Orvis Streamline rods- any good?

[Jakes Cronje]

Hi there,

My first post here on the FAOL forum. I'm interested in getting the 9' 5wt Streamline rod for general river work.

Does anyone out there have any experience with these rods? How do you rate them?

Thanks,

Jakes

Jakes,
First of all, welcome. This is a great site, and it's possible to harvest a wealth of information. I don't know that you're going to get much response to your question because the Streamline rods from Orvis haven't been out that long. I did have a chance to cast an older 9' 5 weight TLS (I think) by Orvis and I was surprised to find it was heavy in hand. Perhaps it was the oversized reel it was paired to. I hope that was the case, because I've always admired Orvis' product lines. I look forward to other responses, as I'm interested in the Streamline as well. Good luck in your quest.
And again, Welcome!

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A free gift waits for those who ask.
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Lotech Joe

Jakes,
I've cast the 4,5 and 8 weight, also one of the new 2 handed rods out now. Well... The one handed rods feel almost "sloppy" for lack of a better term. They don't have the crispness of a fast action rod or the soft touch of a slow one. Not really in the middle either if that makes any sense. Also, they're made overseas and don't have a warranty. For a $90 rod, I guess they're alright but if I was you, I'd shell out the extra $60 and get a clearwater. You get a tube and the 25 year warranty plus a much better rod. The 2 handed rods are nice for the money from what I saw. I have a friend who runs an Orvis endorsed fly shop so I get to play with all the new toys. Hope that helps you a bit.

I absolutely love Orvis rods. By the way Joe, I would imagine that the TLS you tried felt heavy becase of the reel. I have a 8'6" Trident TLS that feels almost like an extension of my arm.

Like SlamminSalmon, I am also a big fan of Orvis rods. I would have to agree with him in suggesting that you bump up to the Clearwater Classic rod. I own a 8'6" 3wt that I love. Its hard to find much better rod at that price personally. Plus, it has the 25 year warranty and a tube (albeit, a plastic one...). Personally, that warranty makes me feel that much better about fishing it. I don't worry about it breaking since I can have it fixed without worry for 24 more years. With the Streamline, you don't get that. If you break it, thats it.

If you are looking to stay with Orvis rods, you may also want to look at Orvis' Trident TLS rods (which have been slashed in price to about $250) or one of the new TLS Power Matrix rods (also about $250). While they may not be that much lighter in the hand than the Clearwater, they seem to have smoother actions and better cosmetics for the price. I recently bought a TLS 1wt for $225. I liked it much better than the Superfine I pined for for so long. Its something to think about at least.

Jake

SlamminSalmon,
Thanks for the input. I'm glad it was the reel. I've alway liked Orvis stuff.
Jakes,
If I'm not mistaken, Orvis has their Clearwater 9' 4 weight 2 piece on sale now for $111. That's the one I've been slobberin' over.


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A free gift waits for those who ask.
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Lotech Joe

[anglerdave]

Jakes

There is an Orvis Clearwater classic 8 1/2' 5wt rod and reel with line on the For Sales board. Looks like a good price. You mentioned you wanted a 9' rod, but in all honesty I don't think 6" makes that big of a difference.

Dave