Fly rod recommendations?

[Travis Swift]

Setting here with my foot up recovering from a ruptured achilles tendon and day dreaming for months away when i can walk again and get back to Taney.  I have a Cabelas gift card and thought about trying my hand at fly fishing for something different.  What would be a good all around length and weight fly rod to use on taney? Probably throwing a jig and float mainly?

[snagged in outlet 3]

9’ - 9.5’ 5 weight

[tjm]

For me it would be 8'-8.5' in 7wt. for all around anywhere. Using lots of heavy stuff (jigs) might make me lean towards 8-9wt.

After 45 years of messing with fly gear only, I'm still not good enough to feel comfortable casting  5wt or below in wind/rain or with large/heavy flies. I'd also want the rod to be fiber glass. Carbon rods seem to break in two (or three) just when I am starting to like one.

Knowing that 5wt is the popular (often only choice) size now and in keeping with my tendency to economy, at C's I would be grabbing the CGR  7'6" 5/6wt with 5wt line. Although the TFO Lefty Kreh (8.5'/5wt) is, imo, a very good buy for the $ and I would like to try a Fenwick Aetos (9'/5wt).

It almost goes without saying that what ever you buy to begin with you will have to own at least a dozen fly rods before you can begin to know what you are looking for in one. Line type and quality is to me as important as the rod and more important than the reel.

[Gavin]

Fly rods are like golf clubs. All around does not exist but a 9' 6wt is as close as you will get. Too heavy to make dink trout fun, but will cast a decent sized bass fly.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Yeah I should qualify my statement. 

I don’t know what they sell at cabelas but a high end 5 weight tip flex rod is a good all around stick on Taney. 

If looking at a low end rod they are too slow for me and I wouldn’t waste a penny on one. 

Better off buying an older sage XP or something with a faster action in a 5 weight than going to a 6 or 7 because it has a slow action. 

[RSBreth]

Left or right Achilles? I blew out my right one last year - can't drive, can't walk, horrible Summer. Anyway - for mostly jig or fly and float that 9 or 9.5 5 weight is about right. If it's a faster 6 weight you can throw a little bigger stuff, but are at the point of smaller trout not being as much fun. A medium fast or fast 5 isn't that hard to find.

[bkbying89]

You didn't say how much you are willing to spend so I will tell you what I would buy. Since your new to fly fishing I would recommend a Sage Pulse 9 foot 5 weight, fast but not to fast for a beginner. A decent reel, Waterworks-Lamson makes some with decent drags that can be found at STP on clearance at a great price. The line, this is where you need to spend some good money. The line will make fly fishing easier or harder so don't balk here. I have an Air-Flo Elite on my 8 1/2 foot 4 weight Pulse and really like it. The Scientific Angler MPX would be good as well. I tried a Rio Gold and thought it was great on the Pulse 5 weight. Try the lines out and see which one works best for you. If the price on the Pulse is more than you want to spend I would consider a Remington Vice, still a fastish action or a TFO Profesional II as solid Medium-fast that will serve for years, line either of those with Rio Gold. I hope your feeling better soon enough to get back on the water soon.

 

Bill