2019 Fishing - Bent rods and tight lines

[Sbbruin 21861]

12 hours ago, justhookit said:

I assume y’all planned this to get to Cabo for the end of Bisbee’s? My captain and mate are fishing it along with a friend of mine. They’ve partnered with a boat and team called Tenacious. Hopefully they do well. They will be hitting Mag Bay too.

No, we’ll actually be in Cabo the following weekend, 26-27.  My buddy is going to leave his boat in Cabo until summer though, so I’ll probably come down at least once more.

[fattyflattie 4639]

On 9/30/2019 at 8:09 AM, Spaulding Smails said:

He said the hole shot isn't up to par with a Yamaha, but the fuel economy was almost twice as good.

Zuks with the 2.08 leg are notoriously hard to prop. But they have a TON of low end power. I can get on step under 3000 rpm effortlessly in a 23’ V.  The SHOs are strong out the hole as well, I’m surprised there was a noticeable difference tho.  

[bmbmd 1027]

Any of you who are Lake Fork, Blue Damsel, or El Pescador fly fishers will be saddened to know that Rob and Jenny Woodruff have resigned as managers of El Pescador. Rob and Jenny have returned to Texas due to an acute and serious medical condition that has afflicted Rob. Thoughts and prayers, as always, are appreciated. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

Not familiar with them, but prayers for their family. 

[1leggedduck 443]

Are any of you bass anglers familiar with LBJ? We can catch fish on Travis, Buchanan, Belton, etc. We've been on LBJ 3 times and have not limited yet. Our first trip was up river before the flood. Since then, we've fished the lower lake. Any suggestions? 

[Mac8111 2107]

I haven't seen anything official but I know a guide down in CC that posted Aubrey Black at Baffin Bay Rod & Gun passed away last night. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

Damn. That sucks. 

Edited October 4, 2019 by fattyflattie

[Lat22 4015]

Yep. Heart attack. Aubrey was a friend. If you have a bucket list or need to say something to somebody, don’t wait. You never know when your time is up.

[Mac8111 2107]

So right on cue, I plan a couple days of fishing with the old man and the weather prediction for Monday is 20-30mph north wind. It was like that all Spring. Mother Nature loves to be a cruel mistress.


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[ROFL BOX 6649]

Doing a small total re-roof today out in Blanco & the customer has 2 nice ponds, neither getting much action or use.

Brought my ultralight gear & had some nice C&R fun.

Had a prob. 10 minute run where every cast brought in some sort of perch. Prob. caught 4 diff. variety overall.

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[ROFL BOX 6649]

These 3 are. vids; unsure if TapaTalk will upload them properly because all I get are preview pics / stills.

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[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Have you considered starting an outdoor media company?

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

12 hours ago, 1leggedduck said:

Are any of you bass anglers familiar with LBJ? We can catch fish on Travis, Buchanan, Belton, etc. We've been on LBJ 3 times and have not limited yet. Our first trip was up river before the flood. Since then, we've fished the lower lake. Any suggestions? 

Never fished LBJ but I booked a guide on Buchanan out of Tow for stripers later this month.  Hopefully that goes well.  

[ROFL BOX 6649]

3 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Have you considered starting an outdoor media company?

For obvious reasons, no.

[1leggedduck 443]

The perch on the left is a Guadalupe Bass. He is the state fish and pound for pound, fights better than a largemouth. You can tell he's a Guad because his jaw line does not extend back onto his body, past his eye. 

 

[bmbmd 1027]

Also bottom right.  

[Braff Zacklin 13626]

Today was a decent day on the river. Counted 15 to my hand, three of which were this size or better.

Should be hitting the water a lot over the next two or three weeks--Christmas in October is almost here.

[fattyflattie 4639]

@Braff Zacklin @DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 

@Pescado_Rojo

Need some fly advice.   I bought a cheap outfit last year to dick around with because I had a FTU gift card but didn’t need anything at the time.  I assume it’s nothing great, but would be cool to tinker with. I’ve been practicing. I’ve become somewhat competent, and I want to upgrade some equipment. I’m not looking to go full time fly, but Im about to start taking it along on trips now, and will tinker when I get into backlakes and cuts where I can see reds staged up. 
 

What is the best way to spend $$ now?  IE: I never even knew fishing could feel so good until I had a high end loomis and a Mg reel.  Years of using AllStars and Curado’s felt like I had wasted a decade.    Should the money to go a rod? Better reel? Line?    And where is the break over?  I’m sure there’s a huge step from the entry level Loomis/Sage to the top end, but where is that sweet spot?   
 

Anyhow, anything y’all can offer up would be appreciated.  I’ve read all over the place but would like to get yalls take.  Outfit will be sized to reds In lakes/drains and trout under lights.  I can see this turning into a legit sickness; like I needed another addiction. 

[Braff Zacklin 13626]

Thanks for the thought, @fattyflattie. I'm honored to be included in that company but I don't flyfish exclusively or even that well.

My gear is pretty basic--a cheap Chinese 3 wt combo for creeks, a "meh" level Redington 5 wt combo for small rivers and float tubing, and a pair of 7 wt machined aluminum reels with good drags off Amazon paired with a cheap Chinese rod for big water (e.g., the Snake).

Most of my flyfishing is limited to fair weather days and spacious settings (i.e., plenty of room for backcasts). In other words, I am not all that knowledgeable or skilled.

That said, fish don't seem to care how much money you spent on your gear. It's way more important to know where they are and how to present to them.

For example, by early November, when the flows are super low and the water has cleared up, there are some deep holes you can drop a chironomid into with a strike indicator and pull out hog after hog. It's essentially fishing with a bobber. I don't even have to cast--I merely flip the line out and let it sink.

Another example: today, the BWOs were coming off in shallow water and the trout moved in and started rolling like mad after about 1 p.m. In that situation, as long as you can get the fly close without them seeing you, the challenge becomes getting the fish into your net faster so you can unhook it and catch the next one.

But tomorrow will be gusty af because we have a front blowing in, so I will be spinfishing and maybe even drowning worms.

 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Always feel like a crack dealer offering advice on gear haha.

obviously 9 wt is your all around salt rig. I don’t feel like it makes sense to skimp on salt gear. If it’s freshwater, you can get away with anything but salt gear has to hold up to the conditions and the fish.

Advice? Find a place where you can toss a bunch of sticks. Everybody is different. My buddies love rods that I can’t stand. I like stuff they don’t.  I have a 9 wt H3 I love and a 10 wt H3 that I don’t. It just comes down to feel and how it casts for you.

Actual advice? You’re an addict, go ahead and buy a premium rod and then get a mid-range reel (I love my ccf-x2s).

[Pescado_Rojo 19425]

8 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

@Braff Zacklin @DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 

@Pescado_Rojo

Need some fly advice.   I bought a cheap outfit last year to dick around with because I had a FTU gift card but didn’t need anything at the time.  I assume it’s nothing great, but would be cool to tinker with. I’ve been practicing. I’ve become somewhat competent, and I want to upgrade some equipment. I’m not looking to go full time fly, but Im about to start taking it along on trips now, and will tinker when I get into backlakes and cuts where I can see reds staged up. 
 

What is the best way to spend $$ now?  IE: I never even knew fishing could feel so good until I had a high end loomis and a Mg reel.  Years of using AllStars and Curado’s felt like I had wasted a decade.    Should the money to go a rod? Better reel? Line?    And where is the break over?  I’m sure there’s a huge step from the entry level Loomis/Sage to the top end, but where is that sweet spot?   
 

Anyhow, anything y’all can offer up would be appreciated.  I’ve read all over the place but would like to get yalls take.  Outfit will be sized to reds In lakes/drains and trout under lights.  I can see this turning into a legit sickness; like I needed another addiction. 

Traditional wisdom with fly gear is to spend money on the rod first and the reel isn't that important. I don't think that's necessarily true with saltwater gear where you spend a fair amount of time with the fish "on the reel". The best value going on fly rods is Temple Fork Outfitters. They build a great rod (in China), but their corporate HQ is in Dallas. All their rods are lifetime warranty, and they enlist some industry heavy hitters to design rods for specific applications. The two I would look at for saltwater applications are the Mangrove $279) and the Axiom II ($349). The Mangrove is a little softer in the tip, but very accurate and easy to cast. The Axiom II is a cannon, but requires a little more skill to cast. For either one I would recommend the Scientific Angler's line...either the Mastery series Redfish line ($80ish) or the Amplitude Grand Slam line ($120ish). To me, the line is super important, and different rods of the same length and weight will feel completely different with different lines. At the high end, there are a ton of options. Loomis makes a few models from the NRX to the new Asquith, Scott, Sage, Orvis H3, Thomas & Thomas are all US made. Hardy is made in England, but the Zeyphrus is a great salt water rod. 

There are a number of great American made reels out there. Ross, Abel, Tibor, Nautilus, Orvis, Hatch, etc. Ross and Abel are the same company now, and it's kind of a Toyota (Ross)/ Lexus (Abel) thing. They are made in Colorado for the most part, but some of the entry Ross models are made overseas. Nautilus and Tibor are made in Florida and are born and bred saltwater reels. I'm a huge Tibor whore personally. They are fairly old school in that they use big cork disks in solid bar stock frames for the drag. They are a little heavier than some of the reels that use a stacked washer system, like Nautilus and Hatch, but they are pretty much bomb proof and I have no doubt my son will still be fishing mine 20 years after I'm gone, and nothing...NOTHING feels like a well oiled cork drag with a big fish on. 

For Texas Reds and Trout, I'd buy a 7 or 8 weight rig. I currently fish an 8wt or 6 wt for Reds in Texas, but if I was only going to have one, I'd look at a 7wt. That's a rig you could use at the coast or the bass pond and not feel over or under gunned. 

If I had $600 to spend on a rig, it would be something like a TFO Mangrove with a Ross Animas with a SA Mastery Redfish line. 

If I had an unlimited budget, it would be a Scott Meridian with a Tibor Everglades reel and SA Amplitude line. (my current 8wt redfish rig)

Most importantly, and I can't stress this enough, go take a couple casting lessons. It will be the best $100 you spend in fly fishing. It will shorten your learning curve greatly, and might completely change the way you cast. I think you're in Houston, right? I'd go check out Gordy & Sons and Bayou City Angler. Go in there, tell them you are a novice and want to buy a nice rig, and see if they will take you out to cast a few rods. Usually the "fly rod guy" in a place like that is also a casting instructor and will give you a few tips while you test cast rods. 

If we ever manage to get to POC at the same time, I'd be happy to let you throw my rigs and see what you like. 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Oh and throw an NRX.

[Pescado_Rojo 19425]

5 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Oh and throw an NRX.

yes, do. And also a Scott Meridian and a Hardy Zeyphrus, and a Thomas & Thomas Exocett. 

When I bought my Meridian, that was pretty much my final 4. I went out to Sportsman's Finest in Bee Caves and threw every 8 wt in the store in the same day, using my reel and the SA Amplitude 8wt line. Two Sages, a Scott Meridian, Two Loomis, the Hardy, two TFO rods, and a Winston. I narrowed it down to the four above, then spent about 15 minutes with each of them. I narrowed it down to the Scott and T&T, then spent about another 30 minutes with each of them. In the end I picked the Scott, because I stripped out 50 ft of line, then walked off 40ft and stuck their little wooden Tailing Redfish silhouette in the grass. Then I went back and took 10 identical shots with each. 10 ft of line outside the guides, fly in my off hand, drop fly, two double hauled casts, then let it go on the second one. I had two more "perfect" shots with the Scott than the T&T, so I bought the Scott. That was like narrowing it down to the two hottest POM girls, then deciding on which one you were taking home because one had a weird pinkey-toe. 

[Ollie Slatt 289]

1 hour ago, fattyflattie said:

What is the best way to spend $$ now?  IE: I never even knew fishing could feel so good until I had a high end loomis and a Mg reel.  Years of using AllStars and Curado’s felt like I had wasted a decade.    Should the money to go a rod? Better reel? Line?    And where is the break over?  I’m sure there’s a huge step from the entry level Loomis/Sage to the top end, but where is that sweet spot?   

I will try to address the "sweet spot" point.   A lot of the manufacturers now make mid-priced rods that are great.  The Orvis Recon, Scott Tidal and T&T Zone are all very good.  They are slightly slower in action than the high end offerings, which is actually better for some (probably most) people because it requires your timing to be less precise.  

For reels, nautilus are great.  If you don't want to spend that much, the Orvis Hydros SL is a fantastic value.  Line is super important (you don't want a cheap one) but it is really a matter of personal preference.  I like the Wulff Bermuda, SA redfish or Airflo Tropical Punch depending on the rod it is being used on.  

Since you already like loomis, the advice above about trying an NRX is spot on.  The 8wt NRX is awesome, and its currently being closed out at greatly reduced prices.   You may have trouble finding one.  Some of the newer rods out are lighter weight, but I don't think any cast better.  

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Hydros might be the best reel for the money on the planet.

[fattyflattie 4639]

Thanks all. That’s exactly what I was looking for. 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Oh also fattie I’ve heard that the orvis clearwater nowadays uses the same blanks as the mid-range recon. My first salt stick was a Clearwater 8wt...I’ll tell that story later today with pics if I get a free moment.

[Brew 3049]

Timely discussion, I’ve been looking at fly rods lately to walk the beach with to sight cast snook and small tarpon. Also, a change of pace would be good from constantly throwing the same thing with spinning reels.

[Braff Zacklin 13626]

Had one of those moments on the river today that leaves you sitting on the bank, pondering life, and feeling pretty good about everything.

It all started around 1 o'clock, when something big hit my Panther Martin spinner. If I hadn't seen the silver and white flash, I would've guessed her for a carp because she dragged me around, low and slow, for about 15 minutes before surrendering to the net.

Taped out at 25 inches, and was quite the beefy girl, if she'll forgive me for saying so.

Close up to show just how thicc she was.

[Braff Zacklin 13626]

So it's obviously a good day no matter what goes down the rest of the way. But on my very next cast, my reel starts screaming as another big trout hits. Only this one takes off downstream in a strong current. I've got the rod wrapped up and the drag tightened, but she doesn't turn until she's stripped out some 30 yards of line. Then she veers right into some brush and wraps me around a log.

By this point, she's out of gas and over the next five minutes, I manage to finagle her and my line out of cover and into the net. My first thought upon seeing her was, "Is that the same damned fish?"

Even though this one seemed a little thinner and taped out at 26 inches, I wasn't sure until I got home and looked at the pics more closely. Nope, not the same fish.

One fish like that is a great day, but two ... and back to back? Fuck me, I don't understand it but I'll take it.

I had an excellent day and hope y'all did, too.

[Chewbacca 7780]

Damn nice fish!  I've only caught a couple that size, but they're a whole different ballgame than your standard 16-18 inchers.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

@Braff Zacklin why are there no browns in your home water?

[Braff Zacklin 13626]

They're there, but they are no longer in this range of the Snake so they aren't as prevalent as rainbows, hybrids, and cutts.

One of yesterday's fish was a humble 14- or 15-inch brown. I intended to take a pic for the novelty, but it kicked when I picked it up and got away.

[fattyflattie 4639]

5 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

I had an excellent day and hope y'all did, too.

I spent the day researching what I’m about to spend a shitload of money on. And I can’t wait. 

[Braff Zacklin 13626]

Browns are no longer stocked in this range of the Snake, is what I meant to write.

[Pescado_Rojo 19425]

11 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

I spent the day researching what I’m about to spend a shitload of money on. And I can’t wait. 

[pepper brooks 580]

took an offshore trip out of panama city last week with the kid.  we only went about 1o miles off.  100 feet of water.  luckily a very calm water day.  We tore it up in number and variety.  Caught several king mackerel, 2 Spanish mackerel, 3 mahis, 3 or 4 red snapper (out of season), grouper, bonita, black snapper, 2 triple tails (by far the best tasting fish) and a small red. the guide we hooked up with was fun, but dude was all freaking business about his fishing.  will see if I can get some pics loaded up. 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

13 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Browns are no longer stocked in this range of the Snake, is what I meant to write.

do all species struggle to reproduce naturally where you're at? is the population contingent upon stocking annually?

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

13 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

I spent the day researching what I’m about to spend a shitload of money on. And I can’t wait. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

30 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

My initial response was, “you don’t even know”.  But, of course you do. I’ve completely immersed myself into it.  
 

The smart thing to do would be as rojo suggested for his $600 outfit.  Think I might do that for a year - or maybe a goal of X fish.   Then will put the real $$ down.  That’s probably the smart play.  The only thing I keep comparing it to is when I went from “very good” to “great” equipment.  That extra few hundred bucks from good/great to elite makes all the difference.  That’s what I’m struggling with. 

[Braff Zacklin 13626]

31 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

do all species struggle to reproduce naturally where you're at? is the population contingent upon stocking annually?

Not all species. Humans seem to have very little difficulty reproducing here (or anywhere).

But seriously, Idaho is no different than any place else--the more pressure, the more harvesting, the more reliant a fishery will be upon stocked populations. From what I've been told, most of the rainbows that IDF&G plants are sterile triploids, and those definitely struggle to reproduce naturally.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

21 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Not all species. Humans seem to have very little difficulty reproducing here (or anywhere).

But seriously, Idaho is no different than any place else--the more pressure, the more harvesting, the more reliant a fishery will be upon stocked populations. From what I've been told, most of the rainbows that IDF&G plants are sterile triploids, and those definitely struggle to reproduce naturally.

Would explain their size, for sure.

i feel like fishing in Idaho is a different breed...I was shocked you could throw live bait...seems very much more like a harvesting mindset up there.

i don’t know that CO has stocked browns in rivers (not including mass fishkill scenarios due to heat) in decades. They’re prevalent everywhere. Our stocked rainbows are almost entirely hofers but I’m not sure where they’re placed. I know most sections of my home waters haven’t been stocked in years, but I live super close to the brood hatchery for the state and have always thought about putting a tracker device on their dump truck and following it someday. There are some absolutely giant fish in their runs.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

27 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

My initial response was, “you don’t even know”.  But, of course you do. I’ve completely immersed myself into it.  
 

The smart thing to do would be as rojo suggested for his $600 outfit.  Think I might do that for a year - or maybe a goal of X fish.   Then will put the real $$ down.  That’s probably the smart play.  The only thing I keep comparing it to is when I went from “very good” to “great” equipment.  That extra few hundred bucks from good/great to elite makes all the difference.  That’s what I’m struggling with. 

So where are you leaning?

[fattyflattie 4639]

39 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

So where are you leaning?

I basically looked thru anything y’all mentioned by name.  It was interesting out of all the brands that came up, Sage was never mentioned?  I guess they are like a lot of others, rely on the name of their elite stuff but peddle some low end offerings?   
 

 I watched a bunch of videos and reviews and whatnot, and can understand why Rojo likes the Tibor drag. Their signature series seems ideal; I love the simplicity and they seem to be well made and respected.  Also, the old man that started it seems like a cool dude. I don’t think I would have any issue with sealed drags on the others, either (I don’t think I’ve ever dunked a reel, even swimming to the third bar). I looked at the Nautilus you recommended, looked great.   The Orvis Hydros has great reviews at 1/3 the cost.  I didn’t put a ton of effort into it but I couldn’t find any NRX holdovers, maybe at some shops.  Looked into a bunch of different brands and types of line - just trying to get as much of an education as I can before I do anything. 
 

i *think* I might pick up a Hydros, with a TFO rod ($300) and go from there. I think.  If I have any success in real life (I’ve only been dicking around in the neighborhood lakes, haven’t tried the flats yet) then it won’t be a giant leap to upgrade all around.  Life’s too short and I don’t get on the water as much as I want, might as well give myself the best chance to enjoy it. Appreciate you guys’ advice, it’s a tricky situation with lots of ins and outs, from the outside looking in. 

[Chewbacca 7780]

1 hour ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Would explain their size, for sure.

i feel like fishing in Idaho is a different breed...I was shocked you could throw live bait...seems very much more like a harvesting mindset up there.

i don’t know that CO has stocked browns in rivers (not including mass fishkill scenarios due to heat) in decades. They’re prevalent everywhere. Our stocked rainbows are almost entirely hofers but I’m not sure where they’re placed. I know most sections of my home waters haven’t been stocked in years, but I live super close to the brood hatchery for the state and have always thought about putting a tracker device on their dump truck and following it someday. There are some absolutely giant fish in their runs.

CO stocked a lot of brownies in the late 90s and early 00s when whirling disease was killing all of the rainbows.  They have since taken over our rivers.  When I was little you almost never caught them.  Now they are the majority of what you catch, at least where I fish.

[Ollie Slatt 289]

43 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I basically looked thru anything y’all mentioned by name.  It was interesting out of all the brands that came up, Sage was never mentioned?  I guess they are like a lot of others, rely on the name of their elite stuff but peddle some low end offerings?   
 

 ...
 

i *think* I might pick up a Hydros, with a TFO rod ($300) and go from there. I think.  If I have any success in real life (I’ve only been dicking around in the neighborhood lakes, haven’t tried the flats yet) then it won’t be a giant leap to upgrade all around.  Life’s too short and I don’t get on the water as much as I want, might as well give myself the best chance to enjoy it. Appreciate you guys’ advice, it’s a tricky situation with lots of ins and outs, from the outside looking in. 

My guess is that Sage was never mentioned because they offer a ton of models and switch them out every year or two -- kind of like Taylor Made in golf -- so its likely that nobody here has cast their current entry level rods.  Some sage rods are great (like the X) and some are duds, and it does not always correlate with price. 

Hydros, a TFO and a decent line will work for sure.  BTW, if you really want to go down a rabbit hole comparing rods, then check this out:  https://www.yellowstoneangler.com/gear-review/2018-8-weight-shootout-g-loomis-asquith-best-fly-rod-comparison.  The caveat is that the rankings are subjective and the methodology has some serious flaws, but the deflection charts and weight data are super useful.  

 

[Braff Zacklin 13626]

4 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

I was shocked you could throw live bait...seems very much more like a harvesting mindset up there.

Would explain their size, for sure.

Not sure where you are getting your info, as no live swimming bait is permitted in Idaho.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/question/what-types-live-bait-are-allowed-be-used-idaho

Harvesting is sort of a Pandora's Box. Most hardcore fishermen and F&G brass I talk to agree that general rules (six trout per day, two of which may be cutts) are overly generous, but a large percentage of the public seems to think otherwise. No more than two trout--and zero cutts--seems far more reasonable but trying to roll limits back might be political suicide.

4 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Would explain their size, for sure.

I'm sure the planted triploids are a huge factor, but I'm guessing food and habitat play a role, as well. The water column is full of larvae year round, and there is always something hatching. Even in the dead of winter, when most places are locked in ice, there'll be midges hatching in free-flowing pockets.

It would explain why smaller tributaries (like the Portneuf, which is a glorified creek) that aren't stocked with trips can hold some absolutely massive trout that seem much, much too large for that amount of water.

One final note on the kamloops triploids: the state record that Mark Adams pulled out of the reservoir eight years ago (all ~35 pounds and 41 inches of it) was supposedly only three years old according to the growth rings on its otolith.

[Pescado_Rojo 19425]

6 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

I basically looked thru anything y’all mentioned by name.  It was interesting out of all the brands that came up, Sage was never mentioned?  I guess they are like a lot of others, rely on the name of their elite stuff but peddle some low end offerings?   
 

 I watched a bunch of videos and reviews and whatnot, and can understand why Rojo likes the Tibor drag. Their signature series seems ideal; I love the simplicity and they seem to be well made and respected.  Also, the old man that started it seems like a cool dude. I don’t think I would have any issue with sealed drags on the others, either (I don’t think I’ve ever dunked a reel, even swimming to the third bar). I looked at the Nautilus you recommended, looked great.   The Orvis Hydros has great reviews at 1/3 the cost.  I didn’t put a ton of effort into it but I couldn’t find any NRX holdovers, maybe at some shops.  Looked into a bunch of different brands and types of line - just trying to get as much of an education as I can before I do anything. 
 

i *think* I might pick up a Hydros, with a TFO rod ($300) and go from there. I think.  If I have any success in real life (I’ve only been dicking around in the neighborhood lakes, haven’t tried the flats yet) then it won’t be a giant leap to upgrade all around.  Life’s too short and I don’t get on the water as much as I want, might as well give myself the best chance to enjoy it. Appreciate you guys’ advice, it’s a tricky situation with lots of ins and outs, from the outside looking in. 

I actually prefer the "Classic" Tibors to the Sig series. I have an Everglades and a Riptide, and I'll pick up a Gulfstream before I try to catch big tarpon again. If you follow Tibor on social media, you'll notice the guys that will get on a plane and fly 1/2 way around the world to catch fish in places where getting kidnapped is a real possibility almost all fish the classics. Simple, fantastic drag, and about as bulletproof as you can make a reel. Not to say I don't like the signatures, I'm just old school like that. If anything ever happens to my 20 year old Abel Big Game #1, I will probably replace it with the Signature 5/6.

My first fly rod was a Sage RPLXi mated to a Ross Gunnison reel. 2001, I believe...I passed that rig down to my 11 year old son last year and he will fish it as long as he wants. I've got a buddy that won't fish anything but the top of the line Sage, and he gets the new model every time it comes out. I haven't liked a Sage saltwater rod since the Xi2 came out (around 2002-2003, I think). They are fabulously well built rods and I'd encourage you to cast a couple. It's really going to come down to personal preference and what fits your casting style.

Don't underestimate how much a line can effect a rods performance. I absolutely hated my TFO Mangrove 10wt when I bought it. I was talking to my local shop about it (didn't buy it from them, BPS gift cards...) and how much I hated it, and the first thing he asked me was what line I was using. It was a Rio tropical something or other, and he just shook his head and said "that's a terrible line for that rod". I bought a SA Amplitude Grand Slam line from him not expecting it to make a difference, but willing to give it a try. It made a HUGE difference. It cast like a rod that cost 3X what I paid for it. The Grand Slam lines are .5 line weight heavy, so it was almost like casting a 10.5 weight line and the rod loaded much easier. When you're shopping rods, ask the guys about the best line for that particular rod. I buy mostly Scientific Angler lines. (Orvis bought SA a while back, so I believe all the high end Orvis lines are now Scientific Angler) I've got a buddy that really likes Cortland...I don't know anyone that likes Rio lines. I've owned two and both were shite. 

 

[Kennythetiger 9395]

On 10/8/2019 at 6:27 PM, Braff Zacklin said:

Had one of those moments on the river today that leaves you sitting on the bank, pondering life, and feeling pretty good about everything.

It all started around 1 o'clock, when something big hit my Panther Martin spinner. If I hadn't seen the silver and white flash, I would've guessed her for a carp because she dragged me around, low and slow, for about 15 minutes before surrendering to the net.

Taped out at 25 inches, and was quite the beefy girl, if she'll forgive me for saying so.

Close up to show just how thicc she was.

Not quite the prose of "A River Runs Through It", but damn close.  Great pictures and story.  

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

14 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I actually prefer the "Classic" Tibors to the Sig series. I have an Everglades and a Riptide, and I'll pick up a Gulfstream before I try to catch big tarpon again. If you follow Tibor on social media, you'll notice the guys that will get on a plane and fly 1/2 way around the world to catch fish in places where getting kidnapped is a real possibility almost all fish the classics. Simple, fantastic drag, and about as bulletproof as you can make a reel. Not to say I don't like the signatures, I'm just old school like that. If anything ever happens to my 20 year old Abel Big Game #1, I will probably replace it with the Signature 5/6.

My first fly rod was a Sage RPLXi mated to a Ross Gunnison reel. 2001, I believe...I passed that rig down to my 11 year old son last year and he will fish it as long as he wants. I've got a buddy that won't fish anything but the top of the line Sage, and he gets the new model every time it comes out. I haven't liked a Sage saltwater rod since the Xi2 came out (around 2002-2003, I think). They are fabulously well built rods and I'd encourage you to cast a couple. It's really going to come down to personal preference and what fits your casting style.

Don't underestimate how much a line can effect a rods performance. I absolutely hated my TFO Mangrove 10wt when I bought it. I was talking to my local shop about it (didn't buy it from them, BPS gift cards...) and how much I hated it, and the first thing he asked me was what line I was using. It was a Rio tropical something or other, and he just shook his head and said "that's a terrible line for that rod". I bought a SA Amplitude Grand Slam line from him not expecting it to make a difference, but willing to give it a try. It made a HUGE difference. It cast like a rod that cost 3X what I paid for it. The Grand Slam lines are .5 line weight heavy, so it was almost like casting a 10.5 weight line and the rod loaded much easier. When you're shopping rods, ask the guys about the best line for that particular rod. I buy mostly Scientific Angler lines. (Orvis bought SA a while back, so I believe all the high end Orvis lines are now Scientific Angler) I've got a buddy that really likes Cortland...I don't know anyone that likes Rio lines. I've owned two and both were shite. 

 

Good post. Ditto on Rio. Fucking garbage.

i bought 4 of the Orvis pro series lines (assuming they were SA quality)...they’re garbage.  I’ve only fished 2 of them, but within less than 5 days of fishing both had cuts in the outer layer and now sink like a rock.