What Makes A Really Good Rod

[ogilvie]

Over the years I have been very fortunate to have worked with many of the Worlds best rod manufacturers in some degree;casting,testing,compareing,developeing and so on. Both single and double handed...but my question to myself and I suppose ultimately to you, an age old question is, " What makes a very good rod?" One that is your go to outfit that bears total confidence in what you are fishing.

Many times when I am guideing clients into remote Rivers after Fresh Water Salmon (to 40 lbs)and Steelhead (to 25 lbs) that question enters my thoughts as my preparations evolve. And of course the same is true with One Handers for use in connecting with spectacular Sea Run Cutthroat Trout and Rainbows.

My answer will be somewhat biased but I will say that the Middle of the Road offers many benefits. Lets see where this goes?

C

PS..of course we all understand that all the fishing circumstances and types will have a drastic effect on this..

[birchy]

I only like rods that catch fish.

[Teck71]

I'm with birchy the one that catches fish will always be my go to rod, now just to find that rod.

[alhuger]

So, this is a totally subjective response as I have nothing empirical here to base my opinion on. For me, a good rod, a really good rod, is one which I find easy to cast with my style and which I have a history with. I have a 7wt sage which I have fished all over the world and in a pinch I will fish it in conditions which it is frankly not suited for (fish are too big, wind is too strong, etc. etc) because to me it's an ideal companion to fish with. This rod and I have history together. I know I catch fish on it and that it delivers for me time and time again. I am loyal to this rod, sometimes foolishly so. I suppose I should add that it weathers the rigors of big fish and miserable treatment from a clumsy owner but I guess I kind of expect this from rods I pay good money for. For me it's all about comfort and confidence. In pure mechanical terms I cleave to fast action rods because I am a lazy caster, I also like Sage because I find their rods are pretty forgiving to my amateur cast.

 

That's my two cents.

 

-al

[headscan]

I agree with Al that it's first and foremost a rod that matches my casting style. When I first started out I had a rod that didn't because it was all I could afford at the time. This caused me nothing but frustration and a mild case of Tourette syndrome. After finding a rod that was a better match I realized that my casting wasn't as bad as I thought. Good bang for the buck is another essential factor. I've found that fly rods are a lot like stereo equipment - the difference between most $100 and $300 rods is enormous, but the difference between many $300 and $500 rods is marginal. YMMV.

[ogilvie]

This is a topic I took to the Store with me today, deeply embedded within my physcie(?) For the major part of the Beach fishery this year I cast and fished the Grey's 11' 7wt single hander..yeah it's long and powerful,almost full flexing,but the ability to deliver full line casts was so apparent that i would be a fool to cast another rod that didn't meet that standard! Yet ,being the eternal gear fool, I decided to fish a proto type Beulah Single hander(now discontinued) 9'6" 8 wt with a Snowbee XS Two Colour floating line(9wt) and found a match made in heaven. Both rods deliver the entire line(90') on a single pick-up..the edge goes to the greys simply because I can use it often as a switch rod when the power is needed!

Two Handers are much the same...there are several rods that I grab very quickly because I know and recognize their abilities under all conditions. Two rods Stand out very clearly for me..One being a 12'7" Beulah and the other a 12'6" Snowbee;both very different in initial feel and action but once dug into there is a reserve of power ability readily available to hand...so for me Progressive action with plenty of back-bone is the ticket...even with my 3,4,5wt,rods this same standard applies.

However,the main ingredient that helps one recognize "THEIR" favs are the line matches.

Thanks for the imput...this is very helpful

C