anyone have experience wth scott’s arc and/or winston’s spey rods? how would they compare? thanks!
Don’t know anything about the Scott but the Winston is an outstanding spey rod. Probably one of the best made. If everything else is equal go with the Winston.
Very different animals. The Scott ARC is a softer rod than the Winstons and has more feel lower down into to butt section. Winston has changed their rod series and the Derek Brown rods which they’ve sold for the last few years are no longer in production. They were heavy, powerful progressive rods that would move a lot of line, the ARC will move not quite as much, but do it with much more feel. The new Winstons are Boron and very fast and light, similar to the T&T rods in action. The Ibis series I have not cast.
I own a Derek Brown 15’ 7/8 and love it, but it is very heavy. My favorite ARC is the 1509, very sweet rod. Which models are you considering?
i’d like to find a 13-14’ 7/8 spey. i don’t like fast rods so maybe the sott arc would be nice. i’ve also heard the cnd speys are a good rod.
Boo-If you want a slower classic/Traditional action Spey Rod-then Try the CND Expert rod. Perfect for that and a great rod-good customer service. They have a site.
Search on “CND Spey”
Rich
Cortland has a new line of 5pc Spey Rods and there is a 7/8wt. Price ain’t too bad at $200 either. I just ordered the 5/6 to try out myself on a certain little piece of heaven I fish.
Regards,
Bob
Fly Supplies
aflyshop.com
I bought several CND rods, including the Skagit specialist, Expert 14’ 9/10 and 13’ 6/7, and have cast the Sosltice, Steelhead specialist, Salar, and a couple of Customs fairly extensively. I sold the Experts, and unless you really like slow rods (like the Sage brownies) I would not reccomend getting them. The specialist series are the true gems of the CND line up.
You did not mention if you are new to spey casting or already proficient. If you are new, you should definitely try to attend a clave or trade show where you can try some lined rods. Problem is, spey rods are very user specific with regards to action, as the length really amplifies the action’s feel exponentially. If you like a slow rod, it will really feel like a slow rod! I would not reccomend a slow or very fast rod to a beginner, but a progressive rod where the load can be felt easily and the rod still has power with fast tip recovery.
I think the Scott ARC rods would be a good choice and still a wee bit on the softer end, the Winstons are beautiful, but very fast. Both Bob Meiser and Gary Anderson of southern Oregon make excellent progressives for around $500, and the Reddington Redfly (make sure it’s the blue colored blank) is a very good inexpensive choice at around $250.
I would be very careful about choosing a cheap rod. All but the Reddington that I’ve tried have been junk.
Do you plan to fish mostly floating lines or a lot of sink tip work, and what type of water do you plan to fish? How much do you want to spend? The answers to these questions should direct you towards the right rod choice. You might also want to visit the speypages board, thousands of great posts regarding everything about spey rods and lines.
Mooseburger,
sorry for the late reply. yes, i’m new to spey rods. i’ve always liked medium action rods. i haven’t bought anything yet but doing more ‘research’ before i dive into it. i’m thinking of using it for both dry and sink lines. thanks.
The greatest 13’ 6/7/8 rod I’ve tried so far is Burkheimers 7133, but it is expensive. If you can afford it I’d call CF Burkheimer rods. Otherwise, give Bob Meiser or Gary anderson a call. I see you’re in Oregon. Bob is in Medford, Gary in Gold Hills, I believe. The most knowledgeable folks I know of in Oregon for off the shelf spey gear would be The Flyfishing Shop in Welches.
If you’ve never tried it, you should pay for some lessons from a good spey casting instructor and make sure he/she brings several rods with a few different actions. It will be money well spent.