Which Rod & Reel?

[ggh]

I've not done any salt water flyfishing, and I am beginning to feel guilty for neglecting the opportunity to do so. I suspect most, if not all, of the saltwater fishing would be for stripers (Cape Cod) and redfish (TX gulf--near Galveston, etc.) I'm reading Lefty Kreh's Fly Fising the Inshore Waters, and based on his recommendations, I think a 9 weight would handle what I want to do.
My question is what brand/model rod and reel? I would like to keep the total for both down to no more than about $600.00.
I would appreciate any opinions from you experienced salt water folks.

Thanks for the help,
GGH

[Lucky489]

For the Rod there are some nice choices. Echo 2 rods with 2 tips (1 for distance and 1 for accuracy) about $250 with a rod tube, TFO model TiCr or TiCRX are good rods for about $225 no tube.

For reels Sealevel flyfishing is selling the former Albright Tempest reel for about $200. Also the Orvis Mid Arbor at $119 is a great reel for salt.

[peregrines]

Ggh

A 9wt would be a great choice for stripers, and would be my first choice for all around inshore salt. You should be able to put together a great outfit for $500 or under. A very good value out there for performance vs $ is a TFO rod with a Teton reel. If I were you, I?d wiggle-waggle a few TFO?s out back of the shop with some line to find one that fits your casting style in addition to the Echo. I prefer a fast action for salt to get more distance, and often overline depending on conditions and size of flies. If you?re going to be traveling, a 4pc is the way to go. Here are a couple to look at:

Pro series 9? 9 wt 4 pc $150 medium fast action, more forgiving for folks just learning to cast than a faster action, and for experienced casters that prefer a softer action. A great value and you may never feel the ?need? to upgrade. Not as ?noodly? as other rods labeled as medium action from other makers in the same price range.

TiCr $229 4pc fast action, sweet casting rod

TiCr X $250 4pc fast action and more powerful butt than the TiCr (for lifting fish, carrying a lot of line in the air, easily overlined for shorter casts). A little more ?stick? than the Ti Cr and timing is a little more critical, but also a very sweet rod.

Teton reels are worth a look as well as the Orvis MA and the Tempest. IMHO they're very well made and rival others 2x the price. The Teton Tioga and Teton share the same drag system. Reels that would match up well with a 9 wt WF and 200 yds of 20 lb Dacron would be:

Teton Tioga 10 Standard $165

Teton 8-10 Standard $230

Teton also makes large arbors if you prefer them, but I?d go up a size to get 200 yds. of backing. For stripers, blues and redfish 150 is probably way more than enough, but you never know when something with more horsepower will show up like false albacore up here, and will give you more flexibility if you decide to chase lemon sharks, cobia etc. down there.

Both TFO and Teton offer lifetime warranties to the original owner (tfo just charges $25 shipping and handling). This is great, and is something to ask about if you look at other brands, particularly for saltwater stuff. Throwing clousers a lot takes it?s toll on rods, (not to mention overhead fans and car doors and the occasional mental lapses of high sticking big fish on rods) and sand can be tough on reels. The prices are MSRP and you can find better deals if you shop around.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

peregrines

[SkipS]

I agree with the Teton Tioga as a good reel choice but for the rod,I would suggest a Saint Croix Legend Ultra.This rod is very nice and built here in the USA.The components and fit and finish are also better than the TFO rods.Also you might look at some of the mid-priced Sage rods like the FLI.I have heard they are very nice.

[sagefisher]

As suggested, the TFO is a good choice, but you may want to take a look at Redington rods as well.

http://www.redington.com/

The SS9094 sells for $449 or the CTRS4 9084 sells for $275.


For reels, the Orvis Mach Large Arbor is hard to beat. The Mach V sells for $249 and can carry up to 425 yards of 35 pound Gel Spun backing with a 9 weight line.

http://www.orvis.com

Larry

[mdram]

good choices mentioned but id add

stcroix to the lineup
avid rods and below would suit your budget


and pflueger president or trion

[JRA]

I myself started the whole fly fishing thing in late June of this year and I did purchase a salt rig id say might work for you. Pflueger trion( and a St Croix 9 wt. 4 pc. Reign. I could have gone with the cheaper Croix but I wanted to be sure I had a good warranty being my luck at breaking things! While not the nicest St Croix it gets the job done for me. Ive seems the Pflueger trion I purchased on Ebay new for about $80+/- shipped from a regular seller.
The Teton Tioga is from what Ive heard a great reel as some mentioned above.
While Im not sure of how much time you have fly fishing id also get some lessons (hopefully free with purchase at a shop) on casting . For me it was a totally different world in casting.

[DickM]

ggh.............

Take a look at eBay item number: 180181243428

Sage 3piece Graphite III 990 3 RPLX #9 9' 4 5/8oz Used Only Once Spotless.
Sci Angler SystemII ReelWFFp 30#micron backing Spare Spool Tini T300 Sinking line.

The auction is just starting.
The above outfit would be well worth it at the Buy It Now price of $300.00

DickM.