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/products/rods/signature.html

[briansII]

looking for a 2 wt combo or rod and reel and line budget is $150 including shipping but cheaper the better

this rod will be used mostly for small to medium gills in the local ponds and will see a lot of use as i catch a lot of them 60-70 in a day is not uncommon but my 5 wt is not ideal for that type of fishing so im looking to go lighter on the cheap

any suggestions would be great also where to buy online

thanks guys

tjflyfisher

http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/produc ... ature.html

Personally, I would upgrade to this model(8' instead of 6'), and buy the cheapest reel you can find.

http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/produc ... ional.html

As Midger said, if you go with a 3 wt, it'll will give you a lot more options. A 3wt is more versatile throwing small, topwater flies. If you buy the right action, you will not feel too over gunned on small panfish. For several years, my go to pond rod was a Cabelas Three Forks, 3wt. They've since upgraded the rod.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/ ... t105573780

briansII

[Dry Fly Rie]

You might want to check these guys out...
http://lacrossecustomrods.com/axistwo.htm

I picked up a 7 foot 2wt for $69.95 on eBay. It's worked great for bluegill, small bass, and small creekin' for trout. I paired it with an Orvis Madison II reel that I also got on eBay for $35. Both the rod and reel were brand new. I've been very happy with the pair, and it definitely fits in your price range.

Right now, there are a few of the La Crosse rods on eBay, but they are all 4-7 weights. You can usually find a cheap Orvis Clearwater reel pretty much anywhere.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

[flybob]

You might want to check these guys out...
http://lacrossecustomrods.com/axistwo.htm

I picked up a 7 foot 2wt for $69.95 on eBay. It's worked great for bluegill, small bass, and small creekin' for trout. I paired it with an Orvis Madison II reel that I also got on eBay for $35. Both the rod and reel were brand new. I've been very happy with the pair, and it definitely fits in your price range.

Right now, there are a few of the La Crosse rods on eBay, but they are all 4-7 weights. You can usually find a cheap Orvis Clearwater reel pretty much anywhere.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

I second this! I too have the LaCrosse 7' 2wt which I bought specifically for a local pond in N. Orange County, got mine for 49.00 on ebay a few years ago. A very nice rod for the price and I have worked the heck out of it. I also ended up getting the 9' 6wt with the fighting butt which I use for Carp and it handles them nicely.
Cabela's offers some really duralble reels for darn near nothing!
This is their least expensive reel, it will last you years!
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/ ... t105572880

Sadly, you can have your rod a reel for the cheap, but your line is still going to set you back 60.00!
Unless you can find some close out stuff.

[tree catcher]

If he's casting less than 30 feet, Bass Pro has some 3wt. 10 yard lines for less than 20 bucks if I remember. Either that or you can get some double taper and cut it in half, then when one side is full of cracks, you can just string up the other half.
I bought a new reel for my 3wt on Ebay a few years ago, cost less than 25 bucks. Looks fully machined but don't expect it to be brand name unless its Maiden ch ina. It has held up fairly well but its a tiny reel, expect lots of line coil memory but everyone always tells me its such a cute tiny reel

Sean

[tjflyfisher]

well
im sure either one would work fine but cabelas has thier 3 wt three forks rod and reel combo on sale right now so that might be the way i will go

they offer it with the cabelas prestige plus reel pre spooled for $69 shipped or with the ross flystart reel prespooled
for $99 shipped

keeping in mind this rod /reel will only be used for bluegill and dink smallies like three inches long that like to beat the gills to the punch when the fly hits the water im guessing either one will last a good long time i might upgrade the line after i wear out the stock stuff but other than that i think it will be a good rod for my application

any comments on either setup??

tjflyfisher

[flybob]

The "Three Forks" 3wt is a great rod, I believe it was my second or third rod.
I think 1mocast has like 4 of them!

I have muscled in a couple of LMB's with mine.

The Prestige reel is also a near indestructible workhorse! The drag on it can be a bit flakey but I do not think that should be too much of an issue with you intended use. And if you do happen to accidentally hook into something big, which may happen when warm water fishing, you really do not want to play it, just start stripping or reeling in for all it's worth!
I still have one on my go everywhere rod that stays in my truck full time. You know like "You can't leave home without one".

Be careful, you may actually like the rod and start using it on the creeks!

I do not think you will be disappointed with your choice.

[briansII]

I had the earlier Three Forks, 3wt combo. The rod casts just fine, but the hardware was junk. The old graphite reel was sufficient, and the line was junk. I think I paid $49 for the combo. The new Three forks combo has been significantly upgraded. I think the only thing that might be in question is the line, and even that is better than the one I got with my combo. IMHO, I think this combo will be a good fit for what you want to do.

briansII

[tjflyfisher]

thanks for the replies guys

i decided to go with the three forks /prestige plus combo for $69 shipped i think it will be great for those small fish
throwing sz 16 nymphs and the occasional ehc or bwo trout season is comming to my area and stocking starts in one more week so i may throw a bugger in close to shore and see what happens although my ultimate favorite for trout is
spinning gear with a crappie jig tied on and then add a meal worm to the hook and fish it under a bobber man what fun that is and the fish hit it hard

ill give a report when i get it on the water

tjflyfisher

[tjflyfisher]

went out this morning to the local pond with the 5 wt for some fishing

managed a fish every cast for 6-8 casts and every other cast there after and between my son and i we managed 23 fish in about 2 hrs of fishing we werent fishing it very hard today as i have been down with a cold and wasn t feeling well so i was a little groggy and sluggish today but we still had fun

can t wait til i can run the three wt thru its paces i think that will be a great bg rod

tjflyfisher