Fess Up, What Do You Really Use!

[Geoff]

Main fly rods are all Sage, from Vantage to TCX. There are also some st croix and a ross. Reels are Sage, Lamson and Allen Fly Fishing. All the line is Sage or SA GPX, so yeah I guess most of my current stuff I actually use in the several hundred dollar range. I figure it was made to be used so why let it set? i treat my 1000+ sage tcx/3850cf combo just as rough as i do my less expensive stuff. thats what warrenties are for.

[Tim Smith]

I have been tremendously cheap with fishing gear my whole life. I think that may have started the day dad shattered his split bamboo fly rod fishing for bluegill. Some things are just overkill.

For more typical stream time, the high end stuff is better but you reach a level of diminishing returns.

Doing field work, which would sometimes amount to 40 hard hours a week on the water, I actually found that I spent less money if I bought cheap waders because the expensive ones weren't going to stand up to the abuse either. Better to shred a 20 dollar pair of waders than a 200 pair.

I'm still a hack fly fisher so I'm not spending more than the 400 or so I've invested so far in rods and reels until my skills are substantially improved. For spinning gear, where I do feel proficient, I never saw a performance reason to reach beyond the 100 dollar mark. I hit my targets and catch as much as the guys with the high dollar gear.

[Ham]

I use St Crois Legend Ultra fly rods with Cabela's RLS reels. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. I they they are really nice rods and I've been more than happy with the RLS reels.

[stlfisher]

I use St Crois Legend Ultra fly rods with Cabela's RLS reels. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. I they they are really nice rods and I've been more than happy with the RLS reels.

That is my exact 5 weight set up and thoughts.

My 7 weight is a Sage Vantage with the RLS reels.

I am happy with both.

[Muddler4]

I fish 60’s/70’s vintage glass and I fish fourth generation graphite and about all points in between. The ones that are not optimum sticks often have sentimental value. I still fish many of them and they put a bigger smile on my face than any uber stick does. What I pick any given day depends on mood and objective I guess.

As for price tags I guess I cheat. Most often I’m fishing rods that I’ve built. My preference for reels for 6 wt and below are older spring loaded pawls. They’re simple, light, and sweet when paying out line. It just happens be what I like. You definitely won’t see any $700 prices tags around my house. Not for any one stick and/or reel anyway. Don’t ask me to add them all up though.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

I will open the door for us po' people. I adore the Zebco 33 combo. I have multiples of them, and have never seen a reason to upgrade or change. My fly rod setup is a Bass Pro special (spent about $79.99 ready to go). My "River Rods" are a bit more expensive, not sure of the brand, I was given them in exchange for some work as a teenager. I work about 60-70 hours a week, have 3 kids, do scouting,sports, and cook when I'm off work. I just don't have the extra money to justify buying a more expensive setup. Maybe I don't catch the fish that others do, but I also don't put in the time that others do.

I do appreciate the topic and hope that others will participate so that when I decide to upgrade from the sandbox, I have some direction.

[Feathers and Fins]

I hang me head in shame. my fly gear is Sage and the rest is St Croix with Shimano.

[Kayser]

Fly Gear

4wt 8' R.L. Winston Boron II w/ Abel TR1. Bought cheap

5wt 8'6" Cabela's Stowaway 5pc w/ a salvaged Dogwood Canyon reel

6-7wt 8' garage-sale special for bass/bluegill

Casting

7' Tackle Plus Luxor w/ Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Express 14lb mono

7' Cabela's Fish Eagle II w/ Abu Garcia Abassadeur 6600 C4 (not spooled/tested yet) 12lb mono most likely

Spinning

6'6" Daiwa Samurai MH w/ Abu Garcia Cardinal 8lb mono

6'6" No-name Med w/ Shimano ?? 2000 triggerspin 6lb mono

5' BPS Microlite UL w/ Shimano ?? 500 2lb maxima Ultragreen

Almost everything here was bought at less than 50% value or given to me as a christmas/birthday gift, and I built one or two myself. I'm looking at building myself a 7 or 8wt fly rod next (I want boron/slow action), and putting a reel on it with a decent drag.

[Jerry Rapp]

in the 70's and 80's it was all Ambassadours. Then they turned to crap and I started using green Shimano's. I got some Citica's last year and they are good also. As far as rods I have a couple of falcon's that are great cranking rods. and I have some 20 yr old Loomis's and 10 year old B&R's that do just fine for jigs, worms, etc. My favorite though is a 6 ft Lightning rod, medium, that I chuck the Spook with.

[ciRe]

I've been throwing a St. Croix imperial with the new lamson kronik. I like it a lot. I also have a couple redington rods with a redington and cabelas reel.