Temple Fork Outfitters TiCr X?

[Lazy-Z]

In an ideal world I would have enough money to buy the Sage ZXL that I want, but the reality is that in the current economic downturn the $670 for the Sage is not gonna happen. I am looking for any feedback on the TiCr X. I have the Lefty Kreh Professional 5 wt 8'6''. I want to upgrade to the 9 ft. 5 wt. TiCr X. Anybody fished this rod? Or has anyone fished the Axiom 5 wt?
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[sinergy]

Wouldnt we all want to spend 600.00+ on a fly rod but truth is you can get an enitre outfit, waders & all for that kind of money.

Im a big fan of TFO rods Ive owned Ticr & Ticr X best rods for the money. My opinion is its better to buy a Higher end TFO then a lower end sage. Some say the TFO are heavy but Ive heard some Sages snapping like twigs. Ive only fish with one Sage the XP and what a sweet rod is was (I guess im kinda bias) but wasent worth that kind of money to me.

Ive put my TICR through hell & back and it still fishes like if it were right from the store. I would suggested save your money get better waders & boots.
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[Rackman]

For what it's worth, go to ebay, and if you look hard enough and have a little luck, that's the best place to look for any kind of fly fishing equipment. If you want a decent Sage rod, you can find something used that will fit your needs and pocket book. And you can completely outfit yourself for a whole lot less. I did a lot purchases that way, and ended up with 3 extra rods, reels, and everything else. I started out years ago with a Cortland rod, and went to a Sage RPL+ about 10 years ago. You can find what you want, and fit it into a budget if you take your time.
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[riverdog]

The problem is despite the down turn in the economy you're not likely to get a discount a new premium rod. Look for the used or go with the cheaper rod. If you like to travel to fish now is a good time to book that at deeply discounted prices. My wife noticed me drooling over the Orvis Helios rods. She suggested she splurge on one for my Christmas present. I always tell her Christmas and birthday presents are for kids and I don't want any so she seldom gets me anything. I told her rather than spend $800 for a rod I'd like to put the money toward a trip to the southern hemisphere to fish. I found roundtrip tickets to New Zealand on sale for just a couple hundred more than the rod. My 45th birthday is next month so she agreed I could make a combined christmas/b-day present and buy the tickets for my present. So I'm off to the South Island of NZ for 10 days around my birthday next month. I'll just rent a car and food and lodging is dirt cheap there. Now you know I'm not going to ever let her buy me another present and save up for my 50th birthday after this[sly]. I'm already thinking Patagonia, Iceland or Kamchatka[cool].
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[lunchbox]

Fly rods are a big part personal preference. That being said, I have never been much of a fan of TFO's rods. The seem too clubby to me and don't seem like they track very well. In roughly the same price point, I have always been a big fan of Scott. Their current model is the A3. I haven't thrown this rod but I have heard lots of good things about it. The previous models were the A2 and the SAS. I own both these rods and love them. Prices for the A3 are $295 for the 2 piece and $335 for the 4 piece. The A2 was just discontinued last year so you should be able to find some killer prices on them.

I would be VERY careful about buying a used rod. Although most manufacturers have a lifetime warranty, usually the warranty only applies to the original owner. For most companies, if the original owner sent in a warranty card or sent in the rod for repair/replacement, then it will be flagged and the rod will not be covered. If you never break your rods it probably won't be a problem, but if you do, theres a chance you might be looking at a $100-200 repair fee. I have seen it on Sage and very common from Winston. Winston diligently tracks everything. IMHO, if it were me, and I wanted to find a discounted rod, I would look for a discontinued rod that is still new rather than a used, top of the line rod.
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[flygoddess]

[quote Lazy-Z]In an ideal world I would have enough money to buy the Sage ZXL that I want, but the reality is that in the current economic downturn the $670 for the Sage is not gonna happen. I am looking for any feedback on the TiCr X. I have the Lefty Kreh Professional 5 wt 8'6''. I want to upgrade to the 9 ft. 5 wt. TiCr X. Anybody fished this rod? Or has anyone fished the Axiom 5 wt?[/quote]


First off, you are comparing apples to oranges. The TiCr X and the Axiom are FAST action rods, the ZXL is a medium fast. Probably closer action comparison to you Pro. Z-Axis would be more the comparison.

I have a Pro and while being a nice stick, the cork is terrible. I also have a Sage SLT, and an LL (both medium/fast and probably replaced by the ZXL)

To compare an Asian made rod to an Upper classed USA made rod is crazy. There is a Difference. Will it catch more fish? Absolutely NOT
Will it make you a better caster......most definitely, but it is also up to the individual.

CONFIDENCE is the key, and if you are confident with a $100. rod, you will be just fine.

I think of the upper end rods as the best of the best (but not all upper end rods are my style, so that has to be taken in account) and they are an investment.

BOTH will serve their purpose, like a Moped and a Harley. Both will get you from point A to point B, but which would you rather have...again, personal preference.

ONE THING if you are looking at several rods, and several manufacturers, TEST them first. AND be aware of what rods are the FLEX that works for you.

Final note. I have Sage, Scott, Winston, Orvis, TFO and several customs. Of all the rods, the ONLY one that has been sent back for SNAPPING was the TFO[]
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[sinergy]

[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Great rods are not always expensive [/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]As you’ll read here, you don’t have to spend upwards of $600 to get a great fly rod. Yes, the best are going to set you back that much, but there are some surprisingly good rods out there that sell for one-third to one-half as much! TFO rods may not have as much hype as Sage but the quality of the cork grip or the overall finish, guides & [/size][/#000000][/font][font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]and reel seat[/size][/#000000][/font][font "Arial"][#000000][size 3] are just as goods if not better at a fraction of the price. Its like Jeans you can pay for a fancy pair of Dolce Gobana Jeans but a nice pair of Levis will do you just as well.
[/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3] [/size][/#000000][/font][font "Arial"][#000000][size 3] [/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Some of the “premier” rods on the market don't perform as well as you were led to believe. [/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Manufacturers have done their best to convince us that their rods are better than anything on the market. We've been bombarded in the magazines with a ton of advertising, propaganda, and hype. Its true your fishing style is going to determine what rod and action type you want but when you spend 600+ dollars on a rod your locked into that rod unless you have endless amount of money the rod determines how you fish there's really no experimenting with getting new rods and creating your own style
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[pa]

I just got the Sage Launch and I love it. I can feel it loading thru the entire cast, and my distance has increased by at least 30 ft. Is it a high end rod? No, but i'm ,not sure it would make that much of a difference for me. And at 200 bucks I was able to upgrade other equipment. The launch is a entry level rod, but it is quality American made and affordable. Would a 600 dollar rod be any better? Not for me,but like has been said, preference is the key.
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[lunchbox]

Its true your fishing style is going to determine what rod and action type you want but when you spend 600+ dollars on a rod your locked into that rod unless you have endless amount of money the rod determines how you fish there's really no experimenting with getting new rods and creating your own style

Any shop worth their salt should allow you to cast several different rod models head to head to see which one is best. The only time I would ever consider ordering the rod if it is a rod have have thrown beforehand. Not all $600 dollar rods are the same. Companies offer high end rods in faster and softer actions. WInston's idea of a fast action rod is different than that of, say, Sage. It may be worth the extra few buck to cast different rods before buying it than ordering it online at a discounted.
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[flygoddess]

The whole quote is:

Great rods are not always expensive
As you’ll read here, you don’t have to spend upwards of $600 to get a great fly rod. Yes, the best are going to set you back that much, but there are some surprisingly good rods out there that sell for one-third to one-half as much! You might have to lower your expectations about the quality of the cork grip or the overall finish, guides and reel seat, or possibly accept the fact that you’ll have to buy a rod case if you want one, (TFO rods).

And again, this is done by a Yellowstone outfit.

Another thing to remember is ASIAN rods are built off of US designers Tapers. In fact I know for a fact, allot of USA rod companies have to keep strict confidence on anything new as if the Asians do find out they WILL use it. Then they are made in an assembly line by some people that probably don't even know what they are other than their job.
USA rods are built buy Craftsmen/women.

There is some nice (Key word) NICE feeling rods from Asia and inexpensive...but they are not the same!
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[EvilAsh]

[quote sinergy][font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Great rods are not always expensive [/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]As you’ll read here, you don’t have to spend upwards of $600 to get a great fly rod. Yes, the best are going to set you back that much, but there are some surprisingly good rods out there that sell for one-third to one-half as much! [#ff0000]TFO rods may not have as much hype as Sage but the quality of the cork grip or the overall finish, guides & [/#ff0000][/size][/#000000][/font][#ff0000][font "Arial"][size 3]and reel seat[/size][/font][/#ff0000][font "Arial"][#000000][size 3][#ff0000] are just as goods if not better at a fraction of the price[/#ff0000]. Its like Jeans you can pay for a fancy pair of Dolce Gobana Jeans but a nice pair of Levis will do you just as well.
[/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3] [/size][/#000000][/font][font "Arial"][#000000][size 3] [/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Some of the “premier” rods on the market don't perform as well as you were led to believe. [/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Manufacturers have done their best to convince us that their rods are better than anything on the market. We've been bombarded in the magazines with a ton of advertising, propaganda, and hype. Its true your fishing style is going to determine what rod and action type you want but when you spend 600+ dollars on a rod your locked into that rod unless you have endless amount of money the rod determines how you fish there's really no experimenting with getting new rods and creating your own style
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That's the biggest crock of crap I've ever heard. TFO has the worst cork grips on the planet. The finish is acceptable, and the hardware is low end. You comparing TFO rods, and components to Sage, and TFO besting Sage, show's you really don't know what you're talking about. TFO is an ok Chinese rod. One of the better ones. But, it takes a backseat to other Chinese rods like Echo. and it's in the back of the bus compared to Sage, Winston, Scott, T&T.
And yes I read the 'writeup' in the same magazine as you did, but if you're going to quote an article, do the complete written article and don't add your own stuff in. It looks bad and you're mis-quoting too.
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[sinergy]

LOL if you read the article then you would have read the TFO rod that was less than 200 dollars was rated higher than allot of the 600 dollar plus rods and thats just one article

Google TFO Fly Rod review and read the rest of the reviews allot of them rave about how great TFO rods are. A smart person dosent take just one opinon researches all that he can and makes his own from that.

As far as you attack me saying " show's you really don't know what you're talking about"

My opinion is that if a less that 200 dollar rod can compete with a 600+ dollar rod then they must be doing somthing right.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt maybe you have a hard time reading cause the article had a write up of how they rated the rods. Even had a pretty picture of a graph on there reviews Or maybe you not internet savey and dont kow how to Google "FLY ROD REVIEWS" []
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[flygoddess]

We kinda got off subject here. However in that test that you quoted, the Sage Z was #1.
However, again I say TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. I agree with Lunchbox totally.
As for hands on personal reviews, I have given you mine[]
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[sinergy]

I agree with you FG we did get off on a tangent the original subject was TFO TICR X not who knows more about fly rods lol Those were my opinions on TFO I never flamed anyone but best belive if someone attacks im gonna defend myself [cool][cool][cool][cool]
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[flygoddess]

Understood[angelic]

Anyway... Lazy Z all good choices, but like I said, too different animals on action...so, swing them if you can, maybe you are the fast action guy.[cool]
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[EvilAsh]

[url "http://www.rackelhanen.se/eng/10359.htm"]http://www.rackelhanen.se/eng/10359.htm[/url]

There you go. Read it.
Bottom line it ?????
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[ChrisTheFish]

I own the TiCr X 9' 5wt and have been very pleased with it. It is a little heavier to some rods, but it has not slowed me down one bit. I've owned it for a couple years now and it is my main rod. For the money, it's a great bet. If you are looking in this price range, reddington also has some nice rods, and if I understand correctly, they are made by sage.

All in all, if you've tested it out and it feels right, go for it. I completely agree with the idea about CONFIDENCE, and I would add to it COMFORT.
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[lunkerhunter2]

I have an RS2 and can catch more fish than all of you![laugh] LMAO
I had to throw a jab in there because i don't understand the fuss over a $200 rod and a $600 rod. Mine catches just as many fish as a $1000 rod. You know the old saying "it's not the wand it's the magic in it".[cool]
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[flygoddess]

Careful there Lunker, I have the magic touch also, and I do have several $600. rods.[laugh]
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[lunchbox]

Redington is owned by the same company as Sage (and Rio), but their rods are not made in Bainbridge Island. They are made in china just like TFO, price point Winston, Echo, etc...

Maybe everyone needs to come out their pockets and have a casting contest! []
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