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Cant go wrong with a sage to start off with. I havent had much experience with winston though. But it is great that you have a local shop to go to! Ask of you can test the action out. Since you are serious about purchasing usually the store doesnt mind. Sage might have a little slower action from what I remember than St. Croix or TFO. Its not a bad thing, epsecially if you like slower actions. A slow action takes a little longer to "load" the rod when you are casting. One bit of advice though... I personally think that a 265$ reel is way too much especially for a 245$ rod. The only time I would consider spending that much for a fly reel is if I am hitting the salts or flats for tarpon,permit, or bonefish. For trout and bass, I think that reel is overmatching your rod. You may be better served at this point spending about 100-150 for the reel and maybe upgrade the rod. The reel doesnt have much to do with casting besides balance. The drag may make some difference when fighing the fish, but for the most part you will be fighting with finger pressure on the line. Just something to think about. The reel may feel like butter but the only time you will really be using it is to pick up slack line or letting a trout make a run and maybe fighting a bass. Reel shouldn't cost more than your rod. Also remember the line! The line is a MAJOR factor in casting. I would rather get a 10$ reel and a 100$ line LOL it will make your casting more fun and easier to pick up. That will be at least 60-100$ Rod,Line then Reel should be your priority when it comes to fly-fishing. But in the end its your decision. If you feel that you will have more fun and enjoyment with the better reel, then go for it. After all its all about the enjoyment of fishing and enjoying your gear is part of the fun. Enjoy! Vic

5-6 weight is perfect to start with for bass and trout. Now is 500$ including rod,reel,and line? You will want a weight forward floating line to start with. Get a high quality line that matches your rod weight it will make your casting easier to start with. This will run 60-100$ The reel will run you another 50-85 or so fo ra decent reel. Some say that the reel isnt as important and I partially agree. You will want a reel with a good drag for smallies and trout. And I personally stay away from any plastic reels. Now for the rod. I may get slammed for this but I recommend a rod that costs arround the 200-250 range to begin with. The reason is that there are many good casting rods for that range. They may not be Sage quality, but keep in mind that you may want to try another rod in the future once you learn how you like to cast. If you get a 500$ rod right away, you may not like it or like the way it casts etc. Once you learn more also, you may find out that you are looking for somethign else in your rod. Rods have all different actions from different companies. So if you stay within this range, you have enough to get another rod later. There are a few St. Croix rods in this range. I also like Temple Fork Outfitters. Reddington is also putting out a lot better rods also. If you are luckly enough to have a fly store near you, they will usually let you try out the rod a few times in the back or something. If you are buying online, be careful because it may not feel right in your hands once you get it out of the box. Comfort and feel are very important. As well as balance. So have a reel already picked out. That can impact the balance of the rod. Think about how many pieces you want from your rod. Will you be able to transport a 2 piece? etc. Ummm and dont forget about the flys! Go with some wooly buggers to start with. Its an awsome sport. Bass are AMAZING on a fly rod!

I always called it Ping-line. The PING is for the noise it makes when it jumps off my spinning reel. I hate this stuff.

x2 Nothing wrong quite yet I hope nothing goes wrong or I will be real mad > x3 here. But admittedly, I dont fish as hard as some others might. Probably every other weekend at most.

Quantum also has a 5:1 older Energy PT you can get used for about 60 now I think and new for about 90

Zebco, those things last forever! Thats why everyone has one lol. And of course an ugly stick to go with it if you cant replace a broken rod either.

Dont feel bad about that, I am pretty good with searches, but I find the one on this board very hard to search. Vic Ps I like the Revo better because I own one lol

Swiss "engineered" is different than made in Sweden.

Probably because of patent or proprietary issues.

Pfleuger President 6720, St Croix Avid UL, Yo-Zuri ultrasoft #4

Pfleuger President 6720, St Croix Avid UL, Yo-Zuri ultrasoft #4

Yea but that .5 takes up 3 yards of line at a time lol

I like the picture on the left side of the can. it shows how it would look on a rod. pretty neat. Looks like the rod would have the seat sideways though?

I use my fly-fishing spare spool all the time. Floating line on one and sinking on the second. Im actually thinking about picking up a thrid spool. But baitcaster or spinner gear spools, i never switch.

The only way is to use your other finger to guide the line up and down the spool arbor while you are reeling in with the other line. So in essesnce your finger is the level wind. There is no way to do this while you are acutally fishing though. If you are reeling in your line while fishing and it doesnt seem to fit your spool, then you might have too much backing or the wrong size reel.

The STX also as a micro click cast control knob system! I know that because I just replaced it lol. Makes it "clickier" The spools and the spool release system is different on the two models also I believe.

I think Rippin pretty much covered everything. The only thing is the lures. Wooly buggers work pretty well. Fly fishing for bass is great fun! Fly line is pricey but it pays to invest in the better casting lines that cost a bit more. It will make the fishing more enjoyable. 5 wt is the perfect beginer wt rod!

I think a fish would wonder "what those sharp pointy things hanging off that fish that im about to bite into" rather than worry about a swivel. LOL they have the same chance of noticing either I would say. I used to use the lock snap and still do from time to time. But I learned to tie knots really fast now and I do that instead. When I was using lock snaps for crankbaits and topwaters though, i didnt notice any less bites. Those are more reaction bites so i think it matters less. If it were soft plastics, I would never snap lock though. Some say it messes with the action of hard baits, but I dont think it does to much. Not anymore than tying a rapala knot. Thats my take. Vic

When I first started, I thought about this first. As I said earlier, spending more on a quality rod before a better reel is certainly less "sexy". But after I picked up my first Avid, I wish I would have started with this rod in the begining rather than later. The rod and reel work together for a balanced feel, but the rod has more to do with learning to cast than the reel. You are right about a better drag though and how higher quality lasts longer. You do have a great point about being able to have one good reel while learning about what rod you like best. In the begining you might not know what rod actions and powers you like. So you will more than likley get many different rods before settling on one you like. At least with a good reel, you can transfer that to try out various rods. Vic

LOL I thought that handled looked like a quantum forged one piece!

LOL I bet more than a few of us has done this when starting out also! But your very welcome Harpoon. If you have 100$ look for a Bass pro shops, Gander mountain, or Cabelas store arround you. You can usually pick up a house rod and reel for that price. The people there are usually nice enough to help you out with any quesitons and they have great warrantees. I also like to support local rod and reel stores, but for 100$ there, you may have slimmer pickings. Now if you had 200$, I would certainly try out a local store. There is a bass pro shops in Foxboro. But I dont know how far that is from you. Stay away from WalMart though lol. They do have some good stuff, but its mostly behind glass hidden away. Try out different rods after you get your new setup. You can really start to learn the difference in rods once you start tossing on a few more. Be careful though, once you start, you might find yourself "upgrading" all the time But about your question regarding how much for the reel and how much for the rod: If you are going for a spinning reel, spend at least 50$ on the reel. If you are going for a baitcaster, spend at least 85-100$. What you are looking for is balance. You want to have a good balance between a good rod and reel. But if I had to choose one to spend more on, I would have to say the rod. It is the less "glamourous" answer. But it is what will help you hook the fish the most and get your line out there. Best of luck! Vic

Sorry you had such bad experience with it. The Ultra Soft that I have used is limper than wet ramen. especially if you stretch it a little, kinda like flyfishing line. The 2 and 4 lb US is soft enough to sew together two strands of cooked spaghetti.

Thats funny, Im the complete opposite, I find it to distracting to learn to retrieve with my left hand and to control the rod with my right. (and I am right handed).

You gota try that one that is shaped like a pen lol The fattest pen in the world! ;D

That is a legitamate concern. But if you register the rod though their website, there is no way that they can know that you are not the original purchaser.