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Anyone know about Temple Fork Outfitters Rods?

6K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  gammarus 
#1 ·
Has anyone out there casted a TFO rod? I don't know any local fly shops that carry them, so I can't cast one. They are affordable and all that, they look quality, endorsed by lefty and all that, but are they really as good as some of the higher priced rods out there?

http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/

:confused:


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#4 ·
The ones I've cast, both single and 2-hand, are decent casting rods; but they certainly are not in the same league as the high end, premium rods out there. The TFO's are good value for the money and are made out of IM6 graphite, which has been around for quite a while in rods. But they are what they are, good casting rods of medium performance, and as such they are not as capable as the high end ones.

Despite the hype and the endorsement by Lefty Krey, they are not as good as top end Sage, Loomis, St. Croix, etc. Keep in mind that fly fishing personalities such as Lefty move around from one rod company to another because of the perks offered (things like trips to places they want to visit, shows they want to go to, exposure in advertising, or money), or sometimes because the former company they were endorsing decided not to continue their contract, rather than because of being in love with the product.

Over the years I've seen Lefty (and other fly fishing personalities) endorse the rods from many different rod manufacturers, and pretty much say the same things about each one. I've seen Lefty endorse Fenwick, J.Kennedy Fisher, Sage, St. Croix, Shakespeare, Browning, and now TFO since the 60's.
 
#5 ·
TFO

I have to agree with all that has been stated. I have several TFO's along with several higher end rods. The TFO's have been good to me so far. I keep one with me in the car at all times. That way, if I have a little time, I just pull it out of the case and fish for an hour or so. It also saves my higher end rods from walking. :wink:

When it comes to craftmanship, The TFO can't compare to Sage, T&T, and the rest. That being said, the higher end rods can't compare to the cost. Good rods for the $$$$.

But before you plunk down your hard earned cash, get out and cast several different rods. If you're as lucky as I am, your local shop may have Demos you can use for a day or two. I find that that's the true test of rod performance. On the water.

Good luck.
 
#9 ·
gimmefish,

To answer your last question, no. However, don't forget that Redington, St. Croix, and ECHO all have rods of similar performance and price, albeit each has a different feel and action.

Is TFO the best in its price range? it is if you believe the hype. Each of the other three rod manufacturers I mentioned above have people who will swear they are the best for the price as well. All four of them produce a good product at a low price point.
 
#10 ·
Ticrx

For the last two Coho seasons I have used a TFO Ticrx 8 weight and it has performed as good or better than all of the high end rods I have fished. I have used the rod in both ovehead and single handed Spey casting situations and the rod has performed flawlessly. The rod will handle a range of casting strokes and casts well at all distances. Rolling the belly of a sinktip line to the surface then with one backcast I deliver the fly to distances of 110+ feet.

The rod may not have the high end name or price but it does have the high end performance.



Ian
 
#12 ·
frankly i think that the tfo's are a lot of hype and over priced for what they are. there are other lesser known rods which are as good or better and a lot less money with just as good a garranty such as heritage for example. name rods which i think are better and comparably priced such as st croix are in my view a better option. we all love lefty, but all the advertising and promotion done by tfo costs more money than the rods i suspect. and guess who pays for it.
 
#13 ·
One of my favorite inexpensive rod makers is Cortland. Their stuff is inexpensive and well made. I still use one I got 15 years ago for most of my bass fishing and I think it may be the all around best casting rod I own, yet it's probably 1/3 or 1/4 the price of my other rods.
 
#14 ·
I have an 8 wgt TFO TCRx something-or-other. Pretty impressive casting tool for the money. Components/reel seat are obviously where they save some money in addition to offshore manufacturing. I don't think you can go wrong with the TFO's for a low end rod.

I also liked the old lower end Diamondback lineup, All American and the Backwater. I'm not familiar with Diamonbacks current lineup.
 
#15 ·
TFO does not advertise much. They prefer the mouth to ear way of spreading the word. The only Ad I saw was that they advertised for the Terry Hayden reel (that I am gonna get soon).

I also believe that their products are priced right, and the quality is good... though not outstanding. The cork on their rods is not top notch if you compare it to a Thomas and Thomas for example. The wrapping and the guides are not the best around too.
So, if you are looking for a really nice rod, with the most expensive building materials, you should not look at them.
They are also not the lightest rods around as they still use IM6 graphite.

If, like me, you do not care much about the building materials and seal the cork grip, then, you have an excellent bang for your bucks rod backed with an excellent warranty (25 bucks and fast turn over) that cast very well. I own, owned or used/tested, the top brand rods around (Sage, Scott, Red. Nti Q, GLoomis etc.) and sincerely, I fish with my TFO all the time. They really cast great with no or very little shock wave.
The 8wt TiCr X was returned 8 times by Lefty before he was happy with the rod. I think that rod, along with the TiCr are very well designed.

I own TiCr 7, 8, 9, 10; TiCr X 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and Professional 9 and fish for the big 3 in the Keys and Biscayne Bay (read bones, permits, tarpons).
I fish at least every week.

My 0.02.

Serge in Miami.
 
#17 ·
I fish or have fished most rods, high, low and medium in price. And, the least money for best perfomance rod I have every had is the US made 'March Brown Hidden River' seven pce travel rod. (I was pretty skeptical when I purchased my first 7 wt but they assured me that I could send it back if I wasn't happy. but with a Rio Windcutter you can pretty well clear you reel of line. Its a fast action rod, sensitive enough to fish trout and strong enough to land steelhead or tuna.

The makers are few young fellows in the US, raised fly fishing that put them together. Their craftmanship equal to the top rod making companies and their made in the US, and even with me being a Canadian (eh) that seems significant. The reason you don't hear much about them is they don't have much of a advertising budget.
 
#19 ·
For a company that doesn't advertise much, I've sure seen a lot of quarter and half page ads in the fly fishing magazines lately touting TFO.
I agree they do advertise now, but it does not seem to be having any impact on the price.

Not too long ago - maybe 2 years they were not advertising. The banner on this site was one of their first forays into the wonderful world of advertising, seems to be doing the trick for them.
 
#20 ·
You could not find them because they were named incorrectly: "March Brown Hidden Water Travel Fly Rod Series: http://www.bearsden.com/page195.html

They indeed look very nice. Another rod that cast very well is the Dan Craft signature V.
There are a lot of nice rods that cast great out there. TFO is one of them.
You are right, seems that they advertise lately, but as mentioned, the price does not drop.

Serge
 
#22 ·
I have a TFO Pro series 8 wt, that has been a very nice rod for me. I have been very happy with the way this rod has performed for me with fish anywhere from whitebass on lake erie to salmon and steelhead and tarpon down in the keys. Good rod for a decent buck and performs well. I'll buy another




jeff
 

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#24 ·
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the new Sage FLi series rods. These are as light as the Winston BIIX with an action similar to the Xi2 and abailable in 4 piece. In fact Sage admits the rod was created using the same technology as the Xi2. I will be buying three this spring for my saltwater trips. Another unmentioned company is LOOP. I use their single handers exclusively now. Unfortunetely they don't have a 4 piece saltwater rod in the price range I want so I will be getting the sages.
 
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