Fly Rod for LM, Smallmouth etc

[gotarheelz14]

Hey guys. I know that this is probably not the best place to post it but it is my fav forum and I really trust your advice. So, I have been thinking about getting a fly rod for Christmas.

So far, I have kind of narrowed it down to the St Croix Avid Fly rod. I have an Avid Casting rod from St croix and I absolutely love it. I am thinking that the quality of build and materials vs the cost of the price will probably translate the same towards a fly rod.

As far as weight, I am thinking about getting a 5 or a 6. A friend of mine has already told me that a five will be too light though.

If I want to go for Largemouth and the Occasional trip to the mountains for Smallmouth and Trout, which rod would you recommend?

Thanks guys,

Carlos Saravia

[webertime]

6 or 7 weight should do you just fine.  Get a reel with 2 spools (or get a spare spool for the reel you are looking at).  Trying to flyfish for Trout and Largemouth with the same rod and reel is possible (not ideal) but the flies being completely different nessesitate completely different lines/leaders.  Personally I have a 6wt rod with 7wt weight forward line for my bass rod and a 3wt for Trout/sunnies. 

I like this rod a lot for the $ (and maybe because I'm a Vermont Homer)  http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=28P4_A&dir_id=758&group_id=759&cat_id=14816&subcat_id=7015

[SDoolittle]

I have a 10 year old 8'6" 5 wt that I've use for everything from grayling in Alaska to trout in Colorado to largemouth bass in Oklahoma. It's not really ideal for any one of those applications, but it worked for all of them.

[new2BC4bass]

Two things: 1) Which species will you be fishing for the most? 2) What size flies are you planning on using?

Remember it is easier to turn over a small fly with heavy line than to turn over a large fly with light line. I would pick the rod that will work the best for the majority of your fishing. Compromise on the attributes needed for the "occasional trip" species.

3) Remember this...Christmas comes every year. Next year you can buy yourself another fly rod best suited for the other less fished species. ;D ;D

While researching flyfishing forums, I came across a custom built 3 wt. 'brim gitter'. Price was much less than a decent factory rod. Turns out the gentleman has built rods for people in other countries as well as here in the good ole USA, and has a good reputation on at least 2 forums. I throw this out as another viable option. Custom built doesn't always translate to big $$$.

[bass or bass ?]

I use a 7 weight rod for largemouth, stripers, and sunfish. This rod handles both small flies or small poppers, foam beetles, and clouser minnows. A great all around weight rod.

[Stasher1]

IMO, you need to consider the size of bass you typically catch on your local waters, and the size of fly you plan on using.

I made the mistake of following the advice of some fly fishermen on another forum and bought a 9' 8wt rod for bass. It turned out to be overkill for the 1.5 - 3 lb bass I typically catch in my local puddle. True, it worked...but it was like bream fishing with a flipping rod.

I now have three rods:

7'6" 3wt Redington CT for panfish/trout

8'6" 5wt Redington CT for trout/small bass

7'10"  6wt Redington Predator for bass

The 5wt is a good all-around rod, and is probably the rod I would grab if I could only pack one, but the Predator is definitely the one I'd grab for a day of bass fishing. The 6wt rating is a little misleading, as it's just as comfortable with an 8wt line as it is with a 6wt.   

[bass or bass ?]

Good advice stasher1.

Also, you can go up or down one weight of fly line for the rod rating. I use 6 weight line on my 7 weight rod. I could get more casting distance going the other way, but I like to fish for crappie and sunfish as well with small flies and I only have the one fly rig, so it has to be able to do it all for me. I take this fly setup as well as baitcast rigs in medium, medium-heavy, and heavy, and spinning rigs in light, medium-light, and medium on my fishing trips.

[Hooligan]

If you're solely targeting black bass, either the Largemouth or Smallmouth "Bass" rods from Sage are the way to go, bar none.  They're the most accurate sticks for casting big bugs and provide a lot more leverage than the typical 9' rod.  They cast hair, foam, and big bugs much more efficiently than any other rod I've ever cast.  They're not distance tools, a 70' cast is about the limit; as a point of reference I can shoot my 10Wt with a Triangle Taper the entire line and about 15-20 feet of backing for something like 130-140 feet of cast.

The Bass rods are really stellar rods, a much nicer rod than the Avid.  The finish is better, the components are higher quality, the warranty is better, and the service from Sage is second to none.  You're going to drop $175-$200 more for the Sage, but it's worth every penny to me.  They cast easier, are less tiresome, and more accurate.

[Dave P]

Nothing wrong with your choice at all...Nothing...If you want a general purpose rod go with a 5 or 6 weight. You can, in fact, catch anything that swims up to and including steelhead (not recommended) on a 6 weight rod. A weight forward line will cast all but the largest, bushiest of bugs well. You can tailor your leader to do a lot of the work for you. You do not need two spools, and $400 rods to start out with. That's for next Christmas

[Stasher1]

Nothing wrong with your choice at all...Nothing...If you want a general purpose rod go with a 5 or 6 weight. You can, in fact, catch anything that swims up to and including steelhead (not recommended) on a 6 weight rod. A weight forward line will cast all but the largest, bushiest of bugs well. You can tailor your leader to do a lot of the work for you. You do not need two spools, and $400 rods to start out with. That's for next Christmas

That's exactly why I mentioned the Redington Predator. It has been compared favorably to the Sage BASS rods (same parent company), at roughly half the cost. It's also cheaper than the Avid the OP was looking at.

[VolFan]

Albright Fly Rods has a 50-70% off sale every year around this time.  Yoiu will not be disappointed with their rods or reels and you'll save a ton of money.  I have 7 rods in varying weights and use my 6 wt 90% of the time for warmwater. Get a decent rod/reel/line for a price you can afford and then go take a casting class for a day. You'll be happy you did.

[Stasher1]

The problem with Albright products is the warranty, or lack thereof. They supposedly have a lifetime warranty, but that doesn't apply to discontinued items...regardless when they were purchased. If your 2010 model breaks in 2011, for example, they won't replace it with a 2011 model. Instead, they'll offer you a discount on a 2011 model.

They're probably great products, but their warranty will keep me from owning any.

All Albright products are subject to the WARRANTY policy set forth below.

Please Note: Any products that have not been purchased from Albright Direct LLC via the Internet are not eligible for our Warranty program. Any products that have been purchased via any closeout services, such as Sierra Trading Post or other venues, are deeply discounted and sold as is without any warranty. Such closeout products, as well as discontinued products, are not eligible for repair or replacement.

*** ***Any closeout products, as well as discontinued products, are not eligible for repair or replacement.

The replacement prices are listed on their site...

http://www.albrightflyfish.com/warranty-information

[fourbizz]

I like throwing big bugs. I have a TFO 9' 8wt Professional series. Absolutely great rod, even better price.

[Dave P]

Nothing wrong with your choice at all...Nothing...If you want a general purpose rod go with a 5 or 6 weight. You can, in fact, catch anything that swims up to and including steelhead (not recommended) on a 6 weight rod. A weight forward line will cast all but the largest, bushiest of bugs well. You can tailor your leader to do a lot of the work for you. You do not need two spools, and $400 rods to start out with. That's for next Christmas

That's exactly why I mentioned the Redington Predator. It has been compared favorably to the Sage BASS rods (same parent company), at roughly half the cost. It's also cheaper than the Avid the OP was looking at.

Redington makes some goooood sticks!!! Even the Crosswater is very good for the price.

[VolFan]

I would also concur with Redington if you can't get past the ALbright warranty shortcomings (i've never had to use it).