Chuck, Like anything these days, buying the best thing that suits your needs is a research project, one worthy of a SD (Shopper's Degree). I've been fly-casting over 40 years, and have fished for everything from blue gills to blue marlin, and have seen rods make the progression from bambo to fiberglass to boron to graphite.
I also have the luxury of being a demo tier at a multitude of sports and flyfishing shows, and have the luxury of arriving hours before anyone else and staying late after they shut the doors. This is where and when I buy a fly rod, or at least used to. It's still where I get to try them all out to see what they got. This is how I got on the pro staffs of Winston and Able, and on Ross's staff. Sports shows and expos, especially fishing and flyfishing ones, have casting ponds and these are lined up by rod manufacturers, who have racks of rods set up with reels and line and little fluff balls to cast. You can try a 0wt Orvis or a 17wt Cam Sigler, or anything in between, fresh, salt, sometimes bamboo, spey- you name it. Different grips, different actions, lengths, lines, numbers of segments, anything that is important to you- try it out. YOur new Bass Shop may have a casting pond. Wait for that or call and ask. Everyone's arm is different, and a rod I love you may hate, and vise-versa. How you fish is important, whether you need a broad spectrum rod or a special situation rod. You can change the line and change the rod- to the good or bad. What I'm saying is, take a note pad and cast LOTS and LOTS of rods. Each time you cast a new rod, it'll tell you more about the last rod. And try different lines, as spare spools with different lines can save the day. The one thing missing in indoor casting ponds is wind, and anyone can tell you that is a major factor and the most disappointing feature of many rods- they won't punch through the wind. At the BPS, ask if you can cast the rods outside in the wind. It's more work, but better to find out at the shop that you have a limp noodle for a windy day, than once you get out to your fishing spot. And an expert caster can tell you if you have the rod properly loaded with the correct line for the fishing you are doing (ot the wind). You may think the rod is not right for you, but it may be the line on it that is not right for you. Yeah, you can short-cut and buy a rod over the net, and get a good one. But you'll miss the whole experience of shopping for a rod. Back under my rock.... DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: Chuck Alexander To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 10:16 PM Subject: [VFB] Buying a Flyrod Online Folks:This is sorta hypothetical but here goes..One of these days I'd like to get myself (or maybe my wife or kids will get it for me) a good , quality fly rod (and reel)..My question is, if you have never tried a certain rod, how on earth could you ever order one online and get what you want??? My case in point is that I have four "cheap", "Inexpensive" whatever word you want to use 5 wt rods...All say 5wt, yet a cpl are as stiff and heavy as a 2 by 4..(and they both say MEDIUM action) One is limber as a wet noodle. (and I cannot cast a fly that weighs over 1/10,000th of an ounce with this one)..Then the one I use is "Just right".. VERY lightweight..I can cast flies from a #18 Midge, to a Size #2 or so bass bug. Pretty slow action, it's just what I like.. Course it's what I am most used to also... Thing is, if one were gonna order a rod online, are you "shooting in the dark"??? If you have never actually tried out a certain rod???? If I ever do get the money to buy such a rod, i think I'll take the time to drive to Birmingham or Atlanta to "try before I buy", but what if I couldn't make it to one of those places???? Thanks, Chuck ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.1/889 - Release Date: 7/6/2007 8:00 PM
