I posted this on a local, (well, Texas), fly fishing board and thought I would post it here too in order to get a bit more feedback. So, here goes...

Ok, I have been fly fishing for almost 2 years now. During this time I have acquired two decent reels, a Sage 1680 8wt and a Redington CD 5/6wt. I had them mounted on some less than average rods, (a cheap no name rod from Academy for the 8wt), and a used South Bend Royal Coachman I got in a trade a while back for the 5/6wt.

Now, today I went to Gander and noticed that they had a couple of rods on clearance. A St Croix Premier in 6wt and a Redington Crosswater in 8wt. They were both $60 each so I picked them up. On the way home from Gander I stopped by a local neighborhood lake and managed to snag a fat Bluegill on the 6wt and then a small bass on the 8wt! So at least they got started with some good mojo!

Anyway, my point to this whole post is to ask what do you guys think about the pairing up of the rods with the reels I have? When I was at the store I thought the St Croix was a bit "noodley" but once I got to the lake and started casting with it, (I am VERY FAR from an accomplished caster), I seemed to be able to cast it better than with the old rod, (maybe just psychologicaly "thinking" I could cast better?). Even with the wind I was able to cast both of them pretty good considering my skill level, (which has been improving lately I might add! ).

So, there you have it. Just wanted some feedback on what you thought about the pairings.

Thanks guys!