...like shooting pool with a rope

[l1ranger]

I've fished an orvis superfine 4 wt and i would definitely consider it a slow rod - and a nice rod as well

[LadyFisher]

We tested some of the new Dorber rods here,
VERY nice and reasonable. Call Ray Bauer at Dorber and talk to him. He will not stear you wrong - in fact someone posted here a while back that Ray talked them out of a rod because it wasn't what he needed. 1-888-483-2780


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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

[oyster]

A second vote for the DiamondBack glass rods. Very slow, smooth rods, and a good price too.

Bill O.

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[url=http://www.oysterbamboo.com:6ceb0]www.oysterbamboo.com[/url:6ceb0]

[Greg H]

I am really ambivalent about this post. I have a couple of dorbeRs and like them, plus a number of other rods. The rod recommendations are all fine. My concern is that Okie has only fished since last August and with all due respect, unless he is a very fast learner, is probably keeping his arm too low and using too much wrist. So stiffer rods wouldn't work very well for him (bad timing, large loops, and difficulty in defining the 'Stop'). If Okie can already feel the rod bend to the blank, what is going to happen in another year - or after some casting lessons? The soft rod will probably bend all the way down to the reel seat! Purchasing an inexpensive second rod will be fine to save the heritage Scott, but to spend $350 on a new rod that will probably be redundant in a year to 18 months doesn't make sense to me. Buy a good but moderately priced second rod and get some lessons with some of your money.

[Later, Peter]

I love my T&T LPS series (slower blue beauty) & my Scott G Series (not a slow but quite smooth) & of course the graphite closest to bamboo (IMHO) the Winston IM-6
ALL of these are available used at your price range... check the for sale ads here, other sites, even (omg yes even) Ebay...
Or post a request for what you want after testing a BIG BUNCH of rods.
Later,
Peter

[bubba_orvis]

The new dorber rods bend like a willow branch...and withstand abuse. My understanding is that the design was intended mimic bamboo. Graphite based rods suffer less from material inconsistancies than natural material.

The new dorber rods has only been out a matter of months. I was casting the prototype. I think they have been for commercial sale only a few months.

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bubba_orvis

[Okie_Noodler]

Woah!
Thanks for all of the help folks. One of the things that I appreciate most about this board is the honest help that everyone is willing to give.

I've got a local fly shop, but they only carry Sage and TFO, and generally like to cater to the folks who are really willing to spend some money. They are in a strip mall, so there isn't anywhere to really test out any of their rods. I've liked some of the TFO rods, but they're really too fast.

I checked out the Dorber rods, and I'd have to say that they look like the leading contender. Their slow action series is really affordable. I'm going to take LadyFisher's suggestion and call them.

Alot of you suggested fiberglass: I've got a cheap 20 dollar Eagle Claw fiberglass rod, and while it's fun for walking down to the local retention pond with, it's a little funny to cast. Is there a big difference between the feel of ALL fiberglass and graphite rods, or is it just my cheap Eagle Claw?

Greg H,
I have the luxury of being able to fish 3-4 times a week, so I feel like my cast has moved past the really tough part of the learning curve. You're probably right, and I'm sure that my casting habits will continue to change, but I feel like I'm past the worst of it. Still, I'll take your suggestion: some casting lessons are probably in order.

Castwell: Until I read that review, I thought Hardy rods were waaaay out of my budget. That rod looks like another alternative...

Again, thanks for all of the help.
-Ray

[blue gill]

I to only started fly fishing a little over a year ago and am really getting the hang of things and a rod I like and will probably never out grow is my 8 foot 8 inch yellow loop its a four weight its under 300 bucks and its a medium to slow action rod. Well worth looking into.