Wicked sticks to wave (while fly-fishing)
By Dan A. Nelson
Special to The Seattle Times
Standing in a frigid river while waving a slender stick overhead could be viewed as proof of mental fragility. Probably, though, it just means you are a fly fisher.
As a fly angler, you may prove your mental acuity to friends and family by noting the unique characteristics of that slender wand you wave. Today's fly rods boast precision engineering to provide flexibility and stiffness in exactly the right portions of the road for maximum performance in casting a line.
In response to reader requests for information on good, affordable, all-around fly rods as well as the best rod we could recommend for chasing Yakima River rainbows, we put several rods in the hands of experienced anglers and had them hit numerous rivers around the state.
For a one rod to do it all, we found the Redington Classic Trout (CT) series to be unmatched, and the 5-weight version offers the best all-around service. The Redington CT-9504 rod has a medium-fast action, thus transferring a lot of power during a cast, so you can lay out line quickly and efficiently.
With the Redington CT in hand, we found we could lay out a 15-yard cast in the teeth of moderate Ellensburg winds while fishing the flats section of the Yakima. The CT-9054 sells for $160. A matching Redington Rise Reel 5/6 sells for $159. See www.redington.com for more information.
Anglers looking for a rod to throw flies longer distances in tougher conditions, look no further than Bainbridge Island-based Sage. The newly redesigned Sage Z-Axis rods — like all Sage rods, made on Bainbridge — make efficient use of minimal amounts of material. The 5-weight 590-4 Z-Axis weighs a mere 3.4 ounces, yet allowed me (a mediocre caster at best) to lay out 50 to 60 feet of line in heavy cross winds while fishing the canyon stretch of the Yakima. I found I could also reach out to the surfacing, feeding fish of Lenice Lake in Eastern Washington, dropping small flies in front of them with nary a splash nor kerplunk.
Tester Donna — a fairly new fly fisher — discovered the Z-Axis offers more than just power for experienced anglers. The fast action of the rod, with its delicate tip, helped her improve her casting distance and accuracy on Idaho's raucous Kelly Creek and gave her better control in the narrow pools of the Touchet River near Dayton. The Sage 590-4 Z-Axis sells for a hefty $695, but that gets you a rod that's effective in all weather, and on all trout waters. A Sage 1850 reel, for $139, nicely complements the rod. See www.sageflyfish.com.
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