Orvis rods/line

[DJ]

Looking for a 9' 8wt rod and line primarily for lmb and stripers on the Potomac tributaries and the Rapp with occasional salt water use.  Accuracy, durability, feel, and fun to fish a priority over broomstick/hero casts.  Planning a trip to Orvis anyway for fly tying material so I'm gonna check out what they've got, but I'm not real familiar with their stuff.  In terms of real world fishing is there much of a difference between the Clearwater and Recon?  Is the H3 THAT much better that it's worth saving up for?  Do they have a recommended WF line for bass flies? Any fly shop is a not fun drive on 95 for me, so any advice I can get here on rods or line to go with it is really appreciated.  Hope this isn't beating a dead horse, thanks!

[Rob Snowhite]

I have the Recon and Clearwater. I’ll grab either from the boat or garage when heading out. Cork and reel seat are about the only difference noticeable when fishing. Get the Bankshot floating line. 

I’ll fish just about any rod regardless of cost or marketing. They all catch fish. Warranty to me is most important. 

I do like the recon 7’11” rod. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 25, 2018, at 6:08 PM, DJ <djcamph...@gmail.com> wrote:

Looking for a 9' 8wt rod and line primarily for lmb and stripers on the Potomac tributaries and the Rapp with occasional salt water use.  Accuracy, durability, feel, and fun to fish a priority over broomstick/hero casts.  Planning a trip to Orvis anyway for fly tying material so I'm gonna check out what they've got, but I'm not real familiar with their stuff.  In terms of real world fishing is there much of a difference between the Clearwater and Recon?  Is the H3 THAT much better that it's worth saving up for?  Do they have a recommended WF line for bass flies? Any fly shop is a not fun drive on 95 for me, so any advice I can get here on rods or line to go with it is really appreciated.  Hope this isn't beating a dead horse, thanks!

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[Richard Farino]

A stout 8wt with a really aggressive weight forward taper line works well for LMB.  For stripers on Potomac tribs, look at fast sinking shooting heads with integrated running lines, like Sci Angler’s Sonar Sink.  Use 300gr for an 8wt.

As for rods, if you don’t find anything at the big O that suits you, or you’d like to look at other manufacturers, we carry enough sticks to whet your whistle.

Regards,

R

[DJ]

Super helpful advice- that confirmed my thinking, thanks.  
DJ

[Evan D]

I own the 9’6” 6wt Clearwater which also has a fighting butt. To me, this rod has the backbone of a 7wt but is a breeze to cast all day and a lot of fun to fish. Great for bass, big trout water, shad, stripers, and saltwater. I’d recommend casting it before deciding on an 8wt.

[Carl Z.]

I would stay in the less expensive range.  I fish a 6wt for bass most of the time up in the non-tidal Potomac, unless I'm casting big streamers or big poppers.  And then I want a Medium Fast 8wt to hurl large poppers or heavy streamers.  You don't need a $500 rod for that.

Spend the extra on flies and good waders. 

The big thing you will notice on a more expensive rod is weight.  The expensive rods weight less and are usually a bit faster action.  If your asking other people's advise, stay with a moderately priced rod.  Premium rods are like expensive cars. Do you need one?  ......  Would you enjoy one?

Carl

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Carl Zmola

On Thu, Jan 25, 2018 at 10:15 PM, Evan D <edin...@gmail.com> wrote:

I own the 9’6” 6wt Clearwater which also has a fighting butt. To me, this rod has the backbone of a 7wt but is a breeze to cast all day and a lot of fun to fish. Great for bass, big trout water, shad, stripers, and saltwater. I’d recommend casting it before deciding on an 8wt.

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[Parker]

I have a 5wt and a 2wt Clearwater that I love. It is a great rod and will certainly catch fish. 

On Thursday, January 25, 2018 at 6:08:28 PM UTC-5, DJ wrote:

[DJ]

Will the 9' 8wt Recon roll cast well to swing clousers or shad flies?  Are the Recons durable?  I know I can go lawn cast one but that one tell me how the rod fishes.  thanks all!

On Thursday, January 25, 2018 at 6:08:28 PM UTC-5, DJ wrote:

[James Fletcher]

I've had my clearwater 9' 5wt for 3 years now and still love swinging with it every time I use it. Action feels good, and it can throw meaty streamers out there just fine or put a small dry exactly where I want it. I tested the recon when I first got into fly fishing and feel in love with its feel and weight. the action is fast which is what I've come to like. I've always thought of the Recon as first shelf in Orvis' top-tier rods. its got quality parts, great action, and seems like a workhorse rod that won't break the bank. 

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[DJ]

Cool. I get a little nervous trying new brands after seeing tfo BVKs break so easily. Never had that issue with my Scott rods inspire of some rough treatment and I tend not even take my BVK out fishing bc I don’t want to deal with the hassle of a break. Warranties are great but I’d rather have a rod not break in the first place.

[Evan D]

Even if you do break your Orvis rod, they tend to make it much easier than any of the other companies to get back on the water. I think this is likely due to having retail stores. I broke one of my Orvis rods and took it into the store. They handled everything for me and it was returned in no time (a week or two). On the other hand, Sage still has one of my rods from almost two months ago.

[Richard Farino]

Here are repair facts and warranty information according to each manufacturers website.  Return time for repairs is dictated by how long it takes to ship to the repair facility.  Obviously Manchester, VT is closer than Bainbridge Island, WA.

Orvis - 25 year warranty.  $60 repair charge, wait time is 3 to 6 weeks.  https://m.orvis.com/subject/fly-rod-repair

TFO - Lifetime warranty.  $35 repair charge, wait time is about 2 weeks.  https://m.orvis.com/subject/fly-rod-repair

Sage - Lifetime warranty.  $25 charge for current rods. $75 for rods up to 10 years old, $125 for rods older than 10.  5 week repair time.  http://www.sageflyfish.com/warranty

Redington - Lifetime warranty. $40 repair charge, wait time is about 2 weeks.  https://www.redington.com/support/warranty

Winston - Lifetime warranty.  $75 repair charge, wait time is 4-5 weeks.  https://winstonrods.com/services/warranty/

Loomis - Lifetime warranty.  No repair charge for warranty defects.  Charges for misuse. Wait time is 3-4 weeks.  Xpeditor program is $125 and rod is delivered in 2 days.  http://www.gloomis.com/content/g-loomis/us/en/home/fly-fish/support/warranty.html

http://www.gloomis.com/content/g-loomis/us/en/home/fly-fish/support/xpeditor-program-details.html

Thomas & Thomas - Lifetime warranty.  $55 charge. Wait time is 3 weeks.  https://thomasandthomas.com/pages/superior-warranty

R

On Feb 8, 2018, at 7:44 AM, Evan D <edin...@gmail.com> wrote:

Even if you do break your Orvis rod, they tend to make it much easier than any of the other companies to get back on the water. I think this is likely due to having retail stores. I broke one of my Orvis rods and took it into the store. They handled everything for me and it was returned in no time (a week or two). On the other hand, Sage still has one of my rods from almost two months ago.

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[Matt S.]

Folks here are giving excellent advice on this.

Here’s my added $.02.... if you have a good but not super expensive, not-heirloom rod you won’t fish because you you fear breaking it, rethink this. Fish it! Or, sell or give it to one of us who will be happy to fish it until it breaks! I agree broken rods hurt and warranty arrangements can be a hassle, but your BVK is made to be enjoyed and is a good rod. I have one in 8 that I’ve used for for years for bass and shad and light saltwater with zero complaints. If I break it, well it had a good life.

[namfos]

Words of wisdom, Matt!  

[Bob Richey]

I'm probably jinxing myself, but I've fished my 6wt BVK for years without a problem and I'm rough on my gear.  TFO has a great return policy if it ever does break.

On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 7:54:28 AM UTC-5, Matt S. wrote:

[tperkins]

I don't have experience other than Orvis, I will say that their return policy seems to overstate how long it takes to get a rod back. I broke an H2 (it is my go to rod for carp, shad, bass, saltwater, steelhead etc, so it sees a lot of rough conditions) and they estimated it would take 6-8 weeks to get it back do to number of rods they had to fix. But I had it back in under 4 weeks 

[DJ]

Fair point, I just that I tend to grab another rod b/c I don't really trust it, but you're right, as long as I've got another rod around it's kind of silly not to fish it till it breaks.

On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 7:54:28 AM UTC-5, Matt S. wrote: