What Rod and Reel to Buy

[kbderrandson]

Hello,
I just found this site and it seems great. I am fairly new to saltwater fly fishing. I have fresh water fly fished for many years but I do not have a good rod and reel for saltwater. I will be fishing for rockfish mostly in the chesapeake bay. Could anyone help me with some advice on what to buy. Thanks for any Help.
Justin

[smcisaac]

A med-fast to fast action 8 or 9 weight rod, 9' to 10', with a fighting butt, and a mid or large arbor corrosion resistant reel that holds the line plus at least 100 yd (some will say you want 200 yd) of backing. You want to be able to do a decent double-haul in the wind. A big striped bass can be a tough challenge on an 8 weight rod, but trying to toss a 10 weight line all day will wear you out, so maybe a medium-fast 9 weight is a good compromise.

If you have a stiff rod you can soften it with a heavier line. For example, my own favorite rig is a 9' Loomis IMX 8 weight, paired with a Redington AL 9/10 reel and a 9 weight line, but those are no longer in production.

There are lots of good choices, especially if you scout for used bargains on eBay. Closeouts are another possibility, since manufacturers are constantly tweaking their product lines. You can pay through the nose for top-shelf gear if you want, but this isn't finesse fishing and anything that's durable enough will do an adequate job. New large arbor reels keep being introduced at modest price points, and rods that were top of the line 5-10 years ago can be had for a fraction of their original retail now.

For good value in a new rod you might consider a Temple Fork TiCr or TiCr X, an Albright A5 or XX, a mid-line Redington or St Croix, or an Orvis PM-10. For a new reel you might consider one of the new Ross mid or large arbors, a Tioga Magnum, or an Orvis Mach or Battenkill Large or Mid Arbor.

Now watch others show up and offer their competing, and equally valid, opinions! Of course, there's no substitute for trial casting to see what feels right.

[bonefishdick]

You can get tons of advise on this, I don't know if you are going this alone or will get info from friends who fish the salt. The budget will dictate a lot of what you buy. I know if you fish with someone who knows what they are doing you will say I want what he has when you see him catching fish, I have been very envious of a many a man in my day. Getting back to fishing the Technology today has come so far even some of the low end equipment would have been high end five or ten year ago. I like the TFO they are great rods for the money, the Air-Flo lines are great and the Orvis Battenkill saltwater reels are great for the money. They will all serve you well. Over time you will learn and make educated decisions on your own. Seeking advise is good. The one thing about this site is you won't get very much bad advise. Good luck on your decisions.