Muskie Discussion Forums
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| Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [30 messages per page] Muskie Fishing -> Lures,Tackle, and Equipment -> Fly Rod |
| Message Subject: Fly Rod | |||
Paramuskyhunter |
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Posts: 150 Location: Appleton, WI | looking for a Beginner fly rod combo to put in the boat to try it out. I don't want to break the bank on it but have been drawn to it these past years and want to give it a go. | ||
| BigEasy |
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Posts: 31 | What are you fishing for? Try Cabela's they have several package deals. I have a couple of their RLS+ rigs for bass and pan fish in 5 and 8 wt and they are OK for what they are. If you're fishing for Muskies you'll want a 10 wt for sure. Loomis has an entry point rod called Pro4X I've got 4 of those and they are great value for the money. But be prepared for the cost, flyfishing ain't cheap | ||
| Ben Olsen |
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| Reddington Predator 11wt ($279) + Reddington Behemoth($59-$79) I also like the G loomis pro 4x but it's quite a bit more money. | |||
| Flambeauski |
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Posts: 4343 Location: Smith Creek | With $400 you could do a St. Croix Imperial 10 weight, Ross or Okuma reel and SA line and still have some $ left for a few flies. Depending on how much you use them they'll last long enough for you to decide if you hate fly fishing or you want to start upgrading. | ||
| esoxfly |
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Posts: 1663 Location: Kodiak, AK | These days there's several good affordable options out there. Loomis, Redington, TFO come to mind right away. The combos from Cabela's and Bass Pro are also a lot more decent than they were 10 or especially 20 years ago. Depends on your budget. Combos are good for easy shopping, but then you're letting them pick your line and reel. Don't shy away from a rod labeled saltwater, and I'd suggest something in a faster, stiffer action. Half of my rods are Sage saltwater rods. I've got an RPLXi that I built in like 99 or 2000 that is one of my best muskie rods. But if bamboo and slow rods are your thing, that's preference. Slow or fast each have their strengths and weaknesses. Don't overlook warranty...some are lifetime, some are 25 yrs, some are 5 yrs. I like warranty...rods break. For reels, you don't need monster drag or even cork drag, but do not buy into the "the reel is just there to hold line" argument. That's true for bass or even maybe pike. But get a 50 on the reel, and the reel's quality is suddenly very important. The frame, foot, spool and spindle all need to hold a fish and not fall apart in your hands boat side while you're trying to net a fish. Too many guys discount the importance of a decent quality reel. Even an old Medalist is fine....just avoid the crappy plastic or $50 reels you see on Amazon, thinking, "they just hold line." That's like saying your split rings just hold your hooks on. | ||
| tolle141 |
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Posts: 1000 | Those Behemoths are sweet. The reel doesn't really matter much with muskies, but that Behemoth puts up a heck of a performance at a great price. | ||
| Flambeauski |
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Posts: 4343 Location: Smith Creek | esoxfly - 2/9/2016 8:02 PM For reels, you don't need monster drag or even cork drag, but do not buy into the "the reel is just there to hold line" argument. That's true for bass or even maybe pike. But get a 50 on the reel, and the reel's quality is suddenly very important. The frame, foot, spool and spindle all need to hold a fish and not fall apart in your hands boat side while you're trying to net a fish. Too many guys discount the importance of a decent quality reel. Even an old Medalist is fine....just avoid the crappy plastic or $50 reels you see on Amazon, thinking, "they just hold line." That's like saying your split rings just hold your hooks on. My only issue with high end reels is the guy who buys a $150+ reel is tempted to fight the fish on the reel he just paid big bucks for and lose the fish in the process of winding the line on the spool, or for lack of line pick-up. On the subject of warranty, look at the fine print. Generally the only companies that offer true no-fault, no charge lifetime warranties have 0 invested in the product. And if your fly rod has a 10 year warranty and breaks in 15, will the company give you a break on the repair/replacement? | ||
| esoxfly |
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Posts: 1663 Location: Kodiak, AK | Flambeauski - 2/10/2016 12:24 PM esoxfly - 2/9/2016 8:02 PM For reels, you don't need monster drag or even cork drag, but do not buy into the "the reel is just there to hold line" argument. That's true for bass or even maybe pike. But get a 50 on the reel, and the reel's quality is suddenly very important. The frame, foot, spool and spindle all need to hold a fish and not fall apart in your hands boat side while you're trying to net a fish. Too many guys discount the importance of a decent quality reel. Even an old Medalist is fine....just avoid the crappy plastic or $50 reels you see on Amazon, thinking, "they just hold line." That's like saying your split rings just hold your hooks on. My only issue with high end reels is the guy who buys a $150+ reel is tempted to fight the fish on the reel he just paid big bucks for and lose the fish in the process of winding the line on the spool, or for lack of line pick-up. On the subject of warranty, look at the fine print. Generally the only companies that offer true no-fault, no charge lifetime warranties have 0 invested in the product. And if your fly rod has a 10 year warranty and breaks in 15, will the company give you a break on the repair/replacement?I'm not saying it's gotta be a high end reel. I'm just saying that the idea that the reel just holds line and isn't part of the equation is flawed. But a nicer reel isn't any different in the way that you mean. If a guy doesn't know how to deal with a fish on a fly reel, he could have a $50 reel or a $750 reel and mess up a fish. Unless you're using an anti-reverse reel (which have their pros and cons) any fly reel handle is going to need to move when a fish wants to take line...just like on a conventional reel. And getting caught up in getting on the reel and forsaking the fish is a mistake anyone can make on any reel. Get on the reel when the fish lets you, not before. Same as a guy needs to know how to manage a conventional reel so as to not lose a fish, a guy needs to know how to manage a fly reel so as to not lose a fish. But while he's worrying about that, he shouldn't be worrying about his reel foot cracking or the frame flexing enough to let the line between the spool and the frame and get hung up. As for warranty, yes, some are misleading and don't cover much. And I agree...a warranty fee is usually worth it. I don't mind a small fee for what you get. Lifetime unconditional (covered even if your buddy closes it in a truck door or you wrap it around the tolling motor shaft with a fish attached to it) first, and second, where it comes from. I build my own rods, so I break a rod, all I get back is a blank. So a company that just pulls a rod that they didn't make, off the shelf and send it to me does me no good. I prefer a company (I use Sage) that takes my broken rod pieces, goes into the back room of their factory in WA and they rebalance your existing pieces with new ones and send you on your way with a balanced blank or rod or ship it back to you same week. That's what the fee is for. If you live near the factory (I used to, and have been there a couple times to warranty broken rods), you can literally walk it in and they do it for you on the spot with you watching.
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