So, this rod from Cabela's is on sale for the same price as this rod from Orvis.
What is everyone's opinions on the rods and which do you recommend?
I will be using this for just bass fishing.
Posted Sep 28, 2016, 9:19 PM UTC
Better exchange/return policy with Orvis.
I have returned my rod after I snapped it on a tree and they replaced it no questions asked. Same with a buddy. They also replaced my waders after I got a hook stuck in them. Only stipulation is it is a one year warranty.
You could spend $100 more and get the Clearwater set up! You have the warranty, better quality, and if you don't decide to stick with it'll have a better resale value. Don't cheat yourself learn on good equipment I would hate for you not to stick with the sport because of poor equipment. The Clearwater rod is what all the orvis classes are done with its a great rod to learn on and to continue with
I agree with this mindset 99% of the time. I do consulting and always tell someone to step up to the next "level" above what they think they need. And for me this is that next level, I know that the $80 set up from cabelas is more than likely going to be absolute trash, or close to it. If this was something I knew that I would be into for years and years to come, I would be looking for set ups in the $400-$500 price range, but I need something that will get me through all of the mishaps and accidents that will inevitably occur.
I really like the Clearwater. I wish there was a store that carried them around where I live so I could see the difference between them.
I built my second fly rod with a Cabelas blank and loved it. I'd still be fishing it after 10 years but it was in the car when I got hit by a drunk driver and it was damaged irreparably. I believe my brother has a prestige rod and has never had a problem with it. He's probably had it about 8 years I think. His is a 4 weight for trout, but like I said, no trouble.
Those cheap cabelas rods are good at light weights (3wt, 4wt) anything over that is like a god damn pool cue. Like someone else on here said, save a little more and get the orvis clearwater outfit. very good quality for the price and it has a good-ass warranty(25 years or some shit) where they'll fix or replace it no matter what stupid shit you do. note I've had 2 cabelas rods, 7'6" 3wt (love it) 9' 7wt(hate it) and a couple higher end Orvis rods(5wt, 8wt) that I love but they're out of the scope of this discussion since I spent about 2 months of rent on them. long story short I love Orvis and I loooove coffeee
I don't have an orvis rod, but I do have the 8wt 9" 4pc Three Forks setup from Calebas (it's the cheapest setup outside of their CGR series). I love it for catching largemouth bass. I'll fish it till it breaks and when I need another I might upgrade to a more expensive rod, but it gets the job done right now.
Thanks!
My buddy has a Cabela's one too. Great rod. We've caught a lot of fish together - bass, bluegill, pike, musky, crappie, everything. His rod does just as well as my Simms.
Edit - sage, sorry was sleepy
Simms rod?
Sage* sorry I was out of it
:) just trying to keep you in check
My SO has a cabelas rod that has outlived two and a half of mine, so I know they are good for the price.
The thing I've learned about fly fishing is that you're gonna buy the better gear (read: more expensive) eventually so just go big. Cabelas makes great bargain gear. I have a 8 weight rod from cabelas for steelhead and salmon, and I love it but I'm definitely looking to upgrade. My 5 weight is an Encounter rod, and I have a battenkill for my 3 weight. I don't plan on upgrading those anytime soon and I absolutely love them. The quality of orvis is just so much better. Long story short, go with the orvis outfit. It'll be a more expensive initial investment but it will definitely be worth it in the long run. And if you decide fly fishing isn't your thing (which would make me sad because it's awesome) I'm pretty sure orvis has better resale value and a better exchange policy than cabelas.
Resale value isn't something I took into consideration.
The consensus so far has been for the orvis rod.
How do the cabelas and encounter compare? Is there a noticeable difference in manufacturing quality?
I have an 8 wt cheapy cabelas rod the hard ware is really crappy. The rod will work to catch fish but even the low end orvis rod it better made
So the cabelas is a 2 handed rod switch rod and the orvis is just a normal one hander. So they're a little different and I use them differently. If you get into fly fishing you'll see you need different rods, with different weights for different situations. The encounter feels so delicate when I'm delivering dry flys and I feel like I could hit an area the size of a plate at 60 feet. I feel connected with the line the whole way from the back cast to the forward cast.The orvis is just a much better quality to answer your question. Think of cabelas as Kirkland Signature (Costco's brand) and orvis is the name brand. Sure they both make good stuff but the orvis is just better.
Keep in mind that the Encounter Reels/Spools have been discontinued.
I will keep this in mind. Thank you!
I was much happier with the quality of Orvis, in the beginning I went with a Cabela's rod, but ended up returning it.
Just a heads up though, depending on your experience with fly rods and end up breaking something, the Encounter only comes with a limited warranty. The standard 25-year guarantee only comes with the Clearwater and up.
IMO, the Clearwater is the better option if you know you'll be sticking with fly fishing.
I will only really need it to last 6-8 months, if that. I just need something to essentially destroy and not feel too bad about while I learn, but is still indicative of how slightly better rods will perform.
I made this mistake with bait casters. I went out and got a $50 rod. And it was horribad. My friend has a cabela's rod that was and still is miles ahead and is close to being on par with the bait casting rod I replaced. So I'm trying to avoid that situation without buying an overly expensive set-up because it will be replaced / upgraded in a number of months, IF i stick with fly fishing.
I don't get that mindset at all... how are you going to destroy a rod by learning? And you may never need a nicer rod. You could fish with either one for decades. For the baitcaster, did you get a $50 combo, or $50 rod? If just a rod, did you really notice that much difference because of the price, or was it just the action was different? If it was a combo, then yeah I can imagine a reel on a $50 combo is probably noticeably worse.
Mostly clumsiness and a significant other that has no spatial awareness. My spinning rod made it two months before a car door was slammed on it while I was not there.
It was a stand alone rod, that just was not made well. And the main difference between the two was the sensitivity and casting ease. The cheap one never loaded right, and would cause all kinds of havoc, mainly resulting in the rod flexing forward until the middle, and the tip rebounding backwards on the follow through. So when the rod was extended at the end of the cast it was in a "s" shape. It did this with numerous people and lure weights, so it was not just a case being bad at casting. ( I thought I was the issue until an older guy and me swapped rods and it did the same thing with him and his buddies). So I did notice a huge difference in quality, weight, and ease of casting.
Haha well that can happen to a $20 rod or $500 rod. But I hear you on the casting rod, that's a terrible rod indeed... I'm lucky I've never had one do that.
if i stick with fly fishing.
You will. Trust me.
That is the outcome I am hoping for, but I won't know until I get out there and do it.
The Orvis for sure. I have this reel and it is very high quality for the price. Even if you don't plan on using it for very long, it's always great to have a backup or a nice combo that you can loan to friends that want to learn.
Stay away from the Cabela's Prestige package!
I got a 3-weight for my wife a couple years ago and it was very sub-par. First of all, other than the nippers and forceps, the rest of the gear is pretty low quality. The included fly line especially isn't anything to write home about. The reel is way too heavy (admittedly rod/reel balance doesn't matter that much on a small rod, but it can be annoying). The rod itself has an extremely slow action (which is up to user preference, but not the best for beginners) and is incredibly weak. After about nine months, and maybe half a dozen fishing trips, the rod snapped in half on a routine bend. I couldn't stress more that you should stay away from that setup!
By contrast, I bought an Orvis Frequent Flyer, which is the 7 piece equivalent of the Clearwater, about 13 years ago and it is still my go-to freshwater rod. I've taken it on hundreds of fishing trips and, other than a few dings in the cork grip, it works as good as the day I bought it. The small arbor Battenkill reel hasn't lasted as long, but the current model comes with the better Clearwater LA II reel.
You can drop crazy amounts of money on top shelf rods and reels, but if you're a beginner in the sport, IMO the best balance between quality and cost is in the Orvis Clearwater series, especially when compared to Cabela's Prestige.
If $300 is more than you want to spend on an outfit, you may want to check out Scientific Anglers. I can't speak to the Ampere model specifically, but I got my first fly fishing outfit from SA as a young teenager and it served me well for several years until I accidentally slammed the rod in a car door.
That sound terrible! I think that everyone here agrees that I should be going with the orvis. Thanks!
For my first rod (which was this year) I got the RLS combo from Cabelas for around $160 and it works fine. Hired a guide one time and he was impressed how well I casted with so little experience and inquired about my rod. The only thing is the line kind of sucks.
orvis' guarantee/return policy is incredible. you could literally drive over it with your car and they will fix it for free.
Orvis will be better in the long run, but for what it's worth I love my prestige reel and CGR rod if you're into that sort of thing.
Orvis, better quality in my experience.
That's what I was expecting; but this is going to be a learning rod, so i'm not planning for it to be very long-lived.
The rod I learned on was an Orvis Silver Label. Had it for a few years and inevitably broke it. Sent it back, and since it was discontinued they upgraded me to the TLS for free. Had it for a few years, broke it, and since it was discontinued by then they upgraded me again to a T3. See what I'm getting at here?
Here's the biggest difference then. With orvis if you break it, no matter how it happens, at most you'll pay $40 and end up with a brand new rod. If it happens again and again and again.....same deal. Cabelas doesn't have a warranty or policy even close to that. At the end of the day the Orvis is a much better rod too.