It looks like I might be getting enough money backs from income tax this year to buy a new fly rod. I often fish in spots where a nice, short fly rod is a better tool than a long one so I’m looking at a 6 wt. Redding Predator fly rod, a Sage Smallmouth rod or a 6 wt. Temple Fork Clouser rod. Which one do you think is the BEST rod without regard to the price.
I have a TFO and a Bass Pro Shops White River. The TFO is super soft. You have to practice A LOT to cast it well.
The White River (6’3" 3wt) is cheaper (no more than $120) and faster. In Arkansas last year I caught over 100 trout on that rod. Needless to say, it is one of my favorites.
Alot depends on what applications you are trying to use it on. Example: Bass fishing or mountain streams. I personally have had alot of the shorter rods and do not like anything less than 7 ft. The Sage rods are like broom sticks to me. Look into some of the shorter glass rods if you really want a new adventure. I have an 8 ft diamondglass 4wt that is very fun and still shorter than a regular rod. If you are looking at bluegill or small mountain streams TFO has a 2wt thats in the 6 ft range that I know a guy who has one and it is really sweet. Hope this helps.
Sagerods,
I’m thinking of using this rod for fishing with some of the larger and heavier flies like deer hair poppers, gurglers, clouser minnows, hare jigs and maybe even some or the finesse plastic worms. I already have a Sage Bass rod for heavy duty work and a 7’ 6" Albright rod in 4 wt. for light duty work. What I want is a rod that is between the two.
There is a review of the Sage Bass rods here which has my thoughts on the smallmouth.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/articles/reviews/product/2009/product_reviews20091102.php
The TFO Clouser rod is 8’9", I don’t think of that as short compared to the others you mentioned. It is a very nice rod though.
The Sage Smallmouth rod is closer to the Predator 8wt than the 6. The Sage Bluegill is similar to the Predator 6wt or Ross FlyStik 6wt.
Between a 4wt and my Sage Largemouth rod, I use two rods on a regular basis for bass fishing from a float tube. One is the Sage Smallmouth, which I use for poppers and hair bugs up to a size 4 and sometimes size 2, depending on the bulk of the fly. I also cast clouser minnows up to size 2 with this rod and the line that goes with it. The second rod I use is a TFO TiCr X 7’6" 6wt. I use this quite a bit uplined with an 8wt line for casting poppers and foam bugs. This is a fun rod and not a fast/stiff as its 9’ cousins but still has plenty of muscle in the butt section. It fishes very well with the rated 6wt line too.
A couple of other great rods for you application in my opinion are the TFO TiCrX 7’6" 8wt and the TFO Mini Mag 6-8wt. The latter is a fiberglass graphite composite construction with a powerful butt section.
If I was going to pick one rod to fit between your Albright and Sage Largemouth and 8’ or less without regard for price and based on my personal experiences and preferences, it would be the Sage Bluegill.
Based on your stated options of the 6wt Predator, Sage Smallmouth, and TFO Clouser, it would be the 6wt Predator because I feel it would be more of a middle ground between your Albright and Sage.
The TFO Mini Mag 6/8 is one of the finest versatile “big bug” rods I have ever fished or cast. I have or have fished almost every rod mentioned in this thread so far save the Redingtons (and I’ve had a few of those in other models and liked them fine for what they were for). I highly recommend you check out the TFO Mini Mag 6/8 before you make a decision. These are 8’ rods, but the versatility and pure joy of casting and fishing one for the types of fishing you’re doing really will make it worth your while.
Avoid the Clouser for your purposes. I recently wrote a very positive review of the TFO Clouser rods, but they are NOT for what you are looking for. These rods shine when you have plenty of casting room and are working in windy conditions with heavy flies to make long casts.
With no doubt what so ever … my Diamondglass 6’5weight. Beats all else, by far!!!
I’ve not thrown the Clouser from TFO yet, but the Sage Smallmouth is an absolute sweetheart. Handles big (bulky or weighted) flies like a dream and loads exceptionally well short, letting you shoot plenty of line with very little off the rod initially, making it a great tight quarters rod. I’ve thrown the Predator from Reddington as well, but wasn’t nearly as happy with it as I was with the Sage. I fished the Sage for wipers in the local spillways with steep riprap walls right behind me and a lot of water to cover in front of me. It handled the situation beautifully and handled the fish as well.