The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

I second echo as a good choice for a cheap / good rod.

Greg

Temple Fork Outfitter... their Professional series runs about $165 or so and is an excellent rod. I have two four weights... a TFO and an R.L. Winston... the Winston is about $500 more expensive, but I prefer the TFO.

B-

I saw these earlier this year, and spoke to one of the members here about them. It's a complete setup, and looks to be very good quality for the price. I do think they deserve a look, since they generously supported our Spring Bash Raffle.

http://sto...om/Rods.htm#TroutStalker

brians

McHellfire wrote:
Need advice on a new, decent inexpensive rod. Taking an old buddy fly fishing for the first time and want to set him up with a cheap, but decent rig. I have a reel and line for him and am only looking for an OK rod that doesn’t totally suck. I’ve been wrapping my own for the last few years and havent’ stayed up on what is good and cheap, but I understand the quality has gotten better in the cheap-o end of things.
…and were leaving this weekend so I’ll need something from a fly shop and not Cabella’s etc. No time to wrap him one myself etc.
Thanks for any help!
-Glen

TFO has done good to thousands and thousands of beginners, and Ross has a $99 rod out that was helped made by Mel Krieger

brians wrote:
I saw these earlier this year, and spoke to one of the members here about them. It's a complete setup, and looks to be very good quality for the price. I do think they deserve a look, since they generously supported our Spring Bash Raffle.

http://sto...om/Rods.htm#TroutStalker

brians

Have you ever fished one?

McHellfire wrote:
Need advice on a new, decent inexpensive rod. Taking an old buddy fly fishing for the first time and want to set him up with a cheap, but decent rig. I have a reel and line for him and am only looking for an OK rod that doesn’t totally suck. I’ve been wrapping my own for the last few years and havent’ stayed up on what is good and cheap, but I understand the quality has gotten better in the cheap-o end of things.
…and were leaving this weekend so I’ll need something from a fly shop and not Cabella’s etc. No time to wrap him one myself etc.
Thanks for any help!
-Glen

Can you take him to a flyshop to try out rods? Western Sportshop in the North bay and San jose fly shop in the south bay are awesome shops, not only will they let him try out sub $100 rods, they will give him some tips on casting.

berms wrote:
I have some I could give away. Had 'em for years and never use 'em. -berms

The boy scouts have a fly fishing badge so they could definitely use them

I have a several of them, and have fished them for years. Nice rod, forgiving action, not too fast but with a enough flex to feel the rod loading and provide feedback to the user. The reel is a large arbor and very light...good value...comes complete with a case too!

Wow, what a great batch of responses! Thanks to everyone, that is great info to go on. Well we went out and I'm thinking he's hooked. He caught a few planters on Burney Creek, upper Hat and in Cassel and we were both skunked on the Pit (imagine that). He ended up using my rod and he was really stoked because he "sucks" at fishing with gear. He was just blown away when it took me no more than five minutes to catch a fish on the upper Hat, where he'd been skunked out many times, and then to catch a few himself made his weekend.
Anyway, I'm going to take everyone's advice now and make sure we get out and get him set up with at least a rod and reel. I'll be sending some email hints from time to time to keep his interest peaked. Great weekend and really fun to see someone get stoked on fly fishing for the first time.
Thanks again all, very great info and gives us lots to check out!
All the best,
-Glen

PS: I am in Petaluma, so if you like to try one let me know!

Flys4b8 wrote:
I have a several of them, and have fished them for years. Nice rod, forgiving action, not too fast but with a enough flex to feel the rod loading and provide feedback to the user. The reel is a large arbor and very light...good value...comes complete with a case too!

How many TFO's have you owned? Have you ever returned your stone creek LTD rod for a repair? TFO has a proven track record of great rod and AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE!! If someone recommends them they should tell the person how the customer service is and how it performs to a rod that thousands and thousands of people have found to be AWESOME.

If it is "almost as good as a tfo at the same price" but you break a tip and it takes a month to get back, that is not the same as a tfo that you get back in a week or two.

I know a ton of rod companies, even that Ross is coming out with a rod made by Mel Krieger, and just it casts preety good isnt enough. Ross and TFO have a track record , who has even heard of Stone Creek?
Redington has a preety bad ass setup to, full rod/reel/line/backing/rod and reel case for $99. *TOP NOTCH CUSTOMER SERVICE*. Tens of thousands of people can attest to Redington, Tfo, how many can attest to Stone creek ltd (some nobody!

McHellfire wrote:
Wow, what a great batch of responses! Thanks to everyone, that is great info to go on. Well we went out and I'm thinking he's hooked. He caught a few planters on Burney Creek, upper Hat and in Cassel and we were both skunked on the Pit (imagine that). He ended up using my rod and he was really stoked because he "sucks" at fishing with gear. He was just blown away when it took me no more than five minutes to catch a fish on the upper Hat, where he'd been skunked out many times, and then to catch a few himself made his weekend.
Anyway, I'm going to take everyone's advice now and make sure we get out and get him set up with at least a rod and reel. I'll be sending some email hints from time to time to keep his interest peaked. Great weekend and really fun to see someone get stoked on fly fishing for the first time.
Thanks again all, very great info and gives us lots to check out!
All the best,
-Glen

Redington has a awesome setup for beginners, and a proven customer service track record. They have a $99 setup that includes rod,reel, backing, fly line, and rod and reel case for $99. I saw it at Ted Fay and thought Fudge, that is a awesome price point! Redington will give you first class customer service as well. So will TFO. Someone telling you to buy some unknown rod that no one has used, has unproven customer service, just because "they gave us some money"? You got to be kidding me.

Where does your friend and you live? The fly shop is really your friend. They will take you out and let you cast the rod (at least san jose fly shop and western sportsmen), and even give him TOP NOTCH tips. And they wont sell you a rod owned by nobody with no track record. Their are SO MANY AWESOME ECONOMY RODS, stay the FUDGE away from some nobody has heard of it/has no proven customer service record rod!!!

Tens of thousands of people have been awestruck by TFO and redington, maybe hundreds of thousands, and all that have had to deal with customer service has also been awestruck.

WAY TOO MANY AWESOME BEGINNER RODS than to buy one because someone "GOT SOMETHING" FROM A NOBODY.