re: Tell Me About Fly Fishing

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Have you thrown a Hardy Zephrus SWS?

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Lots. It's a nice rod that comes in a nice tube with a cool logo but like most in that price range I don't find any of them to be all that much different from the others. It seems that Loomis, Scott, Hardy, etc have better reel seats than Orvis but even that's a subjective opinion.

I'm of the opinion that large majority of name brand fly rods are good. So good that it's hard for most to tell the difference. Once you get up over $400 they are all very good. Eventually it comes down to hardware and warranty. Unless you're a stickler for things like perfectly even wraps or nice printing.

Full disclosure my redfish rods are all over the place. H2's, RPL's, a Trident, and two cheap TFO's. The H2's I got as part of an upgrade program otherwise I would have been happy to keep the Orvis rods I traded in. There are time when the TFO rods don't have enough backbone to handle the conditions but at the same time people are just entering the game with these TFO rods aren't likely to be fishing in slop like some of the more dedicated fishermen who drop big money on rods to minimize that variable.

My advice is usually budget $250 for a rod but try to find one for less. It doesn't matter if it's a 12 year old RPL or a brand new BVK. Don't jump straight to a heavy front tapered line like ignitor or SA redfish. Learn to cast a grain appropriate line. The reel isn't important for reds but try to get something you won't have to replace immediately.

None of this matters if you don't practice.