6 replies to this topic

[hiker]

Looking for review comments and ideas from other fly fishermen all of my fly rods are two piece, except one 4 weight. I am shopping for a 4 piece 5 weight rod. Orvis has a TLS Power Matrix Mid-flex 8 ....9 foot rod the mid flex 6 -9....Orvis says this about that flex - 1. performance over a wide range of conditions 2. combines with butt strength for fighting fish and medium flex for casting ease 3. for the angler who needs one rod for a variety of conditions --------------- Orvis says this about the TLS Mid-flex 8 rod - "the big-water travel rod for trout and other species. Slightly higher flex no. (8) for subtle power boost. ----------------- I do find that versatility is the primary feature I desire in a new 5 weight rod. I have long 6 and 7 weight rods for lake and/or windy conditions. I think this particular 5 weight may be suitable for both high mountain lake fishing and small creeks, for gentle precise presentation, yet able to handle strike management in fast current/big fish. Any comments or other ideas? I am looking for versatility, more than anything else. I like the ability to fish narrow creeks lined with willows as well as lakes and fast, big water with one rod, even though I have other rods for specific conditions. thanks in advance.

Edited by hiker, 28 January 2007 - 11:52 AM.

[slatedrake]

Hey Hiker, My 2 cents - As I'm sure you know, various rod actions will compliment or hinder your own particular casting stroke. For myself, I prefer a faster action 5 wt for mid to larger trout streams. 9' 5wt a med fast to fast action like some of the Sage rods seems to allow me to throw a longer line with more acurate control, certainly for wets, nymphs and streamers. For smaller creek fishing where I'm more apt to fish drys, I'll go with a 8.5' 4wt Winston. Much softer action, makes me slow my casting stroke down and allows for very acurate presentation. I'm fishing a couple older Sage SPs and SPLs in the winter on the local trout streams (the 9' 5wt I mentioned) and a 9.5' 6wt on some of the local great lake tribs for the lake run browns and rainbows, which are primarily fished swinging streamers or dead drifting weight and glo bugs. I believe Sage has some pretty decent 4 piece 5wts...might be worth while to go out to the fly shop and lawn cast a couple. I also got my dad a Loomis GLX a few years back (I believe a 5wt...) and that was a rocket of a rod that I really loved. He's used it a few times on larger water (Grand River in Ontario) but still pulls out his old glass Fenwick most of the time... Tight lines, Slate

[Wallcrawler]

Hey Hiker,

My 2 cents -

As I'm sure you know, various rod actions will compliment or hinder your own particular casting stroke. For myself, I prefer a faster action 5 wt for mid to larger trout streams. 9' 5wt a med fast to fast action like some of the Sage rods seems to allow me to throw a longer line with more acurate control, certainly for wets, nymphs and streamers. For smaller creek fishing where I'm more apt to fish drys, I'll go with a 8.5' 4wt Winston. Much softer action, makes me slow my casting stroke down and allows for very acurate presentation.

I'm fishing a couple older Sage SPs and SPLs in the winter on the local trout streams (the 9' 5wt I mentioned) and a 9.5' 6wt on some of the local great lake tribs for the lake run browns and rainbows, which are primarily fished swinging streamers or dead drifting weight and glo bugs.

I believe Sage has some pretty decent 4 piece 5wts...might be worth while to go out to the fly shop and lawn cast a couple.

I also got my dad a Loomis GLX a few years back (I believe a 5wt...) and that was a rocket of a rod that I really loved. He's used it a few times on larger water (Grand River in Ontario) but still pulls out his old glass Fenwick most of the time...

Tight lines,

Slate

You guys need to come up to British Columbia for some COHO ocean flyfishing... Incredible and fun!!!! and dang good eating fish as I am sure you know. I actually didn't know they even made a single piece flyrod. I do like my fenwick though... Good to see some fellow fisherman here...

[hiker]

thanks, guys. I have demo'd some Sage 4 weights on Silver Creek in Idaho...and liked them, but just not sure I need another 4 weight. I will compare the Loomis and Sage 5 wts. with the Orvis with some dry casting....good suggestion. Most of my rods come from LL Bean, but I may branch out this time...we'll see. the time comes closer when I will be turning over all of my trade execution and management to others, so I am taking steps for the activities that will occupy my interest and fun. Have a good trading week! Steve ps, just finished a telecon with my long time fishing bud, and we are comparing which of two spots we may want to highlight for next summer's hiking/fishing combo...about 15 years ago we took a two week trip into a spot in the North Cascades National Park where there was a record of only 3 parties having ever traveled. It was quite a trip physically, and we wonder if we are still up to it....no trails, combined elevation gain of 12,000 feet, etc. we may opt for the wilderness spot in Idaho that has 5 lakes to fish but only takes about 5 hours to backpack into base camp.

Edited by hiker, 28 January 2007 - 02:29 PM.

[Rogerdodger]

If you want to get an incite into what the fish are doing try this trout cam.
(Won't work on Firefox)

[mss]

If you want to get an incite into what the fish are doing try this trout cam.
(Won't work on Firefox)

Works on my Mac, Safari, Firefox, & Netscape.

[slatedrake]

My first decent fly rod was the mid-line LL Bean 8.5' 5wt. Great rod, still have it...at the time I purchased (88-90 or so...) it really seemed like the mid-line Beans were basically Loomis blanks with Beans branded hardware that had been private labled. Both of those trips sound amazing, although way more of a hike in than I would be up for. Really depends how big the fish run I suppose...