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 Post subject: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 2:07 am • # 1 
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Joined: 12/31/13
Posts: 309
Location: Magnolia, Texas
The inexpensive/cheap nymph rods on eBay finally tempted me to pull the trigger and order one. I have been watching assorted rods from Maxcatch and Aventik specifically - came across a 10' 3 weight 4 piece for $80 - I figure unless the thing breaks it can't be too bad. Either it will be a true 3 weight, or at the very least I have a longer 5 weight to add to the arsenal. I have two specific uses in mind for this rod - #1 honest to God euro/Czech nymphing with proper line/leader setup AND some swinging of small streamers and big wets on medium sized PNW rivers. May also use for chironomid fishing. I really don't need it for swinging as I have my 2/3wt trout spey buimt on the Angler's Roost IM6 blank BUT i have been doing a lot more single hand spey casting this year so if I can nymph easier and still swing by only taking one rod and a couple reels instead of two full rod setups - great.

I have been playing with my OPST 175 head on a 6' glass rod and think I could make better/longer casts with the 10 footer.

Anyone else here have one of these cheap Chinese rods? How do you like them if you do?


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 9:52 pm • # 2 
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Joined: 01/26/09
Posts: 617
Location: Oklahoma
I have no experience with the long nymph rods, but I have purchased two rods from Maxcatch, a 7' 3weight glass fly rod and a 12' Tenkara rod. Both rods were of a build and quality far in excess of what I expected for the price I paid. I know that quite a few rods being sold in fly shops around the country are from Maxcatch.

Larry


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 3:10 pm • # 3 
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Joined: 12/31/13
Posts: 309
Location: Magnolia, Texas
Rod came in the mail on Thursday, and I was able to get out for an hour before work to do some test fishing.

My initial impressions of it were mixed. Fit and finish matches any production rod under $400 I have seen. Aesthetically they went for a Loomis NRX look with the gray blank and light blue wraps. Its not my first choice but it works. The reel seat is overgunned for a 3 weight - all black aluminum double lock ring uplocking affair - but they had to go with a big reelseat to match the larger diameter cork they use, I am guessing.

Cork is nice and fat - a pleasant surprise for me as most cork is too thin and hurts my hands. I have nerve damage in my hands and thin grips just inflame it. I would personally like a more traditonal seat with wood or cork insert though vs all aluminum.

The initial wiggle and feel assembling the rod in my living room made me think they were selling a 5 weight as a 3. It seemed stiff and much like my Loomis 5 weight Stream Dance.

I grabbed 3 reels and a box of flies and headed to thecneighborhood pond.

First up I threw on my Wright & McGill Dragonfly 3/4 which has a true to weight WF3 line on with a 7.5' rio knotless nylon leader. I added about 3 foot of tippet abd a size 14 nymph and wanted to see how much of a 3 weight the rod was and I was pleasantly surprised. I could cast in close with just a foot or so of flyline out - check. Then I hit 20 ft. Then 30. Then pealed off enough. Line to hit the 40 foot mark. Laid out an arrow straight cast easy peasy. Ok the rod loads with a 3 weight just fine. So much for first impressions.

Next up I decided to do some czech nymphing in the outlet stream. Switched reels to my 1595 rc medalist. This reel has a true to weight wf5 floater and a long level mono setup - 24 feet of Maxima 12lb chameleon with 12 inches each of berkley big game hi viz green and amnesia red tied in as a sighter with 12 inches of maxima again, with a tiny perfection loop at the end. I tied on about 4 feet of 5x tippet to the leader and ran a pair of size 14 bead head nymphs. Rod czech nymphs probably better than I can.

I went back to the pond to test how well it would actually cast the level mono. I tied a single size 14 soft hackle wet fly on to the tippet then went to work. It casts just the leader and unweighted fly very well. It would lay out the leader nice and straight - so I can fish out to 30 feet with zero fly line out the rod tip with this setup.

Lastly I strung the rod up with my cheap Cabelas Wind River #1 reel that houses my 175 grain OPST Commando head. I had on a 3' homemade tip and 6 feet of leader. I tied on a #6 cone headed squirrel tail and marabou streamer. 50 foot casts were easy peasy. I could not see exactly how far this setup reaches because beyond 50 feet my fly and line would have been in a hellish tangle of lily pads.

So far I am very pleased and can't wait to get back out in the water for a thorough workout and hopefully catch a fish or five.

If I had to guess I would say Maxcatch probably makes a lot of Cabela's house brand rods - the components and finished product are very very simar. For $80 this rod seems like a bargain. The next cheapest name brand euro nymph rod I know of is Cabela's CZN which IIRC go for almost double the price.

I was really surprised how true to weight this rod was. Seems like a winner. I think my 6 year old son will do well with this too - he does well with a tenkara setup but I think this will get him fishing a standard setup well. Pix to come.


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 3:49 pm • # 4 
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Joined: 07/10/09
Posts: 1555
Location: Plano Texas
Nice rod report, it is amazing that with the right lines you can fish so many different ways with the 3 weight. My Cabelas 3 weight Stowaway 6 it also likes The 150gr OPST Commando head. From a size 14 to a size 6 is a massive difference. With the OPST I have caught some nice lm bass on the large weighted flies.


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 4:25 pm • # 5 
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Sr. Member

Joined: 12/31/13
Posts: 309
Location: Magnolia, Texas
Cant get these to rotate properly but heres some pix.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

I lined up the rod handles with my other 3 & 5 weight trout rods. Nice fat cork for sure. From top to bottom

Cabelas Prime 6' #3
Cabela's CGR 7'6" #5/6
Maxcatch V Nymph #3
G Loomis StreamDance 9' #5
Cabela's Prime 7'3" #5


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:45 pm • # 6 
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Joined: 08/27/15
Posts: 781
Location: New Jersey
Great report. You really put the rod to the test, or should I say tests. Sounds like a great value but have to agree about the color scheme.


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:53 am • # 7 
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Sr. Member

Joined: 12/31/13
Posts: 309
Location: Magnolia, Texas
I got out on Friday for a day of solo fishing. I started out of my favorite local creek, wanting to do some proper euronymphing. I forgot my box of euronymphing specific flies but whatevs, nymphs are nymphs!

I decided to try single nymphs vs a team, as I picked bigger than usual flies to try. Water where I was fishing was high bit clear (mostly) - nothing like what it looked in the lower reaches. I was pumped.

Fishing a mono rig with built in sighter really made easy fishing this time. A 6' tippet of 5X looped onto the leader a foot below the sighter got my fly in the zone despite faster currents. With my "peoper" euronymphs at home I selected a golden stone in about size 10, with wiggly rubber leg tail and legs, an epoxy-over-wire body and dubbed thorax. My first fish came on about my 5th cast - a beautiful little 6 inch cutthroat. About 10 minutes later I landed the biggest fish I ever caught from this creek - a beautifully colored up cutty. My last fish came about fifteen minutes later. I fished about two hours total, before I felt content with the stream. I packed up, said hello to some day hikers with a 10 week old black lab pup named Ranger who wanted to climb in my car, and headed for my favorite lake to see about getting a November bass.

No bass were caught, but I did land my best trout of the year on a #2 white & chartreuse deciever, fishing my glass 7/8 weight. My two best trout of the year in one day, from my two favorite bodies of water. Great way to spend black Friday. Really love how the V nymph performed and handled the fish. Even the larger one did not feel like my 5X was in danger. That rod really loads up but had the backbone to steer the fish away from fast current. My only complaint - the aluminum reel seat. It was cold out, and that aluminum was colder. Really wish the rod had a cork reel seat insert! The cork grip stayed warm in my hand but when my palm contacted the reel seat oh boy was it cold. But thats a minor complaint, and had I thought about it, I would have slipped on the wool fingerless gloves in my backpack.


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 1:06 am • # 8 
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Joined: 04/02/17
Posts: 221
Location: Colorado
Sounds like a good day on the water with your nymphing rod. And the way you described the way it performed and felt, it sounds like you have a winner of a rod. Good for you for getting out and trying it. And congrats on the fish too.


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:53 pm • # 9 
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Joined: 08/31/15
Posts: 1042
Location: Coppell, TX
Good report, enjoyed reading and looking at the photos.


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2018 12:30 pm • # 10 
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Joined: 11/13/11
Posts: 84
Location: Indianapolis,In
Would you recommend getting the 11’ 3wt? I broke my 10’ 3wt Cortland Competition Nymph rod. I sent it in for warrentywork so we shall see. I thought about TFO Drift rod but the trailer rice is holding me back. This rod may fit my current budget. Thanks.

Mike P.


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 Post subject: Re: "Cheap" Nymph rods?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 1:02 pm • # 11 
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Joined: 05/28/18
Posts: 603
Location: Tucson , Hellazonia
I too just today bought the Maxcatch Nymph Rod 3WT 10ft 4Sec Graphite IM10 Fast Action Fly Fishing Rod for $72 shipped . They call it the performance series , whatever , but I too am familiar with these rods and for the money I don't think they can be beat . Probably for twice the money . I also use their cheap aluminum reels and buy them as combos so I get the line , leader, backing and tippets for 28 $ . How can a person lose on a deal like that ? Customer service is great too .
Anyway , I just wanted to second or third the positive reviews of these rods .


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