fish4life, I admit that I broke down in a weak moment and got a 5 wt. rod, Dogwood Canyon rod and reel outfit. It is a medium speed rod and it can cast reasonably smoothly as long as you don’t get too ambitious with it. It actually doesn’t feel all that bad. I have been told that the Dogwood Canyon rods tend to break more than one might think and that the next step up, I think that’s the Hobbs Creek rods, are the way to go. To review, the Dogwood Canyon 5 wt. casts OK and feels OK. It has never been tested by a fish that endangered it so I can’t speak to that.
Ed
I cannot come across as a source of valuable information, but my 11 year old son is fishing with a GLX. The fact is you will grow as a caster and a fisherman, and with that in mind, you should cast as many rods as you can and decide which one fits your CURRENT casting style, and from there you will decide which way to go. I guess what I am saying is that I used the GLX for 10 years, but I have slowed down, so I now use a different rod. Pick what is right for you, and JC is right, cast and cast and decide what is right… they are all good, for the right person.
My buddy is kinda cheap on fly fishin and buys his gear from BPS he broke 1 white river, and 1 dogwood canyon this year… I like BPS for bass fishing tackle, but not fly fishing… Either go Cabelas, or local Fly Shops, I have a Cabelas Stowaway 5 pc. 5 wt. that I have had for about 5 years and never had a single problem with it, has a great action to it and they run $150.00 with a CSR reel which my dad just bought with his stowaway and is a great reel for the price. They come with a single rod tube, and a rod/reel tube, line and backing (though the line isnt top quality it’ll last you a few months) Its also great for backpacking since its so small. Cabelas has always been good to me…only had to return 1 rod after it snapped the first week, and had a new one 8 days later.
Fish4life,
I also just started not too long ago. I first started out with a Pfleuger starter kit I bought form basspro for $40. It was like casting a piece of re-bar. Finally I bought just a cheap $30 scientific angler rod form wal-mart. This rod work’s extremly well for me, easy to cast, and easy to set the hook. I am also looking into getting a “better” rod, however, this rod works just fine and I would highly recomend one of these , if you want a cheap yet reliable rod.
- David
Game fish are too valuable to only be caught once.
-Lee Wulff
#1 choice for 1st rod TFO Package
#2 choice when you are ready Sage
Good luck
Philip
Fish4life,
The best thing you can do is to find a local fly shop and patronize them. You will get more benefits than could ever be listed in the time I have to spend here tonight.
Rusty <><
“PC” is for Plant City not Politically Correct. if you wanna catch something ya gotta get a hook in the water
I have a buddy that started fly fishing last year and I had a hard time getting him off of BPS rods. However after he broke 3 in the first 6 months of use he decided that TFO might be a better option. He has yet to break it and today called me to come see his new St. Croix avid.
I did cast his CV2 and it cast OK but I think you would be better served by a rod that has a better warranty for the same money.
Dan
fish4life,
I would put the Orvis rods miles above White River. I think White River is just a name that BPS puts on their fly fishing tackle. I didn’t see a Clearwater Classic in the link you posted, but I believe the Clearwater series is a lower priced version of the Superfine series, which has been around for quite a few years. If $150 is about what you want to spend, then I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend one of these rods. There are several rods in this series, so if you can you should try some of them out. See if there is an Orvis store in your area and pay them a visit.
Have a Cabela’s PT 5 wt. for sale. This is an ez rod to cast. It is the rod I learned on almost two years ago. Read about it on the cabela’s website. This is a super rod for a beginner. It retails for $165.00 and I would mail it off for $80.00. I am glad that I bought it. I tried one of those cheap kits and it was awful. CASting this rod made me feel like a flyfisher, a new one, but a flyfisher nonetheless. The difference between my PT and that cheap rod was stunning. Whether or not you buy my rod, I hope you have a chance to try out a few. You have gotten good advice here. BEst wishes to you and enjoy yourself. If is isn’t fun it isn’t worth it. Cheers!