[Sandy Nelson]

What is your favourite (goto )

Rod/line combination.

I know we all use different ones for different things, but what is your Favourite
it may even be a specific rod and line.
Its just something i was pondering and trying to think what my favourite one was

I'm finding it hard one to answer

I can narrow it down to 3 (all of which now reside in different hands , makes you wonder )

Scott A2 9ft 5wt with a Mallard DT4F
Winston B11x 9ft 5wt with a Mallard WF5F
Sage XP 9ft 3wt with GPX WF3F

Cant choose between them, i loved them all and regard them all as high points on my journey.
They are certainly the ones that stand out in my memory. Sometimes wish i'd kept them all.
Especially the Scott Maybe thats my answer

Sandy ???

[Rob Brownfield]

I am probably a little more on the heavy side for rods than you sandy..lol

Helios 9 foot 9# with Rio Outbound intermediate. (Truely flies out) (Pike and Sea)

Normark Norboron (who remembers those?) 10 foot 7-8# with a Cortland 444 8 wf (Oldskool setup) (Reservoir/Seatrout)

Zero Gravity 9 foot 5# and one of Mikes 5WF lines for general everyday fishing on the Don, or any still water. (Trout/Ide/Small Carp)

[Irvine Ross]

Sandy

The answer is No 2 on your list,

and no, you can't have it back

Anyway by the time you have hooked your 20th giant trevally you might have a new favourite 

Irvine

[paavo]

Ok Sandy, one rod/line  combination  will bee rod Rackelhane  9´6 4-6wt 3 piece with a Snowbee WF5F.
I have thoughts of a new reel to that combo. How about this one? http://abelreels.com/pages/deyoung.htm
or is it to Americana? 

//Harri

[Sandy Nelson]

I am probably a little more on the heavy side for rods than you sandy..lol

Helios 9 foot 9# with Rio Outbound intermediate. (Truely flies out) (Pike and Sea)

Normark Norboron (who remembers those?) 10 foot 7-8# with a Cortland 444 8 wf (Oldskool setup) (Reservoir/Seatrout)

Zero Gravity 9 foot 5# and one of Mikes 5WF lines for general everyday fishing on the Don, or any still water. (Trout/Ide/Small Carp)

Thats 3! 

And my current arsenal, has 2 x 9FT 9wt's, a 9ft 12wt and a 9ft 7wt so there
I have still kept a 5wt, but only one

Try to get down to just One, its quite tough

Sandy

[Sandy Nelson]

How about this one? http://abelreels.com/pages/deyoung.htm
or is it to Americana? 

Copper john is nice Personally it would have to be a solid colour though.
They do a lovely olive (TCX) green that works for me

Cool

Sandy

[Rob Brownfield]

Thats 3! 

And my current arsenal, has 2 x 9FT 9wt's, a 9ft 12wt and a 9ft 7wt so there
I have still kept a 5wt, but only one

Try to get down to just One, its quite tough

Sandy

You had three as well  lol.

Trouble is, I fish for more than just trout on the fly, so cant have one favourite as such.

And if you want an AFTMA war...well..9 weight Helios, 9 weight Powermatrix, 2 x 10 weight Harrisons, 10 weight Greys, 13 weight Harrison and a wee 3 weight Sage Beat that! 

[Mike Livingstone]

It has to be the 8' 4wt Shay bamboo with a DT4 barrio line and Orvis CFO III reel.

[Conehead]

Hi Sandy

Can't decide on just one, but favourites at the moment is a toss up between Sage Z axis 10ft 6# with cortland 444sl 6# and Barrio 9ft 3# with snowbee wf4#. Both very different but equally enjoyable. I havn't included salmon rods Sandy, thats another set of difficult choices.

Geoff

[Ben Dixon]

Very hard Sandy!!

River fishing Helios 904 midflex with a Mallard WF4F or a TT4F

Playing in the park, Helios 905 tipflex and Barrio Outcast WF5F

Rod that will do everything, Helios 966 tipflex.  Can't put it down to one line as if I did it would not do everything!!  If I had to get rod of all my other rods, this is the one I would keep.  With the right lines I am happy tackling light SW, salmon, sea trout, brownies (conventionally or with big streamers) and it is great at throwing a long belly down a tape too.

DHD's, not sure.....  of all the rods I own, when heading out "proper" salmon fishing on anywhere bigger than the Don I go for my shooting star 149, again I need a variety of lines but I could probably loose all my other salmon rods and would be happy if I still had this one.

Doesn't really answer the question does it

Cheers

Ben

[Sandy Nelson]

It is very hard

The idea was What is your Favourite rod/line combo. Doesn't matter what its for, its just if you sit and think about flyfishing for a while and mull over all the things you done , which outfit stands out in your mind as the one you enjoyed the most.
I dont know whether its the actually memories that are associated with a rod or whether its the rod itself that stands out. 
I wasn't thinking what is the best rod for what fishing IMO, i was just thinking which one i enjoyed fishing with the most.
And thats the tricky part

My answer was in the last line of the first post (for now- as irvine points out ) The Scott A2 905 has to stand out as my favourite rod, with the DT4f Mallard it was just such brilliant combination and i have such fantastic memories of the fishing we did together . I think if i get the chance to use my S4 a bit more then it will probably oust it, as so far it is an awesome fishing rod (and does the things the A2 couldn't as well as everything it could), just i cant build up the same repore on grass and it needs some proper exercise . I would say it feels lighter and more fun, but now i'm starting a rod review and that was not the idea

Sandy

[Rob Brownfield]

Ahhhhh..in that case it "was" a "bamboo" rod I built about 25 years ago. It was built on a Lee Wulff bamboo blank that I received from Jim Somers in payment for some rod building. (he had a small stock of them along with lots of cane from Sharpes. I am guessing Sharpes made the Lee Wulff rods???)

I seem to recall it being 7 foot 7" for about a 4 weight. Swelled butt if I remember and quite tippy (for bamboo/cane)

Unfortuantly that died about 15 years ago when I hit a branch with the tip.

The line was a Masterline DT 4 weight which seemed to really suit the rod well.

It was so light and responsive and a joy to use on the small burns and rivers around Auchenblae/Luthermuir/Laurencekirk/Stonehaven.

[Iain Goolager]

In vogue (I fall asleep thinking of this baby!  ) is my 8' 3"? #2 Sage SPL c/w Wulf TT3 Olive line.

You've no idea how much I'm looking forward to 3/4" Broonies on it..................come on!!!!!

Why did I buy it?...............because I'm worth it 


observe the quality in my avatar

Iain

[Ben Dixon]

Now you've defined it Sandy, Orvis Zero Gravity 9' #4 midflex with TT4F.

Many good trout and superb river outfit!!

Ben

[Barry Robertson]

Sage Xp 10ft 7 wt , Loop lts x2 5-8 Reel & Airflo Ultra supple midge tip 
Sage Xp 9ft 5wt, Loop LTS x2 3-5 Reel and Cortland 444 peach floater 

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Sandy

I have had to put a fair bit of thought in to this

Favourite would be my 3wt with the DT3, it's my friend ....... But I'm torn between her and the Boo with the DT4

Best wishes
Mike

[Paul Garrigan]

My new streamflex 9' #4. Matched with a snowbee xs DT 4 line. luv it! 

[Paul Rankine]

Well Ok, then,
                          Loomis GLX 8' 6"  #5 , Cortland 444 peach floater (#5) and my wee Hardy Ultralite reel is my favourite outfit for my favourite fishin' .

Paul.

[Sandy Nelson]

Lots of 4's and 5's in there.

Guess we generally have more fun with lighter gear. Not that i needed a survey to tell me that

I'm dreaming of summer and a 5wt S4, with my DT4 mallard and some spiders. Hopefully some decent company too

Sandy