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Rod review

3K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  JimW 
#1 ·
Just got to fish a new rod this past week while i was in Montana and was really impressed with it. Its the Redington CPS. I was fishing a 5wt 4piece and it was a great rod for pitching wooly buggers and casting in some of the heavy winds we experienced.
on day one i used both my sage and redington but only fished the redington on day two. :Eyecrazy: I really liked the rod and will probably be using it much more in the future. I think it can be a great cutthroat beach rod.
 
#3 ·
What did you particularly like about the redington? Since we always need to walk the line between sbjective and objective appraisals, it would help me to understand the post if you could describe characteristics you found favorable otherwise it's hard to tell which side of the line.

For instance, Fishhawk and I are both fond of certain T&T models. I particularly like the lighter weight H2 e.g. 7 wt in a travel 4pc for bonefish because I like faster actions in lighter weights but not in heavier weights where they tend to become stiff. A lighter weight saltwater rod will still bend for a man's casting stroke and can work toward his advantage. A heavier rod, say a 10wt, should flex more for me since I want to rod to do more of the work not me. Thus the H2 T&T 7wt travel rod is a super travel bonefish rod for me.

All T&T rods come with premium fit and finish with some of the best reel seats I've used. I especially like that they are located in Massachusetts and are an old US rodmaker.

What I like about the Redingtons I've cast is the bang for buck - they have always been a very good value for the money and are usually nice casting sticks. Some models are less attentive to fit and finish in order to keep the cost low understandably.

You seem to indicate a preference over the Sage, which by the way owns Redington. But Sage offers one of the most complete ranges of models and unless you had them all on hand it's hard to compare. For instance I found the new VT2's to be a great all-purpose action at a good price, and the 00wt speciality rod was amazing (albeit not something I would use too much) not to mention the Xi2 for SWFF, etc etc...

So as this is a gear talk board I would be curious to hear which endearing characteristics led you to this comparison.

thanks
 
#4 ·
Let's not forget Redington was pretty good before Sage bought them, probably why the purchase was made. Wasn't there some speculation that they wanted to take the very popular reel out of the play or was that Orvis. I own 2 cps a 9 and a 10 and think they are great, maybe it's because they fit my casting style. The customer service is simply outstanding, last time I broke a 9wt they let me trade it in for a 12wt. gotta love that. This is not their normal policy so don't go high sticking if you want a different wt. rod.
I love my T&T and the H&H guides are the way to go at least for the snakes but quite honestly a graphite reel seat would hold up much better in the salt, I don't think any of the manufacturers would go that route becuse it isn't pretty and sparkly. I'm not one to be impressed with the sparkly factor - quality means durabilty and dependability. The cost of upgraded components on a higher end rod is not more than $50 and that's retail - you can go higher with titanium reel seats but how many are using those. Craftsmenship - as far as wrapping and coating - anyone who's done it will probably tell you it's a piece of cake - we're not talking bamboo here. Engineering & QC on the blanks - now that's where the difference shows. All the big boys who have been making rods for a longer period of time must have figured a few things out and it shows in their products the T&T I own is magic if you hit it correctly but I find the same to be true of the Redington cps - they've got a great blank - they've figured it out.
 
#5 ·
So once again steering clear of the likes and dislikes, you make some good points... customer service, durability in a graphite reel seat, guides not being much of an issue, matching a caster's style, etc.

I've never had an issue with any aluminum machined reel seats in salt even as much as I put them into the surf and spray as a beach and flats guy but the graphite seat idea is interesting. Would this just be the cylinder or the hoods and rings as well? I have seen graphite and wood reel seats but not threads / rings and hoods.

I defer to your rod building experience on the guide thing but I find strippers and tip guides to be of much variation on rod models. As an example the large SiC Titanium stripper (just the first one) on the 11/12wt Atlantis ate up more than half of that $50 margin you mention in cost, not to mention the others and the titanium large diameter tip guide which were also expensive. I find a metal wire guide for saltwater two-hand applications to be inadequate and only the best metal alloys and hard chrome or anodizing can withstand hard salt use.

LOOP / Danielsson (before the split) came out with a graphite reel that should by all accounts be more durable in salt. I just couldn't get excited about a reel that was not machined from aircraft grade aluminum, but I guess I digressed into likes and dislikes myself on that one!
 
#6 ·
FishHawk- I will never own a T&T rod. Just wont happen. I did use one for a little while up there in Montana and although it was a nice rod, it did not compare to the Sage SLT or SP which i found to be much more sensitive and a smoother casting rod.

well juro... I found the CPS to cast like a XP. Fast!, but at a $200 dollar price tag which is about 1/3 the price of the XP. Sure the workmanship does down a little bit and they arent made in the US but when the CPS is in the Sage Launch price range, there is no comparison. The CPS is a much better rod than the Launch. And i would probably use it over the VT2.
I didnt use my Sage the 2nd day more because of the wind than anything else but I was also tossing buggers with a short sink tip and the redington was the right rod for the job.
It comes down to price, looks, and feel for me.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the reply, so you like a fast rod at 1/3 the price and am willing to overlook differences in hardware / trim for a rod that matches your casting style. Redington definitely delivers great feel at a great value and like others have said the customer service is great. Makes sense!
 
#8 ·
juro said:
LOOP / Danielsson (before the split) came out with a graphite reel that should by all accounts be more durable in salt. I just couldn't get excited about a reel that was not machined from aircraft grade aluminum, but I guess I digressed into likes and dislikes myself on that one!
Speaking of LOOP, I can't believe there's still so little talk about the Blue Salt series. We have tested these rods against all the top models (Sage, Winston, etc) and they are just as good, some say better. In fact two people I know, who are certified casting instructors, think these are the best saltwater rods on the market. It's too bad they're 3 piecers. I haven't tried the Grey Salt but assume it is top notch as well. I'm dissapointed that they didn't make a 9wt though.
 
#11 ·
Titanium will definately put you over the top, good stuff though so I guess that's an example of getting what you pay for. The Redington does not have a graphite reel seat, at least not on the cps line. I have spin rods with the Fuji graphite seat, not double locking and they just easier than the aluminum doubles and we all know how the singles can loosen up. I built one rod with the graphite seat and dig it. I think a lot of this comes down to a form/function thing and I just lean towards the function with little regard for form. Others who have a more discerning eye for the finer things in life probably have more appreciation for the look where it's not something I'm willing to pay for when it comes to a rod. Juro, as you say this can be very subjective and to each his own. The one common thread in the price point seems to be US manufacturing or should I say China Manufacturing - they kick our a$$ on a daily basis in so many areas and now a days make great stuff.
 
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