Rod recommendations?

On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:50:05 +0100, "
wrote:



For reels, I recommnend these a lot to various people;

http://www.okumafishing.com/products...g/airframe.htm

No useless bling, and extremely functional and robust.

Do you have an opinion about the Okuma Magnitude series? It seems
that the Airframe has been discontinued.

Jim

JimG wrote:
On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:50:05 +0100, "
wrote:


For reels, I recommnend these a lot to various people;

http://www.okumafishing.com/products...g/airframe.htm

No useless bling, and extremely functional and robust.

Do you have an opinion about the Okuma Magnitude series? It seems
that the Airframe has been discontinued.

Jim


No, sorry, I have never used that reel.

Would be a real shame if the Airframe has been discontinued.

The magnitude looks OK, and the Okuma tackle ( mainly reels) I have seen
is usually pretty good, but I can´t give you a specific opinion on that
reel.

http://www.okumafishingteam.com/reel...magnitude.html

If I was in the market for a reel right now, I would probably at least
try this one first,

http://www.okumafishingteam.com/reels/fly/cascade.html

It looks very similar to the Airframe, ( maybe even identical? Just
renamed?).

Various metal fly reels over the years have not proven very
robust, even expensive ones, and so the graphite reels are my first
choice anyway nowadays. I have not had that many of them, as they simply
don´t break or even wear out. Very many friends and pupils ( Fishing
courses, club evenings etc) use these reels as well now, ( I have
recommended the Airframes to many people),and I have never heard of a
single problem. I know a lot of sal****er anglers who also use them.

There are some reviews on the cascade,;

http://www.fishusa.com/tackleshop/ca...492A3D4CA&fx=1

Probably just as good as the Airframe, but I don´t know for certain.

TL
MC

I sent a few e-mails asking about the cascade and the magnitude. No
replies yet on the magnitude, but two people told me they think the
cascade is identical to the Airframe!

One local guy bought this combo for his 12 year old son;

http://www.fishusa.com/catalog_product.asp?ProductFamilyID={88FD5296-F1B4-40C2-8B89-3F8B0E6F2D8B}&i=7716EF3EB54E46FD86AA1EF492A3D4CA

( he bought it locally, but it´s the same combo).

He got this one after looking at quite a few combos, because he doesn´t
know whether his son will stay with fly-fishing, and did not want to go
with anything expensive. However, he says it is very very good. I don´t
know anything more about it, hzave not handles or cast with it, and it
might not suit your daughter´s casting styles etc, but it is worth
looking at anyway.

The reel does seem to be the same reel, just renamed.


One or two people in various courses have been turrning up with these;

http://www.troutlet.com/Okuma-Guide-...Rods-P220.aspx

pretty good rods, but I have only cast a couple on grass up to now, and
can´t really give a solid review. They are very low priced, but a lot of
this equipment is nevertheless of a very high standard and a lot cheaper
here than in the USA for instance.

Lots of Okuma stuff regularly gets very good reviews, not only based on
price, but also on functionaolity and general quality;

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewokumafly.html

There is no longer such a massive difference in much tackle between the
"high end" expensive stuff, and the "mid-range" stuff. Most of it is
made in the same factories using the same materials. Redington and other
similar conmpanies merely re-label standard rods from Korean and other
factories.

All comes down to what you want to do. Do you want to pay more money for
a "name", or do nyou want the fucntiuonality more?

I still think Sage and Loomis are among the best rods available and
there are other "names" as well of course, but the difference in quality
and functionailty among tackle makers has become smaller and smaller,
and the prices of high end rods continues to increase, which is against
the general market trend, and probably reflects the struggle many
companies and shops are having to survive more than it does the actual
quality of tackle.

One thing is certain, the old adage "You get what you pay for", no
longer applies in absolute terms. If you know what you are doing, then
you can get absolutely first class equipment very cheaply indeed.

Lastly, it is as well to remember that practically any rod will handle
and cast better than the person holding it, regardless of price!

TL
MC

JimG wrote:

Quite a few people like these, and the ones shown here are "half price"
at the moment;

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...atf eatflyfsh


These rods cost about $15 ex-factory, and are the same blanks as used by
many of the othere re-labelling firms, but they are a good upper
"mid-range" rod.

If you like fast rods, then these are probably a very good choice for you.

TL
MC

wrote:
JimG wrote:

Quite a few people like these, and the ones shown here are "half price"
at the moment;

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...atf eatflyfsh



To qualify that somewhat as it tends to shock people, most of the mid
range rods are about 15...23 dollars ex-factory, depending on fittings.
They are produced in large numbers, ( Minimum order for most rods, is
100 rods, but of course some companhies order thousands, and rop the
proce even more). The retail price itself is NOT a reliable indicator
of quality. The quality generally is very high indeed, and the Redington
quality control is pretty good.

Some other info on the CPS rods;

http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/...rmance+Series/

http://www.flyfishingforum.com/flyta...p/t-22875.html

http://cgi.ebay.ch/NEW-REDINGTON-CPS...mZ290273725279

(Auction closed, merely for info.MC)

http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/new...um=3&move=prev

There are a lot more reviews of the CPS rods, most of them very good.
Onen or two people are of the opinion that the rods are comparable to
the Sage XP. ( I think the XP is a shade faster, but it´s close). A
very good rod anyway, and for an upper mid.reange rod at that price (
149$ on sale), with a lifetime warranty, you can´t go wrong.

Also, the rod fits your intended application very very well, and if you
like fast rods it should suit perfectly.

Of course Sage now owns Redington any way.

TL
MC

Just in case you missed it;

QUOTE

REDINGTON CPS WINS 2007 FLY ROD & REEL MAGAZINE KUDO AWARD!

(Redington CPS Review by Jim Dean, Fly Rod & Reel Magazine)

REDINGTON CPS FLY RODS

SUPERB, AFFORDABLE FLY RODS

There's not much difference between blind-casting fly rods and
blind-tasting wines. Oenophiles freely admit they are seldom able to
identify a specific label, much less the critical year of production,
and they often cannot even be sure of the variety of grape (swallowing
the wine is discouraged because it tends to accelerate enthusiasm).
Similar uncertainties await those who evaluate the casting
characteristics of fly rods as an FR&R test team discovered when it
compared 54 8- and 9-weights for the June, 2006 issue (we tried to avoid
any brand prejudice, and we didn't swallow the beer, or very much,
anyway). If such tests are so highly subjective and flawed, why bother?
It's because with wine, fly rods and similar elegant obsessions, the
really good stuff always stands out in some significant way, even when
you can't immediately define the attraction (much less who made it, or
where).

The Redington CPS fly rods are sterling examples. Most fly fishermen
recognize that these rods are special from the moment they first get
their hands on one. That was certainly the unanimous reaction of our
2006 test crew. We were impressed by the smooth, progressive
connectedness of the Redingtons action, which yielded a feeling of
confident control at all distances. If that sounds like wine label talk,
perhaps I should add that tester Scott Wood easily threw the whole line
(even with a bass bug).We also observed that the flowing power in these
rods noticeably enhances the capability to tighten loops and repair
sloppy casts in mid-air. With these CPS rods, now in their third year of
production, Redington has clearly achieved its stated goal of building
the highest possible performance into a modestly priced fly rod. These
rods are fast (but not ridiculously stiff), light in the hand, extremely
durable and remarkably versatile. The 8- and 9-weights proved to be
terrific choices for bonefish in Belize (where the wind howled at 35 MPH
nearly every day). Yet, surprisingly, those same rods were perfectly at
ease on ponds back home delivering bulky, wind-resistant bass bugs
(before we took them back to the salt last fall to land dozens of
albacore). And because Redington has successfully duplicated the same
action throughout all the CPS rods (something of a rarity itself) you
can expect to find that familiar feel in the lighter line rods for
trout, panfish or whatever. There are 14 rods in the line, all 4-piece,
ranging from a 7' 3 weight to a 9' 12 weight (and a pair of 7- and
8-weight 10-footers). With a retail price of $299, the CPS rods are an
outstanding value, and while they're designed for the core of serious
fly fisherman, there's nothing average about their superb capabilities.

Sorry about all the typos! I have been trying to learn to type properly
using all my fingers, and although it is a lot faster after a little
practice, it results in a lot more typos!

TL
MC

wrote:
JimG wrote:

Quite a few people like these, and the ones shown here are "half price"
at the moment;

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...atf eatflyfsh



Also, and germane to the thread, you will almost certainly not be able
to obtain a blank and fittings of this quality at this price. The rods
are considered to be outstanding value at $299 dollars, including
attractive and functional rod-tube and rod-bag.

At $149 dollars they are an absolute steal, and I don´t think you could
build one as good for that money, not buying fittings etc at retail
prices, even if you could find a comparable blank.

Anyway, hope all this was of some help to you.

TL
MC

In article ,
JimG wrote:

Seeking brand/model/retailer suggestions for 4-piece, 5 wt, 9 ft rods.
Plan to buy 2 and give them as gifts. Budget is around $200 each for
rods alone, or $300 each for rod/reel/line combos.

Recipients are advanced beginners. Rough handling is expected.
Primarily will be used in backcountry on small streams, mountain
lakes. Will be mostly fishing dries, dries with droppers, and BH
nymphs, sizes #16-20.

My research to date is pointing to Sage, TFO, Redington as
possibilities. But I don't see a clear choice.

Suggestions would be much appreciated. TIA.

Jim

For a foreign combo go for redington at about $170. For a a quality
made in the USA rod for for Sage, Scott, or Great Bay Rods.

I think that 'building' is a misnomer about modern carbon rods. It's
really 'assembling', and it's so easy that even I can manage it.

I'm not much good at this sort of do-it-yourself thing but by far my
preferred cabon trout rods are two rods I made from sage blanks some
years ago.

The blanks cost me less than 70 dollars each, and one was an LL 8' 9",
which I think several other roffians would agree is just about the best
light trout rod ever made. (I also have the Sage=made original but it's
no different in use from my own assembled version).

I have other, far more expensive rods, but I don't use them much,
except for special reasons.

(I do use cane rods quite a lot, Hardy and a number of small makers,
such as Lance Nichoson of Dulverton in Exmoor; cane rods really WERE
'built'. They're not 'better' than the carbon rods, but other folks
here will understand why I like using them even so.)

Lazarus