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Your favorite rod.

15K views 145 replies 102 participants last post by  Paul Potter 
#1 ·
Though it would be fun to start a thread where we name our one and only favorite rod. The one that made you fall in love. The rod that you can not live without. Crack a beer and lets bs about our favorite stick.
 
#2 ·
The reason why I started this thread is because I have just found that one rod that I absolutely fell in love with. I always wanted a Sage fly rod but was always too poor to afford one. Finally my day came today when I received my Sage Vantage 5wt. I know this is not the highest end rod out there, and I know its not even the highest end rod in the Sage lineup. However, I am so in love with everything from the blank color, the thread, cork, everything. This rod will be the one that my grand children will hold and think of me when I am looong gone.
 
#3 ·
I am guessing you are still kind of new to fly fishing or just now really getting into it. I say that because its like a drug. You will want another one and another one and seeing how you just got this it reminds me when I got my sage flight, I thought that rod was the holy grail. Well since then I got a winston gvx, and I must have died and went to heaven, The only problem is I know its just the start and its only a 4wt, so I will need a new 6wt.lol So now I am looking at the boron IIIx or one of those there are so many and dreaming about the day I can talk my wife into letting me get it, or winning the lotto and being about to just get a room full of high end rods that I can try.lol Its just hard for me as I only buy new rods as I want the lift time warranty that comes with them. So for now my favorite rod is my gvx. But thats only tell I can get the next step up. And for you guys out there that think it doesn't matter if its a 100$ rod or 1000$ rod my guess is you haven't had the 1000$ rod because I can tell the difference every time I move up!!! So good luck with your next rod and make sure you get on here and tell me how much you love that one too!!!:cool:
 
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#4 ·
Oh thanks man. You are probably right. However, this one I think will always be extra special because to me even though I have had a few rods before, they were always the cheap walmart brand ones, and this is my first true quality rod that I really have alot of pride in. So with that said, although there will be many more in the future, this will always be the first one that really made me feel that way.
 
#6 ·
I can understand that and I'm sure thats true. I was just letting you know you are probably in for a long ride when it comes to these rod's, reels, line's, and flys. Because it just doesn't seem like you can ever have enough. Oh let me just speak for my self.:) I can never have enough. I still go into the fly shop so much that they know me buy name and I have enough fly's that last time I was in he said he didn't know what to tell me to just try what I had and if I ran out of options it would probably be dark out. I still bought another dozen of different things I don't think I have....hope you caught that.lol
 
#7 ·
When I got back into fly fishing after years off I only had a cheap 6wt that I used for everything, I knew I should have a smaller rod for most of the fishing I did but the 6wt worked fine and caught fish. When I finally decided to go get a new rod I went to a local shop and actually had a bad experience, and walked out without spending any money, thought most of the guys were jerks, and figured I would keep that 6wt forever.

A year or so went by and I discovered these forums and later the Zaxis went obsolete and Jesse from Westslope made a classified post saying they were getting rid of their stock and on the list was the 4wt I wanted at clearance price. I still remember calling Jesse and how helpful he was with getting me the proper size reel and line for the 4wt(I didnt know jack shit about that stuff...still dont), and because I bought the reel with it he would throw in the MOJO package on the rod so it would be extra lucky for me. That rod has been the luckiest thing I ever touched. The very first fish on it was a 20" rainbow that actually took that little reel into the backing, i didnt even know what to do with it. It was the rod that happened to have an ant fly tied on it one day when I was fishing the San Juan in NM when a flying ant hatch happened, that rod has some serious mojo .

It was also that experience with a local (sort of) fly shop that really got me back into the sport and turned me into a gear whore. Since then Westslope has closed and I found a local shop I really enjoy (and spend too much money at) and have acquired a bunch of rods, but that 4wt is the one I will never sell and never forget the story of how I acquired it and its MOJO.
 
#9 ·
My take on the above it that you can save yourself some big bucks by fishing some wonderful old glass rods for chump change for example and not fall for the marketing to convince you that you NEED to move up to the latest high tech $800-1000+ rod. From my perspective, you already got a high end rod. I have yet to spend $100 on a rod and no one has more fun catching fish than I. I've casted my friends Sage rods and I'm perfectly happy with what I have. In the attached pic, I caught that Speckled Sea Trout (and a 34" Redfish) on a $40 Eagle Claw XG Granger 8wt rod in Florida. I know it's not the best out there but I had no problem getting a 75ft cast out. So master the rod you have first before spending more on something you probably don't NEED.
 

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#54 ·
Sage LL, 490. In another thread I said I would have my wife cremate it with me when the time comes because no one will ever love it as much. It is 25 years old and has great mojo. They just don't make them like that anymore. Often imitated but never equalled.
Ditto, but then I have to throw in my BIIX rods as well. Then there's my 7' 4wt 'Sport Fisher', that I got on a closeout sale for $22.50 - love that rod.
 
#16 ·
Well, I have 4 rods that "speak to me".....a 7 1/2 ft. fenwick fiberglass that I built for about $12, a 6/7 wt HT graphite diamond series (I have 6 of them), two early Jim Green design HMG fenwick in 9 ft 8 wt, and a Winston 13-3" biix two handed rod. The price varies by a factor of ten but price has nothing to do with performance or your style. I have others in other weights that vie for a place but these stand out.
 
#20 ·
Like Jeremy said, the rod in my hand. Daniel, I know I could figure this out, but on the spur of the moment, I don't know how many 5 wt fly rods I have, but they include fiberglass, graphite, and bamboo. They're all good, but some are way better than others. My first fly rod seems to have disappeared; that is, I have no idea where it is or what happened to it. It was an 8 1/2' Eagle Claw fiberglass 7 wt that I caught a lot of trout and more than a few steelhead on, but I wouldn't walk across the street to cast it now if I knew where it was. All I know for sure is that rod collecting improves my collection far more than it improves my fishing ability. One old fiberglass rod has landed more steelhead than all my other steelhead fly rods combined, and I don't even particularly like that old rod any more.

Sg
 
#21 ·
It is still my 6 1/2' 2-weight Orvis 1-ounce (since renamed superfine). Sage 3100 click with sage quiet taper line.

Largest fish landed, 20" brown on secret spring creek. Largest fish lost, that same 26" brown that graced the cover of Fly Fisherman (yeah, I have confirmation it was the one).

Handles big guys flexing to the butt, makes little guys loads of fun.
 
#23 ·
I love my Scott SES 9' 5wt. It can feel like a 4wt, 5wt, or 6wt, depending on the flies I use and my casting rhythm. I used it for tricos last year, and didn't miss a bit of the delicacy of my 4wt. In the spring, I used it to lob big streamers on the Clark Fork without breaking a sweat. It's not the best rod for casts over 70 feet, and I wouldn't take it up a tiny creek, but it's the most versatile rod I've ever used. And it looks like a better Winston. Bought it on WFF classifieds...
 
#24 ·
... The rod that you can not live without...
There is no rod I can't live without. As long as I have regular meals, a warm place to poop, and the interwebs, I'm good.

As for rods I covet, I've been aiming at a spectrum for the last few years. I have maybe a dozen rods I could live without, but there are 3 that cover my normal spectrum. A Steffen glass 4wt (courtesy of Ed), a Winston 5wt WT, and a Sage 697 XP cover 95% of my needs. A close 4th would be a Sage 896 RPL, the ubiquitous Steelhead rod. Just love the way that hucks line and fishes (as true with the others). I just don't Steelhead much anymore.
But with only the 4, 5 and 6, I could be very happy. They compliment each other. If I HAD to pare it down to one it would be the WT, but that would just start the Saga all over again.
 
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