They don't do well when slammed in car doors. I found that out on Saturday.

I have (had) a Redstart 5 weight for the past five years or so. I was fine with it for trout, but whenever I would cast it in larger rivers (like the Skagit) or in the salt I felt that it didn't have the power to give me the necessary distance. It may very well be that i'm just a poor caster. I do think it had to do with the rod though.

It was my first rod though, so I don't have anything to compare the Redington to. I'll have a more informed opinion once i've purhased a new rod and used it for a while.

 

I have 3 wayfarer 5 piece rods - 5, 8 and 10. Very satisfied with the price/quality point. I broke the 10 weight before a Mexico trip - had a replacement in 24 hours. Also a red.start 4 piece 8 wt as backup (got a great deal on it...)

Happy with the action on the wayfarers even with 5 pieces- but I'm not on the water as much as others nor have I tested other high end rods - could not even think about the $ for a Sage or equiv. rod when I was in the market for a travel rod - so I stayed away from them!

Have the 7/8 LA reel (no longer made) - very happy with it as well - smooth and well built, handle is very comfortable to reel compared to my Ross Cimmaron, good drag, has resisted salt corrosion well, finish has lasted well to date.

Hear good things about Temple fork if price is an issue.

Jim

 

Poll -- Opinion of Redington Rods & Reels

Do not own a redington rod (do own GD reel which seems to be good so far)...I have cast tested their 8-weight and found it to be very smooth and nice feel. I have debated buying one next time in market.......especially when REI has sales. You might be able to get 25% off. I remember reading a article in one of the fly-fishing magazines about how a bunch of people (experts?) tested out several 8-weights from all the major manufactures (St. Croix, TT, Scott, Winston...etc.) The wayfarer came second only to Orvis T3 Rod for casting accuracy and shooting distance (the only two tests) There was Redington sitting at 195.00 with a bunch of 500.00 plus rods below it. Although I must admit I don't remember Sage being in the test. The only thing that bothers me is that sticker on the bottom of the rod that says "MADE IN CHINA". I hear good things about Temple Fork and also another rod hot of late is Heritage. I own St. Croix, Winston, and Marryat (Marryat is another story)

 

I have seen a lot of Reddington rods with problems in the past four years. Breaking and bad ferrules are first in mind. I guided a few hundred people the past few years and the reddington rods don't seem to do so well in my history. I can say that most of the major rod makers have had times of problems with production and erors that remained undetected till the rods were stressed in use etc. So it takes many years and a few different models to say for sure. One or two models, from one or two years, is not a large enough sample set for comparison. Just from my own observations I have seen many Reddingtons with problems.

 

Poll -- Opinion of Redington Rods & Reels

Ceviche gets on his bully pulpit again! Forget Reddington rods! Go with Temple Fork Outfitters. Even Red's on the Yakima River uses them as rental rods. You get the most bang for the bucks. Even Lefty Kreh now puts his endorsement on TFO. I just picked up a 4-piece 4wt and it casts like a dream. Order them online and pay no sales tax or shipping (only because no Puget Sound region fly shop sells them yet, outside of Port Townsend and Port Angeles). What a deal!

 

Poll -- Opinion of Redington Rods & Reels

I have a RS2 9/10 absolutely love it. It has helped land some very nice fish. I like the drag, and have had Zero problems with it. Matter of fact, if I could still find the RS2 5/6 on Ebay for $50 I would have bought 2 of those as well. I love the reel and for the price (buy it on Ebay) you can't go wrong.

josh

 

Poll -- Opinion of Redington Rods & Reels

I was looking at those rods but was unsure of the reel seat on them....saltwater model is advertised in writing with anodized aluminum seat but all graphics for every rod show plastic(graphite)....what kinda reel seat does your 4-weight have?

 

Poll -- Opinion of Redington Rods & Reels

Dealt with a lot of Reddington reels both while working in a fly shop in London and guiding up in Alaska - generally wasn't to impressed with them - the AL model.
Plastic bearing housing and over complicated drag that was prone to seizing. They would always replace them, but it doesn't matter if you have lost a fish as a result.
Had a client fishing the Dean for steelhead, hooked a horse, then the handle fell off so he jammed a stick in so he had something to wind with, then the reel broke off the foot, and proceeded to damage the stripper guide.
He also lost the top 12 inches of his Sage.
Eventually landed the fish, but almost threw the reel at me when he got back to the shop in London.
The rods?, really only cast the Wayfarer in various sizes and they cast beautifully, never fished one tho

 

I own two rs2 7/8 reels and have had no problems with either one. They were fished fairly hard this last winter and held up with no problems at all....love the drag, even compared to my more expensive reels like the Bauer and my Odyssey by Orvis.

I have a 9ft 8wt redington freshwater series (I think thats the model)...it was discontinued a few years back and its just ok. It is not as sensitive as id like for steelheading and its a little clunky to cast the bigger bugs. I think it would be a good rod for someone elses casting abilities, but since my abilities are next to nothing, it isnt the best for me :dunno :+ .

Anyways im overall happy with their products and wouldnt hesitate to buy from redington.

~Patrick ><>

 

I had a friend who owned a 7 weight Wayfarer and so I had the opportunity to cast it quite a bit. I thought that the tip section seemed wimpy and that the rod didn't deliver the power that I thought that it should. In addition, the handle made a weird squishy noise whenver the rod was being cast. His rod was poorly built.

I should also mention that I also don't care for the Sage RPLXI as I think it has the same general action as above and the Sage is an expensive rod. I think this has been the only rod that I didn't care for that Sage manufactured.

I don't recall exactly what the Wayfarer goes for but it seems like it was around $200.00 or less. In that general ballpark, I think the best rod going is the Ibis series from Winston at $300.00. The Ibis is a fast action rod, it's smooth, and it's powerful. It's the kind of rod that you'd always keep in your arsenal. I've often seen people purchase inexpensive rods only to turn around and immediately trade up as their casting improves and/or as they become better able to determine which rod actions work best for them.

All things considered, don't buy the rod because of the brand. Buy it because it is a rod that feels good and casts well for you.

 

Skinny's right on the 'don't buy for the brand' bit...
I see some people in here saying they had a Redstart and some people saying they had a saltwater series etc. etc.

TOTALLY different rods (and levels of quality) are represented. Apples and oranges, really. Which one's are you looking at to buy?

I've got a 8'6" 5wt Legend Ultra 4 peice that I love! I bought it for $30 with a broken tip, sent it back to Redington and in a week I had a brand-new rod for $30 plus $15 for shipping.

I've also got a 3pc 9' 8wt Legend ultra that has handled steelhead very well and held up wonderfully so far but I got it March.

As for reels, I've got a 3/4 AS (which I'd kill to get another spare spool for but they're discontinued (any leads are appreciated) and I've got an RS2 8wt for the steelhead setup. Both of them are great and I'm particularly impressed with the RS2 being that it was supposed to be a step below the AS series when they were concurrent yet it feels just as smooth if not smoother. Both have killer drags considering their price point.

 

Poll -- Opinion of Redington Rods & Reels

I have never fished a Redington rod but my family owns several reels.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM AT ALL. We have had lots of problems with the drags on these reels, from binding up to just free spooling. I also didnt like the customer service when we tried to send them back... they repaired what they said was wrong but we have still had the same problems. We dont use these reels for the big fish any more.

AL- 7/8s and one 9/10

 

I have a 5 piece, 5 weight Redington Wayfarer that I'm currently waiting to be repaired from Redington.......for the 2nd time. Other than that rod, I've never EVER broken a rod, but its now in the shop for the 2nd time. My fault on both breaks.

I really like the action (medium-fast). I'm not a fan of true fast action rods and the Wayfarer seems to have a good mix (for me) of presentation and action.

My Redington came from eBay for, I think, $130 brand new. I'm not sure I'd pay full price for it. Like someone else said, the Winston Ibis is far superior for not a whole lot more money.

 

I have three Wayfarer rods: 4wt., 5wt. and 8wt. Great travel rods. I think they cast beautifully. Caught my first two bonefish on the 8wt. this past January. I probably don't fish as much as some of the guys on this board, but I haven't had any problems thus far durability-wise.

 

Poll -- Opinion of Redington Rods &amp; Reels

My 4wt is of TFO's "Affordable" IM6 model line. It has the graphite/plastic reel seat that all their IM6 rods seem to have. I also have one of their 4-piece 8wt rods I bought in Baltimore. This one has the anodized aluminum reel seat you are talking about. It is a saltwater model.

If you ever are driving the Yakima and going past Red's, stop in and checkout the TFO's they're renting there. These are the faster action Western Series. These have the woven graphite reel seat. I think this rod should give you an idea of the "middle level" of performance and cost that TFO offers. If there is one word I can use to describe the TFO rods that I have, it is "responsive"--to the demands you place on the rod and in sensitivity. If you like the rod, try asking the people at Red's if they might sell it to you used at a discount. Otherwise you might get stuck buying online (try www.worldwaters.com out of Bend, Oregon).

 

Poll -- Opinion of Redington Rods & Reels

I have a Redstart 7'6" 4wt that I love. I replaced the reel seat with a better one, but that's mostly for looks. The rod casts a nice line, but it is short for my canoe and float tube, and my 9' is better for bigger rivers, so I don't fish it much, but only due to its length. It is one workhorse of a rod. :thumb