Powell Rods

[luringbrrream]

I'm looking at buying a 9ft" 7wt fly rod for $440, is this a fair price?Just wanting to know what the quality of these rods are?? Could anyone mention any particular advantages or disadvantages of this brand or any personal past experience??

DAN

[wandtheswan]

Have you checked out the Temple Fork Outfitters Im-6 and Im-8 range?
The price of the Im-6 are around $395 and the Im-8 are $400+.

check out www.flyworld.com.au

[Christopher]

In a slightly more expensive bracket is the Innovator HLS series, which come in #5, #6 and #8, that are probably worth checking out. I think the 8 sells at around $550. I've just bought the #5, and I'm thrilled to bits. Looks and feels great, and is super-dooper light. I'm not expert on the subject, but I've been told that the HLS series are by far the best on the market in that middle-lower-middle price bracket.

Check out http://www.innovatorrods.com/rod-hls-open.html

By the way, I have no affiliations with Innovator. Or anyone. But if anyone is interested in affiliating me, I would be more than happy.

[Christopher]

Also, if you want to check out the Temple Fork Outfitters rods as Wandy suggests, check out http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/professional/ for the Lefty Kreh Professional Series, which is in the price range you seem to be looking in. Prices on this site are in American dollars, but Chris Dunham from FlyWorld (www.flyworld.com.au) retails them over here. Check out his site for prices.

The advice you got from SimonTom on the sportsfish fly board re his experience with Powell?

At the end of the day, the people standing behind the product are as important as the advertising and the product itself IMHO.

Best Judge a man by his enemys, because his friends can easily be bought.

In that respect, I guess one has to look at the major rod companys and see which "industry luminary" currently fronts their product and whether or not they always did or in fact, still do?

Some of the 'relationships' don't always seem to last very long...so one I think has a right to be somewhat sceptical to some degree of ringing product endorsements...from those who have a vested financial interest in promoting one product over another.

I could easily name names and companys as examples but won't for the sake of not embarrassing anyone.

Choose the rod with the backing of a company and people running it that you trust...thats the best advice I can give you.

The only "other advice" is that if you travel to fish remote locations then spare rods with you is a LOT more use than a warranty where 3 months or more warranty turnaround on ONE expensive rod, will be zero use to you.

Rods do break, especially when you travel.

I'd sooner have a few cheaper spares up my sleeve and be able to fish on, than to sit on the beach nursing my busted one and only gold plated super rod, while watching everyone else fishing and having fun catching fish... :rolleyes:

Overpriced and lifetime warrantied rods is IMHO a crock of crap. Just get the rod you like fishing - have a few spares and fish, coz the rest of it's all advertising bullshenhyser.

The fish won't know or care which brand rod you caught it on, and it's the fish caught that tell the REAL story!

Cheers!

[getchoo]

or as i've found out twice now...

rods always break in the car... rarely on a fish

*sulks*
al