Travel fly rod advice?

[Kaari Dahl]

Hello everyone!!
I hope you all can help me buy my first travel fly rod- something between 4-7 pieces- for hike in trout fishing. I'm thinking something in the 4 or 5 weight range, 8-9 feet long. I'll use it occassionally, but the most use it will have is when I go to BC this summer for some lake fishing near Little Fort(mostly using sinking line).
I have NO experience with fly rods with more than 2 pieces. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I saw a good review in a magazine for the Cabela's Stowaway 5 piece... Is it worth the money to buy one from Loomis/sage, etc? What should I expect in performance vs. a 2 piece?
Thanks,
Kaari

[hikepat]

I have been using the Cabelas 6wt 5 piece rod for about a year and a half now. The rod is a very good peice of fast action equipment that is very easy to cast. I have not been as happy with the reel that came with it. The Drake reel has had to be sent in for replacement once, had a new part sent to me once and the extra spool that I use the sink tip line on is very hard to lock into place. The floating spool locks in fine. The rod is a very good investment, I would look at other brands for the reel.

[chief]

If you can afford a Sage or other high end rod they are definitely better, but the Stowaway rods are a pretty good value. I picked up a 7 piece 8wt that I used recently for bonefish. I would say the action is more of a medium action than a fast action, but it casts pretty well for a $100 rod. Whatever rod you go with, I would get a five weight for the BC lakes.

[o mykiss]

I have the Sage SP 589. I think it is a great rod, although I kind of wish I had something a little lighter weight because it is a tad heavy for trout fishing around here. If I had it to do all over again, I'd probably buy a 4 weight. I honestly can't sense any sacrifice in performance over a two or three piece, but I may not be a very good judge. Sage discontinued the SP last year, but you can find really good deals on the web. I've seen lots of them recently, though can't remember if there were many 5 piece rods available. You might try anglerspro.com - that's where I remember seeing lots of SP stock left.

[Bradb]

My only rod right now is St. Croix Avid 8 and a half foot 4 weight 4 piece. I am not a very good judge of rod actions and all of that, but I do know that I used a Sage DS2 to fish on the Yakima with, and it did not feel as good as my St. Croix. I take this rod with me to many hike in lakes, and it fits under my packs compression straps perfectly. My next rod is going to be an Avid 6 weight 4 piece. For the money, they are a very good rod.

[Philster]

For hiking in you may not want a multi-piece. A two piece rod in an aluminum case makes a pretty good walking stick... Seriously, unless you are taking it on a plane, it isn't necessary to spend the coin. If you are sure you want a multipiece, any of the rods from redington, or st croix are good. Pick a price range you are comfortable with and get a 5 or 6 weight. It will cast better than you can. Heck, it'll cast better than anyone I know can, including me :AA

[Kaari Dahl]

I tried using my 2, 2 piece rods last year...It was a pain in the butt to cross streams and climb muddy hills with a rod tube in my hand. I'm not the most cordinated person in the whole world, I need all the help I can get! :TONGUE
I think I'm going to order the Cabela's 8'6" 5 weight, 5-pc. and try it out on the lawn. If I don't like it, I'll order a more expensive rod. After all, It'll just be a back-up other than for one or two trips a year.
Thanks guys!! =)

[KerryS]

I have seen a rod tube that doubles as a walking stick. I think I saw it at the fly shop in Olympia. Anyway, if you could find one it might be a good alternative to buying a whole new rod.

[Chris Scoones]

Is this it KerryS? - [link:www.wolfcreekflyfishing.com|Wolf Creek Wading Staff]

[lawsond]

Any advice for traveller from England on keeping my Loomis safe and in the original two pieces coming to fish WA/OR in mid June?

[mr trout]

Hi, I recently tried a redington wayfarer 5 piece at the yakima sportsmans show and to tell you the truth, with the new ferrule systems the rods have now, it had smoother action than most two piece rods I have casted.The price wont knock most people out of the game, It runs about $195. Plus it doesnt take up nearly as much room, has a lifetime unconditional warranty, and comes with a sack and rod tube (only disadvantage is that there is no place for reel storage, so you will have to use some other case for the reels)My money is now being saved up for the 4 wt. and soon it will be in my hands....I hope.

[Kaari Dahl]

Thank you for the advice. I just bought a Redington Wayfarer 9', 5wieght off of eBay for $153. WOO HOO!

[Vic_sea]

I have seen a rod tube that doubles as a walking stick. I think I saw it at the fly shop in Olympia. Anyway, if you could find one it might be a good alternative to buying a whole new rod.

Seriously speaking, hard rod tube helps a lot when climbing thru rocky terrain. I used it like a "walking stick" when hiking to Alpine lake wilderness area

[oldfish]

Without question, consider buying a March Brown travel rod. I don't want to sound like a commercial but I do a lot of traveling and I own a lot of travel rods... last time I checked there were 32 in my closet. they offer 4 different types- my favorite are the hidden water travel series. absolutely the farthest your dollar will go in terms of beauty and performance. I've casted most rods out there (and own several from every manufactuer) and they're the absolutely the best on the market. just check out www.marchbrown.com and you'll be happy you did.

[Mike Danahy]

My first rod was a two piece 6 wt. I used the tube as a walking stick on many a backpacking trip, wasn't really a problem. Plus I could wack my buddy upside the head with it when he started singing.