Fly Rod Advice

Fellow Fly Fishing Enthusiasts,

Looking to buy my first premium fly rod. I am contemplating the following
rods:

G. Loomis GLX 9' 6wt 4 piece (GLX scheduled to be replaced in 2004)
Sage SLT 9' 6wt 5 piece
Orvis T3 9' 6wt 4 piece
Scott S3 9' 6wt 4 piece
R.L. Winston XTR 9' 6wt 3 piece
St. Croix Legend Elite 9' 6wt 5 piece

I would greatly appreciate any insight and opinions you can provide to help
me make my decision.

Thanks in advance,
Sheldon

Sheldon McElhiney wrote:

Fellow Fly Fishing Enthusiasts,

Looking to buy my first premium fly rod. I am contemplating the following
rods:

G. Loomis GLX 9' 6wt 4 piece (GLX scheduled to be replaced in 2004)
Sage SLT 9' 6wt 5 piece
Orvis T3 9' 6wt 4 piece
Scott S3 9' 6wt 4 piece
R.L. Winston XTR 9' 6wt 3 piece
St. Croix Legend Elite 9' 6wt 5 piece

I would greatly appreciate any insight and opinions you can provide to help
me make my decision.

Thanks in advance,
Sheldon


The only advice that makes any sense is to cast all 6 yourself
and decide which one YOU like best. Take 100 anglers, let them
cast all 6 rods and 99 of them will like the Winston, but who
knows, you could be that one in a hundred. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

G. Loomis GLX 9' 6wt 4 piece (GLX scheduled to be replaced in 2004)
Sage SLT 9' 6wt 5 piece
Orvis T3 9' 6wt 4 piece
Scott S3 9' 6wt 4 piece
R.L. Winston XTR 9' 6wt 3 piece
St. Croix Legend Elite 9' 6wt 5 piece

Ken The only advice that makes any sense is to cast all 6 yourself
Ken and decide which one YOU like best. Take 100 anglers, let them
Ken cast all 6 rods and 99 of them will like the Winston, but who
Ken knows, you could be that one in a hundred. ;-)

As a related note, please observe that Winston will be introducing a
new rod series in 2004. See

http://www.winstonrods.com/forum/vie...um=5&Topic=236

for more information. And heck no, I have no relationship with the
company whatsoever, except that I own one nice 2wt rod of theirs. :-)

--
Jarmo Hurri

Spam countermeasures included. Use as email
address or apply rot13 to header email address.

From: "Sheldon McElhiney"

Looking to buy my first premium fly rod. I am contemplating the following
rods:

list snipped

Any of these rods would would be a good choice. You need to cast all, (or as
many as possible), to determine which you prefer. One suggestion...multi piece
rods are all the rage these days, but if you don't do a lot of travelling or
backpacking, consider a two piece....could save you a few bucks.



George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

Sheldon,

I'd be happy with any of those regardless of my lack of casting style.

Temple Fork rods are pretty excellent and cheap.... maybe you should
consider one as a backup, but if you can try one you'll probably find they
are similar to the faster Winstons (maybe that's an oxymoron). My next 5
weight will absolutely be Temple Fork.

http://www.templeforkflyrods.com

Of course I broke my TFO 3 weight Saturday..... and it's guaranteed! I
really really like their rods.

Sheldon,

Ken et al already gave you the best advice: YOU have to go try each rod. Just
beware that
some of these (at least the T3) are fast action rods, and you should probably
overline it.

Wrt multipiece (2) rods, then personally I prefer them even though I dont
travel that much
except by car. They are easier to put in the back of my car and store in a
corner of my closet at
home. And typically they come in a pretty sturdy tube instead of a sock. So
they are less likely
to et damaged.

Sheldon McElhiney wrote:

Fellow Fly Fishing Enthusiasts,

Looking to buy my first premium fly rod. I am contemplating the following
rods:

G. Loomis GLX 9' 6wt 4 piece (GLX scheduled to be replaced in 2004)
Sage SLT 9' 6wt 5 piece
Orvis T3 9' 6wt 4 piece
Scott S3 9' 6wt 4 piece
R.L. Winston XTR 9' 6wt 3 piece
St. Croix Legend Elite 9' 6wt 5 piece

I would greatly appreciate any insight and opinions you can provide to help
me make my decision.

Thanks in advance,
Sheldon

--

Svend

************************************************** *****************
Svend Tang-Petersen, MSc Email:
SGI Pager:
1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy Phone: (+1) 650 933 3618
Mountain View
California 94043
USA
************************************************** *****************

From: "Svend Tang-Petersen" wrote "beware that some of
these (at least the T3) are fast action rods, and you should probably
overline it"

Okay, someone needs to sell me on this concept. If a 4 weight rod is so
"fast" that it really needs to be overlined, then shouldn't it be considered
a 5 (or even 6) weight rod? I understand the concept of various rod actions
and accept that a rod with a fast taper can provide faster line speeds and,
hence, longer distances when casting. Further a "fast" rod will load better
with more line out allowing one to aerialise a longer line - false casting
50' of line and shooting 10' to fish a drift 60' away makes perfect sense.
A slow action rod will simply collapse under such circumstances and cause a
loss of accuracy, etc.. Still, to be properly rated a rod should load and
cast effectively with 30' of line of the appropriate weight in grains.

But in my mind there is a limitation here. If you choose a fast rod for
long distance or windy conditions then you will likely set it up as such.
If you choose a fast rod, then overline it to get it to load and fish
effectively at 30', haven't you in fact purchased a rod one size higher?
Why a "fast" 4 overlined and not a "moderate action" five (think St. Croix
Avid for my idea of a moderate action rod) if most fishing is going to be
40' and under (as an example)? And to that point, is there a significant
difference in performance if you "underline" a moderate action rod with one
line weight lighter. Since I have never actually done this my question is
sincere. Anyone out there fish a four weight line on their five weight rods
when they need a "faster" action for longer distance work?

I know that fly rods will ALL cast a variety of line weights. I have used
an 8wt. line on my 6wt. rod for up close and personal bass fishing under
certain circumstances to great affect. The rod didn't seem to mind and it
loaded like a dream at 20'. Made dropping deer hair bugs in pockets of
weeds an easy chore (keeping in mind that on that particular trip I didn't -
and couldn't- effectively fish more than 25' or so away because of dense
cover).

Looking forward to the responses.

Joe C.

Well....you've already gotten some excellent advice; but I'll chip in anyway
G. Of the rods you've listed I've cast most of them--and can tell you
*unequivically* that for MY casting stroke the Scott S3 blew them all away.

Now--that doesn't mean *squat* for YOUR casting stroke; but what the
hell....you asked. And, Forty, for the record--I'm the one in a hundred that
think Winston's are maybe the prettiest rod out there--but the actions suck.
G

Dave M
"Sheldon McElhiney" wrote in message
...
Fellow Fly Fishing Enthusiasts,

Looking to buy my first premium fly rod. I am contemplating the following
rods:

G. Loomis GLX 9' 6wt 4 piece (GLX scheduled to be replaced in 2004)
Sage SLT 9' 6wt 5 piece
Orvis T3 9' 6wt 4 piece
Scott S3 9' 6wt 4 piece
R.L. Winston XTR 9' 6wt 3 piece
St. Croix Legend Elite 9' 6wt 5 piece

I would greatly appreciate any insight and opinions you can provide to
help
me make my decision.

Thanks in advance,
Sheldon

Personally, I do not believe that a fast rod will give you more distance
than a rod with a slow action. I think that the key to making long casts is
the timing on the back cast and, more importantly, the rod stop on the fore
cast, not the rod's action. However, I do think that a fast rod lets you
take more line off the water than a slower rod thereby allowing you to get
your fly back to rising fish more quickly. I prefer a slow rod for most dry
fly fishing as most of my casts with dries are 30' or less. I find that it
is easier to load a slower rod and get a better presentation at this
distance than a fast action. I find that, with a fast rod, I tend to pile
drive the fly on to the water, or dump the cast all together at 30' and
less.

It seems to me that if you need to drive a fly into a strong wind or plop a
big bug in from of a bass, use a bigger rod. A faster action may allow you
to cheat in this regard a little, but not significantly. Again, I base this
on my casting ability.

In any event, I prefer rods with an even number of sections as I like to use
soft rod bags that allow me to keep a rod strung with a fly at the end.
Rods with an even number of sections fit these bags while 3 and 5 piece rods
do not. As has been said, cast them all and buy the one you like the best.

Chris Brown



"Cornmuse" wrote in message
...
From: "Svend Tang-Petersen" wrote "beware that some of
these (at least the T3) are fast action rods, and you should probably
overline it"

Okay, someone needs to sell me on this concept. If a 4 weight rod is so
"fast" that it really needs to be overlined, then shouldn't it be
considered
a 5 (or even 6) weight rod? I understand the concept of various rod
actions
and accept that a rod with a fast taper can provide faster line speeds
and,
hence, longer distances when casting. Further a "fast" rod will load
better
with more line out allowing one to aerialise a longer line - false casting
50' of line and shooting 10' to fish a drift 60' away makes perfect sense.
A slow action rod will simply collapse under such circumstances and cause
a
loss of accuracy, etc.. Still, to be properly rated a rod should load and
cast effectively with 30' of line of the appropriate weight in grains.

But in my mind there is a limitation here. If you choose a fast rod for
long distance or windy conditions then you will likely set it up as such.
If you choose a fast rod, then overline it to get it to load and fish
effectively at 30', haven't you in fact purchased a rod one size higher?
Why a "fast" 4 overlined and not a "moderate action" five (think St. Croix
Avid for my idea of a moderate action rod) if most fishing is going to be
40' and under (as an example)? And to that point, is there a significant
difference in performance if you "underline" a moderate action rod with
one
line weight lighter. Since I have never actually done this my question is
sincere. Anyone out there fish a four weight line on their five weight
rods
when they need a "faster" action for longer distance work?

I know that fly rods will ALL cast a variety of line weights. I have used
an 8wt. line on my 6wt. rod for up close and personal bass fishing under
certain circumstances to great affect. The rod didn't seem to mind and it
loaded like a dream at 20'. Made dropping deer hair bugs in pockets of
weeds an easy chore (keeping in mind that on that particular trip I
didn't -
and couldn't- effectively fish more than 25' or so away because of dense
cover).

Looking forward to the responses.

Joe C.

I love fast rods, and I can come up with a similar list of reasons why fast
rods are better...for me that is. I beleive tht most of reasons you gave
are true... for you. That's the reason there are so many rod
manufacturerers.

However I would like to challenge your statement about fast rods not being
good for distance casting. To me distance casting is 60 feet plus, and
about the olny time you can do it is in a park or while sal****er fishing.
The rest of the time there is just too much junk in the way. I believe that
if you check out the competitive long distance casters, you will find that
most use fast rods like the Sage RPLxi. If you check out what the rod
manufacturer's sell you for sal****er fishing, you will find it is mostly
fast. For years Winston tried to promote their slow rods as being good for
distance casting, and they finally had to come out with the faster XTR in
order to get any business. If you're going to go after bonefish or tarpon,
you had better be prepared to cast distances up to 80' in some kind of wind.
Few people try it with slow rods. Also, most can't cast 80' without a good
backcast, and knowing how to load the rod


"CB" wrote in message
...
Personally, I do not believe that a fast rod will give you more distance
than a rod with a slow action. I think that the key to making long casts
is
the timing on the back cast and, more importantly, the rod stop on the
fore
cast, not the rod's action. However, I do think that a fast rod lets you
take more line off the water than a slower rod thereby allowing you to get
your fly back to rising fish more quickly. I prefer a slow rod for most
dry
fly fishing as most of my casts with dries are 30' or less. I find that
it
is easier to load a slower rod and get a better presentation at this
distance than a fast action. I find that, with a fast rod, I tend to pile
drive the fly on to the water, or dump the cast all together at 30' and
less.

It seems to me that if you need to drive a fly into a strong wind or plop
a
big bug in from of a bass, use a bigger rod. A faster action may allow
you
to cheat in this regard a little, but not significantly. Again, I base
this
on my casting ability.

In any event, I prefer rods with an even number of sections as I like to
use
soft rod bags that allow me to keep a rod strung with a fly at the end.
Rods with an even number of sections fit these bags while 3 and 5 piece
rods
do not. As has been said, cast them all and buy the one you like the
best.

Chris Brown



"Cornmuse" wrote in message
...
From: "Svend Tang-Petersen" wrote "beware that some of
these (at least the T3) are fast action rods, and you should probably
overline it"

Okay, someone needs to sell me on this concept. If a 4 weight rod is so
"fast" that it really needs to be overlined, then shouldn't it be
considered
a 5 (or even 6) weight rod? I understand the concept of various rod
actions
and accept that a rod with a fast taper can provide faster line speeds
and,
hence, longer distances when casting. Further a "fast" rod will load
better
with more line out allowing one to aerialise a longer line - false
casting
50' of line and shooting 10' to fish a drift 60' away makes perfect
sense.
A slow action rod will simply collapse under such circumstances and
cause
a
loss of accuracy, etc.. Still, to be properly rated a rod should load
and
cast effectively with 30' of line of the appropriate weight in grains.

But in my mind there is a limitation here. If you choose a fast rod for
long distance or windy conditions then you will likely set it up as
such.
If you choose a fast rod, then overline it to get it to load and fish
effectively at 30', haven't you in fact purchased a rod one size higher?
Why a "fast" 4 overlined and not a "moderate action" five (think St.
Croix
Avid for my idea of a moderate action rod) if most fishing is going to
be
40' and under (as an example)? And to that point, is there a
significant
difference in performance if you "underline" a moderate action rod with
one
line weight lighter. Since I have never actually done this my question
is
sincere. Anyone out there fish a four weight line on their five weight
rods
when they need a "faster" action for longer distance work?

I know that fly rods will ALL cast a variety of line weights. I have
used
an 8wt. line on my 6wt. rod for up close and personal bass fishing under
certain circumstances to great affect. The rod didn't seem to mind and
it
loaded like a dream at 20'. Made dropping deer hair bugs in pockets of
weeds an easy chore (keeping in mind that on that particular trip I
didn't -
and couldn't- effectively fish more than 25' or so away because of dense
cover).

Looking forward to the responses.

Joe C.







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