Fast 5wt

Paul6.5

Paul6.5

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I’m looking to get my adult daughter a (seemingly standard) 9' 5wt for Christmas. She started fly fishing about two years ago and has been using my early-90s Sage DS 9' 5wt, which is pretty well whooped at this point, and I’d really like her to have a rod of her own.


She seems to gravitate toward faster rods, so I’d love some suggestions to narrow things down so I’m not picking up and casting four dozen rods before Christmas.


Ideally, I’d like to stay under $400. Any recommendations for a faster 5wt in that price range would be much appreciated.
 
I have one of these in a 6wt - and was really impressed - then Redington discontinued them - but the warranty still is good on them - price point is very reasonable too - they are very similar to the old Sage RPL in terms of feel/performance

 
The Redington Vice is a very fast rod and somewhat specialized in my opinion. I would look at a Med Fast rod which is more of a generalist which to me is more appropriate fishing dries, nymphs and streamers. Look for sales this week, Trident has a lot of gently used rods listed. Bears Den too.
 
I have a Sage Sonic 9 ft 5 wt 4 pc lightly used( maybe 3x, as good as new) with sock and case I'll sell for 400

They are normally 650+/- on sale at various shops for 500. This was a replacement rod for a broken sage under warranty. I really liked my 590 RPL and bought another to replace it. The Sonic is now rides the pine.
 
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I have an Loomis IMX Pro 9' 5wt that I really like. I got mine at that price point but I suspect they are more now.

A Fenwick Aetos is worth a look.

I don't have experience with one, but the Axiom II-x seems to be a well regarded fast action rod at a lower price point. STP often has them.
 
troutbert said:
Who/what is STP?
Click to expand...
Dear Troutbert,

Sierra, formerly known as Sierra Trading Post, hence the STP moniker. Either name in a google search will get you to the same place.

They are a great source of many things fly fishing related including lines, leaders, fishing tools, waders, and wading boots as well as the same flies many fly shops sell under the Umpqua Merchants name.

I've bought many specialty fly lines from them. I'm not spending $ 100.00 for a 7-weight sink tip line that I'll use 5 or 6 times a year. But I'll spend $ 35.00 to get it on close-out.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
falcon said:
The Redington Vice is a very fast rod and somewhat specialized in my opinion. I would look at a Med Fast rod which is more of a generalist which to me is more appropriate fishing dries, nymphs and streamers. Look for sales this week, Trident has a lot of gently used rods listed. Bears Den too.
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Yes, I tend to like slower rods so med-fast is probably what I should have said
 
That opens up a lot of options. I'd still look at an Aetos or the Lance.
 
+1 on the Fenwick Aetos as mentioned above. I have a couple of these and, for their price point, they are very nice rods. Not killer fast but fast enough.
 
I have a Douglas DXF in a 9.5 ft 6 weight. It's a nice medium fast action. It retailed for $500, but has recently been replaced by the DXF Gen 2. You can definitely pick up a 9 ft 5 on ebay for under $400 and it's a really nice all-around rod.
 
Paul6.5 said:
I’m looking to get my adult daughter a (seemingly standard) 9' 5wt for Christmas. She started fly fishing about two years ago and has been using my early-90s Sage DS 9' 5wt, which is pretty well whooped at this point, and I’d really like her to have a rod of her own.


She seems to gravitate toward faster rods, so I’d love some suggestions to narrow things down so I’m not picking up and casting four dozen rods before Christmas.


Ideally, I’d like to stay under $400. Any recommendations for a faster 5wt in that price range would be much appreciated.
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I have a couple of Redington Vice rods and have absolutely no issues with them. They are pretty fast so if she's quick on the forward cast it would definitely be a good fit for her. And they don't break the bank.
 
I'm going to throw out another option. A custom-wrapped rod. Northfork Composites, which became Gary Loomis' venture after selling his G. Loomis company to Shimano many years ago, is having their crazy-good annual Black Friday sale ongoing. Many blanks are $79 with code "NFC79". The Gamma Alpha and Gamma Beta blanks are $115 with code "BFAIR", plus $10 federal tax.

I have two rods on Gamma Alpha blanks (smooth, powerful, medium-fast) and one rod on a Gamma Beta blank (rocket launcher). I haven't cast all of the latest and greatest fly rods, but these blanks generally have a reputation of favorably going toe-to-toe with the finest and costliest rods in the industry.

If you want the rod in time for Christmas, this is probably not a workable option. However, if you can put a picture of the blank in a Christmas card, along with the name of a rod-builder of your choosing, the completed rod would likely be available by late winter/early spring. One nice thing is that your daughter will be able to pick out the rod thread colors and design, reel seat design, custom inlays, etc.

Considering the cost of these blanks, you should be able to have a rod built with top-tier components and be at or near your $400 price point.

I have had my rods wrapped by Bigdady Rods located in Pottsville, PA. Randy's work is outstanding, and I highly recommend him. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find a reputable builder closer to you. Dream Weaver Custom Fishing Rods is a builder located in Elizabethtown. I have not used their services, but I've heard they are very good.

Here is a link to the NFC website. The website is not very user friendly, but if you get to the main page and choose "Fly", you should be able to scroll around and view the various blanks. You can also download a catalogue where you will find more detailed descriptions. Or, if you call, you can usually get someone on the phone who is very knowledgeable about their blanks to help you decide.

Northfork Composites
 
Their rods and blanks are excellent; as good as many premium rods. Shipping is somewhat of gamble and they note that. The blank can come in 4 days or 4 months. They eventually get there. You will never get a better blank for the money when they have a sale.
 
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Here are a few pics of my NFC Gamma Beta 6 wt. This custom-wrapped rod came from Wasatch Fly Fishing. And, I put Cortland's Micron backing in Purple on the reel to further complement the rod😉

NFC GB.PNG

NFC GB 2.PNG

IMG_4346 (1).PNG

NFC GB Wraps.jpg

NFC GB Reel.JPG
 
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Thank you everyone for the suggestions, I ended up getting her an Orvis Clearwater combo from Cabela's.
I had $150 gift card in my wallet for nearly a year with that it fell bellow my price range. Hopefully she like it.
 
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