slip n slide Posted March 25 Report Share Posted March 25 Disinclined to get a new hammer to drive the same old nails,same w/ rods.Getting a new rod (or tool) for filling a new niche is another thing...hence the new NFC/Loomis I got for steelhead. My fav "local" rod is a Sage RPL from the 90's. mro, theshadow and KidDkivahh 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishstu Posted March 25 Report Share Posted March 25 For saltwater I have Loomis Crosscurrent GLX 4 pc rods since they came out and have been very happy with them. They are very tough, the guides and reel seats have no corrosion after years of saltwater use. So I think that rod, now longer made, is good value used. FYI (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.) I agree with that statement - over the years I have switched over to Danielsson reels for saltwater - I have a Loop marketed Danielsson for 15 years ? that apart from surface scratches still looks and works like new. Danielson sell their reels to the public directly from their web site at wholesale prices (no marketing / dealer mark up.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWitek Posted March 25 Report Share Posted March 25 My theory on gear is simple: What problem am I trying to solve that I can't solve with what I already own? If the answer is "There is no such problem," then there is no need to purchase anything new. Suave, KidDkivahh, slip n slide and 2 others 5 "I have always believed that outdoor writers who come out against fish and wildlife conservation are in the wrong business. To me, it makes as much sense golf writers coming out against grass.." -- Ted Williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltfisherman Posted March 25 Report Share Posted March 25 2 hours ago, slip n slide said: Disinclined to get a new hammer to drive the same old nails,same w/ rods.Getting a new rod (or tool) for filling a new niche is another thing...hence the new NFC/Loomis I got for steelhead. My fav "local" rod is a Sage RPL from the 90's. I’m with you, my favorite rods are sage rpl+. I have a few and also Winston 5 piece, these too are older models. I won’t get rid of either. Todays fast rods don’t suit me at all. Too light and too stiff. If I can’t feel that rod load in my hand I want nothing to do with them. theshadow and Mass Trout 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slip n slide Posted March 25 Report Share Posted March 25 40 mins ago, saltfisherman said: I’m with you, my favorite rods are sage rpl+. I have a few and also Winston 5 piece, these too are older models. I won’t get rid of either. Todays fast rods don’t suit me at all. Too light and too stiff. If I can’t feel that rod load in my hand I want nothing to do with them. stiff rods promote tendonitis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killiefish Posted March 25 Report Share Posted March 25 Although I like having a number of rods, I think the best approach is the one that CWitek above states. Also, I encourage you to buy used. I enjoy many of the rods I purchased used as much or more than the ones I bought new. Maybe I have low expectations but I feel no need to "upgrade" anymore. I've filled gaps in my line up mostly with older model rods that are lightly used but have become my new favorite rods. In other words, I'll gladly take the other side of the constant "upgrade" cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27conch Posted March 25 Report Share Posted March 25 I have been fishing the same two fly rods for over 30 years now. Sage 10wt RPLX and a T&T Horizon 10wt.. I never saw a reason to upgrade as I like the way these fish, and I for one am not spending $800+ on a new fly rod. Only newer rod I own is a Colton 8wt. It is the same color as my Sage. If there were no logos on it you would think you were throwing a RPLX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btpeck14 Posted March 25 Report Share Posted March 25 It's interesting that the rods being listed as ones that will just continue to be fished and not replaced are not the mid-priced rods of their time. Sage RPLX, T&T Horizon, G Loomis GLX...these were the high-end, high-priced offerings. To compare apples-to-apples, the Echo EPR is not comparable. Today's high-end rods are really good. Are they worth $1k+? That's up to the buyer. I own a T&T Horizon and a T&T Sextant. The Sextant is a better rod. Both will absolutely catch fish, but in my opinion head-to-head the Sextant provides more performance and I'll pick that over the Horizon as I simply enjoy casting it more. I think I spent around $500 for the Horizon as I bought it new. I picked up the Sextant used for $650. Not a big difference. And if I keep it for 20 years, it's only a few extra $ per year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeFlyGuy Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 What has changed a lot in the last 10 years is the cost and timeliness of warranty replacement in the event you break a rod. Not all rod manufacturers are the same. That may not be a significant factor for many people but something you may want to consider along with casting dynamics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander1 Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 I'd say give yourself a few outings so you can determine what is lacking and what is needed. Sometimes you'll be trying to fix issues that don't even exist, or that your current equipment is adequate for. Its a long year, your moneys good until you spend it, first figure out what you need. CWitek 1 "Thats as big as a fish that size gets" - Russ WilsonRIP JM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightyrime Posted March 26 Author Report Share Posted March 26 thanks for all the comments!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasA Posted March 26 Report Share Posted March 26 Yeah my go to rods are an 8wt rplx and a 10wt rpl+ I inherited from my dad. Both rods do anything I could expect of them and more. The rpl+ is a bit faster and has a different taper from the rpl and rplx, but the rpl+ will punch through head wind like it’s not even blowing that 10wt has caught everything from a searobin to a 125lb tarpon, it’s been broken twice, **** in car doors, banged around in the boat in the trip over to the vineyard, and the airline workers even managed to run it over once on the way to Florida and it keeps on ticking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyrad10 Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 ElisaA how did you fix the broken rods? That could be a new thread in itself. Here is my upgrade sequence but my fishing success got worse: Fenwick glass 10 wt - Pflueger 1498 > Deerfield Side by Side Power Pak 7,8,9,10 - Martin 77s, TFO Axiom II 10 wt - Lamson Guru. Listen to Killiefish he is the guru of used gear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhorsley Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 I am fortunate enough to fish the latest rods from Sage. To me there is a big change in in recent years --they are lighter and stronger and have more feel. The Salt R8 is so different from the Salt HD. We loved our Salt HDs but the Salt R8 are lighter faster action but don't feel faster. I have several Sage Mavericks 9 wt on my boat. I believe the taper is from the old Xi3 but with more modern materials. It's s a very good rod for the money. we have several old Z Axis 6 wts, a single hand 10' and a two hand 12'3". They were coveted by our guides in Alaska. Bottom line if you like your rod fish it --there are lots of good choices for any caster. Just my slanted option as we Ambassadors FarBank Brian Horsley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridgebackpilot Posted March 28 Report Share Posted March 28 (edited) My apologies: Apparently my initial post violated Forum rules! Here's another try: My usual practice when upgrading or making any new purchase is to pay no more than 50 percent of retail prices for fly fishing gear. That's why I shop on eBay and the classified sections of various forums. In my experience, upgrading is perfectly possible using this approach. It just means that you probably won't be fishing with the latest and greatest gear, which often costs thousands of dollars (e.g., the Sage R8 Salt, which retails for $1.1K). The current context for me is that I'm planning a trip to Baja in June to pursue Roosterfish, and looking for a new 10 wt rod. Last year, I used my Sage Xi3 12 wt to catch the fish pictured below, but it felt too heavy and stiff for the purpose. I also brought my Winston 9 wt and it felt too light. Hence my search for a 10 wt. Per my upgrade policy, I'm considering Sage Xi3, Maverick, Salt HD, or similar rod. Any advice from Forum members who may have experience with Roosterfish and/or these rods? I've heard good things about the Beulah Opal single-handed rod, which apparently was developed specifically for this fishery. Thanks in advance for your advice and counsel! Edited March 28 by ridgebackpilot We do not allow soliciting, buying or selling outside the Buy/Sell/Trade forums here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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