Preferred Fly Rod Brand

[GGY]

Re the "One", perhaps I should give it a try before I slag it off. I haven't done anything other than the "parking lot casting test", which to me tells you nothing.

Come on up and lets test side-by-side in the Vaal.
:-)

[GGY]

Gary

I have two 10' 6wt rods you have not mentioned. TFO Jim Teeny and Sage VXP. The TFO is a machine and easily casts a full line. Use it for light salt water work. The VXP works well as a stillwater or Yellow fish rod. Both are budget rods but worth consideration, imho.

Hi Neil,

I know I did not test all 10ft 6wt 4pc rods available in SA - just those that I already owned versus others I could get my hands on to purchase.
The TFO Jim Teeny is no longer made.
http://www.tforods.com/fly-fishing/rods.html
The only current 10ft 6wt option from TFO is the BVK, which did not come to mind when I was thinking of a new 10ft 6wt.
http://www.tforods.com/fly-fishing/rods/bvk-series.html

As to the Sage VXP - these are nice rods. A friend has the 10ft 5wt which is a little too soft for big SM in fast water - the 6wt would be better. Unfortunately I could not get my hands on one when I wanted to test and they do retail for double what the Infinity sells for and something like four times more than a Magnum. "Budget" means different things to different people.

[Andre]

Neil, I have a TFO TICRX, and don't know how similar it is to the Jim Teeny, but also cast a full line like a steam train. Unfortunatly, that's all it can do. Once the line is out, and the fly is in the water.... it's absolutely shite. no sensitivity, cant mend nicely, has a "clunky" feel, breaks off on light tippets, and is heavy... simply a prime example of a rod built to cast and not to fish. I hope your TFO Jim Teeny is different.

Gary

I have two 10' 6wt rods you have not mentioned. TFO Jim Teeny and Sage VXP. The TFO is a machine and easily casts a full line. Use it for light salt water work. The VXP works well as a stillwater or Yellow fish rod. Both are budget rods but worth consideration, imho.

[Andre]

Great, lets do it. Im dead keen to get back up there. Hows about mid November sometime.

Come on up and lets test side-by-side in the Vaal.
:-)

[Richard Simpkins]

Gary, next time we're together I have some 10' Vision rods you can try both 3 and 4 piece

[GGY]

Gary, next time we're together I have some 10' Vision rods you can try both 3 and 4 piece

Happy to compare a Vision 10ft 6wt 4pc against my ONE & Infinity on the water and give my comments.

[NeilRowe]

Neil, I have a TFO TICRX, and don't know how similar it is to the Jim Teeny, but also cast a full line like a steam train. Unfortunatly, that's all it can do. Once the line is out, and the fly is in the water.... it's absolutely shite. no sensitivity, cant mend nicely, has a "clunky" feel, breaks off on light tippets, and is heavy... simply a prime example of a rod built to cast and not to fish. I hope your TFO Jim Teeny is different.

Andre

The Jim Teeny has a softer tip than the TiCrX. As I stated, I use it for saltwater work where casting a popper into the wind etc is more important than tippet protection, for example. The Sage VXP is a different animal though and makes a nice Yellowfish or Stillwater rod.

[Bryan]

The various TFOs can be a bit hit and miss but the TiCrX and Jim Teeny are two very different beasts. I find the TiCrX to be a bit of a broomstick. It casts like a rocket so is a great saltwater or tiger rod where distance is key and presentation is less important.

The Jim Teeny is a seriously under-rated rod and surprisingly versatile. For me it has the perfect combination of good backbone and softer tip for protecting lighter tippets and handling aggressive takes. It is also very sensitive and I find it very effective at detecting light takes when nymphing. And it is my go to rod for dries.

[Zoran]

My prefered rod brands are :
Sexyloops Hot Torpedo designed by World known fly casting guru Paul Arden , owner of the famous Sexyloops.
#6 HT is probably the best fly fishing rod made up to date - in my book, of course .


Second one is Epic fiberglass rods, designed by Carl McNeil, another Sexylooper and casting guru from New Zealand.
These blanks are made from very fast glass(in the terms of fibreglass) , and also a very beautiful rods.
Currently , my rod builder Derek Smith is busy doing 3 of them :-) , the first fast glass in South Africa .
All the rest of the rods I own , now becomes just a bunch of rods I am not using any more .
(except Saltwater ones )

[Andre]

Very interesting...In what way would a fibreglass rod be better than a high modulus graphite rod?

My prefered rod brands are :
Sexyloops Hot Torpedo designed by World known fly casting guru Paul Arden , owner of the famous Sexyloops.
#6 HT is probably the best fly fishing rod made up to date - in my book, of course .


Second one is Epic fiberglass rods, designed by Carl McNeil, another Sexylooper and casting guru from New Zealand.
These blanks are made from very fast glass(in the terms of fibreglass) , and also a very beautiful rods.
Currently , my rod builder Derek Smith is busy doing 3 of them :-) , the first fast glass in South Africa .
All the rest of the rods I own , now becomes just a bunch of rods I am not using any more .
(except Saltwater ones )