For a review of not expensive rod's and combos I have no complaints all sounds like a keeper tutorial good for new people just starting out .A great helper for newbie thanks
I just put together a Redington 376-4 Fly Fishing Classic Trout Rod 3wt with Tube, Freshwater, Moderate Action Rod. I bought a Okuma Siera X 3/4 and a Rio Premier Gold Fly Line. I cannot tell you how easy it was to cast. Very forgiving. I wish this would have been my first set up. So easy to work. First day out, I pulled in 10+ little sun fish. Each one was a blast to land. With a three pack of 6X leaders, I am out sub $250.00
Yeah that's why Redington is so hard to beat here. We loved the Classic Trout Too. Try the Crosswater and Wrangler too one day if you get the chance. 😀
I do a lot of nymph fishing and use a 10/4 Maxcatch Nano nymph rod. At $139 this is one of their more expensive nymph rods but performs flawlessly. I fish some pretty rough terrain and this rod has really held up. I own it in 10/3 and 10/4.
Beginners have good choice these days. Compared to past, rod construction technology allows people to get some great gear these days. I’d recommend moving up a little to medium priced rods if your serious about long term participation in the sport. The extra cost will be worth it over time.
how times have changed when i was young here in ireland and we have some brilliant rivers for fly fishing ..theres was only about 3 companys you could buy in your tackle shop one was DAIWA OR SHAKESPEARE OR MITCHELL these companys still make fishing tackle today but the amount of new names that have just taking over sage is a big seller over here ...enjoyed the video some lovely new rods
Good video. I still use a Fenwick Eagle HMG 5 wt.purchased in 1975. It is perfect for nymphing/dry flyfishing in light streams & slow rivers, has enough stiffness to load up for med.streamers, in part due to its short length of 7.5 ft(which also helps lower fatigue at the end of the day). I have not babied its care, and it shows only light wear! Kudos to Fenwick. A great beginner's rod that complements my heavy Sage& Loomis stuff. If you can find one of these rods then buy it!
My go to when fly fishing in situations where it's a likelihood of loosing or damaging gear is Sougayilang. I have 3 (5,6 and 8) and have zero complaints.
My most productive rod teh last couple of years has been a 4wt rod form Cabelas. It came with a real , line and leader. I landed a ton of bass on it including my personal best at that time. I also managed to land a twelve pound carp on that little 4wt. You dont need to spend a ton on gear to have a great time.
If you could buy a hammer that was fully capable of driving nails and priced between $50.00 and $250.00, or one that was $1,000.00 that did exactly the same thing, would you call the lower priced hammers, budget priced? The point is that $250.00 and less is, and some might still disagree, affordable. The $1,000.00 rods are clearly an extravagance. The proof is in the fishing and I sometimes still use a 40 year old rod that cost me well under $100.00.
I agree that 1,000 dollar rods are really not worth it but a $50 rod isn’t going to cast as nicely as a 400 dollar one. I would recommend to spend at least 200-500 dollars on a rod. Anything over that is too much and usually anything under that is crap but there could be some exceptions out there. For example I heard the reddington wrangler is pretty good that is 160 bucks.
If you're Johnny trout fisherman then yeah $1,000 for a flyrod may be too much. Some people spend $1,000 just trying to buy the perfect rod because the one they have is never good enough or it breaks and they don't want to go through the process of replacing it. So if your flyrod is an investment in your fishing and you can afford it, get it.
@@nikcarbaugh4019 who are you? Why are you so rude? Does sitting behind your keyboard and insulting people make you feel good? While you're doing that, I'll be enjoying my time on the water.
@@frankhoxsey1177 I am my own person, and I am rude when I see people say and do stupid things, Like you did. No, I do not sit behind a keyboard all day, I actually go out fishing, and I promise you, the crap that came out of your comment needs more than just a handful of toilet paper. Equating a hammer and a fly rod is like making a comparison between a bicycle and a car. Sure, there is a point where money doesn't improve performance, but the claim that you can pay less for a fly rod and get the same performance out of it as you would a $1000 rod is moronic at best.
A while back, I broke the tip on my Thomas & Thomas so I got an Echo Carbon XL to use until I got the T&T repaired. I loved the Echo so much, I never went back to the (much) more expensive rod. I'd be curious to see where that falls on this list.
That was a nice overview of inexpensive rods. Fly rods have seen a ton of trickle-down technology from more expensive rods, so it's not surprising that these rods are more than ok. Here's a couple of things you didn't cover. 1) If someone is new to fly fishing, they're better off with a turn-key kit from Orvis or Reddington. Why? It has to do with the fly line. Pairing a line to a rod is essential and is what makes an inexpensive kit perform better. I've done a fair amount of impromptu casting lessons with folks that picked up an inexpensive kit (not from Orvis, Reddington, or Echo) and typically the rods are underlined for the rod's action. A quick fix for any underlined rod is upgrade to either SA's Air-Cel or Frequency Boost line. 2) If you do another such comparison, you might want toss in kit from Echo as Tim Rajeff's rods are excellent. The kits range from $189 to $269.
Just ordered a Moonshine Drifter 2 6wt 9'. Im looking forward to using it. Ive used cheaper rods the oast 25 years, and could never justify why i needed anything crazy expensive like Sage or Orvis. It's all about presentation.
Cool video and timely! I just received the Redington Crosswater combo for Father's day and am very excited to try it out. As a beginner fly fisherman, I can tell you it can be overwhelming to know all the "Ins & outs" of the sport. People think they need to spend tons of money to get started (Sage, Orvis etc.) and that's not true. Great points on the overseas manufacturers also. Thanks for the product links and the testing! I'm even going to pick-up that Eagle Claw rod at some point as a back-up... Hope you can review some inexpensive reels! Thanks! 👍
Greys GR60 and now the follow up model Greys Lance 😉 Outstanding rods at their price level. Compared it to the Crosswater of a friend, which is also great. But the Greys are more accurate and sensitive. Beating a lot of more expensive rods I compared. Personally I don't know better rods for the money 👍🏻
I have several rods.from maxcatch to custom made and diamondback 10ft 2wt.orvis clearwater.all range from 6ft to 10ft 6. 5:44 the diamondback is my favorite
I purchased the Drifter II in the 7.5 foot 3wt about 6 weeks ago. Took it to the Driftless and could not have been happier with my purchase. Great price for a great rod to use in those smaller creeks. I own a Loomis, Sage, and Orvis, but was curious about Moonshine and felt this was the right time and condition to give them a try. If you have the money, sure the pricier rods are hard to beat, but I still feel each condition warrants its own opportunity to excel. And I also agree, adding in an extra tip??? Wowzers!!! Who does that??? Moonshine does and thats a nice little extra piece of comfort to have especially in the lighter weight I purchased. Thanks for the review, keep up the great work. If anyone has a great recommendation for a 10 foot 5 weight, I am all ears!
I bought a maxcatch extreme for $37 from Amazon to see how bad it must be. Loved it and have bought 3 more, I prefer them to other rods that cost $200 plus
I have not had any experience with many of these rods but I have some tfo rods and have a fondness for the ones I own. One is a 6ft 2wt that I just love ine the small warmwater creeks I fish. The tfo 8.5ft 5wt rod that I own I never liked and threw it in the corner for 2 or 3 years. I finally pulled it out and put a 7wt line on it and it came alive for me. I will use it to feed carp when I get the chance.
I also want to add that I find the Eagle Claw feather weight rods to fine glass rods for my warmwater creeks and keep them to get friends started in our great sport and I always recommend newbies to start with them. Much more durable than graphite as a first rig. Most graphite rods are broken by mishandling and by newbies. Bead head flies have become the main staple for beginners and a major cause of broken rods. One poor cast and the bead hitting the rod causes a weak spot in the blank. Glass can better withstand this one poor cast.
The new encounter rod that was released in the spring of 2022 is truly incredible. I'm able to fish more than most people are and I have abused the absolute hell out of it. Durable. Affordable. Fishable. Also a great warranty!
For those rods that were said to be a little under powered to handle windier conditions, would going to a heavier weight, like an 8 wt. but perhaps using a 6 or 7 weight line help? Just wondering. I know this is older, but I was trying to find the Redington Crosswater (rod only).
I've been using an Orvis Encounter 8wt for salmon and steelhead for about 7 years never had an issue love that rod I ended up picking up a 5wt as well 2 years ago.
Yeah, for those who don't know forget about getting the Pescifun sword fly rod because it's discontinued now I talked to them and they said they're not bringing it back and that it's discontinued
Thanks for the review. Im partial to the Redington rods as I've an older crosswater combo n picked up a path combo that I've yet to try due to circumstances beyond my control. Been thinkin about a 6wt wrangler for steelhead fishing. We dont have extraordinarily large fish here in CA but theres plenty to test ur skills. Occasionally a salmon will latch on n that can be interesting. Thanks for the reviews. Gos Bless n Fish on!
I got the 5wt echo lift for my girl friend she decided she doesn't like fly fishing so she got a spider man bait caster from Canadain tire and I use her lift kit it's my go to rod for dry flys it's got the chops to throw big hoppers boomers and bigger wet flys and will throw smaller streamers I use it for smaller dry flys #14 hook I can hit targets out to 50 feet but inside of 30 feet it's really nice to fish with
This is an honest and great review for folks trying to get into fly fishing or having a small budget. The industry (and elitism and dollars that fuels it) is driven towards selling expensive gear that you frankly just don't need. I'm glad you included Maxcatch, they make perfectly functional rods around $50-$60, particularly 7.5' and under for small streams. I own and regularly fish several budget rods and while I can afford much more expensive rods, I would never spend more than ~$200 for a trout rod (9' and under and 5wt or less). My biggest splurge was the Moonshine Drifter II and it is a fantastic rod.
I highly reccomend the 5wt and 6wt cabelas cgr to anyone starting out, decent at small overhead casts, absolutely shines on long roll casts and spey casts for distance. 80 bucks. be careful not to get the bass pro shops version...they look identical, but the real seat is basically made of paper
I did a review of a maxcatch ultralight fly rod (7.5ft 3wt) which costs 120 bucks. The first few trips out were great! After about 3 months, the tip broke, and took a month to get a replacement, which broke again, along with the main section of the rod, this is with really light use. The reel also began to rip the pvc coating off the string which would then cut my fingers when sliding the string through them. They have sent me an entire new rod, but its given me some serious heart burn. I'm working on a follow up review.
Never tried them! It is too bad when fly rod brands come and go if you've enjoyed their rods. Even series of some builders have come and gone that I miss.
They still sell and produce two trout rods in Europe. The agility and the agility rise. They are both unbelievable value for money, as is most of their tackle in my opinion...
I’m from the uk where we have rod makers like hardy grays and ovis i have a daiwa wildness wf 8 and a guideline stocked wf 7 one cost 130 pounds and the other cost 170 pounds great on lakes also good on rivers for sea trout
@@intoflyfishing thanks for replying yes hardy,s are out of my price range as I say i have a guide line rod and my fishing as improved no end also have you used a app worm fly their great for rainbows on still waters anyway tight lines
Another option is to look for deals as they come along. I got 3 models of the Greys GR80 fly rods at Sierra for $149 on sale, and they blow away any rods on this list for sure. Had too much trouble with the tip top guides losing their finish or plating on the Maxcatch and Redington rods, even with expensive fly lines and fishing clear water. I do have a Drifter 2, that’s been very good so far, after 100s of fish landed. So, not every budget fly rod performs as it should. And I won’t take Redington up on their warranty because they won’t give you a replacement that doesn’t have the same problem anyways, so why bother.
Always remember, even the cheapest flyrod on the market today is head and shoulders above anything your father fished with and light years above anything his father fished with. These guys successfully caught trout and had good times even though they had limited selection of materials and workmanship. Having said that, if you fish locally, small to moderate streams, have a history of breaking things and fish less than 10 days a year then buy cheap (50-100 dollars). If you take one or more trips a year, fish rivers as well as large impoundments and fish more than 30 days a year (2 to 3 days a week), you'll want to be able to cast a wider range of flies including nymphs, dries and streamers and a more moderately priced rod (200-400) is in order. If you are fishing more than 3 days a week, take trips regularly, work rivers and streams and more technical waters, target large trout, seatrout, salmon, stripers, redfish, bonefish, pike, etc., you should have several rods, weights #3/4, #5/6, #7/8 and expect these to be in a range (300-900/rod) depending on your wallet. I can say that with 50 years of fishing, I currently have 8 rods, and over the course of fishing have broken rod tips, ferrules, and up locks on as many rods. Ask yourself; "If I lose or break this rod, will I feel sick to my stomach and ruin my fishing trip?" If the answer is "yes" than you are spending too much...
I would agree with the comments about excluding Temple Fork Outfitter low end rods from your review. Really? How is that possible? Having 4 out of the 10 from the same brand raises a question about the motivation, perhaps?
For a rod to be considered "Budget" we were pricing the rod itself at around $100. The more expensive ones on this list either come with a reel and line, or an extra tip. By this criteria, no TFO rods fit the price barrier. We love TFO rods though and have reviewed and fished plenty of them. They will appear in our Best Midrange Rods list, best trout rods lists, etc.
@@intoflyfishing OK, but the TWF can be considered "budget", for example the Signature II sells for around $100 bucks. I have not tried one, how do they cast?
@@robthompson7174 We're going to be reviewing the Signature III and Pro III soon. But both are in the $160+ range so not $100. I would say the III is worth the upgrade in both. These age great casting rods and always have been and TFO is good about their repair service.
@@robthompson7174 They're a bit more than $100 in my experience. But having said that, there are some TFO rods on our Best Budget Fly Fishing Combos list coming out. Love the rods, but these ones beat them out for pure budget rods in the opinion of our team.
Hi thank you for your nice review. I hesitate between two rod the maxcatch premier and the maxcatch v-acess. Do you know any difference between those two? Thanks
Judging from what I see in your casting Technics in this video, it's easy to see why you guys have trouble with long casts and accuracy. You would probably be amazed if you brushed up on your double haul. And yes jamesmccreery, the echo lift crushes them all.
Hi, I’m unsure where to start. Great video I have watched frequently. At the end you mentioned Maxcatch Extreme and commented that you advised your viewers not to purchase. At this point I want to repeat, I loved your video and advice, I will still be with you. You have made a mistake. I have, unfortunately, too many fly rods. ( My wife still thinks about shoes and dresses). I agree this rod is not the best however they are better than (equivalent) a 300 dollar rod here…… Hardy., as an example. Anyway, this is not a critique of your great video just a hint that the far east do make good rods. Kind regards, as always, Ken. Rutland, England.
What would be your recommendation for an inexpensive rod with good overall casting short, medium, and long for a wide variety of conditions. Assuming there is such an animal available under say $200-300?
Look at Allen fly fishing’s Heritage or source rods! Lifetime unconditional warranty, great customer service, attractive rods, high quality cork and eyelets, very responsive blank, I compare them to my LOOP rods and my opinion is they are an amazing rod for a budget.
I bought a 10" #6 clearwater rod.I hooked my anchor rope and gave a couple light tugs to free it.Catastrophic failure! The rod shattered like glass in the butt,mid,and top sections. I got a replacement ,and this rod broke at the tip,I'm not even sure why.I took the top at the break, between my fingers, to test it, and it snapped like a toothpick. No tensile strength at all. I called Orvis and told them I did not want another of these rods.
That sucks. We've definitely not had any experience even close to that with any of our Clearwaters. They are great rods. They don't appear on this list though, but they're a great midrange rod for sure. Sorry to hear about that. I hope Orvis sent you a Helios for your trouble 😂
Unfortunately that's the way for most. Even high end stuff. Shimano even has stuff made in China and they're Japanese. Fuji. Daiwa. The list goes on and on.
Great question! The only Greys that would've met our price criteria to be considered budget is the GR20, and the only Fenwick was the Eagle. Those 2 didn't quite make it, but Those brands would definitely be runners for our midrange rod category.
@@intoflyfishing Looks like Greys are far more expensive in the USA. Odd as they are USA owned. Actually rods in general seem more.There are loads of quality rods in Britain around £130, for instance the Greys Lance.
@@jeremyatkinson4976 I see that now. One of our guides is in Ireland so I'll see if we can get some Grey's there for the next list. Cheers and thanks for the comment.
not yet. They don't really stack up though. High end Sage and Winston are in a league of their own. It'd be better to go with Chinese and lower end Orvis rods like the Encounter, because they just don't really compare otherwise.
Hi from down under . The premium maxcatch fly rods are absolutely fantastic, I have two sky high rods 3wt 7'6 and 4wt 9'0 . Beautifully built on toray blanks same as orvis. I will never buy a sage or Loomis ever again, you will never be disappointed. Cheers from down here.
@@shanesalmo1163the sky high or sky high gold? they have different weight listings, so i assume it's not the same exact rod, but i have a hard time really seeing how they're different
Great video! I have the Orvis Encounter and the Redington Wrangler and I really enjoy casting with both of them in freshwater settings. I am looking to try saltwater fly fishing soon - do you have any thoughts or suggestions on budget saltwater rods?
Is it possible to send you a rod to review. I am a small custom fly rod manufacturer, produce my own blanks and custom lengths, my newest rod is a 6 foot 10 inch
Well, as great a rod the Safe 8 might be for weight, castability it's production and service for a $1k rod is atrocious. A person I know with their own shop and channel didn't have his for a week and it failed do to poor quality control with it breaking either the tip or one of the guides. I don't remember the particular issue, however Sage was contacted and the rod returned. Instead of just sending him a new rod they informed him it would be fixed when possible? It took them 6 months to fix, not replace, and return his $1k rod. So, I wouldn't waste my hard earned money on pretty much anything Sage.
Missing the Aventik series of singlehanded and spey/swtich rods is a big gap in this review. They make the Redingtons look like ...., and Aventik even responds respectfully to customers who need replacements and help. Linespeedjedi has done reviews of a few of the powerful 2 handers which are real powerhouses.
I started fly fushing alittle late in life. ( At sixty). If i could give any advise to someone staring out. Do not listen to alot of the snobbery & eliteism that you to will probably listen to. Buy a decent qaulity rod & learn how to cast! I have two clearwater rods. They have served me well for twelve years. I dilligently learned to cast, tie my knots, & fish the streams, ponds, rivers, & lakes that i was on! I catch just as many fish or more than some of the rod snobs that ive interacted with!
Rod/reel combo with fishing kit as an emergency setup ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxntWMOZsO1Zfv-pdn_XuffEtNkTYAYu4Z recommend but started to use this every day. The rod is thick and seems durable. I keep it neatly tucked into a regular backpack all the time with my fishing gear, and can grab it anytime, put it on my back and go anywhere. I just read in another review that the rod length below the reel is adjustable as well, so I will try that too for even more portability. Probably the best setup I've ever owned. I lost the cap for the eyelets, but no big deal since I still have the black cloth sheath that came for the pole and I use that. Very portable and high quality.
The casting level showing at the video review it doesn't make me believe one word of this review. Take this as a constructive criticism to keep going informing the people out there and do better in future videos. Tight lines. M
while Danny got the most footage for these rods, most of our team has fished them to make this list. our team includes 3 professional guides and a casting instructor. thanks for your comments.
I vouch for the Clearwater. The swing weight is a little on the heavy side & a bit clunky at short distance, but nothing that hinders good fly presentions & workable mending , considering the price point. It's got a pretty stiff butt that you would find in a lot of high-end sticks. More on the faster side of things for a budget wand. I've caught a lot of trout on my Clearh20. A good workhouse rod & and an excellent value.
Seriously. I broke the tip on my T&T and got the echo carbon xl until I could send broken one in for warranty. Love it so much that I don’t even miss the T&T. Plus I can get a spare tip section for $25. Still cheaper than the Moonshine.
We do videos about How To's, fly tying, destination vlogs and a lot more than Amazon Affiliates. If you refuse to help supporting this channel by maybe using an affiliate link, when we buy dozens of rods ourselves to share reviews, then that's fine. Trust me, at the time of this comment we've lost a lot more than we've made from this UA-cam Channel, and those links only slightly help to offset the loss.
All of these rods are 1000 times better than the junk that I fished starting in the mid 80s. I wouldnt hesitate buying and fishing any of these sticks.
Appreciate the efforts and time putting this together. However, after viewing the short snippets in this video of people casting, I have to dismiss pretty much any opinions on the casting performance of any of these rods. Most of the time no one even SINGLE hauled, a very fundamental and basic casting technique, let alone did anyone double haul. If they don’t even single haul, overall casting ability is suspect. Anyway, thanks again for creating the video.
Ik heb 9 Winston rods en niet een voldoen aan de specificaties. De #6 en de #7 hengel hebben dezelfde aftma behalve dan dat deze na het wegen een #4,5 is. De verdeler in Denemarken vind het geen😮 probleem en de Wiston fabriek die ik drie keer heb gemaild reageert niet. Koop dus geen Winston meer maar een goedkopere hengel zoals te zien is in dit filmpje.
For a review of not expensive rod's and combos I have no complaints all sounds like a keeper tutorial good for new people just starting out .A great helper for newbie thanks
Awesome thank you!
I just put together a Redington 376-4 Fly Fishing Classic Trout Rod 3wt with Tube, Freshwater, Moderate Action Rod. I bought a Okuma Siera X 3/4 and a Rio Premier Gold Fly Line. I cannot tell you how easy it was to cast. Very forgiving. I wish this would have been my first set up. So easy to work. First day out, I pulled in 10+ little sun fish. Each one was a blast to land. With a three pack of 6X leaders, I am out sub $250.00
Yeah that's why Redington is so hard to beat here. We loved the Classic Trout Too. Try the Crosswater and Wrangler too one day if you get the chance. 😀
@@intoflyfishing Out of these 3 rods, what would you pick for a 4 wt for small streams?
I do a lot of nymph fishing and use a 10/4 Maxcatch Nano nymph rod. At $139 this is one of their more expensive nymph rods but performs flawlessly. I fish some pretty rough terrain and this rod has really held up. I own it in 10/3 and 10/4.
Beginners have good choice these days. Compared to past, rod construction technology allows people to get some great gear these days. I’d recommend moving up a little to medium priced rods if your serious about long term participation in the sport. The extra cost will be worth it over time.
Where are you from?
how times have changed when i was young here in ireland and we have some brilliant rivers for fly fishing ..theres was only about 3 companys you could buy in your tackle shop one was DAIWA OR SHAKESPEARE OR MITCHELL these companys still make fishing tackle today but the amount of new names that have just taking over sage is a big seller over here ...enjoyed the video some lovely new rods
Good video. I still use a Fenwick Eagle HMG 5 wt.purchased in 1975. It is perfect for nymphing/dry flyfishing in light streams & slow rivers, has enough stiffness to load up for med.streamers, in part due to its short length of 7.5 ft(which also helps lower fatigue at the end of the day). I have not babied its care, and it shows only light wear! Kudos to Fenwick.
A great beginner's rod that complements my heavy Sage& Loomis stuff. If you can find one of these rods then buy it!
My go to when fly fishing in situations where it's a likelihood of loosing or damaging gear is Sougayilang. I have 3 (5,6 and 8) and have zero complaints.
My most productive rod teh last couple of years has been a 4wt rod form Cabelas. It came with a real , line and leader. I landed a ton of bass on it including my personal best at that time. I also managed to land a twelve pound carp on that little 4wt.
You dont need to spend a ton on gear to have a great time.
I use Maxcatch rods, they are hard to beat, great fly rods and great warranty.
Thank you for sharing. Everyone has their up and downs with any fly rod.
If you could buy a hammer that was fully capable of driving nails and priced between $50.00 and $250.00, or one that was $1,000.00 that did exactly the same thing, would you call the lower priced hammers, budget priced? The point is that $250.00 and less is, and some might still disagree, affordable. The $1,000.00 rods are clearly an extravagance. The proof is in the fishing and I sometimes still use a 40 year old rod that cost me well under $100.00.
I agree that 1,000 dollar rods are really not worth it but a $50 rod isn’t going to cast as nicely as a 400 dollar one. I would recommend to spend at least 200-500 dollars on a rod. Anything over that is too much and usually anything under that is crap but there could be some exceptions out there. For example I heard the reddington wrangler is pretty good that is 160 bucks.
If you're Johnny trout fisherman then yeah $1,000 for a flyrod may be too much. Some people spend $1,000 just trying to buy the perfect rod because the one they have is never good enough or it breaks and they don't want to go through the process of replacing it. So if your flyrod is an investment in your fishing and you can afford it, get it.
What a weird way to say that you don’t like nice things, and are probably a poor person
@@nikcarbaugh4019 who are you? Why are you so rude? Does sitting behind your keyboard and insulting people make you feel good? While you're doing that, I'll be enjoying my time on the water.
@@frankhoxsey1177 I am my own person, and I am rude when I see people say and do stupid things, Like you did. No, I do not sit behind a keyboard all day, I actually go out fishing, and I promise you, the crap that came out of your comment needs more than just a handful of toilet paper. Equating a hammer and a fly rod is like making a comparison between a bicycle and a car. Sure, there is a point where money doesn't improve performance, but the claim that you can pay less for a fly rod and get the same performance out of it as you would a $1000 rod is moronic at best.
Great concise information.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A while back, I broke the tip on my Thomas & Thomas so I got an Echo Carbon XL to use until I got the T&T repaired. I loved the Echo so much, I never went back to the (much) more expensive rod. I'd be curious to see where that falls on this list.
That was a nice overview of inexpensive rods. Fly rods have seen a ton of trickle-down technology from more expensive rods, so it's not surprising that these rods are more than ok. Here's a couple of things you didn't cover. 1) If someone is new to fly fishing, they're better off with a turn-key kit from Orvis or Reddington. Why? It has to do with the fly line. Pairing a line to a rod is essential and is what makes an inexpensive kit perform better. I've done a fair amount of impromptu casting lessons with folks that picked up an inexpensive kit (not from Orvis, Reddington, or Echo) and typically the rods are underlined for the rod's action. A quick fix for any underlined rod is upgrade to either SA's Air-Cel or Frequency Boost line. 2) If you do another such comparison, you might want toss in kit from Echo as Tim Rajeff's rods are excellent. The kits range from $189 to $269.
Yah Kelly galloup is using the echo kit exclusively for a whole season…..that’s all I need to know.
Thank you for this very informative video
Glad it was helpful!
Just ordered a Moonshine Drifter 2 6wt 9'. Im looking forward to using it. Ive used cheaper rods the oast 25 years, and could never justify why i needed anything crazy expensive like Sage or Orvis.
It's all about presentation.
Nooooooo. Moonshine suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.
@ShirleyOnTheFish I sold it
Cool video and timely! I just received the Redington Crosswater combo for Father's day and am very excited to try it out. As a beginner fly fisherman, I can tell you it can be overwhelming to know all the "Ins & outs" of the sport. People think they need to spend tons of money to get started (Sage, Orvis etc.) and that's not true. Great points on the overseas manufacturers also.
Thanks for the product links and the testing! I'm even going to pick-up that Eagle Claw rod at some point as a back-up... Hope you can review some inexpensive reels! Thanks!
👍
Glad you enjoyed! We'll be doing budget reels soon.
Great video this will help a lot of beginners...keep the reviews coming!
More to come!
I love Mxcatch! I have 6'6" #2 it is my love.I broke here tip on a Ogosta river,you know what I mean 60-70sm browns and bows.
I love my 6'6" 2wt Maxcatch too. Caught 5 rainbows and 2 browns over 50cm last season.
Greys GR60 and now the follow up model Greys Lance 😉 Outstanding rods at their price level. Compared it to the Crosswater of a friend, which is also great. But the Greys are more accurate and sensitive. Beating a lot of more expensive rods I compared. Personally I don't know better rods for the money 👍🏻
I have several rods.from maxcatch to custom made and diamondback 10ft 2wt.orvis clearwater.all range from 6ft to 10ft 6. 5:44 the diamondback is my favorite
I purchased the Drifter II in the 7.5 foot 3wt about 6 weeks ago. Took it to the Driftless and could not have been happier with my purchase. Great price for a great rod to use in those smaller creeks. I own a Loomis, Sage, and Orvis, but was curious about Moonshine and felt this was the right time and condition to give them a try. If you have the money, sure the pricier rods are hard to beat, but I still feel each condition warrants its own opportunity to excel. And I also agree, adding in an extra tip??? Wowzers!!! Who does that??? Moonshine does and thats a nice little extra piece of comfort to have especially in the lighter weight I purchased. Thanks for the review, keep up the great work. If anyone has a great recommendation for a 10 foot 5 weight, I am all ears!
It's a sick rod for sure. enjoy! I don't have any 10'4wts currently. I love my 10'6" 3wt Vesper though! They do have a 10'5wt 😀
I have the Drifter II 10'5wt and couldn't be happier. For that price point with the extra tip it was a no brainer for me@@intoflyfishing
this is a great vid - thanks guys. I own a few of these and I have to agree with your comments
Great to hear!
I bought a maxcatch extreme for $37 from Amazon to see how bad it must be. Loved it and have bought 3 more, I prefer them to other rods that cost $200 plus
I have not had any experience with many of these rods but I have some tfo rods and have a fondness for the ones I own. One is a 6ft 2wt that I just love ine the small warmwater creeks I fish. The tfo 8.5ft 5wt rod that I own I never liked and threw it in the corner for 2 or 3 years. I finally pulled it out and put a 7wt line on it and it came alive for me. I will use it to feed carp when I get the chance.
I also want to add that I find the Eagle Claw feather weight rods to fine glass rods for my warmwater creeks and keep them to get friends started in our great sport and I always recommend newbies to start with them. Much more durable than graphite as a first rig. Most graphite rods are broken by mishandling and by newbies. Bead head flies have become the main staple for beginners and a major cause of broken rods. One poor cast and the bead hitting the rod causes a weak spot in the blank. Glass can better withstand this one poor cast.
@@notred0774Agreed. The 7' and the 6.5' Featherlights are good. Roll casting beasts.
thank you so much! very very helpful for a beginner!
The new encounter rod that was released in the spring of 2022 is truly incredible. I'm able to fish more than most people are and I have abused the absolute hell out of it.
Durable.
Affordable.
Fishable.
Also a great warranty!
11:33 My first rod. Lots of good memories with that bad boy. Heavy as heck for a fly rod but it was what I needed to dip my toes in the water.
For those rods that were said to be a little under powered to handle windier conditions, would going to a heavier weight, like an 8 wt. but perhaps using a 6 or 7 weight line help? Just wondering. I know this is older, but I was trying to find the Redington Crosswater (rod only).
I've been using an Orvis Encounter 8wt for salmon and steelhead for about 7 years never had an issue love that rod I ended up picking up a 5wt as well 2 years ago.
Thanks for the I fo. I wanted a back up rod. You made my mind up for me...thanks.
and i have 5 maxcatch fly rods.. and never had a problem with their warranty
Good to know! I've heard mixed things now.
Yeah, for those who don't know forget about getting the Pescifun sword fly rod because it's discontinued now I talked to them and they said they're not bringing it back and that it's discontinued
Thanks for the review. Im partial to the Redington rods as I've an older crosswater combo n picked up a path combo that I've yet to try due to circumstances beyond my control. Been thinkin about a 6wt wrangler for steelhead fishing. We dont have extraordinarily large fish here in CA but theres plenty to test ur skills. Occasionally a salmon will latch on n that can be interesting. Thanks for the reviews. Gos Bless n Fish on!
Try the Wrangler Trout XL! Great rod for that.
Been fishing maxcatch rods and reels for years. Totally fine.
I got the 5wt echo lift for my girl friend she decided she doesn't like fly fishing so she got a spider man bait caster from Canadain tire and I use her lift kit it's my go to rod for dry flys it's got the chops to throw big hoppers boomers and bigger wet flys and will throw smaller streamers I use it for smaller dry flys #14 hook I can hit targets out to 50 feet but inside of 30 feet it's really nice to fish with
This is an honest and great review for folks trying to get into fly fishing or having a small budget. The industry (and elitism and dollars that fuels it) is driven towards selling expensive gear that you frankly just don't need. I'm glad you included Maxcatch, they make perfectly functional rods around $50-$60, particularly 7.5' and under for small streams. I own and regularly fish several budget rods and while I can afford much more expensive rods, I would never spend more than ~$200 for a trout rod (9' and under and 5wt or less). My biggest splurge was the Moonshine Drifter II and it is a fantastic rod.
Thanks so much for the positive and insightful comment. No matter how hard we try, not all comments are like yours. We APPRECIATE it 👍
Iused to work for a flyfishing store. Reddington rods were the ones that came back most often
Did you try the Shakespeare Oracle line? Some people say they are absolutely insane quality/price ratio
I highly reccomend the 5wt and 6wt cabelas cgr to anyone starting out, decent at small overhead casts, absolutely shines on long roll casts and spey casts for distance. 80 bucks.
be careful not to get the bass pro shops version...they look identical, but the real seat is basically made of paper
I did a review of a maxcatch ultralight fly rod (7.5ft 3wt) which costs 120 bucks. The first few trips out were great! After about 3 months, the tip broke, and took a month to get a replacement, which broke again, along with the main section of the rod, this is with really light use. The reel also began to rip the pvc coating off the string which would then cut my fingers when sliding the string through them. They have sent me an entire new rod, but its given me some serious heart burn. I'm working on a follow up review.
I miss Shakespeare. The Aquila and Oracle series of this brand have some superb and very reasonably priced fly rods.
Never tried them! It is too bad when fly rod brands come and go if you've enjoyed their rods. Even series of some builders have come and gone that I miss.
They still sell and produce two trout rods in Europe. The agility and the agility rise. They are both unbelievable value for money, as is most of their tackle in my opinion...
I’m from the uk where we have rod makers like hardy grays and ovis i have a daiwa wildness wf 8 and a guideline stocked wf 7 one cost 130 pounds and the other cost 170 pounds great on lakes also good on rivers for sea trout
I'm getting some Hardy's into the shop for reviews. Love them. I haven't tried the Daiwa. Sounds awesome
@@intoflyfishing thanks for replying yes hardy,s are out of my price range as I say i have a guide line rod and my fishing as improved no end also have you used a app worm fly their great for rainbows on still waters anyway tight lines
Great video 🎣🏴
Quality information
Cheers and thank you 👍
Another option is to look for deals as they come along. I got 3 models of the Greys GR80 fly rods at Sierra for $149 on sale, and they blow away any rods on this list for sure. Had too much trouble with the tip top guides losing their finish or plating on the Maxcatch and Redington rods, even with expensive fly lines and fishing clear water. I do have a Drifter 2, that’s been very good so far, after 100s of fish landed. So, not every budget fly rod performs as it should. And I won’t take Redington up on their warranty because they won’t give you a replacement that doesn’t have the same problem anyways, so why bother.
Where are you from?
Agreed 150%. The gr80 are awesome, same with the gr60 as well as the Aetos.
@@RoryLynott Are those all the same rod with different hardware?
Thanks for a great review. Have you fished the Okuma SLV series?
Unfortunately not
I've had the WildWater for a few years. I was pleasantly surprised to see it on here.
Always remember, even the cheapest flyrod on the market today is head and shoulders above anything your father fished with and light years above anything his father fished with. These guys successfully caught trout and had good times even though they had limited selection of materials and workmanship. Having said that, if you fish locally, small to moderate streams, have a history of breaking things and fish less than 10 days a year then buy cheap (50-100 dollars). If you take one or more trips a year, fish rivers as well as large impoundments and fish more than 30 days a year (2 to 3 days a week), you'll want to be able to cast a wider range of flies including nymphs, dries and streamers and a more moderately priced rod (200-400) is in order. If you are fishing more than 3 days a week, take trips regularly, work rivers and streams and more technical waters, target large trout, seatrout, salmon, stripers, redfish, bonefish, pike, etc., you should have several rods, weights #3/4, #5/6, #7/8 and expect these to be in a range (300-900/rod) depending on your wallet.
I can say that with 50 years of fishing, I currently have 8 rods, and over the course of fishing have broken rod tips, ferrules, and up locks on as many rods. Ask yourself; "If I lose or break this rod, will I feel sick to my stomach and ruin my fishing trip?" If the answer is "yes" than you are spending too much...
I have a$ 250 spinning rod paired with 200$ reel
But I still love my$ 80 rod paired with $70 reel more and my all time go to setup
Is it better to buy a combo kit starting out or piecing together a rod, reel, and line?
Redington are part of the sage family. In my opinion they are great for anything I do.
Did you guys try Yellowstone series rods or silver tip rods. Best warranties on the market for cheap rods
What fly rod brand is in that orange matte tube? Thanks. Great info.
I would agree with the comments about excluding Temple Fork Outfitter low end rods from your review. Really? How is that possible? Having 4 out of the 10 from the same brand raises a question about the motivation, perhaps?
For a rod to be considered "Budget" we were pricing the rod itself at around $100. The more expensive ones on this list either come with a reel and line, or an extra tip. By this criteria, no TFO rods fit the price barrier. We love TFO rods though and have reviewed and fished plenty of them. They will appear in our Best Midrange Rods list, best trout rods lists, etc.
@@intoflyfishing OK, but the TWF can be considered "budget", for example the Signature II sells for around $100 bucks. I have not tried one, how do they cast?
I mistyped TFO, apologies.
@@robthompson7174 We're going to be reviewing the Signature III and Pro III soon. But both are in the $160+ range so not $100. I would say the III is worth the upgrade in both. These age great casting rods and always have been and TFO is good about their repair service.
@@robthompson7174 They're a bit more than $100 in my experience. But having said that, there are some TFO rods on our Best Budget Fly Fishing Combos list coming out. Love the rods, but these ones beat them out for pure budget rods in the opinion of our team.
Hi thank you for your nice review.
I hesitate between two rod the maxcatch premier and the maxcatch v-acess. Do you know any difference between those two?
Thanks
Thanks for sharing
Judging from what I see in your casting Technics in this video, it's easy to see why you guys have trouble with long casts and accuracy. You would probably be amazed if you brushed up on your double haul. And yes jamesmccreery, the echo lift crushes them all.
Great video! I was just at Costco and they have a “Wetfly Element Black Ops” fly rod kit for 129.00 Any idea about this one?
yeah, i've seen this as well. Seems like it could be the best value overall. Of course, membership to costco is needed.
Hi, I’m unsure where to start.
Great video I have watched frequently.
At the end you mentioned Maxcatch Extreme and commented that you advised your viewers not to purchase.
At this point I want to repeat, I loved your video and advice, I will still be with you.
You have made a mistake. I have, unfortunately, too many fly rods. ( My wife still thinks about shoes and dresses).
I agree this rod is not the best however they are better than (equivalent) a 300 dollar rod here…… Hardy., as an example.
Anyway, this is not a critique of your great video just a hint that the far east do make good rods.
Kind regards, as always, Ken. Rutland, England.
Any thoughts of how the TFO NXT Black label (kit) would place on this list? Thanks!
I am in the boat of I have the money but can't justify it to my wife haha.Thanks for these recs.
Aventek IM 12 Nano short switch rod 10 ft with 2 tips 5/6 wt Wow!!!
What would be your recommendation for an inexpensive rod with good overall casting short, medium, and long for a wide variety of conditions. Assuming there is such an animal available under say $200-300?
$200-$300 is a bit more midrange, i'd say an Orvis Clearwater would be up there.
Tfo outfit 4/6 reel Take your pick trout to salmon
Look at Allen fly fishing’s Heritage or source rods! Lifetime unconditional warranty, great customer service, attractive rods, high quality cork and eyelets, very responsive blank, I compare them to my LOOP rods and my opinion is they are an amazing rod for a budget.
Fenwick Aetos hands down best
Echo
What would be the best recommendation for a long distance fly rods?
3:20 is hilarious 😂
Try vision Onki. My budget choise
Great rod! We love the Nymphmaniac and Rivermaniac. At almost $400, the Onki is definitely closer to midrange tho 👍
thank you!
Review portion starts at 3:40.
I use maxcatch and for $89 I've caught a ton of trout on it.
i was wondering, my local fly shop recommended the echo gekko as i am only 14 but was wondering why it wasnt on this list
Anyone love to cath snakehead fish here?
I am from Indonesia
I've never tried! But I love Indonesia 👍 Been there many times. Beautiful country!
Excellent!
Orvis Clearwater 8’6” #5 ultimate choice allround rod
great video! you should review the Perfect Hatch fly combo (comes in at $160)
The key to performance on the reddington crosswater is changing the line to a better grade. Casts like a dream
What line do you use?
Hard to beat Echo rods for a budget.....
9' 5wt Pflueger graphite Medalist with quality line is as good as it gets!
I bought a 10" #6 clearwater rod.I hooked my anchor rope and gave a couple light tugs to free it.Catastrophic failure! The rod shattered like glass in the butt,mid,and top sections. I got a replacement ,and this rod broke at the tip,I'm not even sure why.I took the top at the break, between my fingers, to test it, and it snapped like a toothpick. No tensile strength at all. I called Orvis and told them I did not want another of these rods.
That sucks. We've definitely not had any experience even close to that with any of our Clearwaters. They are great rods. They don't appear on this list though, but they're a great midrange rod for sure. Sorry to hear about that. I hope Orvis sent you a Helios for your trouble 😂
Could you do one on the maxcatch ultralight fly rod 6ft
Does anyone have a Max Catch Salt Pro, or other Budget Saltwater Rods? Looking to buy a 10 wt with Reel and flyline.
Hard to find any tackle that isn’t built in Asia as long as the company ensure quality control i can’t see a problem
Unfortunately that's the way for most. Even high end stuff. Shimano even has stuff made in China and they're Japanese. Fuji. Daiwa. The list goes on and on.
Why not the Fenwick Aetos? It’s the favorite of the budget category for many people.
Why no Greys or Fenwick rod?
Great question! The only Greys that would've met our price criteria to be considered budget is the GR20, and the only Fenwick was the Eagle. Those 2 didn't quite make it, but Those brands would definitely be runners for our midrange rod category.
@@intoflyfishing Looks like Greys are far more expensive in the USA. Odd as they are USA owned. Actually rods in general seem more.There are loads of quality rods in Britain around £130, for instance the Greys Lance.
@@jeremyatkinson4976 I see that now. One of our guides is in Ireland so I'll see if we can get some Grey's there for the next list. Cheers and thanks for the comment.
Have you folks ever compared the high end maxcatch rods to your high end American rods? I'd be curious to see how they stack up.
not yet. They don't really stack up though. High end Sage and Winston are in a league of their own. It'd be better to go with Chinese and lower end Orvis rods like the Encounter, because they just don't really compare otherwise.
Hi from down under . The premium maxcatch fly rods are absolutely fantastic, I have two sky high rods 3wt 7'6 and 4wt 9'0 . Beautifully built on toray blanks same as orvis. I will never buy a sage or Loomis ever again, you will never be disappointed. Cheers from down here.
@@shanesalmo1163the sky high or sky high gold? they have different weight listings, so i assume it's not the same exact rod, but i have a hard time really seeing how they're different
If the rod is made in Japan or Korea, I see no problem with it.
what about china?
Great video! I have the Orvis Encounter and the Redington Wrangler and I really enjoy casting with both of them in freshwater settings. I am looking to try saltwater fly fishing soon - do you have any thoughts or suggestions on budget saltwater rods?
Not quite budget, but the Clearwater is great and they have a salt combo. Otherwise TFO has some good ones like the new Blitz and older Signature III
Is it possible to send you a rod to review. I am a small custom fly rod manufacturer, produce my own blanks and custom lengths, my newest rod is a 6 foot 10 inch
Sure we can discuss it. intoflyfishing.com/contact-us/ shoot us an email.
Well, as great a rod the Safe 8 might be for weight, castability it's production and service for a $1k rod is atrocious. A person I know with their own shop and channel didn't have his for a week and it failed do to poor quality control with it breaking either the tip or one of the guides. I don't remember the particular issue, however Sage was contacted and the rod returned. Instead of just sending him a new rod they informed him it would be fixed when possible? It took them 6 months to fix, not replace, and return his $1k rod. So, I wouldn't waste my hard earned money on pretty much anything Sage.
I have an R8 and broke the tip. I hope I have better service than that :(
no tfo rods ?
Missing the Aventik series of singlehanded and spey/swtich rods is a big gap in this review. They make the Redingtons look like ...., and Aventik even responds respectfully to customers who need replacements and help. Linespeedjedi has done reviews of a few of the powerful 2 handers which are real powerhouses.
I started fly fushing alittle late in life. ( At sixty). If i could give any advise to someone staring out. Do not listen to alot of the snobbery & eliteism that you to will probably listen to. Buy a decent qaulity rod & learn how to cast! I have two clearwater rods. They have served me well for twelve years. I dilligently learned to cast, tie my knots, & fish the streams, ponds, rivers, & lakes that i was on! I catch just as many fish or more than some of the rod snobs that ive interacted with!
Rod/reel combo with fishing kit as an emergency setup ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxntWMOZsO1Zfv-pdn_XuffEtNkTYAYu4Z recommend but started to use this every day. The rod is thick and seems durable. I keep it neatly tucked into a regular backpack all the time with my fishing gear, and can grab it anytime, put it on my back and go anywhere. I just read in another review that the rod length below the reel is adjustable as well, so I will try that too for even more portability. Probably the best setup I've ever owned. I lost the cap for the eyelets, but no big deal since I still have the black cloth sheath that came for the pole and I use that. Very portable and high quality.
the moonshine rods and the Ritz fly rods are the same rods...same factory in s.korea
Perhaps true. What makes Moonshine so great is also the brand and after-sales service / warranty.
The casting level showing at the video review it doesn't make me believe one word of this review. Take this as a constructive criticism to keep going informing the people out there and do better in future videos. Tight lines. M
while Danny got the most footage for these rods, most of our team has fished them to make this list. our team includes 3 professional guides and a casting instructor. thanks for your comments.
What about temple fork guys?
Echo lift destroys all of these rods at $99
Echo makes some great budget rods as well.
Facts. Love my 6wt lift. I got it for bass fishing and didn’t want to invest a ton. Works amazing
I vouch for the Clearwater. The swing weight is a little on the heavy side & a bit clunky at short distance, but nothing that hinders good fly presentions & workable mending , considering the price point. It's got a pretty stiff butt that you would find in a lot of high-end sticks. More on the faster side of things for a budget wand. I've caught a lot of trout on my Clearh20. A good workhouse rod & and an excellent value.
Seriously. I broke the tip on my T&T and got the echo carbon xl until I could send broken one in for warranty. Love it so much that I don’t even miss the T&T. Plus I can get a spare tip section for $25. Still cheaper than the Moonshine.
We do videos about How To's, fly tying, destination vlogs and a lot more than Amazon Affiliates. If you refuse to help supporting this channel by maybe using an affiliate link, when we buy dozens of rods ourselves to share reviews, then that's fine. Trust me, at the time of this comment we've lost a lot more than we've made from this UA-cam Channel, and those links only slightly help to offset the loss.
Funny thing is , watch a great caster with a cheapie rod and most will say they have to have that rod.
Good value fly rods are leeda ..cant fault them for the price
All of these rods are 1000 times better than the junk that I fished starting in the mid 80s. I wouldnt hesitate buying and fishing any of these sticks.
Appreciate the efforts and time putting this together. However, after viewing the short snippets in this video of people casting, I have to dismiss pretty much any opinions on the casting performance of any of these rods. Most of the time no one even SINGLE hauled, a very fundamental and basic casting technique, let alone did anyone double haul. If they don’t even single haul, overall casting ability is suspect.
Anyway, thanks again for creating the video.
Ik heb 9 Winston rods en niet een voldoen aan de specificaties. De #6 en de #7 hengel hebben dezelfde aftma behalve dan dat deze na het wegen een #4,5 is. De verdeler in Denemarken vind het geen😮 probleem en de Wiston fabriek die ik drie keer heb gemaild reageert niet. Koop dus geen Winston meer maar een goedkopere hengel zoals te zien is in dit filmpje.