If you can only keep one rod?

[windy]

Only one rod? Probably the plain old 9' 6wt I restored for my little brother, 40-plus years ago. I don't even remember what parts I used, except for the Granger reel seat; I know I played with a bunch of mids and tips to get the action right, back then. Tommy didn't quit smoking, you see, and last year his widow gave me back the rod. I can't handle the terrain anymore where Tom and I used to fish our antique lovelies, but I'll take it down to a pond I can drive to and fumble a fly on one of the lines I kept after I sold the collection--I think the DT 6wt. is on a Bronson Royalist reel I liked. Got damned little wrist left to wave it with, but I'll get it out where the bluegills wait.
windy

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I've come back to read this fifteen times. Thank you windy.
Dadgum - makes me wanna go fishing with you and those bluegills.
Even got a Royalist at the ready.

[pgbuilt2]

I’d keep this one , and that one , and maybe some of the one’s over there , and definitely the brown one ….

[grousechaser]

I built a Scott G 9' 5 weight 2 piece back in 1993. I've owned a number of Winston and Scott factory rods since. The G905 is still the smoothest casting rod for my mechanics.

[Montanachooser]

Trout. 9 foot 4 weight original graphite Winston
Juvy Tarpon 9 ft 8 weight Scott Sector

[blackdog]

I’d think my Thramer hollow-built 8’ 5 wt Dickerson 8013 may be my best “all around” rod, so I’ll go with that.

[Bill Terry]

It would have to be my Sage Z-Axis 9-foot 4-piece 6-weight rod. I can do almost any kind of trout fishing with it. It's not my favorite rod. That would have to be one of my bamboo rods. But it's my most versatile rod, and if I could only have one rod, versatility would be the goal.

[Squaw Bend]

1984 Orvis Springcreek graphite. 9’3” 5wt.

[ffftroutbum]

I'm sure you meant one graphite, one glass, and one bamboo fly rod, right?! In which case, I would select:

Ha, I like that approach:
Bamboo - Cris Carpenter 8’2” 4 weight
Glass - Ijuin Yomogi 7’ 3 weight
Graphite - Montana Brothers 904L (9’ 4 wt)

[RichieT79]

I like this topic and enjoy a lot of the answers. I'll be sneaky and say I would keep my Walton Powell Golden Signature. It is a 8' and 7' companion set, and since it comes in one tube I'll call it one rod. If someone is going to be technical about things I'll take my Granger Victory 8642.

Rich

[Canewrap]

It would be on of the rods I designed and built for myself. Got rid of my old rods years ago and I like the tapers that I have designed better than anything commercial I used to have.

[PAGH]

Early 2000's Orvis 711 4wt graphite I bought from a forum member. Still looking for a first gen iteration since I was told they are even better.

PAGH

[liketofish]

Hey folks. Whaddup with the graphite winners? Seriously...OK now: First my rods, then the winner:
(1) Orvis Midge; (2) Winston 8 1/2 5wt with an extra tip that makes it 8' 9" and 4wt; (3) Leonard Mod. 44 9 1/2' 3pc 4-5wt; (4) Heddon 8 1/2' 6wt; (5) Bob Summers 6 1/2-ft 3/4wt; (6) Orvis Battenkill 8 1/2' 8wt; (7) Phillipson "Dry Fly Special" 8 1/2 ft 6wt. The winner is a rod I haven't received yet, but I like what I know about it. It's a 7' 9" 4/5wt 3pc modified Marinaro convex taper, being made by Tom Whittle of Stoney Creek Rod Co. I love all my rods, but I read "Split and Glued by Vincent C. Marinaro" (written by Bill Harm and Tom Whittle), and let me tell you--it's a mind-blower. If I had an 8ft 5wt Summers, that would be stiff competition.
Years ago I bout two graphite rods for travel: 4pc St. Croix 6 1/2' 4 or 5wt, I forget; and an Henri Cabela's 9-ft 5wt 6pc. I've fished each twice, and each comes with a groovy nylon-plastic trav-L case. I'd sell the pair for $45, free shipping to CONUS. I don't want them in the house .

[j.robillard]

At the moment, a WM Granger Victory 8642; however, I have it's little brother 8040 on the way: so things may change.

Jeremy.

[Pwknauth]

Easy
My Orvis Battenkil 5/6wt 7.5ft 2/2 bamboo rod

[Southfork]

Bamboo: WM Granger 8642 Deluxe
Graphite: Orvis 8'3" Presentation
Glass: Van Meter 7'6" Special

[PHY]

I've been thinking about this question for a while. I have a dozen flyrods but have to say the one rod that can set down a midge without a ripple, handle wind or fish streamers is my 6wt Orvis Battenkill. Just a tremendous, all-around rod.

[rsagebrush]

My first really good rod was a Winston fiberglass 8' 4pce, 6wt travel rod I purchased as a kit in 1974, got misplaced in my many moves over the years.
I replaced it with a Tom Morgan Streamer Special 8' in 4pce made up by Shane Greywolf for a 6wt, not just for streamers, for everything, the rod just works, not the best and certainly nowhere near the worst, actually almost at the top of my list for just rambling around and fishing.

I hope I never have to do that though, I'd have to give up a lot of very nice fishing sticks.

[MattZilliox]

Of my current collection it would be tough to choose between

Jenkins GA-70L 7ft 3wt
Or
Curt Elder "Honey Creek" 7ft 6 4wt

I'd probably keep the Elder as it's capable of more types of fishing, both both are exceptional examples of their wt class regardless of material

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[GerardH]

Bamboo: The rod I started with, my PJ Julius Perfectionist

Graphite: 8'6" Orvis Henry's Fork Superfine