Buying A New Rod

[briansII]

Something we all inevitably do.

What's the most common reply, when someone asks for new rod advice. Go to your local shop and cast it. Cast it and see if you like it. Cast different rods to see which one fits you best. That's sage advice, but.......

If you are like me, it's a 3-4 hr. one way trip to a fly shop that has a good variety of rods to cast. My local shop does have some rods, but not the variety to try different brands within the same weight range. Plus, I'm not sure they would even let me test cast a rod. So, I have to invest a whole, free day, to try rods out. I've done that, but I'd rather be fishing. Now a day of driving is about $100 in gas. Lose a day of fishing and tack on an extra $100 to the purchase. On a high end rod that would be OK. On a $200 fly rod....nope.

So what do YOU do? Have you test cast most of your rods before buying.

briansII

[RichardCullip]

To be honest, I hardly ever try a rod out before I buy it. I've bought the vast majority of my fly rods first and then learned how to cast them, adjusting my casting stroke to the rod.

[JonJon]

This is where it's tough as a beginner. My local shops only ever have 10 rods on hand, of maybe 2 different companies, so trying something before I buy it is rough. I have to drive about 2 hours to get to Bass Pro so I can get a feel for the different styles of a rod.

Hope to be doing that by this weekend tho.

[hip]

What I like to do is constantly try rods I haven't tried before whether I'm in the market for one or not.
When I see someone on the water with a interesting rod I'll ask if I can give it a try.
Works great, I have not run into anyone who has not been generous with letting me try their rod.

On the flip side I am always offering my rod up for people to cast.

I have bought rods without casting because of the deal was too good to pass up. I had a pretty good idea that the rod was going to
be fine and or adaptable to my casting stroke. The Jim Teeny I bought without casting it because it was about 70% off.

These day with the current rod technology and competition for name brand rod manufacturers it would be hard to find an outright dog of a rod.

Once you've been casting a while you can make any rod work for you.
I think it's actually a benefit to get a rod out of your comfort zone and learn to adapt your stroke.

In the end it will only make you a better caster. jon

[unskunkable]

I couldn't agree more with what hip said. Probably the best advice anyone could get, seriously.

[Swanee]

My experience fishing with friends that have good equipment, they always offer to let me cast their rods. The problem with that is I am bitten with the bug to get one and will lose sleep for months trying to figure a way to come up with the dough.
But casting those "good" rods is really the only way to tell if it fits you. Recently I got a BIIIX and was offered to cast a friends MX, sometimes it just verifies that you made the right choice for "you", even though I had never even seen that model before.
I'm still working on coming up with a new Xi3, made the mistake of casting a "friend's" rod. It has been torturing me now for a year.
Swanee

[mk4]

But casting those "good" rods is really the only way to tell if it fits you.

I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions about gear out there, for fishing and other for endeavors.

We're human, we're not enzymes and substrates that follow a "lock and key" mechanism. There is no rod or piece of equipment that fits us. We only perceive so by the help of some marketing, wise tales, or some other BS. If you can't fish with a slow rod, a fast rod or any other type of rod, then the rod is your least concern.

I've seen quite a few members here cast. And although my last name isn't Rajeff, I can see that they're poor casters, maybe because they lack fishing time or their fishing time is spend on water where casting isn't much of a necessity. Whatever it is, they lack the practice or experience, and have not really learned to cast or put in the time. Their casting stroke is deficient, so why the * would they want to get a rod to "fit them" in that situation. That's like installing 10 mirrors and a bunch or warning sensors on your car, because you don't know how to drive. This is the BS I was referring to earlier. People/maufacturers/internet advice has it that you must get that rod, because that rod "fits you" and will make you a better fisherman.

I'd hate to break it to you but rod selection rarely makes a difference.

[Lee-B]

Jon and I talked about "styles", therein lies the rub. Not all rods fit all styles and finding what fits yours can be expensive.

This is my corner of my garage, my man-cave. Note all the rod tubes, some home made, some factory and a few have 2 rods in them. The home made ones are color coded, red for TiCr's, blue for TiCrX's and green for Teeny's. So that's one piece (stripe) on the tube for a 6wt, 2 for a 8wt and 3 for a 10wt LOL

One side of the ceiling,



The other side,



And the whole cave,

[209er]

The only rod I test casted was Sage's original graphite back in 1980 and it was against my Fenwick replacement rod after my broken Phillipson. After that it was ok I'll buy another Sage just what Sage wanted. DUH!!! Today, I'll still do that with the Winston name now but talking XI3s?? Wayne, I'm still working up to 2's replacing p's and x1's. 38 rods later I'm waiting til fall to add. Stupid. 209er

[fflutterffly]

Lucky for me I was at the LBCC when Joe L. told me to go to different people before I purchased my new 7wt. z-axis. I cast L.L, Winston, TFO, Sage and Ross. So my advice is to go to your local fly fishing club on casting night.

[hpskiff]

I managed to test cast about 75% of the rods I have purchased, and have been pleased with all of them. The other 25% were "great deal" rods and I really am happy with less than half of them. I wish I could test cast fly LINE. I've had a heck of a hard time matching sinking line to rods that cast floating line beautifully.

[1mocast]

As to buying a new rod and not having a shop close by, I agree that many of the intermediate and above FF can pick up any rod and adjust to the rod.

But what does a beginner in this situation do? If one cannot try out different rods and must buy a rod blind, my best advice is to buy one of the value priced Lifetime Warranty rods. (TFO, Echo, Reddington, etc.) Unless you need a fast action rod, for the surf/windy conditions, stick with a medium-fast or even a medium action rod. That way you will learn to feel the rod load and get your casting timing correct. Do your homework and ask friends to try their rods.

[Pete]

To be honest, I hardly ever try a rod out before I buy it. I've bought the vast majority of my fly rods first and then learned how to cast them, adjusting my casting stroke to the rod.

Well said Richard. Never met a fly rod I haven't liked yet . A lot to be said for letting the rod tell you how it wants to be cast.

[Sasha]

So if I want the best 5wt what should I get?

[briansII]

So if I want the best 5wt what should I get?

You should test cast......... Aw, never mind.

briansII