# Another New Guy Fly Rod Question



## ugakbk (Jun 7, 2013)

I have been reading through the old threads here, and wanted to get an opinion on which of the following three options would be best for a new fly fisherman getting started with his first rod.  These are all at Amazon, as I have lots of GC money to spend there.  All will be 5 wt, 4 piece.

Reddington Pursuit Outfit 

Echo Solo Outfit 

Reddington CT Rod  Would add my own reel, line, etc to this one.  

What do y'all think?


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## centerpin fan (Jun 7, 2013)

I vote for the Echo Solo.  It's rated as medium fast action which I think is better for beginners.  The Redington Pursuit is fast action.

The Redington CT would be OK, too, but I think beginners should buy a combo and not try to "mix and match" rod, reel and line.  Also, it's 6-piece, and I'm not wild about anything over 4-piece.


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## Cliff Speed (Jun 7, 2013)

I don't think you can go wrong with any of those, but in theory (and original retail price) the CT is the better quality rod, plus you can get it cheap now, $99 or less in some places, even though it originally cost $150. I've heard great things about all three rods and know people who own them. I believe you'd be happy with any of the three, and I believe all three rods have a lifetime warranty, so that's awesome. I've had experience with Redington's warranty department (I own two models of Redington rods) and their service was excellent. They didn't haggle about what happened to my rod, they just replaced it.  

I have a four piece CT myself and I love it. It's smooth, sensitive, has a nice medium action, and has a good hook set. If you search around you'll see that the CT has quite a cult following and many folks compare it to rods that cost a lot more. There are people out there who own the CT in three different lengths and weights - they love it that much. It's a bang-for-the-buck kind of rod and it's a good all-purpose rod.

There's no thinking involved in buying a combo and that's great for a beginner. But if you want the CT and you're not planning on going after any monstrous fish with it, just buy a cheap reel to go with it. As is so often said, in most fly fishing a reel is just something to hold your line. If you think you might fight some bigger fish and don't want to spend a ton of money to get a decent reel you could get a Redington Crosswater reel. People have good things to say about those.


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## ugakbk (Jun 7, 2013)

Thanks guys.  Based on the advice above, I will eliminate the Pursuit.  Though the CT says 6 piece in the title, it is actually a 4 piece.  I will make a decision between it and the Echo in the next day or so.

If I went with the CT, any opinions on the Okuma SLV reels?


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## fishndoc (Jun 7, 2013)

Another vote for the Redington Classic Trout rod.  I bought one last year ($70) as a backup, and use it now most of the time for dry fly fishing.  Nice, classic slow action, and casts almost as well as my Winston IM6.  Downside is that it is not great for heavy nymphing.

Cabelas has them on sale for $89:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Redington-CT-Classic-Trout-Fly-Rods/711781.uts

As far as a reel, if you are going for trout, panfish, or even small bass, just buy the cheapest reel you can find.  Cortland makes some low end models that will work just fine.

Do splurge on a good quality fly line.  It's the most import component of your outfit.  If you go with the Redington CT, I would get something designed for slow action rods, such as Rio Trout LT line.


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## Sargent (Jun 7, 2013)

fishndoc said:


> Do splurge on a good quality fly line.  It's the most import component of your outfit.  If you go with the Redington CT, I would get something designed for slow action rods, such as Rio Trout LT line.



Yes.  There is a tendency for a newby to become easily frustrated with cheap fly line. 

Think of it as buying an expensive sports car and putting cheap re-tread tires on it.


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## Georgia Hard Hunter (Jun 8, 2013)

Sargent said:


> Yes.  There is a tendency for a newby to become easily frustrated with cheap fly line.
> 
> Think of it as buying an expensive sports car and putting cheap re-tread tires on it.



X2.... a cheap rod with good line beats a good rod with cheap line in my book


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## ugakbk (Jun 8, 2013)

Got it on the line.  Any other reccomendations for a good line besides the Rio Trout LT?  I am planning on going with the Reddington CT rod based on all of the advice here.


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## fishndoc (Jun 8, 2013)

ugakbk said:


> Got it on the line.  Any other reccomendations for a good line besides the Rio Trout LT?  I am planning on going with the Reddington CT rod based on all of the advice here.


Here is a brief but informative article on matching fly lines to rods from the good guys at "Gink & Gasoline":

http://www.ginkandgasoline.com/fly-fishing-tips-technique/how-to-make-your-fly-rod-cast-like-a-dream/

You didn't say what kind of fish/fishing you plan on doing most.  The Redington CT rod is a slow to med/slow action rod.  
If you are gonna concentrate on trout, mainly dry fly and some light nymphing (standard for smaller mountain streams), then I would go with a line designed for slow action rods, such as the Rio Trout LT.  
However, if you plan to also use the rod for heavy nymphing (Hooch in the winter), or for casting wind-resistant flies like poppers for panfish and bass, then I would go for a line with a less delicate taper, such as Rio Gold or the SA Trout Taper lines.  Will still cast tiny dry flies, just not as light a touch.


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## ugakbk (Jun 10, 2013)

Thanks fishndoc.  I will be doing a lot more panfish and light bass fishing, with only occasional forays into cold water.  I really appreciate all of the advice!


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## JMB (Jul 24, 2013)

Echo Solo and make sure to cast before you buy. What I like may not be what  you like. The nice thing about the Echo is it is a 4 pc and comes with a case and little better reel than some other kits plus it's a lifetime warranty.


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## F.A.R.R. (Jul 24, 2013)

ugakbk said:


> Got it on the line.  Any other reccomendations for a good line besides the Rio Trout LT?  I am planning on going with the Reddington CT rod based on all of the advice here.



There are allot of good lines out there. For a long time it was either 3m (scientific anglers) or Cortland.  Then about 10 or more years ago seems like there was an explosion of new line companies. Most all of the lines are pretty good now-some are better than others-but just don't go with an el cheapo one and you should be fine.

There are several tapers out there which are acutualy 1/2 line size heavier than marked (Sci Anglers GPX taper comes to mind). So a line marked as a 5weight is realy like a 5 1/2. This can realy help when learning to cast as the rod loads easier and you can feel it load easier-you can even go one line size heavier than the rod is rated on this. Overlining your rod would also help in throwing the bass bugs.

Don't get to wraped up in chosing one rod over another.  There are differences but at this stage you won't be able to realize them as easily-either of the rods you are considering will work.

Hope this helps in some way


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## Olddawg (Jul 24, 2013)

Look into used gear.  Spend the savings on casting lessons.


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