[mike]

Hi folks,
I'm looking to buy a new fly rod but i dont have a clue what to go for. I've been fishing for only about 3-4 years ( stocked lochs , not rivers ) and i have a Rovex genesis 10' #7 which i love. I also have a DAM rod bought as a spare from Bill Bains but i'm not so keen on that one as it seems a bit 'stiff' if you know what i mean. I have a max of £230 to spend . Am i being a ' name snob ' or do i go and get another Rovex which are only about £50-60 new....

All advise would be great as i really dont know what to do..The Rovex i think is quite a fast action and i would want one the same type..

Thanks in advance..

Mike G.   

[Derek Roxborough]

Try your DAM rod with a heavier line you may find it a different rod, There are plenty good rods for well under the £250 Shakespear,
Fladen, Flextec, do decent rods , invest in decent lines , it makes a lot of difference,  easgach 1

[mike]

What lines do you suggest ???

[Hamish Young]

I'm looking to buy a new fly rod but i dont have a clue what to go for.
Mike G.   

You might like to think about that question and maybe be a wee bit more specific. There are so many good rods out there these days that you can afford to be quite specific about what you plan on using the rod for and then finding something that will do the job just nicely - when matched to the right line, of course 

[Colin Sunley]

Personally if I was in the market for a new line I would look no further than Barrio fly lines they have have given me confidence in my casting and rods,  a great product.
http://www.flylineshop.com/

[Sandy Nelson]

Hi Mike

What Hamish said if you can let us know what you are using it for, then advice is much easier

Sandy

[Rob Brownfield]

All I can advise is see if you can try before you buy, whether by going out with folk and getting a go of their rods or nipping into a tackle shop and seeing if they have demo rods available. Orvis in Banchory now have some, as does Active Angling in Stirling and the Glasgow Angling Centre. I think Somers can also provide some demos to try.

Oh, and Hamish and Sandy will be able to offer some fantastic advice once they know your preferred fishing style, where you are fishing and what you are fishing for. A dry fly river rod is a different beast to a rod for stripping lures on a still water.

[mike]

Thanks guys, i thought i was clear when i said lochs and not rivers in my 1st post. im from Aberdeen and i fish mostly at Lochter , Dalgetie etc , sometimes going down to Carlogie dam in carnoustie for trout. Again as i said i like the quick action of my rovex rod but i have a few pennies to spend and just fancied a " better " rod

Ps i couldnt find this post on the forum,, has it been moved/ removed !!!!

regards,
MG

[mike]

aha  found it on tackle talk.... Makes sence i see  lol   

[mike]

All I can advise is see if you can try before you buy, whether by going out with folk and getting a go of their rods or nipping into a tackle shop and seeing if they have demo rods available. Orvis in Banchory now have some, as does Active Angling in Stirling and the Glasgow Angling Centre. I think Somers can also provide some demos to try.

Oh, and Hamish and Sandy will be able to offer some fantastic advice once they know your preferred fishing style, where you are fishing and what you are fishing for. A dry fly river rod is a different beast to a rod for stripping lures on a still water.

Im maybe going to head down to GAC this saturday, whats the place in sterling like , ive never heard of it ???

[Rob Brownfield]

Im maybe going to head down to GAC this saturday, whats the place in sterling like , ive never heard of it ???

I like it. Its just off the motorway on the road that takes you across to Loch Lomond. Can't miss it, its a huge silver building. Used to ne the Stirling Angling Centre but renamed a while back.

They are right on the river so you can wander down and have a cast across water.

Back to rods. If you are looking for a 10 footer 7 weight again, but maybe a bit better casting/quality, then I would steer you towards the Greys XF2 range. They also do a XF2 Competitor Special but that is maybe geared to bigger waters and sinking lines/lures. But, as before, try one out before parting with £200.

Back to lines, I am using a Barrio SLX on my 7 weight. Love it.

[Sandy Nelson]

Hi Mike

I see what you meant now, i read your first post as "this is what i've been doing and this is what i use and i fancy doing something else" so sorry for the confusion.

Small stillwaters to me are 6wt territory, so maybe if you are changing gear perhaps have a look to go a touch lighter, a 9' or 9ft 6" rod is usually better for bank fishing as you can get a bit more power into your casting stroke for distance.
But as Rob says, take your favorite line and visit a couple of shops to try things out, some great off the shelf rods available for your price bracket.

Or you could even build yourself a Bloke and have some change for that budget, if you fancied something a little different. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bloke-Fly-rod-blank-XLeNT-9-6-7wt-4-piece-NEW-HALF-PRICE-LAUNCH-OFFER-/291317783687?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43d3e49c87

or look for a decent second hand quality rod, quite a few kicking about and well worth investing in if you find a good one.

Have fun finding out what you like

Cheers

Sandy

[Bill Wood]

I have been fishing  for 9 months now, all at Lochter. I have an Airflo Elite kit, rod a 10ft  7wt.  with airflow floating line I feel it is a bit heavy for dry flys. Was thinking of a  Wt 5 rod for the dry flys.  or would I be better  investing in a better  7 wt rod or  buying a new line as you have suggested?
Thanks
Bill

[Rob Brownfield]

I have been fishing  for 9 months now, all at Lochter. I have an Airflo Elite kit, rod a 10ft  7wt.  with airflow floating line I feel it is a bit heavy for dry flys. Was thinking of a  Wt 5 rod for the dry flys.  or would I be better  investing in a better  7 wt rod or  buying a new line as you have suggested?
Thanks
Bill

The outfit you have would be classed as a Reservoir/Large water rod.

I personally used a 9 foot 5 weight for smaller still waters when using buzzers and nymps or if wanting more distance or pulling lures, a 9' 6" 6 weight as a compromise. If fishing dries, I use a 10 foot 5 weight as it covers water easily.

I have 10 foot 7 weights, but they come out for boat fishing large lochs or sea trout fishing.

others may have a different view

[andygriff]

I use a pair of Daiwa NewEra 9'6" #7 that I bought in April this year and thy are magnificent, however I tried a Daiwa Lexa 9'6" #7 last weekend and was very impressed with that. If anything it was a tad stiffer than the NewEra but it cast well and had a lovely feel when playing a fish.

The Lexa is at your budget and is enthused about by some I fish with regularly.... but and this is a big but, you really must try the rod (any rod) before you buy and make sure you take your own reel and lines with you so it will be exactly what you would be using if you bought it. 

EDIT: I should have said that I mainly fish small and medium still-waters. Also I bought my NewEras at Active Angling, Stirling when I was on holiday there over Easter... staff there were very helpful.