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I need an 8' 4wt rod

950 views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  Kent Lufkin 
#1 ·
I'm looking for primarily a dry fly rod that will mate up with my new reel and cast a Cortland 444 Peach 4wt DT line. Am hoping that one of you guys or gals has a rod that fills the bill and is no longer getting the love it deserves. A 2 piece rod would be my preference and I'm thinking with so many folks jumping on the 4 pc bandwagon perhaps there is a sweet casting 2 pc out there just gathering dust somewhere. I don't want to pay hundreds, otherwise I would just order a new one.

Whaddaya got?
 
#6 ·
I have a Echo Carbon 9' 6wt and I don't really like the feel of it. It doesn't have a very soft tip. I know that might change with a 4wt and a shorter stick but I am just telling you on what I have and giving you my .02$
 
#5 ·
I have a Scott SAS 8 foot, four weight, two pieces, medium-fast action, in its Scott tube, excellent condition. It casts very well, but for me it's a niche rod that's better filled with other rods, so it's getting no use. $130 delivered.
 
#13 ·
I picked up the CT 8'6" 3wt. a month or two ago and used it on a favorite lake yesterday for the first time. Sweet. Very sweet for $79!! Can't go wrong if you can now find one. I'm wondering if I'll ever buy a high end rod again, but probably so. It's amazing what a beginner fly fisherman can purchase out there to get started. This old duffer is impressed for $79.
 
#14 ·
Larry, a number of $100-$150 rods nowadays cast as well or better than $400 rods did 15 years ago when $400 was an astronomical amount to pay. Now $400 is midrange and you don't get that much more than in a $150 rod. A lot of it is in what you want to be 'seen' with. It's kinda like new pickups. You can buy a 4wd pickup well equipped for under $28,000 or you can buy the same truck with the same engine and drivetrain but with $27,000 of options for around 55K.

Fortunately there is something for everyone out there. Seriously big buck rods for guys with real money. High end rods for the posers who wish they had real money and are willing to charge anything to make it appear as they do. And modestly priced stuff that performs well but doesn't require monthly payments to own. I've found my niche and my bank account is happy for it.

Ive
 
#15 ·
Since balance seems to be an issue with your lightweight new reel, you might look for a rod with a downlocking reel seat. Moving the center of mass further back from the pivot point will help improve balance.

As an alternative, you could simply learn to live with a rod/reel combination that balances ahead of the winding check (lots of bamboo rod owners fish like that every day.)

Or you could simply recognize that lighter isn't always better and sell your new reel in favor of a heavier one. The simple reason that so many bamboo rod fishers favor older reels isn't so much because of some anachronistic yen for old gear, as it is a recognition that older reels are also heavier which means they balance solid rods.

K
 
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