[true-king]

i'm thinking of purchasing a new 8wt fly rod/reel in the near future. i don't want to spend more than 500$ for the whole deal. i definately want a large arbor reel for faster retrieves. any advice is appriciated.

 

[a]

Theres lots of choices in that price range. I would highlyreccomend a Temple Fork rod $150-$250, this rod cast almost as well as some $600 rods. As far as reels go, id try the Ross Canyon series....love mine..all within your range i believe.

PS...GBB&T has a Temple Fork Ticr-X8wt hideing on the rack!I paid $250 for mine, i believe he said he'd make me a deal on his. I recently attended a FFF master casting instructors course, Everyone there was sporting a Temple Fork 100%

 

[NoMoSurf]

I love my G Loomis. I went to an instructor a fwe weeks ago. He took my rod to show me a technique and almost wouldn't give it back! He said it had the most remarkable action he had ever felt. I saw him again this weekend and he was still talking about the Loomis. Said he might have to lose his Sage for one.

 

[tljbabc]

i have a few new fly rod and reels i will let go of if intersted let me know and i will let you know what i have and give you a great price on them

 

[FlyLipps]

Like everything else in fishing, it all comes down to personal preference, and in fly fishing, matching your casting stroke to the correct rod action is crucial. As for me I swore by my Scott Heliply, it was a great rod, then it was stolen. Now I swear by a little known rod company from the northwest named Beulah. I own four separate weight rods in their Guide Series. I cast my 8 weight almost daily while testing flies, and feel it is exceptional. This rod has an extremely fast rod action. The problem here is that, unlike what most people think, a faster rod does not mean a further cast. So this may not be the rod for you if your casting stroke does not match up well with a very fast rod. However if you do like an extremely fast action rod, I haven't cast one that I like better. And at about $265 they are not as expensive as other high end rods in their class. They also come in a metal tube with an extra tip already enclosed. Their waranty and service have been exceptional the times I have had to use them, [once on a broken butt section, and once on a broken tip replacement, yeah I am hard on fly rods]. The extra tip is a nice feature, as when I broke mine, I was on a trip and didn't lose any fishing time. But, as I said, this is all about you and your casting stroke, and I believe if you can, you should not buy a rod until you have cast it. That being said, I did buy my Guide Series having never cast it, but they did tell me if I didn't like it they would give me money back plus shipping. If you wish to throw mine you are more than welcome, I have a 5,6,8, or 10 weight. As for reels I use a Teton and I line it with Wulf Triangle Taper. Some may disagree butI'd put the bulk of my money in the rod, then the line, and lastly the reel. PM me if you need more info.

 

[NoMoSurf]

I agree. I am a beginner, but everything Flylips said, i have found to be true. I use a $70 pflueger reel. It does nothing but hold the line while you are not using it anyway. My Loomis is also a very fast action rod and I had a real hard time learning to cast it. I was initially casting WAY better with my $30 South Bend combo (I bought it to see if I cound do it before spending $$$ on a nice one).Whenbought the Loomis, I couldn't cast it worth a flip! Iwas pretty upset at first. Then I figured out the timing and have never turned back.

I too have the most money in the Rod, then the line, then the reel.

 

[a]

actually ive never spent more than $65 on a flyline , you wont get much of a reel for that much. I guess nobody noticed the hot tip in my last post.

 

[NoMoSurf]

I have about $80 in line. I paid about $65 for my Pflueger Summit. Works GREAT for me.

 

[FlyLipps]

I wasn't meaning to say that you should spend less on a reel than you do for your line. If you are spending $65 on a line you are talking about a high quality line. However even at $300 you are not in the high end saltwater flyreels. My point, and it is one that I will stck with, is that for most inshore saltwater situations, especially in this area, a really high end reel with top of the line drag is not something you will put into use every time you fish. However, every time you cast you make use of a good quality line.

 

[NoMoSurf]

I agree. My Pflueger is not saltwater grade, but I wash (not rinse) it everytime that I use it in salt and relube. I do the same for all of my non-saltwater grade shimano spinners and have had 0 trouble out of them. Proper care is key and you can use a cheaper reel. Get a nice rod and good line. You will use them both on every cast. My reel has yet to feel a fish other than once by choice/mistake. I dropped my line (mistake) and continued to let him run with it(choice). Had I not dropped the line, It would have been very manageable by hand.

 

[true-king]

i think i might go with a less expensive reel. i was looking at the okuma integrity. anyone had any experiences with it?

 

[Garbo]

I have a Penn International 2.5 which is a 7/8wt in Black that I would sell for $250.00. It has never been fished. I have never fished a Penn Fly Reel, but comparing this reel to other top name reels, it appears to be worthy of Salt Water use.

 

[a]

i hope you still have that Seamaster, im still saving:bowdown

 

[Garbo]

Yes, I do. It is a SeaMaster Marlin III in Midnight Blue a true work of art.

If fish Tibor more than anything else, but I have several other reels that just sit around, and I should try to find a home for some of them.

 

[a]

Hey Garbo, just get a few more rods to match those extra reels, rig each onefor a specific purpose. Then you'll be ready for anything that swims by! Might need some more rod holders.

 

[Garbo]

I have built my own for many years and have several of each wt from 2 to 13. I just have too many reels. If anyone would like to buy an upper level reel I probably have at leastone of each manufactures in many different weights. Some of them are not even building reels anymore. I have an Aaron that is in perfect shape that is an AWESOME Reel it is a 12/13 and would make someone a great Tarpon reel, and I never use it, but I don't think it is replaceable,so it would make a great collector piece as well. Aaron built fully machined reels and had a Teflon pad disc drag, Very low inertia, great product.

 

[jeubank3]

I got an Okuma setup after I liked their spinning gear so much. I think the rod (guide selct) is pretty good, but I haven't casted many others so I don't have much to compare it with. As for the reel, the Helios 8/9, I can honestly say that it is great. Smooth drag, large arbor, light weight, and has taken plenty of salt and freshwater action with no rust at all. Best part, the whole setup cost about $300. The reel has gone up in price but is still only $180. The Helios is on another level compared to their other fly reels

 

[true-king]

Wow, I can't believe this old thread showed up in the main section! I actually got a nice flyfishingsetup recently from bass pro. I got a sage reel and a white river rod. The rod DEFINATELY casts way better than my old cheap setup, it made all the difference.

 

[NoMoSurf]

I too just bought a 9wt setup. I got the Sage reel as well, with an Orvis rod. I took it out behind the store and cast with it for 15-20 mins before I bought it. Along with several other rods. I really like the sage reel too.