Do I Need A Big Dollar Fly Rod?

fadeaway263

fadeaway263

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Thought I would find a hundred threads on this issue but did not. Probably didn't use the right search words. Prof and I are going to the Bitterroot this July so I thought if I was ever going to upgrade from my Fenwick HMG to a Sage now would be the time. Is there really a difference? I asked Terry Peach the owner/guide of the Marblehead Fly shop in Centerville PA if Sage rods made a difference. He said the biggest benefit of the Sage is you will cut down considerably on false casting. Terry believes that the shadow your rod makes over the water spooks the fish more than you would believe. Lest casting less spooking. Since this is a bucket list trip for me I am ready to pull the trigger on a high end rod. Just need some convincing!!!!
 
If I had the dough I would go with a helios 2 right now. I think everyone who is serious about flyfishing should have at least 1 high end rod and reel to fish rivers/streams where if you hook a 20"+ fish you have the proper equipment and can enjoy the trip and not worry about cheap stuff. Many will disagree with me but I wouldn't even hesitate especially if I got a chance to fish the bitterroot.
 
What do you cinsider "high dollar" $300? $500? $800?

There is no magic Sage rod and the model you are looking at may not be as good as another companies offering at the same price point.

I agree about the Helios 2, it's a great rod and when I cast it side by side with a Sage One, I preferred it by a wide margin.

I disagree about the need for a high end rig to catch big fish (or whatever). The mid priced, and even some of the lower end fly gear is so much improved over what was available only 10 years ago. For instance, give me a current model Orvis Clearwater rod and Cleawater LA reel and I would not feel unprepared for ANY freshwater fishing. Go back ten years or so and the Clearwater line of reels was worth more as scrap metal than as reels.

High end stuff is great. If you can afford it and are comfortable spending that amount on a rod or reel, you won't be dissapointed. However, smart shopping will lead you to plenty of very good mid range options if you budget dictates that. You shouldn't feel unprepared because you didn't buy the absolute priciest stuff. It just doesn't matter to the fish.

Kev
 
All the naysayers will tell you you'd be better off to buy a used rod at a garage sale but I for one will tell you to get a Sage or other high end rod of your choice. Necessary to success and catching fish? No. But if you want one and can afford it go for it. You'll have the thing for the rest of your life and if you have a good trip to Montana the rod will remind you of that everytine you use it afterwards.
 
PennKev wrote:
What do you cinsider "high dollar" $300? $500? $800?

There is no magic Sage rod and the model you are looking at may
Kev

$700-$800
 
Do you need it? No. Could it be helpful? Maybe, though only slightly at best. By that, I mean that it's feasible that it'll add a few percent to your catch rate. If you woulda caught 100 on such a trip with a mid-priced rig, just maybe you could stretch that to 103 or so with this one. You'll never be able to prove it. But an extra few inches on a cast, or a little better feel when mending, etc., has to help at least a little.

The truth is that nobody needs top of the line rods. It's a hobby, success is ultimately meaningless, and there's nothing to measure against anyway to prove success or failure. But all of us want nice equipment. When in a fly shop, we ogle the nicest rods, maybe pick em up and give em a wiggle, and tell ourselves "someday". I can tell you that when someday comes, it is enjoyable. You'll later ogle more rods, but that one becomes a treasured possession. Even moreso if you got it for a trip like this. So if you got the dough, and see yourself doing it someday, today should be that day. This kind of trip is the perfect incentive to pull the trigger on such a purchase. It makes it even more treasured. You'll always say you got it for this trip, and then trigger memories of the trip.

A side note, or heads up, or whatever. I just got a TU flier asking me to become a life member. It's $1200 or something, but it comes with a Sage One outfit. 9' 5 wt I believe. If that's the rod you'd want, and you don't already have a life membership, it's something to consider. If I were gonna spend 7 or 8 hundred on such an outfit anyway, I'd probably throw a few extra hundred on top and get the membership. Would be an easier sell to the wife as well. :)
 
I think that having a rod which matches your casting, fly type, fish, and stream size is more important than having an expensive rod. Put me on a 12' wide brook trout stream with #14 adams flies and the best rod may be a < $200 model from st croix, elkhorn, echo carbon, or tfo finesse. Of course I am completely ignoring versatility, just pointing that the available rod which best fits a certain type of fishing for one fisherman may not be an expensive model.
 
Think I might make a point to visit Afish this weekend and "test" run a Helios. Your comments have been very helpful. Here is a vid from the Bitterroot.

 
Do you need a high end rod?
NO
Do you want a high dollar rod?
Yes

Skip the Sage and buy a Scott!
 
Cast a hardy zenith once. I would be willing to bet you prefer it over the helios and the sage. lb for lb its the best rod (IMO). I really like my helios but that zenith is out of this world.
 
I agree here. If you want it, and can afford it, go for it! Do you need it? Nope.

 
I agree also.

You don't need the latest and greatest but if you are hocked on flyfishing and have the means, it is not hard to justify a rod that you will use almost everytime you get out fishing.

If you keep it for 10 years before getting the itch for a new one, $80 dollars per year is not a bad investment and it might just give you a shot of confidence and pride of ownership.

Just beware of the sales pitch and cast the rods you are considering both near and far to see which one grooves with your casting style.

My experience has been that one will just seem effortless and you will know.

Shock

 
Fade - I'm gonna go against the grain here.

While a big dollar rod can certainly add to your enjoyment on your trip, being able to use it effectively is FAR more important.

I'd suggest investing in some casting lessons before you make the investment in a new rod. This isn't a knock on your casting skills - heck, I've never even met you. Refining your skills is something you should work on first, IMO, and it may lead to you being able to make a better choice regarding a rod purchase.

By all means, get the rod you want, but once you do, practice diligently to best prepare you for what may be the trip of a lifetime. Standing in the Bitterroot in July isn't the time to get things straightened out.

Be prepared.
 
need it-no. but i started with a cabelas rod for under $100. decided to upgrade to a middle of the road orvis tls. broke it a week before my annual 10 day fishing trip quite a few years later. bit the bullet and bought a winston b11x-the orvis rod would have been 4 weeks to fix. got back the orvis and used it once. love the winston. now the kids use the other 2 rods. dont know if i finally found a rod that fit my casting style or if the rod is that much better but i have never regretted spending the money for the 'high end' rod. you will have to pry the winston out of my cold dead hands to get me to give it up.
 
Fade, are you comfy casting your fenwick? if so, just use it, better to have a rod you're comfortable using instead of something you just bought. Now, if you really want a new rod, go out and cast a bunch, don't just pop down big dollars because someone says this rod is a must to catch fish, that is total BS. Cast a bunch and buy the one that YOU feel comfortable casting, not what others think or what the marketing people tell you. Just because it's 800 bucks, doesn't mean it's gonna be a miracle rod, heck, you might not even like it.
and trust me, there have been plenty of montana trout caught on fenwick rods!

 
I agree here. If you want it, and can afford it, go for it! Do you need it? Nope.

Sasquatch hit the nail on the head. High end rods are nice, but you don't need one. I say get one if you can.

For the first several years that I fly fished I had one outfit that cost less than $100. I never had a problem catching fish and the only reason I bought another rod was because I broke the first one. Then I got gear junkie fever... seems like an incurable disease!
 
You need a tool that'll do the job - the right tool makes it much easier and fun.
Maybe speak to some of the shops out there to see what to expect in the way of wind, distance of casting etc and what they use or recommend then try a few rods that might work. See if anyone can let you try a rod on the stream so you know what it's like to actually fish with it - not just spend 15 min in a parking lot.

I got a high end rod on closeout -a Sage XP 6 wt, turned out to be one that cast great in a parking lot but is not so great on some trout streams. Since then I try a rod with the idea it will be a "fishing" rod and not a parking lot "casting" rod and found that while winstons (WT series) may seem wimpy in the parking lot some of them are really nice when I'm actually fishing them, much nicer than the XP.

$800 is a lot of money for a "fishin' pole" and you don't want to be let down - a lot of guys like the old HMG and you might like it better (or a new model like it) after trying a few.
 
I will say this, I've seen you cast Fade. Your best bet is to get someone to cast for you and then have them hand you back the rod. :-D

But seriously, I have 3 Sage Rods, a Scott, a Batson and a Redington. My favorite is my first generation Sage Graphite which I paid $150 for. My next is my Batson which I also paid $150 and my least favorite is the Sage Second Generation which I paid top dollar, like $350 15 years ago. Everyone in this thread makes great points but bottom line, only you can decide whether the extra money makes a difference to your satisfaction (even if it is only psychological). Good tools can make all the difference but even a top of the line lathe is only as good as the guy operating it. So for me, I can look just as bad casting a Cabelas rod as I can a top of the line Sage! Enjoy your trip!
 
Fox come with us

 
jrmyln wrote:
Skip the Sage and buy a Scott!

I agree there.

There are few Scott rods I've handled that I wasn't impressed by and the quality is a notch or two above Sage and even Winston IMO.
 
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