Advise needed for a new fly rod

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for a new fly rod for a 3wt and approx 8 - 9 feet.
And thought about a st. croix 3 wt imperial 8.6 ft. Does anyone have experience with this rod? I’ve got an st. croix Ultra legend 5wt 9ft. that rod is my favorite rod, and that’s why my thougts are for an st. croix rod.
Or does anyone has got some other advice? The price is my only limit. (max ?$200,–)
Brand or used does’nt bore me, i need only a good rod…
Thanks for your advice!!!

I own a Legend Ultra in a 4 wt and compared to my the Legend Elite in a 4 wt, it is a much slower action. Given that rod is your favorite rod, I would not suggest you look at a fast action rod. It depends on what you already own of course. If you have enough rods to know which action type you prefer buy one like that. If the Ultra is your only rod and that makes it your favoirte, cast some faster action rods and expect it to be different but cast them with an open mind.

Many prefer a particular action type and I find this is more important than model number on any rod for me. If you can’t tell, I love the fast action blanks. While timing is much more critical I can power through wind and gain distance. Your preferences may be quite different.

Clay’s right about action. Test cast an Imperial if you can. You might like it. If you decide a softer action rod is the way to go, TFO’s Professional series is a good rod at a budget price (generally aroud $150). The St. Croix Avid in a 7’9" 3wt is hard to beat, but will put you a few bucks over budget.

Might want to check out Cabala’s they have The Sage FLI on clearance for $169.00.

Sweet casting rod.

For real nice 3wt rod on a budget I would try the Cabela’s Stowaway in a 5pc (not the 7pc. it doesn’t feel as nice to me.) A real nice feel for a not so expensive rod.

On sale right now with a reel and line for only $140!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0029773320330a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&QueryText=stowaway&sort=all&Go.y=5&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&Go.x=22&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

The FLi is a fast action rod. If you like the Ultra, that might not be the rod for you. My friend owns an Avid 3 wt and it is very slow action rod indeed. I, on the other hand, have a Reddington CPS that will just stomp that Avid in the wind. I can double haul with that little 3 wt and shove 50 foot cast in the wind where the Avid is way too whimpy for me. By the way I also own an Avid in a 4 wt and I have relagated its use to my 12 year old if that tells you what I think of it. If you like the Ultra, you might actually enjoy the Avid. I don’t like my Ultra either, that one the wife fishes with.

You can see it really isn’t about price point as much as it is about matching your casting style to the rod. End of the season last year I bought a 6 wt, fast action rod for under $50 from Gander Mtn. I would much rather fish that rod than a $500 soft action for my style of fishing.

The real trick is figure out early what type of action you really like. Sometimes, it’s about going with what you are use to or learned on. But if you can cast and actually fish with different action rods for more than a day or so, you will develop some strong likes or dislikes. Good luck on whatever you decide.

Most of the 3 weights are going to be on the moderate side as far as action goes. I don’t think there’s a need to spend much on some high end graphite stick.

What’s hot in our shop right now in the “reasonable” price range is the Hardy/Grey’s GRXi. It’s one of the hottest in Europe and the 8’ 3/4 is just $160. Ok, I know that’s a plug, but we really like the rod!

Ron

I have a 9’ Imperial 3/4 and enjoy it greatly. I also have and Imperial 7’ 3/4 and enjoy it, too.

Thet are not fast rods…more medium, I’d say. I wish I had one in an 8’ configuration.

I second the fact that if you love your Legend Ultra you probably won’t like an FLi - it’s like a pool cue compared to the Ultra.

It also depends on the vintage of your Ultra. I have a 2nd generation (it has only one of the ART and IPC, though I don’t remember which) and had a 1st generation pre both of those. They are very different rods. I’m not sure how the current generation compares to those. I think also that the new (current) Imperial models are much faster than the older ones before the interlude of the Reign, so you’ll want an opinion on the just released models.

The new Imperial models for 2009 are fast action rods, definitely faster than the older models for those I have looked at. I haven’t tried the 3wt though. I cast an Elkhorn 8’ 3wt a couple of years ago and was impressed. It had a more moderate action. Same for a TFO Pro series 8’6" 3wt. Both of these are less than $200.

Might want to check things for sale listings here on the board. There is a St. Croix legend ultra for sale with all the fixin’s fpr 175.00

If you like fast action rods and can find one certainly look to a Sage FLi. I picked one up on closeout and can’t recommend them more highly. Mine is an 8’6" 3wt so right in the area of what you are looking for. I have mine paired with an Orvis BBS II and it casts wonderfully even in the constant wind we get in N. Texas.

You might also look at the Cabela’s LST rods which are also fast action and very light in the hand. I have one of them in a 6wt. and it also shoots line a mile and casts very well. Certainly in your price range if you can’t find a Sage FLi.

Brian

I own different type’s of rods.
I’ve got a shimano rod #4 weight 8.6ft, with a moderate action, and thus an st. croix legend ultra 5 weight 9ft, an TFO professional #8 9.6ft (for pike fishing) And some differend rods e.g. burgundy fly #4/5 7ft. I’ve casted with lot of different rods, from sage till low budget rods
But all the rods which I casted, it was always with the same line. And so I could compare those rods. The brands were: Thomas & Thomas (Horizon series), Hardy, (angel and demon series), Sage (z-axis), TFO (professional and finesse series) Winston (Boron series), st. Croix (avid, Legend ultra, legend elite) ect…
Some rods i’ve thought; “big shame about the money they paid for it, for less money I could buy two ore more rods where I’ve got more pleasure with than one of such expensive rods”
But that’s my opinion…Everyone has got it’s own meaning and thoughts about brands, prices ect… We’ll be the same good friends.
At my fly fish club, where I a member of are, gives me always a good opportunity to try different rods and brands. The only problem is, the rods which i’ve casted were all #5.
And now i am looking for an #3rod, what is easy to cast and has the possibility to make short casts but even though longer casts and which gives me the opportunity to set the hook at longer distances. The water where it is meant for is a slow moving water, and has a lot of lower bushes around it. Sometimes a longer rod will be a pleasure, because of the bushes, and to have the possibility to mend the line. But it is also necassary to fish with very thin tips of the leader… That’s why i am looking for a rod which casts smoothly set the hook good when I’v e got to re-act when the fish bites, and without lost of my leader tip and fly…And when the price is a bit more than $ 200,-- that would be not a problem…But not much more than that… The action which I mostly like, is I think how you call it in the States… an moderate action…nice and easy casts is something where i haven’t got the patience for…but a stiff rod is a rod where I make to much faults during casting.
I’ve got approx. 6 years of fly fishing experience… So by this Thank you very much for your advices!!! And again…excuse for my English…Dutch is the language which I prefer…

Cast before you buy!!!

The imperial is pretty decent and also the advantage, I would also checkout the DS by sage or the Winston IBIS, it’s actually not too $$

Thanks for this link! I have been looking for a 7-1/2’ 4 weight, and this 5 piece model is going to fit the bill.