What would you get?

Ok, so I am looking at getting some steelhead/salmon gear. I need a rod, reel, backing, line, leader, tippet. I don't have to get the backing, line, leader, and tippet at the same time as the rod and reel. I also already have some 20lb. dracon backing that I guess I could use but I really want to get 30lb backing.

I have a budget of $300 - $350. If I could get the rod, reel, and line for that amount, perfect!! I can always get the backing, leader, and tippet at a later date.

Regarding the rod, I am looking for at least a 10'. 9' would be ok but I really would like to do at least a 10', but it comes down to the $$$. Also, a 7wt or 8wt is what I am looking for. I don't think I want a spey rod as that is going to require me to learn a whole new casting technique. But a switch rod might be ok.

So, what would you recommend? I saw that Orvis.com has a sweet sale going right now which ends this sunday. The main companies I have been looking at are Orvis and Echo. But before I make a decision, I want to get you all's opinion.

So let them fly!! (hahahaha, no pun intended!! :lol

-Spydey

Spydey, I just put a new 9'6" 8wt for sale on the "sell" page. Might work for ya???


Randy

Sinkline said:

Spydey, I just put a new 9'6" 8wt for sale on the "sell" page. Might work for ya???


Randy

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Thanks Randy. It looks like a nice rod. I will have to think about it.

Question for everyone:

I found a nice rod for a sweet deal!! It is a 10' 7wt 4 piece rod. Normally it goes for $550-ish but on sale for $295 with an additional 20% OFF of it. the only thing is that is says it is a saltwater rod.

What are the differences between saltwater rods and freshwater rods? Besides the obvious that the SW (saltwater) rods have to withstand the salts and sands while the FW (freshwater) rods wouldn't have to. But what else? If there really isn't anything else, I am thinking about getting this rod for salmon and steelhead fishing. What do you think?

-Spdyey

Spydeyrch said:

Thanks Randy. It looks like a nice rod. I will have to think about it.

Question for everyone:

I found a nice rod for a sweet deal!! It is a 10' 7wt 4 piece rod. Normally it goes for $550-ish but on sale for $295 with an additional 20% OFF of it. the only thing is that is says it is a saltwater rod.

What are the differences between saltwater rods and freshwater rods? Besides the obvious that the SW (saltwater) rods have to withstand the salts and sands while the FW (freshwater) rods wouldn't have to. But what else? If there really isn't anything else, I am thinking about getting this rod for salmon and steelhead fishing. What do you think?

-Spdyey

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Depends on the manufacture, but often there is no difference between a saltwater model and freshwater model aside from one might have a fighting butt, and the other won't in the smaller weight ranges (6wt -7wt).

Spdyey, I would not recommend you buy a 7wt. for a salmon rod. I would not fish less than a 9wt. for a salmon rod.


Randy

Spydey, how about a TFO 10' 9wt. at $200

http://www.bearsden.com/page157.html


Randy

For Christmas i got a TFO signature series 9' 8 wt
Echo Ion 8/10 reel
Backing and line at The fly shop in welches for $ 249.
Been out twice so far and love it.

Thanks guys for the input so far. I have found two rods that I like so far. They are both from Orvis.

One is the Hydro. It is a saltwater rod. 10' 7wt 4 piece. Normally $550 but on sale for $295 with an additional 20% OFF the sale price. That makes it Like $240!!!

The second one is a Clearwater II. 10' 7wt 4 piece. Normally $220, on sale for $119 with an additional 20% OFF. That makes it $95!!!!!

I also am looking at an Echo Ion 10' 8wt. I think they go for $190. But I could be wrong.

Now I just have to figure out a good reel. I don't care about looks really, but one that is functional at a good price.

-Spydey

P.S. I hadn't thought about TFO. I will check them out. Thanks!!

Spydey, I'm tellin' ya friend, I think you are making a mistake buying a 7wt. or 8wt. to hang a 40lb Chinook on in heavy stream flow. Each to their own of course, just trying to save ya from making a costly mistake. Last I'll say about that, do what ya think is right for you.


Randy

I use the 5 weight clearwater for trout and it is great,but i agree with randy you are gonna want a stronger rod then a 7weight for salmon.

Sinkline said:

Spydey, I'm tellin' ya friend, I think you are making a mistake buying a 7wt. or 8wt. to hang a 40lb Chinook on in heavy stream flow. Each to their own of course, just trying to save ya from making a costly mistake. Last I'll say about that, do what ya think is right for you.


Randy

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Opps, My bad, I mis-read your post. I thought you said that you wouldn't go with anything higher than a 7wt. Sorry. hehehe :lol:

I will take a look at a higher wt rod. Thanks!

i use an 8wt for salmon and the really big ones can be tough to handle, so an 8-10wt rod depending on what technique you will be using and where you are using it. if you are throwing comets,clousers etc for chinook in tidewater/bays you will want a 9-10wt single hand rod with a sink tip line or a floating line with a poly leader. if you will be fishing for them in fresh water (Swinging dredging,nymphing) you can get away with using an 8wt single hand or an 8wt switch rod and a floating line. since you would have the floating line lightweight flies wont get down deep if you are swinging, thats where a poly leader comes in handy,airflo makes them i believe, check those out i heard they work good. the poly leader was recommended to me by a few people that said they work instead of having to own a sink tip line. the reason i would recommend an 8wt is because it's right in between and not too heavy or too light. ive hooked steel on my 8 and it handles them great and they fight hard on it,salmon i can handle but the bigger fish (over 25lbs) are a little difficult.

Sinkline said:

Spydey, I just put a new 9'6" 8wt for sale on the "sell" page. Might work for ya???Randy

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Dude, Randy's St. Croix is an awesome rod. You should at least go look at it!

i agree with td, it's the perfect rod to indicator fish for steelhead and smaller salmon (coho) and the price is great!!

I would buy sinklines rod and put a lampson konic reel on it and a royal wulff ambush taper line on it and go fishing, if your gonna go over 8 wt on a fly system you should just hop on the spey bandwagon.. a 10 wt single hand flyrod is bulky and cumbersome.. if you catch 100 kings in oregon, mabe 25 of them are gonna exede 20 lbs, 35 and 40 lb kings are the trophies, the average king comes in between 12 and 18 lbs, use heavier tippet for big king rivers, and a stouter reel, but a 10 wt for weekender fishing puts you in the territory of now having to buy another rod for steelhead... and thats just a waste of money-

Ok, so I think that I have found what I am going to go with. But I want to run it by you all. Remember I have a budget of $350 ... well really $385 but I want to get a few other things too.

So here it is:



Rod - Clearwater II 10' 8wt 4 piece - $151.20

Reel - Clearwater IV - $31.20

Backing - 30lb - FREE

Line - Hydros S&S 9wt - $75.00

Tippet - Super Strong AR Plus 2pk - $6.95

Total - $264.35

That leaves me $120 for either flies, new waders, new wading boots, or something else. I am thinking about getting the new wading boots and just fixing the holes in my waders. It would be $100 for the boots and $9 for the aqua-seal. I would still have $10 left over and could get some flies.

How is that for research and saving!!! hahahahahaha :lol:

Thanks to everyone for your help. Granted I am not completely 100% on all this yet. I just want to make sure I have checked all my options before I actually purchase something. But I have to do it before Sunday, cause the Orvis sale ends that day. So if I go with Orvis, it will have to be before Sunday.

-Spydey

halibuthitman said:

I would buy sinklines rod and put a lampson konic reel on it and a royal wulff ambush taper line on it and go fishing, if your gonna go over 8 wt on a fly system you should just hop on the spey bandwagon.. a 10 wt single hand flyrod is bulky and cumbersome.. if you catch 100 kings in oregon, mabe 25 of them are gonna exede 20 lbs, 35 and 40 lb kings are the trophies, the average king comes in between 12 and 18 lbs, use heavier tippet for big king rivers, and a stouter reel, but a 10 wt for weekender fishing puts you in the territory of now having to buy another rod for steelhead... and thats just a waste of money-

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That sounds like a sweet setup, but could I do it and stay within my budget? I have a max of $385 (including s&h). Would that be doable?

Also, yes, if I go with a 9wt, I would want to go with a spey. I think an 8wt is my max for a single hand.

I am not really planning on going after large salmon any time soon. Mostly steelies and smaller salmon.

Once I get this rod, I will have to ask Santa for a nice spey rod .... might as well start planning now, right. hahahahahahaha :lol:

-Spydey

troutdude said:

Dude, Randy's St. Croix is an awesome rod. You should at least go look at it!

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@ Randy & TD,

Yes, I totally agree with you guys. That is one sweet rod. and the fact that it is mad ein the US is a MAJOR PLUS!!!

But I have 3 young kids who like to "play" with daddy's fishing gear sometimes. So I need a rod with a warranty of some sorts.

Echo comes with a lifetime warranty and Orvis a 25 year warranty. All the fly rod warranties that I have read about out there only cover the original owner. I REALLY want to buy it from him but that warranty is a major need. But the brangging rights would be sweet!!! hehehe :lol:

-Spydey

Spydey, no pressure at all about my rod, I just offered it that's all.

Hitman's advice should be followed to some degree (less my rod) as I believe he has probably landed more Salmon & Steelhead on a fly rod than all us other fly flingers on this forum combined!

I use to fish Salmon & Steelhead with a 10wt Sage that in those days was a much heavier, though slower action rod than what we have today. I am a big guy, and very strong in those days so swinging a 10wt. all day for me was not a problem, but could be for a some folks. We use to hang (many snagged) 50-chums a day on the Kilchis so that was a lot of heavy fish to fight. My old 10wt. was a great all around Salmon/Steelhead rod.

I'm gonna look for an old photo I can snag and share here just for nostalgic fun. I'll go look???


Randy

Sinkline said:

Spydey, no pressure at all about my rod, I just offered it that's all.

Hitman's advice should be followed to some degree (less my rod) as I believe he has probably landed more Salmon & Steelhead on a fly rod than all us other fly flingers on this forum combined!

I use to fish Salmon & Steelhead with a 10wt Sage that in those days was a much heavier, though slower action rod than what we have today. I am a big guy, and very strong in those days so swinging a 10wt. all day for me was not a problem, but could be for a some folks. We use to hang (many snagged) 50-chums a day on the Kilchis so that was a lot of heavy fish to fight. My old 10wt. was a great all around Salmon/Steelhead rod.

I'm gonna look for an old photo I can snag and share here just for nostalgic fun. I'll go look???


Randy

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Yeah, totally go find a foto!! I would love to see it. That would be pretty sweet to see a more seasoned rod. Thanks for sharing.

As far as what brad said, I think it is great advice, but I don't think I have the funds to cover something like that, ...... at least I think/imagine that I don't. I actually haven't check prices on what he recommended. But I guess I will go and do that now. :lol:

Also, I decided to get a few poly-leaders. That way I can get a sink tip on my normal fly line.

Thanks again Randy. Your advice is much appreciated.

-Spydey

Some great advice on here. The one thing I would as is to cast the rod before you buy. I think casting a rod is crucial, especially with some of the graphite variances out there. I don't like the high modulous, super fast graphite, preferring a slower casting stroke. Who knows what your own casting style will lend itself too, so try the rods you are interested before you buy. There is a ton of difference in the sweet spot between manufacturers, etc. Most of the shops will let you cast a bunch so take advantage of that.

My favorite rods in that price range are echo (#1 with a bullet, I have several) and st Croix (I have two). I found the tfo rods a little stiff for me, but again, that really comes down to your casting stroke. I am absolutely loving my echo switch in a seven weight.

Good luck man.