4/5# River Rod

[Part-time]

I'm planning to buy a river rod for around ?50 and have narrowed it down to 3 possibles:

Cortland CX 9' 4#
Orvis Streamline 8'6'' 4#
Wychwood Truefly 8'6'' 4/5#

I know ideally you should try before you buy but none of the local shops sock these size rods so if anyone has any experience of these rods I'd be grateful for any comments or alternative suggestions.

Thanks
John

[Harpo]

The thing is if you never used a 4/5# before then you've nothing to compare it to?, I bought the first 5# I saw online for the right price and love it.
Taking more time to get a line that matches the rod would be more important I think

I'd got for the Orvis due to the life time guarentee, my mate broke his tip section off after 2 years, sent it back to Orvis and got a brand new rod back

[dazdidge]

My Truefly arrived yesterday, it is a 7ft #3/4. Just put a #4 DT on it and had a wee cast in the garden. It is the smallest rod I have ever used and have to say it feels pretty good so far. Can't judge properly right now as it is a howling wind outside just now and I'm not the best caster in the world. It's got a quite nice finish and the alignment markings are really handy. Only problem with this one is if  you break it a new section will cost ?25. Can let you know more tomorrow after its first trip (weather permitting)

darren

[Part-time]

Thanks for the comments guys.

It's a 10' 5# I use most of the time and a 7.5' 4/5# for wee burns so I'm just looking for something in between that dont need to buy new lines for.

I'm most tempted by the orvis Harpo as, like you say, customer service seems about the best - interested to hear how you get on with the Truefly though Daz-D. 
Hope I'm still casting a flee at your age Breac; with your advice about preserving the wrists I can justify the rod purchase on medical grounds to SWMBO

Thanks
John   

[alba]

i use the 8ft 4/5 wychwood, lovley wee river rod and at times when you nedd that wee bit extra distance i haev no problemwith linger casts

[Part-time]

Thanks Breac; Fladens another to consider but I think the I read a few posts on here that the 9' 5# was not as good as the 8'. Still at about ?20 nothing to be lost giving it a try.

Broontroot, look forward to hearing about your new rod your getting. Hope you got on ok up at Glenlivet, the burns up there were very high when I passed by just over a week ago.

Cheers
John

[Malcolm]

Part time,

Just my view on the Fladens: the 8ft 4 weight is really a 5 weight but is a lovely rod. The 9ft 5 weight is fine if you intend fishing for seatrout: it's really a 7 weight and a beefy one at that.

If you can put up with a 2 piece have a look at this price

http://www.orvis.co.uk/store/product.aspx?pf_id=9602&dir_id=563&group_id=10923&cat_id=10926&subcat_id=10927

(just realised that's a choice of yours)

a friend of mine swears by these rods

[dazdidge]

Went out yesterday with the new Whychwood, I have to say first of all that my casting is.............well to be honest it is crap! But I was pleasantly surprised, maybe I am just so used to using #7/8 rods but this felt so light. What I was more surprised at was the fact I was able to cast accross wind and still go reasonably straight. I even managed to cast into the wind a few times although my leader wasn't too pretty. I have no doubt that once the wind has dissapeared I will be able to put out a much nicer line with it. It is a bit softer than I am used to, but it taught me very quickly to slow everything down and stop putting so much power in. Not a critiscism of the rod, more of my 10 1/2 foot stiff actioned stockie bashing days. But even after 5 or 6 hours of casting in 15-20mph winds it still felt nice to used compared to my other (kinda fortunatley) half inched kit.

cheers
darren

[alba]

Went out yesterday with the new Whychwood, I have to say first of all that my casting is.............well to be honest it is crap! But I was pleasantly surprised, maybe I am just so used to using #7/8 rods but this felt so light. What I was more surprised at was the fact I was able to cast accross wind and still go reasonably straight. I even managed to cast into the wind a few times although my leader wasn't too pretty. I have no doubt that once the wind has dissapeared I will be able to put out a much nicer line with it. It is a bit softer than I am used to, but it taught me very quickly to slow everything down and stop putting so much power in. Not a critiscism of the rod, more of my 10 1/2 foot stiff actioned stockie bashing days. But even after 5 or 6 hours of casting in 15-20mph winds it still felt nice to used compared to my other (kinda fortunatley) half inched kit.

cheers
darren

I had the same results from the rod mate, its fantastic, very soft tho need to slow verything right doen but once you get it, its great