# equipment pickle



## jhrules8 (Apr 14, 2009)

I am in a pickle with my fly fishing equipment. I started fly fishing a year ago and i have been hooked since(seems like im not the only one). I got a Reddington crosswater outfit.I is a 9ft6inch seven weight rod. Since then i purchased a vest, nice waders, small vice, and other accessories. however the pickle that i am in is over a new rod. I am wondering if it would be a good idea to buy a new fly rod and reel(recommendations please) now or buy a Renzetti vise or buy a small trout fly rod. I fish for steelhead the most but I do go trout fishing sometimes and hope to go the PA for some brookies. If i get a new steelhead rod i am looking to spend around 300 for rod and reel. The renzetti vise would be around 180 and i was think about 100 for a trout fly rod........I dont know if it would be worth getting a new steelhead rod because I have only used the rod i have for a year.......i am look for advice from the flyfishermen who already went through buying all the fly equipment. Thanks a lot!!!!!


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Get a good 5 or 6 weight and go slightly overgunned for trout and undergunned for steel IMO. Fishing without quite enough rod is a lot of fun, in my humble opinion. I love giant fish on my 5 wt!

That being said, the crosswater is an OK rod but I wore mine out in a big hurry, and exceeded its capability just as fast. in February I got a TFO pro series 4 piece 9' 5 wt, with a sage 1650 reel. you could go with a different (and better) reel for not too much more money, but I wholly recommend the sharkskin line! It loads that rod so well, and shoots like a cannon.

Also, I recommend a regal vise over a renzetti, but only because I don't like fiddly jaw adjustments and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't need true rotary for anything. If you can settle on not wanting rotary, or rather not so much caring about rotary, the regal is a little cheaper and a lot stronger IMO.

Back to rods! I love my 5 wt, but the 4 wt st croix legend ultra is an awesome rod too. Both are a ton of fun to cast and fish, and other than the sharkskin cutting bloody holes in me (get a stripping guard, seriously) it's been a blast. I'm so addicted, and I want more rods. 

To put it bluntly: Since I got a new rig, I can pretty much cast 20 ft further and 5x as accurately. Get the new rod. You can tie fine on the vise you have, I bet.


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## mhcarl1965 (Jan 24, 2008)

I have owned a Renzetti Traveler (rotary) w/ pedistal bace for 17 years now. ($150 in 1992). I dont know how many thousands of yarn flies and nymphs I have tied this vice??? Still works GREAT, and never have thought to buy a different one, which is amazing, as I am *always *searching for the next best thing! I live in the OGF Marketplace and Craigslist. Thought I'd throw that out there. Mike

Oh- 5 weights are a blast, if you know what you are doing!


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## jhrules8 (Apr 14, 2009)

thanks for the reply, I am doing fine with the standard vise i have now. I have never actually used a rotary vise but i have just heard good things and bad things.so i think its guna be a rod

about the 5 or 6 weight for steelhead. Little bit nervous about that. I am not the best at landing fish. i still need to get the feel of steelhead. Would a five or six weight make me loose more fish? I am all for killing two birds with one stone by getting a good steelhead rod that would also be good for trout.
do you think i should wear out my crosswater before getting a better flyrod?
What length do you suggest also?


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

why get another steelhead rod if your works good?? get a three forks cabelas 5 or 6wt combo for $80 bux for your trout rod then get your vise and some materials with the money u got left and you will have a 2 for 1 deal!!!! no need to waste $300 on a rod especially for smaller fish or trout. my cousins have the three forks 8 wt for steelheads and they work great so the 5 or 6wt or even 3 wt would be killer for smaller trout.


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## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

I'm partial to my Renzetti traveler. The rotary is nice and its jaws can handle a large range of hook sizes. The regal is also very nice, but it has a tendancy to shoot hooks (the pinching watermellon seed effect). The regal spring loaded vise is great for speedy production tying.

From a rod standpoint, I'm not one to ask, since I have no self-control when it comes to buying new fishing gear. I really like going steelheading with my six-weight...it actually helps to protect a lighter tippet and and you can still turn the fish effectively by applying pressure to the sides based on the direction the fish is running. I have no problem landing large fish with the 6 wt, and in most conditions, the tippet is the determining factor in how quickly you can horse the fish in. I agree with Clayton- choose a good real that has low start-up inertia since the steelhead can give you very strong runs initially and you'll need a smooth reel to pay-out drag. You can also use a 6 for a variety of different purposes- makes a great rod for streamer and nymphing the mad river and other mid-sized trout streams- makes a nice warmwater rig for carp and smallmouth as well. It should be able to handle most fly-fishing situations in Ohio short of chasing muskie. You can't build house with a hammer alone, but a 6 will cover a broad spectrum of applications around here. If you get the disease as badly as I did, you'll soon also have a 2 wt, 4 wt, two 6 wts, two 8 wts, and a 10 wt with respective reels and line. Tight lines!


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

I have the disease bad!! I have a 3wt bitch creek prowler combo, 5wt tfo pro /w orvis rocky mountain turbine reel, 5/6 wt martin $20 dollar combo, 7wt custom matrix /w orvis battenkill mid arbor IV and 8wt cabelas combo/w prestige plus reel.. I like all of them equally for there own situations.. I also stand by the fact that cabelas combos are worth every penny if u r on a budget even tho the three forks combos are just only $80 bux for the rod, line, and reel. I have caught many many steelhead on these cabelas rods. even tho its now my back up, nothing is wrong with still after 2 or 3 years. I just use my custom rod more now but still use the 8wt cabelas when its icy conditions and guides ice up. .


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

If you plan on fishing small streams then get nothing bigger than a 3wt! I use my Echo 2wt for almost all my trout fishing now and consider a 4wt top end. I dont even own a 5wt unless you live out west. Keep the using the vise you got cause I know of a few having used the same cheap vise for a long time with no problem. Your vise doesn't have to be pretty nor top end since it will not catch the fish for you. A 5 or 6wt for steelhead sure but only if you have the knack for fighting them correctly or planning on keeping them but leave those to more experienced fly rodders. Your 7 wt is perfect all across the board fishing! Best thing to do is just use it not pay attention to all the gear hypes which is hard to do anyways but not really necessary.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I respectfully disagree with FFD, but I'm a tip-casting goofball when I chase brookies haha. By tip-casting I mean I'll take the front half off my rod and cast with it lol. It works... well enough, anyway.

The cabelas 3 forks are great rods, but in my humble opinion, if you know that you're gonna be in fly fishing for a long time, get a rod you're proud of and feel good fishing. I love my St Croix because it's pretty as all heck and the reel looks good on it and the drag performs when need it. Also the triangle taper line is a blast when it's time to roll cast, but I think the sharkskin pretty much equals it.

It's my personal opinion that I'd rather put a kit together myself, in the fly shop, and find the reel that balances my new rod best. I spent an hour and a half in MRO last time I needed a reel, swinging my 9' 4 wt back and forth and checking the balance with one and the other reels haha. I love it now though! I can fish that rod all day without even the slightest hint of fatigue.


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## jhrules8 (Apr 14, 2009)

Just wondering has anyone gotten a custom rod from roddmakers shop. I probably wont get one anytime soon but just wondering how they are






Fishaholic69 said:


> why get another steelhead rod if your works good?? get a three forks cabelas 5 or 6wt combo for $80 bux for your trout rod then get your vise and some materials with the money u got left and you will have a 2 for 1 deal!!!! no need to waste $300 on a rod especially for smaller fish or trout. my cousins have the three forks 8 wt for steelheads and they work great so the 5 or 6wt or even 3 wt would be killer for smaller trout.


 Thanks i like the steelhead rod i have now but i just need to have someone tell me not to get a 300$ one. if that makes any sense



TexasPete said:


> I'm partial to my Renzetti traveler. The rotary is nice and its jaws can handle a large range of hook sizes. The regal is also very nice, but it has a tendancy to shoot hooks (the pinching watermellon seed effect). The regal spring loaded vise is great for speedy production tying.
> 
> From a rod standpoint, I'm not one to ask, since I have no self-control when it comes to buying new fishing gear. I really like going steelheading with my six-weight...it actually helps to protect a lighter tippet and and you can still turn the fish effectively by applying pressure to the sides based on the direction the fish is running. I have no problem landing large fish with the 6 wt, and in most conditions, the tippet is the determining factor in how quickly you can horse the fish in. I agree with Clayton- choose a good real that has low start-up inertia since the steelhead can give you very strong runs initially and you'll need a smooth reel to pay-out drag. You can also use a 6 for a variety of different purposes- makes a great rod for streamer and nymphing the mad river and other mid-sized trout streams- makes a nice warmwater rig for carp and smallmouth as well. It should be able to handle most fly-fishing situations in Ohio short of chasing muskie. You can't build house with a hammer alone, but a 6 will cover a broad spectrum of applications around here. If you get the disease as badly as I did, you'll soon also have a 2 wt, 4 wt, two 6 wts, two 8 wts, and a 10 wt with respective reels and line. Tight lines!


 ha i am already feeling the disease in me!



Clayton said:


> I respectfully disagree with FFD, but I'm a tip-casting goofball when I chase brookies haha. By tip-casting I mean I'll take the front half off my rod and cast with it lol. It works... well enough, anyway.
> 
> The cabelas 3 forks are great rods, but in my humble opinion, if you know that you're gonna be in fly fishing for a long time, get a rod you're proud of and feel good fishing. I love my St Croix because it's pretty as all heck and the reel looks good on it and the drag performs when need it. Also the triangle taper line is a blast when it's time to roll cast, but I think the sharkskin pretty much equals it.
> 
> It's my personal opinion that I'd rather put a kit together myself, in the fly shop, and find the reel that balances my new rod best. I spent an hour and a half in MRO last time I needed a reel, swinging my 9' 4 wt back and forth and checking the balance with one and the other reels haha. I love it now though! I can fish that rod all day without even the slightest hint of fatigue.


 i would also much rather buy a rod that i would be very comfortable with that i set up and picked out. thanks


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Want one of best rods ever made then look at a Scott G Series not the G2! I own an 4wt 8ftr whiched I used on the Shavers today! Well worth every pretty penny and there is nothing like it. BTW, I know where there is a 3wt G, Its over at at Erie Outfitters in Avon.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Clayton said:


> I respectfully disagree with FFD, but I'm a tip-casting goofball when I chase brookies haha. By tip-casting I mean I'll take the front half off my rod and cast with it lol. It works... well enough, anyway.
> 
> The cabelas 3 forks are great rods, but in my humble opinion, if you know that you're gonna be in fly fishing for a long time, get a rod you're proud of and feel good fishing. I love my St Croix because it's pretty as all heck and the reel looks good on it and the drag performs when need it. Also the triangle taper line is a blast when it's time to roll cast, but I think the sharkskin pretty much equals it.
> 
> It's my personal opinion that I'd rather put a kit together myself, in the fly shop, and find the reel that balances my new rod best. I spent an hour and a half in MRO last time I needed a reel, swinging my 9' 4 wt back and forth and checking the balance with one and the other reels haha. I love it now though! I can fish that rod all day without even the slightest hint of fatigue.


Why the hell you want to do that? I have a pristine brookie stream just 7 miles from my house so I fish these natives every week so I know what will work and slinging a 5wt on small trouits stream is foolhardy! What is better, to feel thew fight from smallish fish or just use a bigger rod to yank them out like a bass pro. Take your pick.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

if u r looking for a custom rod check out www.midwestcustomflyrods.com I got mine from there! affordable and top notch! steve is a good guy! he is a member of my forum. my rod is actually pictured in the rod gallery. its the black matrix with silver reel.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Why the hell you want to do that? I have a pristine brookie stream just 7 miles from my house so I fish these natives every week so I know what will work and slinging a 5wt on small trouits stream is foolhardy! What is better, to feel thew fight from smallish fish or just use a bigger rod to yank them out like a bass pro. Take your pick.


Pfft  I like to yank em out, because I have a 200 ft wide bass and carp river 7 miles from MY house, and the nearest native brookie stream is... uh... in your state! lol. So I don't fish a whole lotta tiny fish 

If the guy is fishing native brookies, a 2-3 wt makes sense. If he's fishing in Ohio, then a 4-5 is more sensible unless he's going fishing for bluegill


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

buy what you want. I dont really tie flies. I dont like to. I've been making my own rods. well, assembling them really. NOT making anything really. just gluing bit of pieces on, really. it seems to me you buying a high end vise would be putting the cart before the horse. 

the smaller rod weights are relatively new on the scene. back in the day, the lightest rods were usually about a 4 wt. in fact, rods werent built for a specific weight. they were usually a 4-6 wt or whatever. they were stated to be able handle multiple line weights. and I still dont think most are. I think theyre just labeled that way for people to keep buying rods. I've fished with a 5wt rod lots for small trout. the same rod I sometimes use for steelhead. and it works just the same as a 3wt. for small fish, not as sporting though. but of course, these days I use a Steffen 3-4 wt glass rod. for those fish usually. I HIGHLY recommend his rods. 
http://www.steffenbrothersflyrods.com/

as for reel, some drags are better than others. the drag on my Ross Gunnison is better than the drag on my McNeese reels. in my opinion. but I never use the drags. not even for steelhead. depending on where in the river the fish is hooked, I'll either run the line through my fingers or palm the reel.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

You will find me using a 3wt for gills and bass even in Ohio. I am in for fighting fun.
BTW Pat those Steffen rods are sweet but the closest I have to them is Diamondglass 3wt though. Ross reels rock!


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## Huron River Dan (Oct 19, 2007)

Don't buy a $300.00 dollar steelhead rod...Save your money for a smaller rod for the brookie fishing you mentioned. When the time comes that you want a new steelhead rod, go with a 10' rod, minimum weight 7. My $0.02 worth...

Dan


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I'd love to have a new 10' 6 wt for steel, as you mentioned Dan. Has anyone played with the new 99 series from Sage? If I get the job offer I'm wrangling for maybe I'll treat myself  haha

Or I could keep borrowing rods from texaspete, that'd work too.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Was looking at them last month, the Sage 99 series are supposed to very nice but I ended up getting the G Loomis Native Run 6wt 10'.


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## crkwader (Nov 7, 2008)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Was looking at them last month, the Sage 99 series are supposed to very nice but I ended up getting the G Loomis Native Run 6wt 10'.


I hated that 99er it is a silly indy rod. Took me three or four lines to find one that I liked. The people I casted the 99ers with no one was really crazy about them, too much tip bounce in them. Don't get me wrong, I think they are probably a good rod, but I dont like 10ft rods, right now they are a niche rod and I have no use for niche rod.


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## jhrules8 (Apr 14, 2009)

thanks for the replies guys.. i deffinately have some thinking today. There is a local lake nearby with monster slab bluegills so a 4 or 5 weight will do me good so i am deffinately going to think this over







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## ckfowler (Jul 14, 2008)

I love my 7'6" Three Forks 3 wt rod and it will handle 90% of what I need it for. Conehead buggers in the wind get to be some work but it will throw them in a pinch. The 8'6" 5 wt can do just about everything and if I had to have one general purpose rod on a trip, it would fill the middle well. I have a 9' 8 wt for the rare occasion I get to chase steel or pike and it handled salmon this fall in MI.

You have a 7 wt that will service bass, steel, pike, toss streamers and flies down to #18 with ease. I would go for a shorter, lighter rod, at least down to 3-4 wt just to notice the difference. You can spend $300 on a system or buy an $80 one and spend the rest on a guide or accomodations to use it with. Unless you are looking at production flies, the vice you are using will likley be fine.

If spending the extra $200 will make you feel better, send it to me and I'll put it towards a fishing trip.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Why the hell you want to do that? I have a pristine brookie stream just 7 miles from my house so I fish these natives every week so I know what will work and slinging a 5wt on small trouits stream is foolhardy! What is better, to feel thew fight from smallish fish or just use a bigger rod to yank them out like a bass pro. Take your pick.


Not only would it be foolhardy, it would be next to impossible unless it's a 5wt under 8' in length! To me that would be like taking a flippin' stick to a bluegill pond...what's the point, really?  I feel over-sticked with my 3wt on most of those native streams...until I hook a good one! 

Back on topic, if your 7wt is good enough for steelhead use, I say keep it and buy something lighter for other species. You mentioned small stream trout, that's my cocaine...can't get enough of it. Like I said, I use a 3wt (7'9" rod) on natives, and if anything it is a bit more than needed. I also like the 3wt for panfishing, and even landed a nearly 4lb largemouth on it this summer. If the vise is working well for you, the additional rod might be a better investment. I own a rotary vise, a relatively cheap DanVise New Classic, and I love it to death. Once I went rotary, I'll never go back, I use the rotary function on nearly every fly I tie. It's all about convenience. It's easier for me to trim each side of a glo-bug egg by rotating the side to be trimmed up instead of moving my body to get a better angle to see what I'm doing. I tie a ton of Clouser streamers, instead of removing the hook and re-inserting it to work on the underside of the hook, I just rotate it. Wrapping chenille for a body...just rotate the vise! 

My humble opinion, buy a light-weight fly rod. I use mine more than I ever thought I would, it's my most used fly rod (I own 3, 5, and 7 weight rods).


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Dont over look the bargain cave at Cabelas! I seen some 3 Forks kit at 50 bucks. They really nice but not covered under warranty. If you use your head and do things the right way it will last you a long time.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

Flyfish Dog said:


> BTW Pat those Steffen rods are sweet but the closest I have to them is Diamondglass 3wt though. Ross reels rock!


"a slower stroke satisfies" I have a diamondglass blank I have yet to build. maybe someday. 

as for the 99 series, I just looked them up and found this:
-99 Series Rods  A line up of 99 Indicator Nymphing rods specifically designed for comfortably casting and fishing hard-to-cast nymph and indicator systems. Cosmetically similar to the Z-Axis series, the 99s feature a stiffer tip with a slower action and customized guide configuration to easily manage the ugliest dredging configurations. These application specific rods will be a must have for serious nymph anglers and guides.



not for me as I dont use bobbers.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Dont over look the bargain cave at Cabelas! I seen some 3 Forks kit at 50 bucks. They really nice but not covered under warranty. If you use your head and do things the right way it will last you a long time.


their sage launch are on sale also. I may have to buy a 6wt.


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