Does the winston BL5 worth it ?

[Guile]

Hi guys,
Because I don't have much money I am looking at "old" nice gear.
The BL5 is not make anymore by winston so it's one of my candidates.

Does anybody have some experience with those green sticks ?

[gotcha]

What weight rod are you looking for ? What do you intend to fish for ? There are LOTS of older models that may be inexpensive, but still great tools. It is all subjective, I like the old Sage RPL and RPL Xi's better. Just my two cents.

[Guile]

Thanks Gotcha for your advise.

I am looking for a nice 7wt fast rod as a light saltwater and heavt freshwater rod (I already own a 9wt and a 5wt... )

[Count]

Hi,

The BL-5 is a great rod, very well made, but it's not a fast rod. It's soft and great for those calm days on the flats, or chucking bass poppers. It's a great rod to shoot line with, but it's not the best in the wind.

You may check out the Sage RPL+ series if you can find one used. Or, if you like Winston, you might look at the discontinued XTR 3-piece models. I think they made this one in a 7.

Good Luck!

[dlangan]

I can't speak to the BL5. I do have an XTR I really like. But another consideration is th Winston Ibis. My son has a couple of these. I think his 5 wgt. Ibis is ok, but is doesn't grab me. His 8 wgt. Ibis however is a surprisingly fine casting rod - fast, strong butt. Nice price ...

Every great rod will not be "great" for you. If you can, cast as many rods as you can first.

[Guile]

Ok thanks guys, I keep looking around.

What do you think about the T&T Horizon ?

[Count]

Fast and strong. T&T makes great rods.

[PeteV]

Take for what its worth but for older rods I like the Winston XDLT (seems stronger and faster than the BL5), Loomis GLX (just a great rod), and SAGE RPLX (I think its faster than the RPLXi). I'm always keeping an eye open for used deals on those rods (especially the XDLT & GLX)

[Guile]

Do you think the "old" great rods are a better deal (because we can find them cheaper now :brow ) than a brand new midpriced rod like the sage Fli, the winston IBIS or the Scott A2...

[FlyFishMich]

Do you think the "old" great rods are a better deal (because we can find them cheaper now :brow ) than a brand new midpriced rod like the sage Fli, the winston IBIS or the Scott A2...

No…why buy used, without warranty, when you can buy yesterday’s technology BRAND NEW, with warranty, for the roughly the same price….bamboo excluded, of course. A lot of the low to mid priced brand name rods on the market today exist because the manufacturers have recovered their R&D expenses on rods they originally sold for $600+….now they repackage the same blanks, paint them a different color, and sell them for $300, just two or three years later. I can think of at least two major players that do this.

The rods you mentioned are all good, solid names in the business with a variety of actions (although I prefer more of a medium action, I found the BL5 downright wimpy). I own the 10’, 3pc, 7wt T&T Horizon and find it an absolute cannon, with the ability to cast distance and even make quick work of albies. It is my favorite rod, overall….although I find that the lower priced Sage DS2 (now discontinued/rebadged) suits my casting stroke quite well.

If you are looking for a “classic”, buy bamboo…if you are looking for a wimpy rod that is a pretty green color with a name that will “impress”, buy the BL5. If you want a functional, reasonably priced rod….look at the Winston Ibis, St Croix Ultra Legend, or other models in the $150-$300 range. Good luck and tight lines!

[Guile]

Ok Flyfishmich, I gave up on the winston BL5 (and they finally don't have it in 7wt anymore)

Flyfishmich, you seem to really like your T&T Horizon, I found one WITH the warranty, brand new for 385$. I am going to try it tomorrow. So now you know that, do you think this deal is not better than a brand new sage Fli for example (I think I am going to try it also).

A lot of the low to mid priced brand name rods on the market today exist because the manufacturers have recovered their R&D expenses on rods they originally sold for $600+….now they repackage the same blanks, paint them a different color, and sell them for $300, just two or three years later. I can think of at least two major players that do this.

Do you think the FLi wich is a G5 graphit, is a previous sold blank with another name and not a brand new one ?
I heard that sage does such kind of things, the VPS is supposed to be the RPL blank and the VPS-Light is supposed to be the LL blank... (#$119)

[FlyFishMich]

You are right about the VPS...and that is the point I was trying to make. At $295, the Fli is quality rod at a good price.

$385 for brand new T&T Horizon is also a good price, I believe I dropped over five bills for my rod at least 5 years ago. I am a big fan of both Sage and T&T but never cared much for Sage's faster action rods, particularly the RPL+. Regarding warranty work, I have had good customer service from both companies but have never actually broken either rod, just hardware/guide-wrap issues.

Ultimately, you should cast a few different rods and decide what feels right. IMO, the Horizon better suits a variety of casting strokes and styles. You can actually "feel" it load (like you would expect from a slower rod) but it generates good line speed. In a nutshell, you may find it less "timing sensitive" than a typical "fast action" rod. However, I think what you really want to hear is that both rods are good quality and provide a lot of "bang for the buck", which I believe they do.

Its your money and you are the person that will be using the rod so make sure you cast both rods side by side....the one you will purchase will become very apparent and will make the decision for you....trust me ;)

[Guile]

Ok thanks a lot, I'd just needed to be sure that the Horizon was not a bad deal for the price I've found.

And what you said make a lot of sense, a lot of poeple seem to really like the new Fli, maybe that time sage did it better than they did with the DS2...

[Guile]

It's me again.
So I went to the shop this morning and checked the T&T and the Fli (the Fli was the 8wt there was not the 7wt) I was really surprised by the Fli in good.

After "shaking" them and discussing with the seller, I finally ended with the T&T.... But just after that, back at home I looked at the rod again and try some reel on it to check the balance and the wheight. Now I am really confused, the rod feels as heavy as my 9wt TFO.... oups, I think I have some regrets now, I maybe made my mind a little bit to quick...

[FlyFishMich]

After "shaking" them...

Did you actually bother to cast any of the rods? :confused: Lets compare the purchase of a rod to an automobile...you "test-drive" it before you purchase it, right?

As I said numerous times above, casting a rod is the only way that you will be able to find the "right" rod. Take the T&T back to the shop, explain your reservations with the purchase, and ask them to take it back for store credit/refund so you can take your time a make the right decision. You are not fishing for stripers this weekend, are you? The way I see it, you have a solid two months to make an experienced decision on the correct rod. Cast all the 7wts in the shop and find the one you like the best, even if it turns out to be a $125 TFO.

I am a little confused as to why the 7wt T&T would feel "heavy" unless you are not putting sufficient enough reel on it to balance it? Mine is a 10 footer, which should feel "tip heavy" but is not.

Additionally, regarding your comments on the Sage DS2 (originally called the Discovery). IMO, they are excellent tools, in the right hands, and can be cast as far and as effortlessly as many $600 rods. I think the point that you may be missing in this is that different rods suit different casting styles and levels of experience. Only you can decide what rod is best for you. Good luck in your search for the perfect rod :-%

[Guile]

Thanks to take your time with me.

So I am back home now, and tried the T&T again with a reel on it to balance it (I don't have the right reel right now, it's on the way...). But the fact is that tonight I had a better feeling with that rod. It's not so heavy with a good reel on it. I checked with the shop and they were very surprised about the "heavy tip" thing... but they agreed for a credit on another rod if I really don't like it.
So I am going to wait to have a reel and a 7 line to put on it, and cast it for real...
I think I was really scared about spending 400$ on the wrong rod. Let's cast it and see how it really feels.

For my opinion about the DS2, it was my personnal feeling about the DS2, I tried it when I was on the market for a 9' 5wt, and I didn't like it much, I ended up with the scott A2 which is nicer for me.
I think because the Fli seems a little bit fater and lighter than the DS2, it feels better to me for what I like I mean...

Thanks again for your great advices and help.