I want to purchase a 4 weight rod for the smaller sierra waters i plan to fish this year, i am most likely leaning towards a thomas and thomas lt. presentation lps 804-3 or an lps 764, and was wondering if anyone has experience with thomas and thomas rods and how you feel about them. I'd really like to hear feedback on this because this is gonna be a pretty serious chunk of change i am willing to lay down and want to make a really informed decision. thanx.
Hey captain. I cant give you any info, but I thought I would respond because I have 6wt scotts and a 5wt sage and was just out today looking for a 3 or 4 wt rod myself for the same reasons. I dont know anything about the thomas but I was looking at 2 sage's (cant remember the model) I think one was an fli and I cant remember the other model (Have them written down if you want to know). One was about 300 and the 450ish. I casted both and really like them, I know I liked the feeling of the cheaper one more. So, if you go with the thomas (Im about to look it up now) let me know how you like it. Oh and also were you looking at any reels or just a second spool? I have a sage(need to look at the model) and ross cla2 for my other poles but wasnt sure if I sould buy another spool with the proper line on it or get a reel that would work well with a 3 or 4 wt depending on what I get. Feed back would be great. Thanks.
P.S.- Its near impossible for me to remember all of the letters and numbers for each model as you can see.
You might want to look at Winston's.. I have a 4wt xlt and love it for the smaller streams. They are expensive, but you might be able to find one in a close out sale. Check the major fly shops to see if they have any on close out
I bought a Sage Launch 4 piece 3 wt a couple of years ago and really like it. A 3 wt is plenty for Sierra streams and this one cost $199. Your best bet is to head over to Kienes or American Fly and try casting them to see which you like.
Product ID: Sage_lch Category: Rods - Sage Value Rods Sage Launch Series Rod Description: The 3 years Sage spent developing G5 Technology clearly demonstrated that the key to better casting is the ability to feel the rod load. SEE DROP DOWN for PRICING. FREE SHIPPING! $170 @san jose fly shop!
the sage launch is lookin pretty good for the price, gonna head over to keines soon and try a few rods. the thomas and thomas i was lookin at runs 600 to $700 bucks, i like nice things but that may be a little overboard with my ability at this time, after all i can get a really nice reel and some other new gear and come out ahead. thanx guys. Was lookin at abel reels, lookin pretty sweet! One other thing i have been fishing a rio streamside line, and i am highly impressed with it.
Captain, I am not recommending this rod, but it may be something to take a look at. My Cabela's Flyfishing catalog is selling a Fenwick HMG 7' 6", 2-piece. 4-wt rod for $179. This is a VERY fast rod so you may not like its action. However, the good news is that the rod comes with a 25 year UNCONDITIONAL guarantee. This means that even if you step on it or break it by slamming a car door on it, it is covered. My brother recently wanted a 9 ft 7-wt rod for Pyramid Lake so I ordered the 9 ft 7-wt HMG rod for him; I already had one that I bought from Cabela's last year. If you are a regular Cabela's customer (like I am), they recently sent you a $20 off coupon for purchases over $100. That would make the rod cost only $159. I also have a 9 ft 5-wt Fenwick HMG rod that I bought over 25 years ago. Since I like the ability to make long casts, the fast action is something that I prefer. However, this is purely personal preference. The Cabela's web site is www.cabelas.com.
dude i have been fishing a fenwick hmg 8'6" 6 weight rod for almost a year now and it is a really good rod, it casts awesome once i put a rio line on it. and yes the warranty is great.The rod is so good that is why i cannot justify the much higher cost of other rods. Fenwick is a really overlooked brand. and yes i got it from cabelas with one of there super large arbor reels, overall an awesome setup, in my opinion. the rod loads really nice, and have been able to lay a line out in the 60 to 80 foot range, maybe more with it. I have managed to shut a few fenwick spinning rods in car door over the years and there are always replaced, no queastions asks.
I agree with Chemdoc. Go to a fly shop and cast all the rods that you are considering. side by side I just recently took out a 2nd mortgage to purchace my new 5wt Sage Z-Axis. Great rod...it can push line but has a nice soft tip to help elimnate tippet breaks. Good luck!
I recently bought a G-Loomis 4wt rod that is 7'6 in length. It is a sweet casting rod and the rod gives excellent action when a fish is on. It is a fun rod to fish with as I have a 6 wt orvis that cast better, but it is funner to catch fish on the smaller rod. The 4 wt rod is also a foot and a half shorter than the orvis and allows me to fish in thicker areas easier, but on a big stream I would recomend the larger rod, but on small creeks and streams the shorter rod is almost a must.
Price......well i really would like to try a thomas and thomas rod so im willing to spend around $500 to $700 bucks, whatever i decide on it must be hand made in the good ol usa.
I usually just send my pay-check to the local tackle shop. For $625-$655 you can buy one of the four Zero Gravity rods offered by Orvis. This is their most recent release and most expensive (apart from bamboo rods). Two are 8 ft 6in and two are 9 ft, three are mid flex and one is a tip flex. If you do a lot of nymphing the longer rod is probably the better bet and the shorter rod would be better for dries, although Orvis claim the 9ft Mid flex to be their best dry-fly rod. I have a 3 wt Orvis TLS rod that costs about $250 and is very sweet for smaller Sierra streams. The TLS 865-4 is an 8ft 6in mid flex and it is the best selling Orvis rod and costs $315. Also a Sage and one Zero Gravity, which is absolutely an amazing rod. I couldn't believe how accurately the Zero Gravity casts and how soft the presentation is. Try to cast one if you can, preferably alongside another rod and you should see what I mean. It's also worth trying the less expensive TLS at the same time. Good luck and have fun choosing your new rod!
Thanx alot for all the info guys. after trying a few rods, i didnt get to try as mant as i wanted to. I stuck to my original plan and went for a thomas& thomas light presentation series 8 foot 4 weight 3 peice meduim action rod, abel super sereis large arbor reel and a rio. grande flyline, total cost $1,100 bucks, holy crap i just spent that much on a setup But i must say it is simply a work of art ! I'll be fishing this setup when i'm old and grey. Cant wait to get up to a sierra stream with it, but in the mean time putah will do just fine.
But i must say it is simply a work of art ! I'll be fishing this setup when i'm old and grey. Cant wait to get up to a sierra stream with it, but in the mean time putah will do just fine.
