Rods for beginners

[Chris Shelton]

Ok, let me rephrase that, the best rod to start with is a medium rod, a fast rod is less forgiving cause if you miss time your cast, it totally messes things up. I saw this when I took two total newbies out, put one on a fast and the other on a medium, the one on the fast really struggled, when I swapped the rods around, whoever had the medium rod casted better.

I think what it comes down to is how beginner is you beginner. If it's the first time they hold a rod, fast rods don't work well for them. Once they have a bit of practice under their belt they will prefer a med-fast faster rod as they can cast further with it.

I must say, even I would battle with a fast actioned rod on the streams, where really short casts are all that is required. They just don't load for short distance casting, and furthermore, you can't roll cast with them, no matter how good a caster you are. The medium is a much better all round rod. I use my 3# Sage LL for close quarter stream fishing aswell as still waters. It is powerful enough to cast a full line if necessary, providing there is not too much wind about. Guys like Philip and MC will back me up on this, I'm sure.

[Deon TerBlanche]

I couldn't agree more with Gael, even though you all make valid points. The thing is I started as a newbie also with good advice from a seasoned pro he talked me into a medium pace rod, it wasn't long though when I had the casting down pat and wanted more and better and better and faster, you get my point. Eventually I ended up with 18 rods total (excluding the broken 1 year guarantee rods never replaced) of which 6x are 5wt's. I have now decided to standardize only on Sage and I am gradually replacing everything, hopefully for the last time in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 etc etc with the same model so that one also doesn't have to continually adapt to different flexes and lenghts etc. So in a nutshell, borrow a rod until you can cast well and also know for sure you want to seriously continue with the sport and then start buying decent rods 2 weights apart until you have a weight for all the different types of fishing you are interested in, and only then once you have a full set of all the standard rods with lifetime guarantees you can start playing around with other flexes etc etc. That's my 10c worth..... it would have saved me a packet!!!

[ShaunF]

you can't roll cast with them, no matter how good a caster you are.

Chris, can you elaborate on this please. My usual stillwater stick is a Sage TCR. A faster action rod I think you'd struggle to find, and yet I roll cast it all the time. During a retrieve, I normally retrieve the last 5-8m of line by lifting the stick slowly, then roll cast that section of line into the air and then go straight into a single back cast before shooting out the forward cast. Using this technique I get the rod to load immediately and can cast a full line using only a single back cast and one false cast (the initial roll cast).

Never had a problem roll casting the ultra-fast actioned stick

[ShaunF]

I couldn't agree more with Gael, even though you all make valid points. The thing is I started as a newbie also with good advice from a seasoned pro he talked me into a medium pace rod, it wasn't long though when I had the casting down pat and wanted more and better and better and faster, you get my point. Eventually I ended up with 18 rods total (excluding the broken 1 year guarantee rods never replaced) of which 6x are 5wt's. I have now decided to standardize only on Sage and I am gradually replacing everything, hopefully for the last time in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 etc etc with the same model so that one also doesn't have to continually adapt to different flexes and lenghts etc. So in a nutshell, borrow a rod until you can cast well and also know for sure you want to seriously continue with the sport and then start buying decent rods 2 weights apart until you have a weight for all the different types of fishing you are interested in, and only then once you have a full set of all the standard rods with lifetime guarantees you can start playing around with other flexes etc etc. That's my 10c worth..... it would have saved me a packet!!!

You're going to buy HOW many Sages ????

Eish and here I thought I was bad, with 1 x 3wt, 1 x 4wt, and 3 x 5wt's !!!

[Chris Shelton]

Chris, can you elaborate on this please. My usual stillwater stick is a Sage TCR. A faster action rod I think you'd struggle to find, and yet I roll cast it all the time. During a retrieve, I normally retrieve the last 5-8m of line by lifting the stick slowly, then roll cast that section of line into the air and then go straight into a single back cast before shooting out the forward cast. Using this technique I get the rod to load immediately and can cast a full line using only a single back cast and one false cast (the initial roll cast).

Never had a problem roll casting the ultra-fast actioned stick

Shaun, I hear where you are coming from, but try the same thing on a 3 or less metre cast and see where you land up. The softer rod with it's through action and better loading abilities is far better suited for this. You may ask why would such short roll casts be necessary in the first place, but this is exactly where you need it, when really tight encroaching vegetation prevents anything but the roll cast. I am talking really small streams now.

[ShaunF]

That explains it thanks. Very short casts. There is no way my stick will load with 3m of line out.

In fact thinking about it, I'm not even sure my 3wt would load with that short a line out on a roll cast. Its a a pretty slow action stick that I normally fish a 3wt Sage Quiet Taper DT line on. I must give it a try, haven't pulled her out in ages.

[Chris Shelton]

I am going to stick my neck out on this aswell.

Guys who learn on soft to medium actioned rods make better all round casters at the end of the day, and when they go from there to a quick actioned rod, they invariably cast a mile. I substantiate this by saying that the guys who have perfected their timing on the medium rod can also cast a full line on those very same rods. The same cannot be said of someone who is used to a quick actioned rod. I have seen too many guys with quick actioned rods who dont even come close to casting a full line, despite their best attempts. This is because they never got the basics right in the first place. Now give them a medium actioned rod and the reverse happenes, they are completely stuffed. Ok, I am generalising to a large degree, but this has been my experience based on what I have seen. The exceptions are the guys with natural ability. The natural will always outcast the rest, regardless of rod. One such guy is a chap that used to work in John Yellands shop, James Warne. Now this guy could cast a mile with any rod. I suspect that guys like Philip, Sean and MC are pretty much in the same league.

[Chris Shelton]

That explains it thanks. Very short casts. There is no way my stick will load with 3m of line out.

In fact thinking about it, I'm not even sure my 3wt would load with that short a line out on a roll cast. Its a a pretty slow action stick that I normally fish a 3wt Sage Quiet Taper DT line on. I must give it a try, haven't pulled her out in ages.

By what you have said, I suspect that you are a very good caster though Shaun. Remember though, we are talking to a lot of newbies here. Let's try to make it the easiest for them.

[Gael]

What I had meant on my first post by “slower” is not a slow action, but rather something that isn’t a fast action.

Most of the entry-level rods are medium action, when you progress to something faster you can splash out for something of higher quality.

Basically what I’m getting at, depending on what your are planning to fish for, a entry level rod like those by Stealth, Xplorer etc for a couple of hundred bucks for stillwater will do you fine until your technique improves to the point where you want to upgrade. Anyway I still fish my 15 year old Dean 9’ 7wt occasionally, the slower action helps save light tippets when you need a bigger stick for the wind on stillwaters.

[Dyno]

WoW this thread is becoming complicated.

Firstly, you can never own enough Sage’s

Secondly, Medium Fast action rods are like the bread an butter of fishing, and once you have determined your preferred fishing areina, you can decide on a stick that will compliment it.

ShaunF’s comments are good for that type of fishing, and with a match line, it will make the experience completely enjoyable, I would not take that stick to the top of the Bell, or to Gates Head, and I know that it will work great at Sterkies, but I would fish a softer rod, as those fish have turn of speed that destroys the light tippets needed to entice them.

Get to know a good all-round 5W and go from their.