@@darthcycysummary 4:29 orvis Clearwater at $200something preformed near top basically close to top super expensive pick though noted was paying attention to performance not feel. Moonshine Vesper at $500 performed beautiful like 2x price rods. I not sure who these guys are. I haven't paid much attention to f&s in 30ish yrs.... And who knows who these two individuals are (don't care enough to find out) Their casting is horribly messy so conclusions based on it........ EHHH
So at 5:15 I love how you're saying consistent tight loops when showing casting that a beginner would be hard pressed to replicate just how bad that is.
I sold rods for a high end company with an entry level rod line. I had $159 to $750 rods. I have built 9 fly rods in the last year and half. I sold all of those once I started building and realized I could build great rods with the best components for a lot less. My favorite rod right now is a 9' 3 wt 4 piece MHX traditional fly rod ($230 all together). I have been casting for almost 50 years and this rod is fantastic. My oldest son is a guide and we were fishing recently and I was catching fish. when he caught up with me, I told him to let me set his rod up and to use mine while I was working on his. "This rod is a sweetheart!" was the first thing out of his mouth. I have everything from a 6'6" 2 wt to a 9' 10 wt and most of the rods are really good. I have 3 Xi rods from Hook and Hackle and the 5 wt I built is a cannon with extreme accuracy ($150). I have use tichrome guides in the last 6 and my fly line is lasting a lot longer. I fish about 130 days a year and the cheaper guides were tearing my line up. Not only are the rods great but I love building them.
I've also built a Xi rod 10 wt. and love that as well. Another blank to try is the Northfork Composites. This is a Loomis designed rod and also pretty good. Built a Mudhole spinning rod but have not tried their fly rods.
As others have said, the line choice matters at least as much as the rod choice, in my view. A high-end line can transform the feel and performance of a low-end rod. As for brand choice, I have an Orvis Helios 3 and whilst I like it well enough, it is certainly not worth the cost, in my view. By contrast, I recently bought a Guideline Elevation which costs 75% less than the Helios 3 and which I frankly prefer. I do not own, but have cast an Orvis Clearwater and that felt equally good. Just a view.
I feel like for most anglers the action of the rod (or the taper of the line) is going to make a much bigger difference than how high end it is. My favorite setup to cast is a cheap ass Redington Classic Trout 3wt because it's flexy and you can intuitively feel it load. My other rods are faster action, and while I find myself fishing them a lot to deal with wind, I prefer the feel of something with a more traditional action.
I have only high end rods, thomas & thomas, orvis,... And I think hand cefted rods are better for precision and not vibration on the blank best stability, when I cast my orvis helios 3f I feel the stability of the loop is incredible, and the same with my paradigm
Put the correct line on your h3. And make sure it’s a D. The F’s are not that impressive. I haven’t h3d’s and have been casting fly rods since the late 80’s. By far the most I’ve ever been impressed with a rod.
I'm curious, were the lines you were using all relatively new and similar? Just from casting buddies fly rods I notice the line makes a big difference for performance. Usually on the cheaper combo setups from Amazon and Cabela's, cheap line seems to be my biggest issue. If they were different lines what was on the Orvis Clearwater?
Huge difference, overline cheap rods by one or 1.5 steps and you win every time. That’s why SA has been sweeping the market with their MPX and Infinity series
@@gavinhurley8918 yes, depending on the line. If you go with the MPX or Infinity, they are a half size heavier than standard lines. The higher grain wt and taper lend to a smoother more stable cast. Infinity=heavy, long shooting head, good for general application. MPX=heavy, short shooting head, tight loops, good for single fly rigging. A lot of other brands are catching up now but SA really hit a home run in regards to making cheaper rods perform
bought a Greys GR80 Streamflex 9ft 4wt fly rod in sale for less 200 Euro. i´m impressed about the look and feel and action you can get in the low price / mid price range.
Here's my thing. I have for example a helios 3d, but I also use a tfo blu ribbon which is like 25% of the price. I fish a lot, and have for a long time, so I can fully utilize the power of the 3d to get long and accurate casts that will result in more fish for ME, but on the same token I also question the investment because I do very well on my TFO as well. The way I see it, I fish so much that having a nicer tool to fish makes the entire thing more enjoyable and in turn I get value back on that. That being said, if you begin to get more into faster rods, they do go up in price typically. Honestly what matters he most for me is balancing out your rod with the right line. Often a nicely balanced rig is what maters most,. Ultimately it's the fisherman, not the rod, but a good fisherman will take advantage of better rods. If someone really likes to fly fish, and use slower rods, id recommend at some point stepping up to a mod-fast action in the mid range to begin to explore just how much better your cast can get! Also one more thing, there are some more expensive rods like RL Winston and Scott...those rods are handmade in america like a few others. They are beautiful, and give off "heirloom pass down to my children" vibes. I can appreciate that work when we blow money on so many things now that are disposable junk. Just my 2 cents. I dont own any, but hope to some day.
I've got a cheap $100 8wt fly rod from Cabela's that I've used for years now and I've got a $350 Redington Predator 9wt fly rod. I've actually enjoyed the cheaper rod a little more. My next will be a Scott Wave 11wt. Now as far as my bass fishing setups, there's a noticable difference between a $1200 combo and a $300 combo but I can't feel too much difference with the fly rods. Maybe it's me?
On a steelhead trip to Oregon, I watched two Winstons break while they were being cast, one by the guide and the other by my fishing partner. This was on the same day. Both rods belonged to the guide. It was no issue for him to get them replaced. However, it convinced me my Helios switch rod and Encounter Spey rods were good enough. I passed on buying a Winston.
I absolutely love my Orvis Clearwater. I got that rod and to be honest I really don’t touch any of my others. They’re still in the rotation of course and they have their situations but the orvis Clearwater is the one I grab daily. It’s by far the best feeling rod I have
Works great although it ruclips.net/user/postUgkxLoZpKHn4w7dtzXk1eygBlOhbLxuVe3uD took a while to figure out how to reverse it. Nearly disassembled the entire thing. Looks better than my Redington Rise 5/6 reel too.
as mentioned the proper line for your circumstances matters the most. In addition that orvis clearwater is a cannon, but sucks for roll casting. I tried to help a beginner and just couldn't get that cannon to do a decent roll cast without a lot of effort so we ended overlining the rod significantly to get a Ok roll cast. So just because a rod is a cannon doesn't mean it will fish well.
Every time I think I want to buy a 1,000 rod I remember my grandfather. The very best tip of the line rods in his day were not even close to the budget $200 rod and reel combo that comes with line and a tube. And he fished every chance he got and felt extremely lucky to have that top of the line 1940s technology
Without even watching the video the answer is yes, a $1000 fly rod is better than a $100 fly rod. You don't need a blindfold to understand this. The real and most relevant question to ask is, is it 10x better? And the answer is absolutely not. Not a chance in the history of fly rods, or anywhere in this universe. If you believe it is, I have some land I'd like to sell you dirt cheap. Act now, and I'll even throw in a bridge. Truth is, a $1000 fly rod is certainly much better than a $100 fly rod - arguably a few times better. Perhaps as much as 4 to 5 times better in terms of quality material and overall attention to detail and build quality. But 10x? Never. I can show you a particular $100 Maxcatch fly rod that will impress even the most die-hard fly fisherman. That's my honest opinion based on the high end rods that are readily available today.
Personally I find mine to be a middle of the road rod. It’s certainly no Loop 7X or Orvis Helios, both of which I also own. Accuracy isn’t the only important factor, it’s also feel and sensitivity, which cheaper rods like the Clearwater just don’t have.
Own more than a dozen rods. A custom thousand dollar and a five hundred St. Croix are collecting dust. When you pick up a rod that loads up and shoots the line out like a bullet, that's the one no matter the cost. My favorite is a Pflueger graphite Meadlist 9' 5wt.
Ive always thought the cheaper rods were better. If you break one which you will the only thing better about expensive rod is that they will replace. That being said I broke my bass pro rod and they replaced it no questions asked.
Lots of pieces of information missing here. One, is line pairing. Regardless of rod cost, some cast much better or a lot worse, depending on the line taper and weight used. The other, is balance. To be unbiased, each outfit should balance at the same place, I think it’s best for balance point to be at location where swing weight is measured. Both of these factors have high influence on how well a rod casts and how good it feels, and you can’t even this out by using same line and reel for testing. And remember, casting performance is only one criteria. I think “fish fighting feel” is way underrated and under appreciated. I want a rod to transmit vibration to my hand when a fish is fighting. Some rods feel dead to me, with others I can feel the fish opening his mouth to try and spit out the fly. There is a big difference across rods on these factors. Also, durability. Some cheap rods (but certainly not all) the tip top guide will lose its plating finish after a couple uses and then start causing excessive line wear. Many folks have already established that warranties are really not built into the rod cost like everyone thought, because now everyone is basically paying for repairs anyways. I agree some budget fly rods are really good, I have several, and expensive ones too. But these other factors are important.
The most critical thing is pairing the right line with a rod. A good, well balanced line can bring a cheap end rod to life. I don't think there are any really bad rods these days.
He said they named 2 cheap fly rods, I only heard that they named the Orvis Clearwater, what else are they talking about that is really good besides from the clearwater rod?
A fly fishing rod blank, which the manufacturers will tell you has been rolled on thighs of Athena and impregnated by Zeus costs them about £15 and that's top of the range. Add the fixtures and fittings, labor and process and the true cost of an high end rod comes in at about £60 - £80, cheaper if outsourced. By far the biggest cost is advertising and promotion. A fly fishing rod is one of the overpriced items you can buy, I don't begrudge anyone's choice I myself own x 2 clearwaters a brace of Hardys and a few Visions, they all do the jobs I need them to. unless catastrophe strikes and I'll say this for the Clearwater, they are bombproof, Then nothing the manufactures tell me will make me buy another Fly Rod.
In my point of view you missed the most important point: matching the fly line to each rod. Where all lines identical? If so, they will have matched perfectly with only some rods and less good with others. Try this: 1. Take 5 casters and test 3 lines on each rod: rod label = 7 and you have them test a 6, 7 and 8wt. line. 2. Take another group of casters and have them blindfolded testing all rods, but now with the line being chosen to match best. In addition you may want to take into account the distance. You cannot compare a rod designed for short range fishing with a rod designed for distance range fishing, by casting to distance. That has to be taken into account, too. You might test performance on three ranges though: short, medium and long. That aside, proper fly casting needs money. For casting lessons rather then equipment.
You get what you pay for. High end rods are quality. However, cheaper rods are much better quality than those that were on offer in the past. There are some excellent low to mid priced options now available, with strong warranties, that give good service.
We all know there are great cheap rods out here in Britain, spending more than 100 £ is inexcusable, it's just for bragging rights, if you can't cast adequate to the job in hand try somewhere else, or just enjoy trying.
The rods are only a portion of the equation. The fly line matters and control is more important than distance. The feel of my Winston rods are superior to anything moonshine produces. Not to mention presentation of the small dry fly.
THANK YOU! This reminds me of a “vodka snob” blind taste test where the best vodka they chose over Blue Goose and the other was good ole budget Smirnoff!
The minute you touched the cork on a 100$ rod, you'd know it! Yes, the Clearwater is a fine rod, I own one and my son owns one, but in my sons hands, the Helios wins hands down, me not so much. So the level of the tester really matters.
I have try all best fly rods in the market, my favorite is t&t paradigm and I've this rod in all size, for a most fast action my favorite is orvis helios 3f in 9' #5. Winston pure or air 2 is bad really heavy. Scott I don't like and sage too fast for me.
Have you heard of guild line rods I bought a 9 foot 6 four piece rod for 170 pounds I use it for lake fishing for rainbows and on rivers for sea trout improved my fishing no end check them out on line
so basically a commercial for Orvis Clearwater. Like any other "dedicated amateur" sport pursuit, 99% of people cannot realize any advantage of the top-end gear. I certainly cannot, and I've only been fly fishing for about 45 years. The true greats, Lefty Kreh comes first to mind of course, caught more fish and were BETTER all around than most of us will ever dream of being- and used gear which by today's standards was not "good". A $1K fly rod is great. So is a $100K car. in the end, both of them are simply, obscenely, status symbols used to compensate for other things.... If you truly have the money to spend like that- your mortgage is paid, your kids education is paid, you are independently wealthy, then great. Spend it. Otherwise, learn to fish.
This is just my opinion. Let me tell you the difference between $1000 rod and a $300 rod the name. You are paying for the name. And if you notice the more expensive fly rods their warranties now suck. Especially Sage.
So this is and interesting video , we’re all the rods the same wt, same reels same line , ? I’m and old dude on a cheap budget and the last time I caught a really nice red on the flats with my Wally World 9-10 wt Cortland combo that came with a wt fwd floating line and 30# backing and 8’ of 20lb floracarbon leader he didn’t complain at all so what it comes down to is it what works or is it who has the best designer equipment to brag about ? 🤔 what I would like to see is if you took two sacrificial rod blanks and put them through strength tests one cheap and one expensive, who wants to donate a $1000 dollar rod , gee I wouldn’t feel as bad if my cheap one got it’s tip broke ! 😄
First of all, thank you for demystyfing the 'expensive is better' myth! This should wake up fishermen you buy expensive gear thinking it casts & fish better... 🤣 But guys you need to up your casting game though! The 'form' (effortless casting) as well as path the fly line travels (you guys surely have heard of 'casting in one plane'?) is terrible!
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. First guy I thought was going to beat the world to death in front of him and behind him. I'm exaggerating a bit, but there's some work needs to be done on those casts
Rod blanks is one thing, albiet an important one. The other part of the equation is components. Reel seats, cork quality, rod tubes etc. There are just some things I prefer a rod has. I own a pair of TFO PRO III's that to me are excellent. I own an Orvis Clearwater that I find swings very heavy for its class. I am dealing with a hurt shoulder and elbow and it aggrivates them. But I also own an Echo Base that casts extremely well, but those components are kind of flimsy. None of my rods are high end, but they work plenty well for me.
A few negative comments here which although I understand doesn’t give props for doing a test as it should be done, blind. If a test can be blind, which a rod test almost always can be, then it should be.
i aint rich, a retired truck driver in aussie ,i own 8 rods because i target 5 or 6 differant species of fish in my area ,you dont need the latest model rods or the most expensive , i have found people with money buy a rod for a special trip use it once then sell the rod , if you target these kind of fly fishers you get a bargain
Could you share the full lineup and results somewhere? I think that's a lot more telling than just a general conversation about the process.
Right? i was waiting for the results and bammm.... nothing. thanks for wasting 6 minutes of my life
Thanks for leaving this comment, now I wont waste my time watching the video😂
@@darthcycysummary 4:29
orvis Clearwater at $200something preformed near top basically close to top super expensive pick though noted was paying attention to performance not feel. Moonshine Vesper at $500 performed beautiful like 2x price rods.
I not sure who these guys are. I haven't paid much attention to f&s in 30ish yrs.... And who knows who these two individuals are (don't care enough to find out)
Their casting is horribly messy so conclusions based on it........ EHHH
They're trying to stay out of trouble with the fancy rodmakers.
So at 5:15 I love how you're saying consistent tight loops when showing casting that a beginner would be hard pressed to replicate just how bad that is.
I sold rods for a high end company with an entry level rod line. I had $159 to $750 rods. I have built 9 fly rods in the last year and half. I sold all of those once I started building and realized I could build great rods with the best components for a lot less. My favorite rod right now is a 9' 3 wt 4 piece MHX traditional fly rod ($230 all together). I have been casting for almost 50 years and this rod is fantastic. My oldest son is a guide and we were fishing recently and I was catching fish. when he caught up with me, I told him to let me set his rod up and to use mine while I was working on his. "This rod is a sweetheart!" was the first thing out of his mouth. I have everything from a 6'6" 2 wt to a 9' 10 wt and most of the rods are really good. I have 3 Xi rods from Hook and Hackle and the 5 wt I built is a cannon with extreme accuracy ($150). I have use tichrome guides in the last 6 and my fly line is lasting a lot longer. I fish about 130 days a year and the cheaper guides were tearing my line up. Not only are the rods great but I love building them.
I've also built a Xi rod 10 wt. and love that as well. Another blank to try is the Northfork Composites. This is a Loomis designed rod and also pretty good. Built a Mudhole spinning rod but have not tried their fly rods.
As others have said, the line choice matters at least as much as the rod choice, in my view. A high-end line can transform the feel and performance of a low-end rod. As for brand choice, I have an Orvis Helios 3 and whilst I like it well enough, it is certainly not worth the cost, in my view. By contrast, I recently bought a Guideline Elevation which costs 75% less than the Helios 3 and which I frankly prefer. I do not own, but have cast an Orvis Clearwater and that felt equally good. Just a view.
I feel like for most anglers the action of the rod (or the taper of the line) is going to make a much bigger difference than how high end it is.
My favorite setup to cast is a cheap ass Redington Classic Trout 3wt because it's flexy and you can intuitively feel it load. My other rods are faster action, and while I find myself fishing them a lot to deal with wind, I prefer the feel of something with a more traditional action.
I have only high end rods, thomas & thomas, orvis,...
And I think hand cefted rods are better for precision and not vibration on the blank best stability, when I cast my orvis helios 3f I feel the stability of the loop is incredible, and the same with my paradigm
Put the correct line on your h3. And make sure it’s a D. The F’s are not that impressive. I haven’t h3d’s and have been casting fly rods since the late 80’s. By far the most I’ve ever been impressed with a rod.
I'm curious, were the lines you were using all relatively new and similar? Just from casting buddies fly rods I notice the line makes a big difference for performance. Usually on the cheaper combo setups from Amazon and Cabela's, cheap line seems to be my biggest issue. If they were different lines what was on the Orvis Clearwater?
Good question. I find that a good line makes most setups feel great. The converse is also true, crappy line feels...well crappy.
Huge difference, overline cheap rods by one or 1.5 steps and you win every time. That’s why SA has been sweeping the market with their MPX and Infinity series
@@PullingRugs may I ask is do SA have a higher grain weight for the lines? What are you meant within your comment, thanks mate
@@gavinhurley8918 yes, depending on the line. If you go with the MPX or Infinity, they are a half size heavier than standard lines. The higher grain wt and taper lend to a smoother more stable cast. Infinity=heavy, long shooting head, good for general application. MPX=heavy, short shooting head, tight loops, good for single fly rigging. A lot of other brands are catching up now but SA really hit a home run in regards to making cheaper rods perform
@@PullingRugs ok thanks I have a box of SA mastery 4wt .. but I don’t have a 4wt rod as yet.. so yeah I’m hoping it’s a great line..
bought a Greys GR80 Streamflex 9ft 4wt fly rod in sale for less 200 Euro. i´m impressed about the look and feel and action you can get in the low price / mid price range.
Here's my thing. I have for example a helios 3d, but I also use a tfo blu ribbon which is like 25% of the price. I fish a lot, and have for a long time, so I can fully utilize the power of the 3d to get long and accurate casts that will result in more fish for ME, but on the same token I also question the investment because I do very well on my TFO as well. The way I see it, I fish so much that having a nicer tool to fish makes the entire thing more enjoyable and in turn I get value back on that. That being said, if you begin to get more into faster rods, they do go up in price typically. Honestly what matters he most for me is balancing out your rod with the right line. Often a nicely balanced rig is what maters most,. Ultimately it's the fisherman, not the rod, but a good fisherman will take advantage of better rods. If someone really likes to fly fish, and use slower rods, id recommend at some point stepping up to a mod-fast action in the mid range to begin to explore just how much better your cast can get! Also one more thing, there are some more expensive rods like RL Winston and Scott...those rods are handmade in america like a few others. They are beautiful, and give off "heirloom pass down to my children" vibes. I can appreciate that work when we blow money on so many things now that are disposable junk. Just my 2 cents. I dont own any, but hope to some day.
I've got a cheap $100 8wt fly rod from Cabela's that I've used for years now and I've got a $350 Redington Predator 9wt fly rod. I've actually enjoyed the cheaper rod a little more. My next will be a Scott Wave 11wt. Now as far as my bass fishing setups, there's a noticable difference between a $1200 combo and a $300 combo but I can't feel too much difference with the fly rods. Maybe it's me?
On a steelhead trip to Oregon, I watched two Winstons break while they were being cast, one by the guide and the other by my fishing partner. This was on the same day. Both rods belonged to the guide. It was no issue for him to get them replaced. However, it convinced me my Helios switch rod and Encounter Spey rods were good enough. I passed on buying a Winston.
Spent a few seasons guiding and all I put in clients hands were Orvis Clearwater and Echo Ion rods, never had one complaint 🤘🏻
I absolutely love my Orvis Clearwater. I got that rod and to be honest I really don’t touch any of my others. They’re still in the rotation of course and they have their situations but the orvis Clearwater is the one I grab daily. It’s by far the best feeling rod I have
Where are the links to the rods you compared?
Sage and Orvis my favorite Rods
Works great although it ruclips.net/user/postUgkxLoZpKHn4w7dtzXk1eygBlOhbLxuVe3uD took a while to figure out how to reverse it. Nearly disassembled the entire thing. Looks better than my Redington Rise 5/6 reel too.
The casting??
I have a couple Redingtons, Allen and a Fenwick spey rod and they're great. They are fast action and none over $300.
Great video. Have you tried the moonshine drifter 5/6 weight rod? If so, what's your opinion. Thanks
as mentioned the proper line for your circumstances matters the most. In addition that orvis clearwater is a cannon, but sucks for roll casting. I tried to help a beginner and just couldn't get that cannon to do a decent roll cast without a lot of effort so we ended overlining the rod significantly to get a Ok roll cast. So just because a rod is a cannon doesn't mean it will fish well.
It's the angler not the rod
Every time I think I want to buy a 1,000 rod I remember my grandfather. The very best tip of the line rods in his day were not even close to the budget $200 rod and reel combo that comes with line and a tube. And he fished every chance he got and felt extremely lucky to have that top of the line 1940s technology
My grandfather drove a 1960 Rambler and Hickory shafts on his golf clubs, I loved him dearly, but I'll chose the 21st century.
Get off the lawns and platforms and into waist deep water.
It’s hard to take this seriously with some of that brutal, absolutely brutal! “Casting” footage. 😂
Without even watching the video the answer is yes, a $1000 fly rod is better than a $100 fly rod. You don't need a blindfold to understand this. The real and most relevant question to ask is, is it 10x better? And the answer is absolutely not. Not a chance in the history of fly rods, or anywhere in this universe. If you believe it is, I have some land I'd like to sell you dirt cheap. Act now, and I'll even throw in a bridge. Truth is, a $1000 fly rod is certainly much better than a $100 fly rod - arguably a few times better. Perhaps as much as 4 to 5 times better in terms of quality material and overall attention to detail and build quality. But 10x? Never. I can show you a particular $100 Maxcatch fly rod that will impress even the most die-hard fly fisherman. That's my honest opinion based on the high end rods that are readily available today.
Well it will have better componentry. As to the casting.....
The Orvis Clearwater really is a wonder. Bought one last year and I love this. amazing rod. My favorite of them all.
Personally I find mine to be a middle of the road rod. It’s certainly no Loop 7X or Orvis Helios, both of which I also own.
Accuracy isn’t the only important factor, it’s also feel and sensitivity, which cheaper rods like the Clearwater just don’t have.
Own more than a dozen rods. A custom thousand dollar and a five hundred St. Croix are collecting dust. When you pick up a rod that loads up and shoots the line out like a bullet, that's the one no matter the cost. My favorite is a Pflueger graphite Meadlist 9' 5wt.
Ive always thought the cheaper rods were better. If you break one which you will the only thing better about expensive rod is that they will replace. That being said I broke my bass pro rod and they replaced it no questions asked.
Lots of pieces of information missing here. One, is line pairing. Regardless of rod cost, some cast much better or a lot worse, depending on the line taper and weight used. The other, is balance. To be unbiased, each outfit should balance at the same place, I think it’s best for balance point to be at location where swing weight is measured. Both of these factors have high influence on how well a rod casts and how good it feels, and you can’t even this out by using same line and reel for testing. And remember, casting performance is only one criteria. I think “fish fighting feel” is way underrated and under appreciated. I want a rod to transmit vibration to my hand when a fish is fighting. Some rods feel dead to me, with others I can feel the fish opening his mouth to try and spit out the fly. There is a big difference across rods on these factors. Also, durability. Some cheap rods (but certainly not all) the tip top guide will lose its plating finish after a couple uses and then start causing excessive line wear. Many folks have already established that warranties are really not built into the rod cost like everyone thought, because now everyone is basically paying for repairs anyways. I agree some budget fly rods are really good, I have several, and expensive ones too. But these other factors are important.
The most critical thing is pairing the right line with a rod. A good, well balanced line can bring a cheap end rod to life. I don't think there are any really bad rods these days.
He said they named 2 cheap fly rods, I only heard that they named the Orvis Clearwater, what else are they talking about that is really good besides from the clearwater rod?
Moonshine Vesper (although more like mid priced in their scale)
I get the point. But you can cover the logos and I can still tell you whose rod it is by the color and components.
Orvis Clearwater is legit. Great warranty too.
A fly fishing rod blank, which the manufacturers will tell you has been rolled on thighs of Athena and impregnated by Zeus costs them about £15 and that's top of the range. Add the fixtures and fittings, labor and process and the true cost of an high end rod comes in at about £60 - £80, cheaper if outsourced. By far the biggest cost is advertising and promotion. A fly fishing rod is one of the overpriced items you can buy, I don't begrudge anyone's choice I myself own x 2 clearwaters a brace of Hardys and a few Visions, they all do the jobs I need them to. unless catastrophe strikes and I'll say this for the Clearwater, they are bombproof, Then nothing the manufactures tell me will make me buy another Fly Rod.
I would never spend so much money on a rod
Wheres the flea flicker himself Joe cermele !?! This is right up his alley.BRING BACK HOOKSHOTS!!!
In my point of view you missed the most important point: matching the fly line to each rod. Where all lines identical? If so, they will have matched perfectly with only some rods and less good with others. Try this:
1. Take 5 casters and test 3 lines on each rod: rod label = 7 and you have them test a 6, 7 and 8wt. line.
2. Take another group of casters and have them blindfolded testing all rods, but now with the line being chosen to match best.
In addition you may want to take into account the distance. You cannot compare a rod designed for short range fishing with a rod designed for distance range fishing, by casting to distance. That has to be taken into account, too. You might test performance on three ranges though: short, medium and long.
That aside, proper fly casting needs money. For casting lessons rather then equipment.
How can you really tell with that brutal casting stroke and windy conditions.
You get what you pay for. High end rods are quality. However, cheaper rods are much better quality than those that were on offer in the past. There are some excellent low to mid priced options now available, with strong warranties, that give good service.
We all know there are great cheap rods out here in Britain, spending more than 100 £ is inexcusable, it's just for bragging rights, if you can't cast adequate to the job in hand try somewhere else, or just enjoy trying.
The rods are only a portion of the equation. The fly line matters and control is more important than distance. The feel of my Winston rods are superior to anything moonshine produces. Not to mention presentation of the small dry fly.
THANK YOU! This reminds me of a “vodka snob” blind taste test where the best vodka they chose over Blue Goose and the other was good ole budget Smirnoff!
looks like you are at Dream Catcher Deposit NY? Great place for wild Browns
The minute you touched the cork on a 100$ rod, you'd know it! Yes, the Clearwater is a fine rod, I own one and my son owns one, but in my sons hands, the Helios wins hands down, me not so much. So the level of the tester really matters.
Great rod, agree 💯. Said the guy with about 25 flyrods.
There’s a lot of Clearwater offerings. If they’re like anything else, one might outshine the others.
Ive got my old starter fly rod. Nice littke rod.
Even my cheap float rod is nice.
I have try all best fly rods in the market, my favorite is t&t paradigm and I've this rod in all size, for a most fast action my favorite is orvis helios 3f in 9' #5.
Winston pure or air 2 is bad really heavy.
Scott I don't like and sage too fast for me.
Awesome review
Daiwa better than anything
Have you heard of guild line rods I bought a 9 foot 6 four piece rod for 170 pounds I use it for lake fishing for rainbows and on rivers for sea trout improved my fishing no end check them out on line
Guideline
@@jeremyatkinson4976 their from norway I think started in 1993
so basically a commercial for Orvis Clearwater. Like any other "dedicated amateur" sport pursuit, 99% of people cannot realize any advantage of the top-end gear. I certainly cannot, and I've only been fly fishing for about 45 years. The true greats, Lefty Kreh comes first to mind of course, caught more fish and were BETTER all around than most of us will ever dream of being- and used gear which by today's standards was not "good". A $1K fly rod is great. So is a $100K car. in the end, both of them are simply, obscenely, status symbols used to compensate for other things.... If you truly have the money to spend like that- your mortgage is paid, your kids education is paid, you are independently wealthy, then great. Spend it. Otherwise, learn to fish.
200 and some change? 400 now.
So let's have the results
This is just my opinion. Let me tell you the difference between $1000 rod and a $300 rod the name. You are paying for the name. And if you notice the more expensive fly rods their warranties now suck. Especially Sage.
So this is and interesting video , we’re all the rods the same wt, same reels same line , ? I’m and old dude on a cheap budget and the last time I caught a really nice red on the flats with my Wally World 9-10 wt Cortland combo that came with a wt fwd floating line and 30# backing and 8’ of 20lb floracarbon leader he didn’t complain at all so what it comes down to is it what works or is it who has the best designer equipment to brag about ? 🤔 what I would like to see is if you took two sacrificial rod blanks and put them through strength tests one cheap and one expensive, who wants to donate a $1000 dollar rod , gee I wouldn’t feel as bad if my cheap one got it’s tip broke ! 😄
First of all, thank you for demystyfing the 'expensive is better' myth! This should wake up fishermen you buy expensive gear thinking it casts & fish better... 🤣
But guys you need to up your casting game though! The 'form' (effortless casting) as well as path the fly line travels (you guys surely have heard of 'casting in one plane'?) is terrible!
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. First guy I thought was going to beat the world to death in front of him and behind him. I'm exaggerating a bit, but there's some work needs to be done on those casts
Project Farm would have done a way better job at this and this is Field & Stream. Kinda sad.
Rod is rod, when you watch how rods made. you will go for $$ rod instead $$$ rod 🤑😝🤪😜😛
Rod blanks is one thing, albiet an important one. The other part of the equation is components. Reel seats, cork quality, rod tubes etc. There are just some things I prefer a rod has. I own a pair of TFO PRO III's that to me are excellent. I own an Orvis Clearwater that I find swings very heavy for its class. I am dealing with a hurt shoulder and elbow and it aggrivates them. But I also own an Echo Base that casts extremely well, but those components are kind of flimsy. None of my rods are high end, but they work plenty well for me.
A few negative comments here which although I understand doesn’t give props for doing a test as it should be done, blind. If a test can be blind, which a rod test almost always can be, then it should be.
220 is a low end rod?..I catch a shitload on my 75 dollar rod..wake up a bit..
So the team you’ve supported since you were a kid aren’t winning so you swat teams ????? Heck NO support your team !!!!! SAGE all the way
Are you guys as confused as you made me? You contradicted yourself so much it made me dizzy. Good vid otherwise, I think?
I wish people would be honest with fly fishing. And that is fly fishing is a rich man’s hobby and companies know that.
i aint rich, a retired truck driver in aussie ,i own 8 rods because i target 5 or 6 differant species of fish in my area ,you dont need the latest model rods or the most expensive , i have found people with money buy a rod for a special trip use it once then sell the rod , if you target these kind of fly fishers you get a bargain
𝐩яⓞ𝓂𝓞Ş𝐦 😊
🇵🇰