I am sure this has been asked before, but I could not find it. I am looking at buying a new rod and reel. I am looking at buying an 8wt rod. Ideally I would like to use it for many situations. Down in the Florida Panhadle. Steehhead fishing in Northern Ohio. Or even Salmon out in British Columbia. Eventually, Bonefishing in the Caribbean.
My question is, would an 8wt be a good all-around weight for these possibilities?
Right now I have a 3wt and a 5wt. I will be going to Nevis Island in November, and would like to fish if I can get away with it. (Wife’s 40th birtday)
Also, I am looking at the Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor Reel. It seems to have very good reviews and is priced economically.
Any suggestions on what line I should use for this “all around” set up, would be helpful as well.
Thanks!
Starbuck
An 8# would be a great rod for those activities. As for lines a WF float would be a good line, but you probably need more than one as cold water lines won’t work very well in the Caribean. That reel is a great reel for the price.
Jimmy took it down today, but the Diamondback outfit he had listed in the For Sale forum is just what you’re looking for. I have the Backwater in a 6wt and it is a great rod. Use it for probably 70% of my S/W fishing. I’ve also used it for steelies, though at times I really could have used an 8wt. I also have 3 of those reels and have used them for some time. Very nice drag and the weight makes using the outfit all day easy on the arm.
I’d have bought it myself, but just got a new 10ft for steelhead and salmon.
Shoot him an pm and see if he’s still got it.
I think the 8wt would be the logical rod to get if you already have the 3wt and the 5wt. It would be suitable for everything you want to use it for. I would probably get an all purpose saltwater line like the SA Mastery Saltwater. It is not perfect for every situation, but is adequate for all.
I just purchased a Orvis Mid Arbor for a rod I’m building for my son. It is a very good price. Again, it is not perfect for every situation, but adequate for all. Make sure you shop around. I purchased mine from Orvis and got a free line and backing. I just ran across someone else that was offering the same deal.
http://www.bluequillangler.com/Blue-Quill-Angler-Online-Fly-Shop/Specials/Orvis-Battenkill-Mid-Arbor-Reel
I got the Battenkill Mid Arbor V even though it is rated for a 9-10wt, in order to get the larger diameter and backing capacity. It is not that much heavier and works well with the 8wt.
Another option would be the Lamson Radius reel. Madison River Fishing Company has last years model on clearance for half price ($99). The 3.5 would be perfect for an 8wt. I don’t need one, but at that price I am tempted to buy one just to put in the closet.
Tim, they don’t know who Jimmy is…you’re right, I had the perfect outfit on the For Sale board for over a week and no one even made comment or inquiry. I still have the rod, reel (loaded with backing) and line, but I’ll go to another site.
Lameson reel and a St. Croix legend or a TFO TiCr. Get a reel that has a liketime warrenty. I have a TFO TiCr with a bass pro reel and I have have used that for everything. I would spend the money to get a good reel. Lameson has a reel good value for the money.
I just went through that same evaluation and decided on an 8wt fast action rod (any quality rod with saltwater fighting butt) and Nautilus CCF reel. The Nautilus CCF design is light enough in weight for for freshwater and strong enough in drag for saltwater. Everything else is either light in weight and too weak in drag OR strong in drag and too heavy in weight to make the crossover. Add in that the Nautilus is maintence free with sealed bearings and sealed drag and its a no brainer.
I’d suggest either a TFO TiCr or TiCrX. 8 wt is just fine for all that. Get yourself a Teton Tioga MAGNUM 10 LA and a spare spool or two (for a sink-tip/intermediate line). Heck, the great thing about the TiCrX is that you can buy a two-piece double-handed butt section that will convert your 9’ single-hander into an 11’3" spey rod for an extra $150 (the two pieces replace the butt section of the 9’ 7 or 8wt TiCrX). So in essence you get two nice rods for about $400.
Tioga Magnum LA reels are proven in both fresh and salt…
Just my humble opinion!
And FWIW I fish a 9’ 7wt for everything from flounder and reds to steelhead to bones and big bull trout too.
Marty
Starbuck,
An 8 wt rod is a good choice. I personally like a 9 wt for salmon but the 8 wt will do the job. I also prefer to buy Sage rods, and I have several of their 9 weight rods and some 8 weights as well.
I have switched over to Orvis reels almost exclusively. I really like the Battenkill reels. The Mid Arbor will do a good job for you, and as suggested, get the MA V model. I personally would prefer the Battenkill Big Game Large Arbor. The LA IV would be perfect. Yes, it is $100 more but it does reel in at a rate of 1.5 times as fast as the Mid Arbor.
Good luck fishing.
Larry 
—sagefisher—