Best dozen. Addicts best four.

by **flyster** » February 6th, 2016, 11:03 am

Surfing the web, opps! I don't surf I snoop. While snooping around I found this http://troutunderground.com/2009/02/the ... me-period/. Many have probably come across this already. What I found listed were a few (trout) rods that I own. Which came as a surprise to me. I thought I just like these rod because they felt comfortable and easy to cast with my casting style. I'm not much into judging a rod until I cast one or even believing all the supped up hype nowadays. One other thing that I found listed were some low cost rods which came before the higher priced ones.
Believe me when I say "I have bought plenty of rods that seamed great when casting in the parking lot but until you put them to work on the water you will never really know".
Maybe we can create our very own underground Addicts best 4 list?
Here are my best four trout rods.
1. Sage LL 490 9' 4WT.
2. Fenwick 8.5′ 5wt Fiberglass.
3. GLoomis IMX 9' 4WT.
4. Phillipson 8.5 5/6WT. Bamboo.

by **NorcalBob** » February 6th, 2016, 12:04 pm

Since I'm an all species fly angler, there is no way in heck that I could put together a top 4 list. I can tell you this though, these are my top 4 utilized fly rods.
1) Orvis Helios 10' 7 WT (Fast tip) (this one gets used more than the next 3 combined!)
2) Orvis Helios 9' 8 WT (Fast tip)
3) Orvis Helios 10' 6 WT (Fast tip)
4) Orvis Helios 10' 8 WT (Fast tip)
But on my upcoming trip to Loreto this July, not a single one of those rods will be making the trip! :doh:

And then again, I chase much bigger fish than you SoCal guys so my list is pretty irrelevant to youse guys!~ :booty:

by **Papasequoia** » February 6th, 2016, 12:10 pm

For the smaller stuff: Winston BIIt 8' 3 wt. Most of my rods are fast, but I love slowing down to the tempo of this medium action rod more often than not. True what you say about trying them on the water to see if you really like them. I went fishing with Richard Cullip a few years ago and he asked to try mine out; for a few minutes there I didn't think I would get it back. :lol:

I think he bought one that very same day when he got home. Great small stream rod. If I had the money for another Winston I would buy one in a stronger weight.

That would be my favorite rod. Next up would be a Sage Z-Axis 4 weight, good all around rod.
Then an old Sage Launch 6 wt for windy days that I would never part with, cheap but awesome.

Those three see most of my fishing action. I guess for the #4 position I would say an old Sage SPL 1 wt which is my really small stream rod, especially for goldens.

NorcalBob wrote:And then again, I chase much bigger fish than you SoCal guys so my list is pretty irrelevant to youse guys!~

Too true, unfortunately. I do have a 7 and an 8 for steelhead or Pyramid, but they only get used a few times a year if that. :cry:

by **BrownBear** » February 6th, 2016, 1:32 pm

NorcalBob wrote:And then again, I chase much bigger fish than you SoCal guys so my list is pretty irrelevant to youse guys!~

I'll see your big, and raise you a few points bigger! :bananadance:

For early season king salmon in AK saltwater (fish are common over 40#, a few over 50#, with the occasional 60# or 70# thrown in): I go with a 12 WT TFO TiCrX or a Sage, both with foregrips.

For later season kings in saltwater (most fish less than 40#) depending on where the fish are laying, I drop to a 10WT TiCrX or Winston BIIIx. The former is lots stouter for picking up heavy sinking lines, but the latter is in a league by itself for casting floating lines.

For coho casting onshore and offshore in saltwater, as well as in rivers, it's an 8WT, TiCrX when the distances get impossible, Winston BIIX for pure casting pleasure when the fish are inside 80' or so.

For trout in CA, as well as for searun Dolly Varden and pink salmon in Alaska, it's a 10' TFO BVK 4WT. If there's one all-around sweet rod for trout, that's it. A heck of a caster for both distance and accuracy, and capable fighter of bigger fish, while light enough and tapered plenty fine for direct contact nymphing.

by **NorcalBob** » February 6th, 2016, 3:41 pm

Ha, I'll call your 12 wt and raise you to my TFO Bluewater 16 WT!!!!!

But I really don't use it near as much as my Orvis Helios 10' 7 WT!!!! :booty:

by **BrownBear** » February 6th, 2016, 3:56 pm

NorcalBob wrote:Ha, I'll call your 12 wt and raise you to my TFO Bluewater 16 WT!!!!!

Oh, you're talking about my halibut rod! I don't fly rod halibut fish much any more since the population is down an the fish are so scattered, but back in the day it was my go-to rod. My wife is really fond of the Baby version of the Blue Water. Dandies on all counts, I agree!

by **RichardCullip** » February 6th, 2016, 6:08 pm

Papasequoia wrote:For the smaller stuff: Winston BIIt 8' 3 wt..... I went fishing with Richard Cullip a few years ago and he asked to try mine out; for a few minutes there I didn't think I would get it back. I think he bought one that very same day when he got home.....

True story.... Still love that rod on the rare chance I get to throw dry flies at trout.

I've got a bunch of rods ranging from 00wt up to 12wt and my favorite 4 are:

TFO Jim Teeny Model 6wt (my main go to rod for both SD Bay and the surf)
TFO Jim Teeny Model 4wt (my summer time surf rod if the waves are small)
the afore mentioned Winston BIIt 8' 3wt (what a great dry fly rod)
Sage TXL 00wt (the rod I prefer when chasing goldens and rainbow-golden hybrids in small Southern Sierra creeks)

by **WanderingBlues** » February 6th, 2016, 7:08 pm

Sage TXL 3-710 1wt- the ultimate small water rod, especially in tight quarters.
Sage One 490 3wt- my all purpose Sierra stick. It's fun on small waters and has enough backbone to work big trout
Echo Glass 369 3wt- when you're fishing dries and need a delicate presentation. Smooth and affordable
Redington Vapen 496 8wt- smooth action for heck in' meat at big trout. Great Pyramid stick, and it likes the surf.

by **midger** » February 6th, 2016, 8:59 pm

My favorite rod? Whichever one I happen to be on the stream with at the time.

Actually it depends on where I'm fishing and what I'm fishing for. Lately my go to rod is a 10' 2-3 wt I made up on an IM6 blank. Sweet medium action and great for the Upper/Lower O and the river West of Kansas. I also like my Sage 8'9" SLT for throwing dry flies, a Sage 590 RPL for drift fishing, and an 11' 5-6 wt switch rod of my own making. I've got a bunch of others I'd like to share a river with though and I like to get them out as well.

by **FIGHTONSC** » February 7th, 2016, 6:35 am

midger wrote:My favorite rod? Whichever one I happen to be on the stream with at the time.

I think Midger summed it up nicely!

My Fab Four, if I had to chose would be:
Sage 580 GFL 8', 5 weight
Russ Peak Zenith (Boron Graphite) 8', 5/6 weight
Leon Chandler (fiberglass) 7'6", 3 weight or Fenwick (fiberglass) FF75 7'6", 5 weight (tie between them)
Cortland Endurance 9' 8 weight for salmon and saltwater

I'm more "old school" and enjoy casting and setting the hook with the slower and softer actions.

Regards,

Jeff

by **planettrout** » February 7th, 2016, 8:58 am

These:

Thomas & Thomas Paradigm, 9', 5wt.
Winston Fiberglass (S.F. made) 7 1/2', 4wt.
Scott "G" Series, 10', 5wt.
Loomis Streamdance, 10', 5wt.

PT/TB

by **Baughb** » February 7th, 2016, 10:12 am

As of today:

Sweetgrass Mantra 8'3" 5wt
Joe Bradley 7'9" 4wt progressive
Orvis 9' 4wt Hydros
Sage LL 486 4wt.

The others just get used for specific conditions

by **lucfish** » February 7th, 2016, 4:11 pm

Haven't done a lot of trout fishing lately (14 months) unless you call landlock salmon trout but these still are my are still mostly trout rods. SAGE XP 596, RPL+490, RPL+890 and my all time favorite which is reserved only for dinky trout in dinky water, Winston IM6 7'-2. I feel different when I'm using this little guy. I could sell all my gear but will never ever sell my Winston.

by **Rasputinj** » February 7th, 2016, 8:04 pm

Here are my favorites

Doug Daniel bamboo quad 8'3 4 wt
Sage LL 486
7ft 4wt Sir D bamboo taper made with Dray
* 8015 8ft 5wt bamboo

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

by **briansII** » February 8th, 2016, 5:28 pm

That trout underground article was "interesting". It's a safe bet the LL 389 will be on any list. No one is surprised to see a couple bamboo rods, a Tom Morgan, or Scott G. A Eagle Claw Trailmaster one of the best fly rods of all time?? Any "reasonably tapered 8.5' - 9' 6wt best of all time"?? Okaaay....... :oo:

I kinda get what they were after, but obviously I don't agree about a couple of their choices. It is a fun subject to postulate.

For a rod to be "best" for me, it has to be a absolute joy to cast, and perform it's task without any shortcomings. That's not to say the operator can get every last bit out of the rod. But when pushed to the user's limits, the rod has to at least exceed the knucklehead waving it around. Trout rods that do that for me are,

Winston BIIx 8.5' 3wt.
Scott G 9' 4wt
Scott STS 9' 6wt

I don't have a 4th rod to put on the list. I have many more that fit one of the two functions, but to date, no others do both in perfect harmony. Some are REALLY close, but if I scrutinize each one, they fall a tiny bit short in one of the two qualifiers. Am I being too picky/serious. Yeah, but rating fly gear is a serious matter.

briansII