Oh man....instead of the kit I was gently swayed to get a new rod

[Katman]

Well....I started off searching for quality tools to start tying my own flies....but....I ended up buying a perfect never used 8'6 1997 Redington FSF 8652 5wt rod. The price was way too good to say no. I was wondering if anyone of you guys ever used one of these before? From how it feels...I'd say its more on the fast action. The guy that bought it told me he never even casted this thing. It's been in storage for 10 years. It looked and felt great, plus I called Redington about their UNCONDITIONAL lifetime warranty...seems like its still good. Has anyone dealt with Redington before? The rod looks, feels, smells brand new with an original metal tube. I wanted to see if I can find more info on this company and rod. I was also going to try the larger arbor reels this time.....what are the pros and cons about the larger arbors? Thank you guys for your help. AND...I will still get my tying tools soon Right after i set this guy up!

[so haaad]

Reddington is a reputable company in the flyfishing/trout world. I didn't care for the Reddington leaders, but that is one little item. My brother has a Reddington steelie rod and likes it.

[DEADhead]

I own three Redington rods and am quite pleased with them. I've never had one break yet, so I can't say anything about their customer service.

It looks like you bought a RedStart. Does it have a graphite reel seat? I think all of the RedStart models came in a medium action. My 9wt RedStart is a medium action. That rod was one of the first affordable "mass produced" fly rod to hit the marketplace. I'm not sure if they were making those rods in Korea yet at that time.

The rod you bought was made when Dave Redington still owned the company. The company has since changed hands a few times and is now owned by Sage. I'm not sure which is for the better. Dave Redington is known for his outstanding customer service and unconditional rod warranties. If there was a rod failure, he was usually the one that fixed the rod. The newer Redington rods now have a limited lifetime warranty. I don't know how flexible they are in bending the rules for accidental breakage. The benefit to the new rods is that Sage is able to pass down a lot of their technology down to the Redington line at a lower cost to the consumer.

[WxGuy]

I don't own a Redington, but last season I caught a 17" brown on a 2wt Redington and put it on the list of rods to own.

I was casting a dual-nymph rig with weight as well, and it performed swimmingly.

[Katman]

Deadhead,

I'm not sure this is the Redstart rod. It has a light wood insert on the handle. From what I can find on the net with the numbers, its a Redington FSF 8652 FreshWater Series. This was made back in the days until the Wayfarer replaced its. Heres a few shots of the rod. It was a decently priced ($240) rod with quality guides and materials. But it was made in Korea (based on internet info). I think it was a great deal for under 100 bucks. From everything I've gathered, Redington was a blast to work with and the rod is a solid piece. I'm glad I got this guy. Now...I can't wait to put a fish on the other end!

[DEADhead]

sweet rod. You'll be happy with it. It looks like the precursor to the original RedStart Rod, and then the RedFly.

I don't know what it is, but I love fishing my Redington rods, over other brand rods. Something just feels right. I know that there are better quality rods out there than the Redingtons, but the difference in feel on many of those rods are just not worth the extra money to me. I think the CPS is a fine example of a well made high quality rod at a very modest price ($300). Could be why it won the 2007 kudo award.... The new redfly2 series is another one of those sleeper bargain rods, that perform a lot better than what you'd think for their price.