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Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana
Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
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BigTrout
BigTrout's profile picture
Posts: 18
BigTrout on Mar 7, 2012March 7th, 2012, 6:24 am EST
okay, so i'm still wanting a new rod for this upcoming summer. Now my only problem is that i've discovered the new Orvis Clearwater rod. From all the reviews people make on them they sound like an awesome rod for the money. So the tossup of a rod I want is the Redington CT Classic Trout OR the Orvis Clearwater.. I have personally used the Redington CT rod and I loved it! But the Orvis clearwater also sounds like it would suite my needs.. Any input would be appreciated! Thanks and good luck fishing
The great charm about fly fishing is that we are always learning; no matter how long we have been at it, we are constantly making some new wrinkle. - Theodore Gordon
CaseyP
CaseyP's profile picture
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
CaseyP on Mar 7, 2012March 7th, 2012, 12:07 pm EST
From all the reviews people make on them they sound like an awesome rod for the money. Big Trout


take your own 4-wt reel and line to the shop. (or borrow one.) put it on the rod in question. cast it in the parking lot or the vacant lot next door or the roof or whatever. do at least 50 casts.

then decide. yep, reviews are great, but no one in the world casts like you do.

PS if you don't live near enough to the shop, i think Orvis, at least, will let you return a rod that doesn't fit, as long as it doesn't look as if you caught a million fish with it.
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
Gutcutter
Gutcutter's profile picture
Pennsylvania

Posts: 470
Gutcutter on Mar 8, 2012March 8th, 2012, 1:59 pm EST
...take your own 4-wt reel and line to the shop. put it on the rod in question. cast it in the parking lot or the vacant lot next door or the roof or whatever. do at least 50 casts...

...then decide...

And be sure to buy it from the shop.

Saving a few bucks on a rod that you have never cast is no savings at all if you can't cast it well. A fly shop will sell you the same rod at the same price, but with the service that only comes from a fly shop, and not a web site.
All men who fish may in turn be divided into two parts: those who fish for trout and those who don't. Trout fishermen are a race apart: they are a dedicated crew- indolent, improvident, and quietly mad.

-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
Softhackle
Softhackle's profile picture
Wellsville, NY

Posts: 540
Softhackle on Mar 8, 2012March 8th, 2012, 2:18 pm EST
The Redington rod seems like the one you like, especially since you have cast with it. The Redington also has a lifetime warranty, the Orvis is only 25 year. If you are a young man, the lifetime waranty might be a bit more appealing.

Mark
"I have the highest respect for the skilled wet-fly fisherman, as he has mastered an art of very great difficulty." Edward R. Hewitt

Flymphs, Soft-hackles and Spiders: http://www.troutnut.com/libstudio/FS&S/index.html
Jreantonio
Posts: 2
Jreantonio on Mar 10, 2012March 10th, 2012, 5:32 pm EST
Gutcutter has the just of it. Never by a rod you havnt casted. I disagree about buying online though as long as you test said rod before purchase and check the websites defect and return policy you can find great rods at modest prices online.
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Mar 11, 2012March 11th, 2012, 12:15 am EST
Hi Jrean -

Welcome to the forum.

I disagree about buying online though as long as you test said rod before purchase and check the websites defect and return policy you can find great rods at modest prices online.

It seems more and more are following that strategy. It poses a question, though. Where will we go to test rods in the future after all the fly shops have closed? It's something to think about.
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
Jreantonio
Posts: 2
Jreantonio on Mar 20, 2012March 20th, 2012, 6:15 pm EDT
It seems more and more are following that strategy. It poses a question, though. Where will we go to test rods future after all the fly shops have closed? It's something to think about.




Thank you very much for the welcome entoman. I could not agree with your post more. I neglected to mention on the previous post the importance of your local fly shop and the fact it can't be replaced. I was simply giving advice on making certain purchases more afordable.

Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Mar 20, 2012March 20th, 2012, 6:59 pm EDT
Jrean -

You're welcome. This is a great forum and I'm glad you chose to participate.

Thanks for the clarification, though I really wasn't disagreeing with the point you made. The truth is you can buy many fly rod brands online at good discounts. I admit to buying more and more things online myself as fly shops cut back on what they carry in stock. We may not want the local shops to go away, but the sad fact is many will. I was just posing a question we should all think about.
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
Stokes
Columbia county,NY

Posts: 76
Stokes on Sep 26, 2013September 26th, 2013, 7:19 pm EDT
I have a 5wt Clearwater from 1995 that I love.I recently got a 2wt Clearwater and it casts as good.But like others have said,it is best to try a rod before you buy.I made that mistake with a 3wt rod I bought on-line,turns out I dont like it.I am going to give it to my son,as his first fly rod,it'll be good enough to learn on.

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