first time i have been on here in a long time.what does anyone think of aCabelas Three Fork rod & Cabelas Prestige plus reel.8ft/5wt.outfit.I will be fishing for panfish and maybe bass.I have never fly fished before and am not too sure if this is or isn’t too much rod.Ifthere is any one from Jefferson,Blount or Shelby counties in Alabama and knows of some fish ponds (i am partily handicapped &do not have assess to a boat but i can walk around smaller type ponds)please reply .thanks 
5 wt would be a bit strong for sunfish and and a bit soft for larger bass but would do fine as an all-around rod if buying ony one.
That outfit should work fine for the type of fishing you are planning. I have the Three Forks 3 wt. that I have used for several years, and of my many rods, it is one of my favorites. Since most of the places I use it don’t require any long casts, I usually use 4 wt. line on it. If you’re going after bass, and need to cast some larger or heavier flies or bugs, you might find it easier to do with a 6 weight line. With this outfit you will have no problem with panfish, but considering that you are in the South, there may be some bass in those ponds that could overpower your outfit until you get used to playing them. I’ve had some bass on that would have been a challenge for my 8 wt. rod. Whatever you do, don’t try to play the fish with your rod held high. Check out some of the articles on here regarding playing fish. Might save you from buying a new rod before you’re ready. Have fun.
Larry Compton
that sounds like a fine setup for panfish.
If you are like me then you might find yourself later on wanting to go to a lighter setup for more excitement in fighting fish and ease in casting. But that will get the ball rolling in a thoroughly satisfactory manner.
When I got back into this insanity, that’s the rod I bought…still have it. I think it will bo you fine. Have a blast
Brad
I have that exact combo except I have the older Prestige reel in both the 5wt and the 7 1/2’ 3 wt. They were the first real flyrods that I bought and have used them for several years and enjoyed them. I moved up a little and got both a 5 and 3wt LST combo over the last year and like them very well also. During the warm weather months I fish almost every day on a lunch hour and those 3 Forks combos are the ones I keep in the old minivan to use all the time. Once you catch on to them you can handle quite large fish on that rod. I have caught several catfish between 5 and 10lbs and several bass upto 5 lbs and lots of 10" bluegills on both the 5 and the 3wt on 4 or 6lb tippets. Try it you will like it.
It sounds like you picked a good one to start with. Unless there is something special about that 8’ length for you, consider bumping it up to 8.5 or even 9 feet. With the new materials the extra weight will not be much; but, in return, it will be easier to keep the line up or work a longer line. The fish you are targeting are pond and lake fish where tight quarters are not usually a problem ant the length won’t hurt you there.
IMHO one should ness before one finesses. You can try the light stuff later. My motto,“I do not want to catch a fish that feels like a whale on a 2 wt; I want the whale.”
Good luck.
i have that rod, it has been good. i fish for gills and bass. its a good setup for a good price
bamafan,
Have you bought one of those rods by now? If not, then I’d say they’re both pretty good choices.
Normally I’m a big fan of lighter weight fly rods, even ultralight rods, if the quarry is panfish. But that’s easy for me to say; I do most of my fishing out of a canoe. (Fishing from a boat lets me move in and dislodge snagged flies, whereas a bank fisherman has to break it off.)
For you a 5-wt. would be a good choice. For one thing, farm ponds have a way of harboring some really big fish and it helps to use a rod with enough spine to fight them. Also, if you hook a fish of any species or size then chances are that fish will wrap your leader around some kind of submerged cover (weeds, limbs, grass). To better extract the fish from that cover, it helps to have a rod with enough spine that you can apply pulling pressure. A 5-wt rod accomplishes this extraction better than an ultralight.
But if you haven’t bought a rod yet, I would suggest that you stick with the 5-wt rod but buy one that is 9 feet long instead of 8 feet. That extra foot of length lets you do roll casts easier and farther (for the many times when standing vegetation or trees behind you interfere with normal false casting). And when you’re standing in spots where the area behind you is open, the added lenth of a 9-foot rod lets you make longer casts with less effort.
You didn’t specify what your handicap or disability is. And I’m not asking, but apparently it isn’t something so incapacitating that it prevents you from fishing from the banks of farm ponds? If it is some sort of ambulatory issue, your “handicap” might actually give you a powerful tactical advantage. Do you “naturally” move about slowly and quietly? If so you’ll enjoy better luck than many non-handicapped fishers do, who stomp around hurridly with their foot vibrations spooking off the fish before the angler gets close enough to cast to them.
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”