I have been thinking about trying one of the Cabela’s Traditional Fly Rods (4-piece version).
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ … hasJS=true
I have several rods that are very fast. Now I want to get another rod that has a slower, softer action.
If any of you have one or more of these rods, could you tell me a little about them? Do they have a soft, slow action? Do they feel good in the hand?
Thanks,
Ed
I bought the 8 ft., 4 wt., 4-piece for my wife. We got the oufit with the CSR reel. Very nice. Casts well, not heavy, well worth the cost, which isn’t much to begin with. I’d buy another.
Two Weight
Bill (DeSavage) has a Cabela’s Genesis 6 wt. He thinks it should have been marked as an 8wt. He finds it to be stiff!
At the 2006 Michigan Fish-In I was trying to learn to cast with it and JC tried it out, trying to help figure out why I was having trouble. He disliked it so much he gave me a Scientific American 5 wt as my own first rod. I couldn’t believe the difference in ease of casting.
Of course the Scientific American doesn’t come anywhere near casting as nice as the Reddington 5 wt I won in the drawing at the casting contest! Gloat, gloat :<)
I’m not really bragging, just a very happy camper that I won such a beautiful rod. I actually felt sort of guilty when I won it because JC had just given me the SA the day before. Oh well, we don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, and I took it as a sign that this is something I’m supposed to do, especially since Betty Hiner had also given me a pair of wading boots.
I’m now pretty much ready for this year’s Michigan Fish-In. I don’t have waders yet, I’m hoping to win this month’s contest to get those. Jean
Jean,
Did you just call JC a “horse”!! 
I have the 8’ four piece four weight, bought it this spring, with the prestiege plus reel, bought it on the recomendation of local friends and people on this board. nice and easy to cast. I would buy another, in fact I think I need a 5 wt.
Eric
Yea, I own a Redington RS3 in a 4 weight. I absolutely love this rod. I have had many rods and for the price of only $200 I don’t think anybody else comes close. I like it much better than even the lower end Sages that I have cast to compare it too. Just a great rod for the price. I can’t tell you enough how well it loads, feels and catches FISH!
I own the 8’-6" 5wt 4-piece with the CSR reel, and it’s a fine utility rod. Not too fast and not too slow, it makes for a nice middle-of-the-road action rod. I have only fished it twice because I like a faster action rod, but I’ll hang on to it as a backup or if I need a rod for a friend in a pinch. If you don’t like it, ship it back to them and get your money back. I went to the store and test cast the rod before I bought it.
Joe
Thanks for the comments. I am strongly leaning towards getting one of their rods from that line.
Maybe I’ll get it before Fish-In. I think that I’ll bring up a couple of different rods and let folks try them out to see if they like 'em. That makes for a nice, practical use of the Fish-In. Of course, getting together and meeting folks is the main thing that I am looking forward to.
Ed
Ed,
If you like, I will be bringing my 8’6" 5wt Traditional to the Fish-in, and you can try it out on stream before buying one. I’ll be there from Sunday evening through Thursday, so just let me know. I’ll be bringing several rods with me: Dan Craft 7’0" 2-piece1wt, Forecast 6’6" 4-piece 2wt, Forecast 9’-0" 7-piece 4wt (will cast a #2 Zoo Cougar 30’+), Cabelas Traditional 8’6" 4-piece 5wt, and Cabelas LST 9’-0" 4-piece 7wt. to name a few. There should be a plethora of combinations to try over the course of the week for anyone considering a new rod. With all the promoting of equipment during the week, we should contact the manufacturers to get some support and raffle goodies for the Fish-in. Just another idea for the organizers (like they need more ideas from non-producers like me. 
).
Joe
Ed,
I bought a Cabela’s Traditional 6’6", 2pc, 2wt as a combo with the Prestige Plus reel. I love it. If you like a medium-slow to medium-fast action you should like the Traditional rod. I don’t really like fast action rods. Not that I am an expert at casting, the fast action rods just do not fit my comfort zone while casting. Same reason I like that Orvis Clear Water, mid-flex 6.0, 9’, 8wt that Ohiotuber gave to me. Another slower action rod than most people fish.
The first rod I bought for myself was the SA combo special from Wal-Mart. For the price they just cannot be beat. They will outperform many more expensive rods.
I am never going to win any casting contests for distance because of me, not the rods I use. I am more concerned with presentation and accuracy. I suggest that you take Joe up on his offer and wait to buy until you have a chance to cast the rod. The Cabela’s I went to allows you to cast the rod before buying.
i bought the 9’ 5wt and i like it !!
i love a fast action rod like my g.loomis gl3 but thats a whole differnt story! :lol:
i would definately say get that traditional there a medium action rod, a little slow for me, but for the price you cannot beat it! i bought the combo with a csr reel and i love the reel to if you wanted to know.
chris
I got the 11 foot six weight traditional and love it. It is a soft slow rod with a lot of power behind it. I basically use an 11 wt head on it and it handles it fine. Great rod for mending.
For 90 bucks you can’t go wrong.
But you may want to play with some different lines on it.
I have a Cabelas Fisheagle PT 9’6" 7 wt that I have used for 10 years. It is a medium action and is perferct for steel head and nite time browns. I have many other rods on either side of it but I like this one the best. You can throw a wf line 80 feet with it or you can slap a #2 muddler down 20 feet from you at night. I use a Billy Pate with a running line for steelhead or a Ross Evolution with 8 wt glow in the dark line for browns at nite. It will balance with both. Not for brook trout streams though.
Bobinmich
If it helps, I just bought a Cabelas 5 piece #6 for a back up rod, and it is really good for the money. As to a reel, I have the Cabelas LSR and it is great. In fact I just put it on my Loomis and took the Lamson off, I just don’t like the Lamson. I can’t believe the LSR is as good as it is. Good luck.
I have a 4wt Traditional and loved it (past tense). You can’t beat the warranty. One of the guys in the fly shop at Cabela’s (KCKS) turned me onto a 3 wt LST. He said I would never pick up another rod again. You know he was wright. I very seldom get the traditional out.
I Love the LST! It’s a fast action unit and is perfect for tight spots.
I bet you can find a fenwick glass rod for pretty cheap (like $25) they are nice, and classic