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2 or 4 piece?

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Jason B

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I'm new to this salt water fly fishing game and I'm looking to pick up a new 9 wt. rod but don't know if I should get a 2 or 4 piece. Bottom line, I want a 4 but.....

The other day at the casting ponds, I was casting a 10wt. 2 piece in my preparation for my first year on salt. I began to wonder with the heavier lines, heavier loading, big flies, 110+ feet casts and constant casting in pounding surf, the 4 piece might be more of liability rather than it's obvious convience. With my trout rods, the four piece was great, but casting a size 20 adams on a 4 wt. for 60 less feet is, for lack of better words, pleasant and relaxing. Salt looks anything but relaxing on the fisherman or gear.

To cut to the long chase; Salt being heavier and harder on so many levels, do the multiple ferrules become more pronounced, leading to dead spots and possibly more seperations? (For stripers and blues on surf)

Thanks for the Wisdom

Jason

"It's the weekend, I don't know you, you don't exist to me." The Hangover
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Jason B,

 

Welcome aboard! Having just recently replaced my 2 piece 9wt with a 3 piece 10wt, I can understand your concerns. However, after many casts practicing in the backyard and 3 trips under the belt so far this year (albeit fishless trips) I can say that any and all worries I had about going up to a 3 piece rod have been relieved! I highly suggest going to a 3 piece rod. It is so much more convienent to carry around and the performance has not been compromised.

 

JimK

 

PS. the reason I got a new rod is that my 2 piece rod was broken while being casted! eek.gif

"Russian War Ship.. go f*#k yourself"

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I only buy 4 piece rods and the only times that they break is due to my own carelessness. Two actually went down on a very rough day when they were stepped on, the third broke when I hauled back on a snag.

 

The manufacturers(Thomas and Thomas, Orvis) all repaired them free of charge(except postage).Buying a rod with that type of gaurantee will cost more but I have found it to be worth it. Repairs take 4 to 8 weeks.

 

4 piece rods are great to travel with, I have a small carrier that holds 5 four piece rods and it's a carry on piece of luggage. It has worked out well while traveling to Alaska, outer Banks, and Texas.

 

The only two piece rod I will buy will be a bamboo trout rod when I win lotto.

 

Make sure you get to cast the rod with the right line. Some shops will give you a fast sinking line because most people can cast it farther. Good luck.

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I as well suggest the travelers over the 2pc outfits. The multi-piece rods (for me) seem to cast better and their advantages are too great to pass on.

 

I just picked up a cheap outfit for IRI dredging and will let everyone know my impressions of this rig. Its a St Croix 3pc Ultra Legend rod, a 11-12 Redington AL reel and 525gr cortland line. Initial impressions are very favorable. The fact that I could buy a outfit at around 600.00 complete and have lifetime warentees on rod and reel for the price of one rod or one reel is a great feature. The rod cast the 525 gr line very well and the reel has all the bells and whistles of reels costing 5 times as much (IE Charlton's)

 

The true test will come later this season on the water at the IRI or maybe the "fling" at the inlet there smile.gif

 

I will try and update my impressions of this outfit as it seems many have shown an interest in this series of rods and reels. It is my first experience with either of these product lines.... right now while looking and spinning this reel the question that comes to mind is HOW do they make this fine reel to sell for such a reasonable cost? It could surely pass for reels costing much more......great job Redington!!!!!

 

Tim you really need to check this reel series out!!! wink.gif

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JasonB

No longer are one piece rods the sign of a better rod. In days gone bye, that may have been true. But that was when they had metal ferrules and poor design. Now ferrules technoligies have gotten better and better. Get the four piece if you like it . I can't see any downside to it.

Also, don't overplay this toughness of salt water. A lot of that is in your head. One step at a time and you'll do it as easily as everyone else did. [Even though some might not want you to know that.]

BobPop

 

BobPop
>=====(*>
POP FLEYES
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Never had a problem getting on a plane with 2 pc, that includes a single prop between islands. Regard connections, a few yrs ago I had my 2 pc come apart mid cast during casting demostrations/casting instructions with Sage "pro." Did some damage to the rplx rod and had to send it back in. It can happen, now I wax. No problems since. Dunno if there is a correlation bet number sections and breakability. Would love to hear the skinny at the repairs dept about which, if any, are returned more often. I guess I'm just from the "the fewer moving parts, the better," school of fishing.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Breakage? As the local fly shop owner, i suppose I am qualified to answer questions on breakage. I think there is very little correlation in breakage rate and number of pieces in the rod. 9 out of 10 rods that break will break at the tip. Usually because of a clouser hitting the tip and weakening it. Usually a customer will say "But I didn't hit the tip with the fly" Usually you won't even notice, or it won't register because the breakage usually happens later. The other breakage takes place just above the cork and this usually happens on a LARGE. Usually it is the rod angle that the fisherman uses in fighting the fish. Always fight fish with the rod tip low and to the side if you can. You are able to wear the fish out faster by fighting low and to the side with constant changes in the direction (left then right)

The notable exceptions in breakage are the loomis GLX (super lightweight and can just break. But one of the very finest casting machines made today) and the Orvis Trident. I dunno why, they just shatter often. I hear the Winston BL5 had a problem with shattering.

Austin

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Being a big two piece fan, I'm also part of the less moving parts, the better band wagon! Yes, I've cast all my rods in half at one time or another...but I don't practice cast anymore, so the tip half always ends up in the water and for a very rare 30 seconds I'm having praying nothing LARGE grabs the fly! eek.gif

 

Austin, I've got 2 Tridents...they both replace Power Matrix rods that I busted (ALL my fault...I do things with fly rods they were never intended to do!) With my 11wt, I've swung fish onto docks, wrestled all manner of creatures, and cast flies that you could throw on conventional outfits. I've locked the spool with my hands and leaned deeply on both the 9 and 11 wt to stop aquatic freight trains and while I've busted 20# fluor doing this, I've not yet busted either Trident putting pressure on fish that would have me worrying about my rigged eel stick! These rods seem extremely strong, extremely light, and very reliable. My only complaint on the 11 wt is the guides seem to just come free! I've had two of them slide free this spring so far....I lost one of them frown.gif I'm sure Orvis would re-do the whole rod if I could just pry it outta my hands long enough to let them have it back...not something I'm inclined to do till I'm strictly using one of the 9 wts...and I don't see this happening too soon! You think anyone would notice if I just put black electrical tape on an Orvis rod to hold the guides on? redface.gifeek.gifredface.gif

 

TimS - Crash Test Dummy for fishing gear

Show someone how to catch striped bass and they'll be ready to fish anywhere.
Show someone where to go striped bass fishing and you'll have a desperate report chaser with loose lips.

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