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Combo rod
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Has anyone purchased one of those combination fly/spin rods? I can see having one if you travel alot by air and room is a criterion. But why would you want a combo if you are a serious fly fisherman? Hey I like to spin and bait cast too but each of my rods are dedicated to a given task. Any thought on this subject?
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12-11-2005, 12:10 PM
Can't say that I have used the newer types, but years ago Marlboro gave away a flyrod/spinning outfit. Terrible as a spinning rod and too stiff for a good flyrod.
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12-12-2005, 12:32 AM
under normal conditions I use my dedicated rods and reels, I do how ever own a combo rod that is not only for eather reel, it is also telocopic.
It fits right in the glove box of my car/truck or back pack and tackle box. exicelient tool for mobility, I can get on the water at any time of the day should the mood strike me. I cant always cary around with me all my rods and gear. at least if I have something in the glove box I can wet a line one way or the other and can be acomidating for any kind of fishing... bass catfish perch and yes even trout on the fly..... I wont be tossing out my other rods and reels away any time soon nor will I be tossing this combination rod eather, it will always have a home in my glove box along with a small martin and open spin cast reel... [signature]
12-12-2005, 04:15 AM
I personally feel that the combo rods are terrible. I am an advid fly fisherwoman however, I tried one way back and the guides are for spinning not fly so you can't cast with them. I still come across times that I will spin fish (when fishing from a 6'-9' ledge, when it is so cold that fly guides ice up to bad). The combos are an OK spinning outfit, but I feel that you sacrfice in both actions. I would buy one of those diawa travel spinning outfits and maybe a seven piece stowaway in the cabela's catalog for fly, then you got the best of both worlds and good action on both.
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Hi there flygoddess and thanks for your input. Your reference to the guide sizes is certainly a major difference between a fly and a combo rod. Don't know how the rod would load properly with those big guides!
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12-13-2005, 05:37 PM
Eagle Claw has probably the most popular combo rod. I know I had one in the 60's. The real benefit of the rod is when back packing.
You will find many lakes that a fly rod just can't cast on. The cliffs are too close or the shore line is solid trees and that's when you can use the spinning version of the rod. I actually took the Eagle Claw that I had when I was a kid on my last packing trip of this year. I used it on one excursion and then left it in camp the rest of the time. The lakes were more open than I thought they would be and a fly rod was the ticket. [signature]
12-13-2005, 07:50 PM
That's the problem, we all had one when we were little, now that we are grown up and fished several years, we thend to get a little more pickie. As far as situations with a cliff or trees behind you, ROLL CAST. It is alot easier than you think. You just got to be sure and lift your arm and rod straight above you allowing your line to hang right next to your body or even slightly behind you, then point the tip where you want to go with force KABOOM! Whip it, whip it good.
If you don't get the line out of the water next to you, you get a mess. If you are using heavy flies then point the tip out to the side so you don't get hit. I still think that the combos might be great for you children, but I think as adult you are beyond that. P.S. I also had the Eagle Claw, great spinning outfit, terrible for a fly. I still say Tools of the trade, a different tool for a different job. [signature]
12-13-2005, 09:38 PM
There are situations were a combo rod would be handy, though I haven't fished much of anything else but a flyrod since 1972.
I was certainly on lakes this year that a roll cast less than 60 feet would have done you no good and there was no way to roll cast 60 feet. I just hiked a little further and found a nice creek that fished very well with the fly rod. When you pack 55# on your back for a week, though it gets lighter as you eat, you certainly want to cut ever stinking ounce of weight that you can. I have a couple of buddies that have fly fished since the early 80's and they only bring combo rods . The main reason is that they figure if you hike 15 miles in you had better get into fish. Many times the fly rod isn't the best way of ensuring that. That damn spinner sure if an effective lure. I would say on the 6 trips last year that I only out fished them 1 time . to each his own- they enjoyed themselves, I enjoyed myself . [signature]
12-13-2005, 11:24 PM
Sorry I can't appriciate the concept. I am so passionate about fishing that the cost is not an issue, which may or may not have anything to do with this.
First off, if there are fish 60 ft out why wouldn't they be twenty or thirty, why are they only in the sixty? Doing alot of stillwater from a float tube I notice people on shore trying to cast as far as they can, where I will cast into the shore and slam them. In remote places that you are going I would think that the fish are not that familier with the fisherman, therefore Flies are killer. (Plus a box of flies has got to weigh less than a box of spoons or spinners) To each their own! In final note again I will say that the guides on a combo are not a fly guide. Either one or the other My nephew on rare occassion in the past out fish me with lures or worms, but, not anymore. I got in to entamology and just stick with the basics (pheasant Tails, Haresears, Copper Johns and some midges in grey, black and olive) Works for me. [signature]
12-14-2005, 02:52 PM
You are correct, I am not saying that a combo rod is a well made smooth operating tool by no means. More like a Geo Metro when I would rather be driving a Porche. For fish in High Altitude Mountain lakes to be far from shore is not uncommon at all. Many times you are basically fishing a lake in a canyon where the side walls are against you or there are pines right against you, the water drops straight off about 40 or so feet out and thats where the fish cruise.
Also a spinner will 8 out of 10 times put fish on where as a fly is a little bit less productive. I am a very competitive fly fisherman. Not against anyone else but between myself and the fish. I will find a way to get fish to the fly , though my buddies may already have theirs on the campfire cooking. There is a place for the combo rods, maybe not in my pack but I understand the reason why. [signature]
12-14-2005, 05:18 PM
You are right and I am aware you are a very gifted fly fisherman. Respects to you all the way.
I guess I like the porche (not saying that I could afford one by no means) Lack of room, I will agree to a combo, but do these guys with the combo ever catch anything on a fly? Again I fish alot in Idaho, and we go to this one place where you are fishing off a 9' cliff. Nothing behind me to hamper my fly casting but, lets be real I am not going to hoist a fish up a 9' cliff with a fly rod, so I use a spinning outfit. I still carry my 4 pc fly rod in my back pack incase we find a spot water level. My rathers is to fly fish and maybe a little snobby that I need a reel fly rod when doing so. As I said I had a combo, which I gave to my sister in-law who spin fishes hoping to get her into the flys someday (maybe not with that rod LOL) P.S. I also take my two piece fly rod sometimes in an ol' beat up tube and use it for a wading - walking staff. [signature]
12-14-2005, 05:49 PM
The fish they catch with their fly on a combo are either from a stream that you can step across and are basically dabbing the fly on the water like a skittering caddis or they have packed a float tube in and are fishing with sinking line. I agree totally that a combo rod is first a spinning rod and then an emergency fly rod at best.
Basically it would probably be better for them to fish a spinning rod and a fly and bubble deal but I only argue with them if they take my beer. I actually sat down with one of them last night to discuss a Wind River trip this coming summer and this discussion was brought up. He still hasn't decided on what he will be fishing with but I picked up a 4 piece 3/4 wt off of E-bay last week and it's his Christmas present so I am thinking he has to take that. My wife will be taking a fly rod this year so he will really fell like a wussy if he doesn't. [signature]
12-14-2005, 07:40 PM
right on! I think some people are scared to commit to fly fishing only, either they have trouble with it or they can't afford it. I know several years ago I was strickly spin fishing and caught bagazilions of fish, but one day we went to the Uinta's and my husband only packed me a fly outfit. I screamed but gave in and tried it and have been hooked (no pun) for life. Now I own 12 fly rods of every denomination from 2wt - 8wt and that is just me my husband has his own. I grew up in Glenns Ferry, ID (Sturgeon Territory) and as a kid I would even fish with a safety pin, worm fishing line and a willow. Hey --- it worked!
As far as the new rod, a suggestion for dry line, due to the fact that is a light weight rod, check out Cortland's SYLK. It is so soft and cold doesn't bother it a bit. TIGHT LINES! [signature]
12-14-2005, 09:52 PM
the combo is not my go to rod, but it still gets used, mostly because it gets all the unplanned trips and some usualy some one always comes up short a rod and needs something to use,
I not a bogart,, but I feal real uncomfortable handing a hundred dollar rod to some one that I havent fished with for 10 years.... yet I do want to be accomidating.... and yes it is a chalange to shoot 30 feet let alone 70... My combo rod cost me $2.95 thirty years ago.... I will have a hard time replacing it...LOL I too have fished tight places where even a roll cast is out of the question with the longer fly rods. and the only way to get to the fish is to float the line down the river. I have to admit the river that I fish like that I could lay my regular fly rod right across the river from one side to the other. I have another spot that is out of the question for my regular fly rod and that is fishing under 3 foot colverts. the long action just winds up running my fly line against the sharp edges. with the shorter rod I can drift my line right though the colvert and pull out the shady fishes from thier hiding places. I am not going to toss my six foot combo any time soon... they do have their place, and one is in the glove box of my car....[  ][signature]
12-15-2005, 12:25 AM
Well, first off I have one rod that cost me $29.00. W.W.Griggs 6' 3wt fun little rod for those tight places. The rest I don't think cost under $350.
But. that was my price. Keep in mind I worked for a local fly shop and got a great discount. I di have one rod though that is perfect for the type of places you guys are talking about and I have cast to the backing with this rod and that is the Orvis Trout Bum 4 peice 7 foot 4wt. It packs up in to a nice 21" package. Full flex so a little slower action, but when you can't see that #32 fly, trust me you feel it. I admit it! I am spoiled rotten. [signature]
12-15-2005, 07:45 AM
some one working in your possion should be spoiled...[cool] I would have a hard time getting needed info from some one who wasnt..[
 ] it is always a pleasure talking to some one in a shop who knows what thay are talking about from experience, and most asuradly we know when some one is faking it... You are absolutly coorect in that price is always an issue when it comes to quality. some one who only having 50 bucks to spend and wanted new instead of used I could see going for a combo. Just like I did on my first fly rod combo, I spent a total of 20 bucks for two reels and a rod back then. Would I buy another combo today for my self, "Probably not" ya with out a doubt I am spoiled too and I will go for as much quality as I can afford and drewl over the rest....LOL but it is realy nice to know what is available and have some one who can point out the benifits of higher quality equipment. do you get to test out every modle that comes in to your shop? [signature]
12-15-2005, 06:14 PM
The shop closed in July, but yes i got to try out anything that interested me - except flies, I had to buy those - go figure[cool]
I still have connections though, that is how I was able to get Ash his Bamboo (even with the discount that was a pretty chunk of change) But, I learned alot from customers though. That is all life is, a learning experience. Right? I probably own 1 of every Orvis rod (except the new sub-zero) and any time any of you want to try one out, give me a shout (after all they all have a 25 yr warrenty LOL) [signature]
12-16-2005, 06:05 AM
Orvis made this several years ago, then they discontinued them and we had to send them all back. I was suprised to see them in the new catalog again. As far as combos go, I think this is one of the better. The spinning reels that Orvis had sold for $150 - $250 but they were ssoooo smooth. I would like to tell you though that BFR (British Fly Reels) used to make Orvis reels (same ones that do Lamson and a couple others) but as of the first of the year Orvis quit using them and now they are made in Korea, but I Have no idea how they are anymore. If you notice in the catalog they dropped the price of all the fly reels.
The good news is that Orvis has a great warranty, witch can really make a difference in the long run. The fly reel looks like the materix which is a disc drag instead of gear. I have several of the BFR versions and love then. They also have spare spools for both. [signature]
I have a Battenkill Mid Arbor Fly Reels which I like very well. At the time I purchased mine they were priced @ $139.00. However, I did have a discount coupon that I picked up at a trade show. Still I think that one should buy as much rod as they can afford while the reel is secondary.
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12-16-2005, 10:05 PM
I agree with you dryrod, however, I have 4 mid arbor because at my price it was cost effective to buy the whole reel instead of spools. I also have 2 large arbor 3's and 2 large arbor 2's, 1 large arbor 1 (for my two weight) CFO and three spools and 1 bar stock(for my 8wt and multi tip line)
I have either reels or spools for my 4wt, 5wt, & 6wt to support, intermediate, type 2, type 4, depth charge, and wet cell for each weight of rod along with weight forward, long belly, superfine, triangle taper, and double taper floating lines. plus 1 streamer sink tip for rivers and 1 sylk for my bamboo Like I always say"it's better to use a screwdriver to put a screw in instead of pliers. right tool for the job. Plus on my kick boat, I pack 3 rods and carry one (So I don't have to change reels in the middle of a lake. Generally, 1 floating, intermediate, type II, and depth charge and I am covered. River fishing I pack the sink tip reel in my fanny pack or vest. THAT IS WHY I AM HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE COMBO THING![ ][][crazy][blush][angelic][signature] |
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