To upgrade or not to upgrade?

[mightyrime]

Fishing has taken a back seat for the past few years for me, but i am going to try and fish more this year.  All my rods and reels are maybe 4 or 5 years old and of the "mid priced".  Basically I have Echo EPRs, Orvis Recon V1, hardy proaxis.

 

They always worked fine in the past.  And i Have been yard casting and they work fine.  My only gripe is that the EPR tips can break easy.

 

I am not looking to buy $1k rods.  

 

But curious about the mid priced stuff...  is there any real difference?

 

Has anyone upgraded their rod recently and really noticed a big difference?  

 

Yes its fun to buy new stuff... but is it really needed?   

 

I am a better than average caster and can hit a target at 55' on the money maybe 50% and get it within 24" 100% which is usually enough to catch fish.

 

I can throw maybe 80' with limited accuracy.

 

As i type this i am thinking its all archer and not much arrow.

 

Anyways anyone have a eureka gear purchase?

 

[changed]

I'd say something like the T&T Zone at the midpriced range is going to feel much more premium than any Echo, and not cost terribly much more. But the action of the rod is the most important thing. I've picked up +$1k rods and I couldn't cast it for ****, but a $200 TFO happens to hit some sweet spot.

 

Best thing to do is go to a fly shop that'll let you cast rods and try out a few in your price range.

[puppet]

34 mins ago, mightyrime said:

As i type this i am thinking its all archer and not much arrow.

 

Exactly.  so much about fishing has little to do with equipment.

 

Really nothing has changed in 5 years unless you want to believe some marketing scheme.

 

Save your time and money, and spend it driving to some good fishing spots.

 

Welcome back, the fish will be where you left them.

[KironaFly]

8 mins ago, mightyrime said:

Fishing has taken a back seat for the past few years for me, but i am going to try and fish more this year.  All my rods and reels are maybe 4 or 5 years old and of the "mid priced".  Basically I have Echo EPRs, Orvis Recon V1, hardy proaxis.

 

They always worked fine in the past.  And i Have been yard casting and they work fine.  My only gripe is that the EPR tips can break easy.

 

I am not looking to buy $1k rods.  

 

But curious about the mid priced stuff...  is there any real difference?

 

Has anyone upgraded their rod recently and really noticed a big difference?  

 

Yes its fun to buy new stuff... but is it really needed?   

 

I am a better than average caster and can hit a target at 55' on the money maybe 50% and get it within 24" 100% which is usually enough to catch fish.

 

I can throw maybe 80' with limited accuracy.

 

As i type this i am thinking its all archer and not much arrow.

 

Anyways anyone have a eureka gear purchase?

 

Where I'm at these days ... after chasing cool stuff & the hot new thing for years ... is to pare down. When (and it's becoming a rare exception) to buy another fly rod and / or reel I look for value / bargains. Particularly if I know a brand / type of fly rod ... e.g. I'll know how it throws with me as a caster.

 

So what does that mean?  I've picked up a G Loomis IMX 9' 9wt. 2pc rod a couple of years ago for about $200 bucks. Back in the day it was a $450 fly rod. Probably the best all around casting 9wt I've ever used (their 2pc rods were known for this). Or a Sage RPL+ 9ft 2pc 7wt. @ $210 ... or an LL Bean Orion 9ft 4pc 8wt (last build by Gary Loomis) @ $200. or a T&T Horizon Salt 9ft 9wt 4pc (really a 10wt fly rod) @ $325 ... one of the best saltwater fly rods ever made.

 

The list goes on. Right now if I wanted new ... I'd probably would be getting to know the TFO rods better ... or more recently Hardy Fly rods on sale. And because I would have confidence in the design taper per my druthers ... I'd look at a custom build of a North Fork Outfitters rod (Gary Loomis again).

 

In the reel department ... for brand new off the shelf .... I'm really re-impressed with the Danielsson fly reels. The most bang for the buck new fly reel in the whole inter-netted world.

 

Below is a "new join" primo set up (IMHO), that is perfectly balanced in hand and is basically new. It rockets RIO Quickshooter XP WFI 8wt fly line. With 200 meters of 65lbs test silky smooth Hatch GSP backing ($50) ... this set up as pictured is under $500. About $440 without fly line. The RIO fly line takes the total fishable set up to $500. A delightful marriage of old & new.

 

[btpeck14]

Has geared changed that much?  No, probably not.  But it sounds like you have a legitimate reason for looking at some new gear - your experience with the Echo tips breaking.  In the realm of mid-priced rods, I would throw a plug in for the TFO Axiom 2x.  It's an awesome rod at any price.  For me at least, it just fits my casting style.  I tend to grab it over my T&T on a regular basis.  I've not had any breakage issues, and I've never used it, but the TFO warranty is supposed to be really good.  The Axiom 2x is a fast rod.  If you're into a more moderate action, the Mangrove Coast is worth checking out too. Both definitely should be on the list for a test cast.

[JRT]

You'll struggle to notice a huge leap in performance from a v1 Recon to another mispriced rod as far as I'm concerned. The Zephrus and Zane Pro are notably lighter than the Proaxis and have crisper action in my hands. I'm sure that there are plenty of nice rods about, but I would stick with what you have unless you fancy a change. Especially as mispriced is now $650!

Edited March 24 by JRT

[Mr T]

fwiw, i say no-      mid price gear these days is a fine rod and if you can hit the spots you are now with what you have, I don't know if you can get much better spending a lot more.   If you want better, take casting lessons.  But it doesn't sound like you need to do that- 

 

mebbe a good (really good) bourbon will help- you'll spend less and it's not without merit...   

[stormy monday]

I've had a great few months fishing searun browns on a 5 weight IM6 I built in 1989. My other rods are all built on under $100 blanks. I can hit a target from 80' probably over 85 percent of the time with my 7 or 8 weight, so I see no functional need to upgrade. But there is an intangible to new gear isn't there? For me I scratch that itch with guitars, mandolins and amps, which I also don't really need, but it does put you back into the honeymoon stage if you can afford it.

[JCH]

I say splurge.  What gives you more joy than fishing?  It's not all about performance, it's about what makes you happy.

 

Also, not everybody knows this, but the more you spend on gear, the better fisherman you are. 

 

Incidentally, I am the best fisherman in the world.

[Hook I]

I think if you relinquish what’s  behind you then it’s all good for an upgrade . Not easy to do , I have a pair of Tony Lama boots over 40 years . 

[surfflyguy]

I’d say if you’re going to upgrade get a top tier rod. It seems like you are a great caster with what you already have so no need to reinvent the wheel. 

[snapper1]

4 hours ago, stormy monday said:

I've had a great few months fishing searun browns on a 5 weight IM6 I built in 1989. My other rods are all built on under $100 blanks. I can hit a target from 80' probably over 85 percent of the time with my 7 or 8 weight, so I see no functional need to upgrade. But there is an intangible to new gear isn't there? For me I scratch that itch with guitars, mandolins and amps...

Awesome.

[poopdeck]

9 hours ago, mightyrime said:

All my rods and reels are maybe 4 or 5 years old and of the "mid priced".  Basically I have Echo EPRs, Orvis Recon V1, hardy proaxis.

I’m a little different from your average angler. All of these rods are exceptionally high dollar rods to me. My goal was always  financial independence. spending money that didn’t need to be spent would only delay my goal of independence.  I bought the 89 dollar combo and when I snapped it in half in a car door I fixed it myself and continue to fish with it. It casts just fine, it catches just fine and I like it. I feel no need to replace or “upgrade” it simply because it only cost 89 bucks and there are more expensive rods out there. I still fish and enjoy fishing what many would consider a junk rod. It’s obtained old friend status and nothing out there can replace an old friend. I don’t understand the term “upgrade”when an upgrade isn’t actually an upgrade. I have other rods but I generally stick to the classic trout and TFO rods. 

 

Although I enjoy fishing and I am passionate about fly fishing, a fly rod just doesn’t carry any significance in my life outside the memories created and the enjoyment derived from the actual fishing. The actual rod itself is near meaningless in that process. 
 

if you like your rods and your happy with them, fish them and enjoy the actual process of fishing and leave the love of the gear to the gear junkies. Nothing wrong with being a gear junkie, I’m just pointing out we are not all gear junkies.

[KidDkivahh]

Hmmm FWIW I fish the same 5 weight I got in 73 .

[JEFFSOD]

Sometimes new gear inspires one to get out and fish more even if it is new to you used gear. Ultimately only you can decide if it is worth it.If budget is an issue it might be worth seeing if any shops out your way offer lightly used second hand gear.

 

Some higher end rods have faster actions versus the lower priced entry level rods that are geared towards beginners.One thing you will find on the more expensive rods is higher quality components like better quality reel seats and cork.

Edited March 25 by JEFFSOD