9 foot #5...........

[scotty9]

You will find a multitude of opinions on this. There are some people who are "natural" casters, they can use a rod and line more or less instinctively, just as some people are very good at throwing stones, or aiming guns. Unfortunately, this is not very common, and most people have to learn how to do it.  You CAN teach yourself, but it is not really advisable because what happens is that you teach yourself the wrong things, and once you have done that it is extremely difficult to change such habits. This is also why huge numbers of people are poor to mediocre casters.  It is not that difficult if you learn properly from somebody who can do it well and is able to impart what he can do to you.

But if you are not a "natural" caster  and you teach yourself a lot of bad habits, you will often be frustrated and unsatisfied, and you will merely end up as one of the legions of poor casters who are continually looking for "magical" fixes, ( and using a  lot of excuses and rationalisation),  for their piss poor casting.

It is as well to bear in mind that you are not doing this to impress anybody, or to be "better than somebody else". You are doing it to ensure that you have the tools which will enable you to catch fish.

TL
MC

If only more people posted this kind of thing! 

The amount of times you hear of someone buying a ~£600 rod only to be disappointed when it didn't make them cast with exquisite ease and distance like the brochure said it would  :lol: Not so much a problem here, I think most have the heads screwed on the proper way but the 'other' forum is one of the prime examples, used to see this kind of thing on a daily basis!

Now by all means buy an expensive rod and enjoy it but don't buy it as a magic fix to a problem that is caused by one's hand

[Malcolm]

I wonder if Lionel Messi's boots make him the player he is. Perhaps Usain Bolt's slinky costume is his secret and why is it I can't bat like Sachin Tendulkar when he uses the same bat as me?

[Stonepark]

Go with a Shakespeare, either the Odyssey XT or the better finished Trion XT (possibly even the 9ft 4wt) , Okuma SLV reel and a decent floating line (my choice would be a Barrio GT90).

http://www.johnnorris.co.uk/shop/ty_474-shakespeare-rods/9849-shakespeare-odyssey-xt-fly-rods-3239.html

http://www.johnnorris.co.uk/shop/ty_474-shakespeare-rods/9852-shakespeare-trion-xt-fly-rods-6679.html

http://www.garryevans.co.uk/okuma-slv-fly-reels-451-p.asp

[Scotaidh]

I've got 3 Shakespeares that do most of my trout work, fantastic value for money, go with one of them.

[emc]

Thanks guys. Shakespeare Trion XT and Okuma Airframe it is then.

Now just got to sort out the lessons...... :roll:

[Traditionalist]

Thanks guys. Shakespeare Trion XT and Okuma Airframe it is then.

Now just got to sort out the lessons...... :roll:

It's best to get the lessons before you get a rod.  This makes it much easier to choose what suits you,  and normally any teachers will have various rods availalable for you to try.

TL
MC