1. Troutnut Forum
›
2. Fly Fishing Gear
›
3. Help Me Pick a 7wt

I have a bunch of Cabelas gift cards and am looking to buy a 7 wt rod for Steelhead fishing in Northern California.



What single hand rod and reel and line combo offered by Cabelas would you guys recommend?



Link to Rods: https://www.cabelas.com/browse.cmd?categoryId=734095080&CQ_search=fly%2Bfishing%2Brod&CQ_view=list&CQ_ref=~c1-Fishing~c2-Fly-Fishing~priceRange-1000



I have a $1500 budget (can stretch it if need be).

Comment

Hello Easy,

Well we can do a lot with your $1500 budget! If there are 100 posters on this subject I'm sure there will be 101 suggestions! I'm all in on high end rods if you are an accomplished fly caster and know all sorts of stuff about stream lore, fish lies, basically a guy in the know approaching expert level. However if you are less well heeled or are still climbing the ladder during your journey to become a fly fishing legion you may be well satisfied with a lesser priced, not lesser quality, fly rod. I think of myself as a work in progress and getting a little better all the time. I have one high end Orvis Helios 2 9' #4 rod and about twenty other fly rods in the middle cost range, say $300 - $500, that are fantastic fishing instruments and I've caught thousands of trout on them.

Now are you dead set on getting a Cabela fly rod? Nice rods with many very good reviews. Last year I wanted a crispier action 9' #5 rod and bought an Orvis Recon and absolutely love it. I like how it casts which is the most important virtue. I love how the blank looks, it has a lovely blued or blackened reel seat with a very nice wood insert. It comes with a nice cloth sack, aluminum rod tube and the famous Orvis 25 year warranty. I also looked at the 10' #7 Recon and it is a real peach. If I didn't already own a Gatti 10' #7 which I use exclusively for steelhead I would of bought it.

Regarding the choice of a reel. Again there is going to be a zillion comments. My suggestion is just go to a very well stocked fly shop, or a Cabela's store and handle a whole bunch of good fly reels. Stay away from those really wide spool large arbor reels because the line will stack on one side often when you are not paying attention while fighting a fish and pretty soon there is all the line on one side of the spool and you can hardly reel in any more line. I like narrower spool fly reels. There are a few out there and the one I like the best, and own, is the Lamson Speedster. Not only does it have probably the narrowest spool on the market Lamson is arguably one of the most purchased fly reels.

I would get the best line out there. Look at fly line reviews and see what others like. I'm partial to Orvis for monetary reasons (it is a very good product though) because my friend gets me the Pro Guide discount which is at least 40% off list.

The link you provided doesn't work.

Here is a nice looking Redington 10' #7. I have a Redington 10' 6" #6 I like and often put on a #7 and it performs well for swinging flies for chrome or fishing nymphs under an indicator.


https://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/fly-fishing/fly-fishing-rods/pc/104793480/c/104721480/sc/105573780/redington-predator/2478631.uts?
slotId=5

The 7100 is a 10' #7 4.4 ounces.

Here I is another 10' #7 for $789 it weighs about .4 ounce less than the Redington which means a lot if you are fishing all day.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/HARDY-ZEPHRUS-ROD/2181243.uts?slotId=2

Ok Easy, Matt has far more experience than myself, but I have the orvis recon, and also a gloomis nrx, if had some extra gingle to play with Im going with gloomis nrx. Just my 2 cents worth, I have fun, and a reel, I love my Galvan reels!

You really can't compare a $449 Recon with a $805 Loomis NRX. That is a $356 cost difference. It would be a better comparison with the Helios 3 at $898 and the NRX at $805. I'm sure if Easy is a competent caster either of those sticks would be a great choice. I would just never spend that much money on a steelhead rod since I only use it six to ten days times a year compared to a trout rod where I will use it 80 - 90 days a year.