New Fishing Rods

[Bill]

Yesterday we had a shipment of Rods come in. It was a mix of everything. Fly Rods, Spinning Rods, Casting Rods etc. They were all G.L.Loomis, Sage, Temple Forks, St Croix rods. Seems they were all rods that had been found with flaws in them and sent back to the MFG for repair and then sent back to the company. Most of these rods sell from $150 to $700.
Here is the kicker. They had been replaced with the Co. with new rods but with these being repairs and sent back also there was no cost in them. So they were sold to the employee's at $0.10 to $0.15 on the dollar. I was a bit late in finding out about it but when I did I grabbed as many as I could that were usable for me. ;D Ended up with 6 of them. 3 fly rods and 3 casting rods. The spinning rods were pretty much gone when I got there.
So now I have 1 3wt Sage Voyager, 1 Temple Forks 5Wt and 1 Temple Forks 4 wt. Along with these I procured 1 G.L. Loomis 7.5' Med Heavy rod for fishing for Northern Pike and casting large plugs and two St Croix casting rods for Walleye fishing. When tallied up they came to a value of over $1200 so I now have some pretty decent rods to replace all those that were broke in my last move. Seems the rod tubes when bent actually can break the rods inside. Movers don't realize this for some reason. Lost over 6 rods on that move and just hadn't replaced them. Only rod I haven't replaced yet was my Salmon Rod. Waiting for the next great deal like that one and just maybe. Just takes patience.

[Jack]

Great deal, Bill!

[deputydon]

Damn I was lookin' for a fly rod....

[deputydon]

Oh yea I don't work fer C......... I just shop there.......

[Bill]

Well there has to be one benefit of working there don't their??
I hate moving. Every time I do I end up with half my stuff broke and most of the time don't find it till the movers are long gone.

[jmarriott]

3wt Sage Voyager if they have another one of these and you could get it at that price I would be more than happy to cover the cost shipping and a little for the powder and primer fund.

Heck that is like a 720 dollar rod. I have a great browning made 5 wt and a few old split bamboo rods I had redone but don't really do anything with but look at. A 3 wt would be great for those little flies for small panfish.

[Bill]

Every couple years I go out to Colorado to the brother in laws condo to meet up with all the wife family. They bring the ATV's ;D We head up above the Eisenhower Tunnel which is about 14,000. If you pay attention there are all kinds of little drainage's coming off that mountain. Most of these flow into one stream or the other and a lot of them have beaver dams on them. Those beaver dams are full of Brookies. I love to throw in the flyrod and go up there with some dry flys and work those beaver dams. There are some really big brookies and you can get some good fights going with a 3 wt.

[jmarriott]

I was in new york state and maybe in first grade last time I was at a creek with brookies.

I remember using small marshmellows and an aberdean hook with a clip on bobber and mayber a split shot. Pretty simple but i caught some. I think worms/bee moths were not allowed.

I will admit I am not very good at the fly stuff. I nomally use big bass poppers on the lakes and I can do some small streamer jigs with an indicator marker. Thats neven been the little stuff.

[Bill]

Yesterday one of the guys I work with went back to where they were keeping the rods which I thought had been picked all over and he pops up with a Sage 3wt that was a 6'er. I just about took it away from him. Oh well the 7'9" will do just fine. Would of been nice though with the 6' rod on those small beaver ponds and streams though.

[Jack]

I only have a couple fly rods, but one is a 6 foot 4 weight. That one works great for small streams and places like beaver ponds.
The rod I use for most things is an 8'6" 4 weight that my father built for me, on a Powers graphite blank. That one handles most things I do.
I'm not a purist. When the time comes to throw big bugs, or to fish large streamers deep, I use a tool that's designed for that job: it's called a spinning rod.

[jmarriott]

My other fly rod I did not mention has a fly reel and a spinning reel.

I will admit it is easier, just does not look as cool.

[Bill]

I think one of my most favorite things to do is I have this float tube that is like sitting in a chair. Has a back and sidearms with little compartments all over. I just put on my flippers and just kick my way around the lake in it. It is awesome for getting out to all those areas you can't get to around the lake once the moss starts growing and the Lillie Pads are thick and no boat to get there. I use a 9' 7wt and work the edges of those areas for bass using big flies. 5 lb bass on a fly rod are a total hoot unless you can't horse him out away from the moss and then your in trouble. Then you just work in close and use your flippers to chase him out. ;D I haven't been able to get anything bigger than 5 lb'er in as bigger than that and I need either more open water or a 9 wt rod.
Those conservation ponds down there in Red's country are great for that kind of fishing.

[Jack]

A five pound bass would probably tow you around the pond!
I enjoy that sort of fishing, too, but I use a canoe. And bait casting tackle.

[Bill]

Hell let him tow, sooner or later he will get tired. ;D There is no horsing those big boys, just let them fight the rod and sit back and wait.
The added feature to the float tube thing is you stay cool. But man you can get a sunburn off the reflection no matter how big a hat you wear. ;D ;D

[bounce]

Some one will think your a ileagal fishing their pond bill with your sombraro bill.