TFO

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FLYYAK
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TFO

Post by FLYYAK »

Fishin let us know what you think about the new rod compared to the ST. Croix.
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fishin'
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Post by fishin' »

I haven't cast it yet. It's cold outside, supposed to get to maybe high 20's tonight. Brrrrr.
I can tell you that it is heavier and feels quite a bit firmer than the St Croix. The SCLU is an 8wt though. The TFO feels somewhat like your Gatti Bob. Maybe a little faster if I remember correctly but about the same weight. 5.2 oz on my postage scale.
I have to work an evening shift tomorrow so I will probably be out casting the 9wt in the morning in 20mph wind and 30° (see Jack, I remembered!) weather. :lol: That should be a good starter test. LOL
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Post by popasan »

hey Bob, missed you at the shindig in AP this weekend.......i had a chance to cast the TFO TiCr this weekend.....it belonged to dazed and confused......i was really impressed.....i was into the backing with it very quickly......a super nice rod for any amount of money.... but i sure like the price..... :)

how are you liking that Gatti now?



Larry
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Gatti

Post by FLYYAK »

The Gatti is not as fast as the RPL+ it has more flex in the middle than the Rpl it cast very smooth once you get used to it and you can cast with it all day without getting tired, with the headstart line you can get on target. I haven't hooked up with a real heavy fish yet nothing over 3lbs,but it has performed well on those. I'm going to a pond that has some easy 10+lb carp in it,but I don't doubt that it will do the job.Ever try to eat a carp yuk!
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Post by M-D »

Larry now knows why I've been harping on the TFO TiCr rods. :wink:

Fred, what series is your TFO?

M-D
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Post by fishin' »

TiCr :lol: It really "feels" awesome. And I got it for $219 including shipping and aluminum rod tube. :roll: Couldn't pass it up. It will be my jetty rod I'm thinking.
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Post by M-D »

As I understand it, both the 9 wt. and 10 wt. are quite stiff rods, made for use with shooting heads. I've not cast one that heavy, but Ed J. tells me they cast unbelievably well. I know they're different animals from the 8 wt., but if they do the same job as well with a shooting head as the 8 does with a WF, then I'd be very happy with it. Be interesting to hear your observations with a WF on it.

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Post by fishin' »

The WF9F line that I have is a tropical line and may not be exactly what I am looking for tomorrow in the cold. I have another pretty heavy, long head 8wt line too. Will try both but think I will probably go and get a SA Mastery or HeadStart line soon for it. I don't have any real shooting heads...yet. Plan to get into that for the jettys though. Constantly evolving you know. :lol:

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Post by GoinCoastal »

Well Sirs, I got the TFO Lefty Kreh Signature Series I 2 pc 4wt for $80-$90 for Christmas. I put the Orvis 3/4 Rocky Mountain Cassette reel ($35 from Adam's Outlet) on it. I am using SA Mastery Nymph WF4F line. It cast very very nice. And it is a "roll" casting machine!!!! I fished the Rio Raft spot last Friday morning on the Guadalupe (same spot Barry & Barry's Dad went with us AKAers). The wind was howling thru the canyon and I had the trees to my back, so I roll cast those flies all morning. It was great!!!! I must say I really like the rod. It is, of course, a freshwater only rig but it is gonna be soooooooooooo much fun on the whites!!!!!

I am extremely pleased with this "low-end" TFO rod.

And BTW, I finally landed a RAINBOW!!!!!! I caught one and only one rainbow last Friday morning. I am guessing the fish was 13"-14" and was a great fight.
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Post by fishin' »

I braved the cold this morning (30° and 25 mph wind from the North) and cast the new TiCr 9wt. Awesome rod! The WF9F Cortland line that I had on the reel was a bit cold and coiled badly but I managed to get it straightened somewhat and was able to do some casting in the wind.
What a cannon this rod is! Was easily casting 90' but that was downwind of coure. Can hardly wait for a warmer and calmer day to really test the rod.
Bob, you asked for comparison to the Sy Croix...totally different feel. The TFO is much faster than the 8wt Ultra Legend that I have. A bit heavier in the hand but casts easily. Feels to have a much stronger butt section. Hard to compare an 8wt to a 9wt though. Faster than the Gatti also but the heft of the rod is comparable to your Gatti Bob.

The rod feels like it would be quite happy casting a 10wt or even an 11 wt line. Can hardly wait to try it on the jettys. Maybe M-D can give me a shooting head lesson. :lol:

I know there is supposed to be a pretty big jump from the TiCr 8wt to the 9wt. I have not cast the 8 but if it is even close to this rod in performance it should handle anything you can hook into on the flats in Texas. Much faster rod than the Professional Series TFO IMHO.

I also have a Penn International Gold series 9wt. The TFO feels head and shoulders above that rod.

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Post by M-D »

Good report. The sad reality of fly rods is that if one is able to appreciate the casting uniqueness inherent in each rod, then one must try different lines on it. This is quite an expensive proposition. Perhaps one day we can have a gathering of fly fishers, part of which would be to have different lines available for casting. Just a thought.

LOL. I am definitely not the person to be giving lessons, Fred, particularly not with a shooting head. :)

M-D
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Post by chavez »

Even though I am really new to this fly casting thing, y'all have me really intrigued about these TFO rods. I would normally check e-bay for deals but I saw on http://www.ezflyfish.com/tfolekrtisif.html that they offer free shipping + an aluminum TiCr Fly Rod Tube with the purchase of a TiCr rod. I sure hope I get either a good raise this year or sell my '97 Suburban soon to feed this urge to get a 5wt and 8wt TiCr. Must resist temptation...
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Post by Clip »

I'm thinking of gettting a TFO TiCr rod to use for freshwater and possibly under the lights on the coast for small reds and trout that are so easy to catch. I already have a Gatti and a G. Loomis 8wt. that is overkill for white bass and the sunfish/perch I've been able to catch at Canyon Lake. I can't decide between the 5wt. or 6wt. Another reason is to have a travel rod. The Gatti is a 2 piece and the G. Loomis is a 1-piece and I can't easily keep them in my pickup. Any thoughts that would help me make up my mind would be appreciated.

(Joe. I put your name tag on the WeedWackerita machine and it really took a beating. Are you sure that Barry and Dean are friends of yours? They treated your name tag like it was some kind of voodoo doll that they could torture.)
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Post by Barry »

Clip wrote:
(Joe. I put your name tag on the WeedWackerita machine and it really took a beating. Are you sure that Barry and Dean are friends of yours? They treated your name tag like it was some kind of voodoo doll that they could torture.)

Joe
I didn't want to, but Dean made me do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Barry »

Clip wrote:
(Joe. I put your name tag on the WeedWackerita machine and it really took a beating. Are you sure that Barry and Dean are friends of yours? They treated your name tag like it was some kind of voodoo doll that they could torture.)

Joe
I didn't want to, but Dean made me do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Carp- yuk?

Post by wavebait »

I've GOT to reply to Mr. Flyyak's stated opinion on eating carp. Location: western Minnesota in the winter; nets run under the ice and hauled out with tractor mounted winches. The fish [carp] are then cleaned and shipped back east to be turned into fish sticks and gefilte fish or whatever. Some of the catch is smoked over applewood or hickory [imported] and sold locally in grocery stores packaged just like you would buy a steak. Taste better than the best smoked sardines. A cold beer, game on the tube and a chunk of smoked carp--- it don't get no better in western Minnesota.
Oh, is this a fly tackle forum? Uh, #12 Prince Nymph is my carp fly of choice.[/u]
FLYYAK
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carp

Post by FLYYAK »

Ain't going to cut down my apple tree for no stinking carp :twisted: :roll: :D But after 2 sixpacks I'll eat most anything :roll: :D :D :P notice most :!:
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To open a old can of worms

Post by WideGlide »

Or to revisit whatever you want to call it. Do some of you prefer these rods over higher priced rods because of the price or do you think they throw as well or better than some of your other rods that cost 2 - 3 times that? I've seen a lot of good things about them but don't know if people are looking at them as an alternative to a higher priced rod. Or if they are just comparing apples to apples and saying that this is as good or better than something you would pay 3X the money for. I really need to keep practicing with what I have now before looking at anything else but I thought I would throw the question out there :?

Whew, that was even confusing to write.
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Post by M-D »

First, the TFO rods are made in Asia, probably Korea, which means they will be inexpensive compared to things made here. That doesn't mean that the blanks are inferior, as the Koreans have been making blanks for some thirty years and have it down pat. The components on the TFO rods do not rival those of their higher-end US counterparts, however. The retail cost of the components I use on my rods runs right near $200.00, and that's just the components, not the blank, nor my time. Besides being made in the US, the components are of far superior design and quality, hence cost more.

As far as casting goes, it really comes down to personal preference. Virtually all of the manufacturers make decent casting rods/blanks, some more so than others. We each have a preference in what we like to see in a rod for a given situation. It is the taper aspect of any rod, however, which controls and some tapers just do things better than do others. Material choice is another aspect, as is the size of the flag with which the blank is made, and all of these things add up to a rod/blank. I've cast some high-end rods that I thought were total dogs.

The TFO TiCr rods, in my opinion, are the best deal for the money that is out there in the rod market today. Can one find a rod with more expensive, higher quality components? Yes. Find one that will cast equally as well? Yes. Find one that is the equal of the TFO TiCr for less, or the same money? No.

The TFO Professional series is a nice rod, too, though has a slower action than the TiCr. I didn't pay attention to the components on the rod, so cant really say how they might stack-up in comparison.

M-D
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Barry
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Post by Barry »

WideGlide
I think they’re an excellent value. I don’t think they cast as well as some of the higher priced rods (Gatti TA to name one), but for the money, most people can live with that. Like MD said "it really comes down to personal preference".
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Post by Blindcasting »

MD, when you and Dasu were casting my rod, it was the Professional series, not the TiCr. You may have already known this, but just wanted to be clear as a couple of the people at the AP event kept thinking it was the TiCr.
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Post by livetofish »

BC,
Thanks for pointing that. Just Barry and M-D said, it is a matter of preference. Maybe it is my lack of edjumacation, but I actually liked the feel of the Professional than the TiCr. I could throw a half decent loop with the Pro but with TiCr, I was all over the place.

Either I need to get myself a TiCr to see what all the fuss is about or go fishing. I am tired of winter and all the talk about gear. I want slimey hands, tight lines and a heavy stringer.

LTF.
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Barry
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Post by Barry »

livetofish wrote:BC,
Thanks for pointing that. Just Barry and M-D said, it is a matter of preference. Maybe it is my lack of edjumacation, but I actually liked the feel of the Professional than the TiCr. I could throw a half decent loop with the Pro but with TiCr, I was all over the place.

Either I need to get myself a TiCr to see what all the fuss is about or go fishing. I am tired of winter and all the talk about gear. I want slimey hands, tight lines and a heavy stringer.

LTF.

Dasu
It might be that your casting stroke is such that the Pro would be a better rod for you.
I think that too many people lose sight of the fact that most of us do this for fun. We all can't or don't want to be Tournament casters. So if a rod feels good to you and you're satisfied with the distance and/or accuracy you get with it, I see no reason to go to another rod just because someone else can get more distance with it. IMO, that’s insane.
From a rod builder’s viewpoint, I believe that a lot of people would be better off with a slower rod (med. fast action). I’m not advocating that we all go out and buy rods that take forever to develop a cast, but I don’t think everybody should have to throw one of the super fast Loomis’s or Sages.
My natural casting stroke is such that a fast rod feels best to me. But I know quite a few superb casters that prefer much slower rods.
If people would listen to what their casting stroke is trying to tell them, they wouldn’t be changing rods every time one of the manufacturers came out with a new model, and then not being happy with the way they cast with it.
Just my .02 cents.
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Post by fishin' »

M-D and Barry are both correct. The TFO is a very good rod for the money. There are better rods out there but it is a personal preference thing. The Professional Series is a slower rod than the TiCr but that does not mean it is inferior to the TiCr. Totally different feel.
The TiCr (9wt) that I have is very crisp in its casting. The TFO rep told me that a heavier weight line would be easier to cast with it. This goes with what M-D said about the 9 & 10 may have been made with shooting heads in mind. Kinda reminds me of the golf club wars. All 5 irons are not created equally. Your 5 may be equal to my 4 in loft and so on... :?
That said, I like the TFO's and this TiCr 9wt will be my jetty rod and go to when I need a little extra muscle in the cast. I will still have Barry build me a Gatti 8wt because I think it is a better rod (components and casting) for my style of casting and the fact that I prefer a 2 piece rod over a 4 piece. I'd have a 1 piece rod it I could reliably and easily transport it.
The TFO is not a Sage, Winston, Orvis or G Loomis; it is a TFO and is an excellent rod for the money with a good warranty and an excellent reputation. It out performs everything I have tried in the price range hands down and it fits my price range.
Like Barry said, not everyone needs or wants a super fast rod. You have to be comfortable with how the rod performs.

Try before you buy. Try them all and see which one suits your style of casting. Maybe all or none of them will suit you but you won't know till you try them.

fishin'
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Post by Barry »

Fred
Well said!!!
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