Budget Euro Rod options

Schrute66

Schrute66

Freshly Spawned
New Account
Hey Everyone. I'm looking to buy a budget or entry-level euro nymphing rod. I've been a casual fly fisherman for a long time with most of my success coming while fishing dry files on small streams. I've never really done much nymphing of any kind. I just retired and am going to have a lot more time to spend fishing and I'm really looking forward to it.

With fly rods I believe you mostly get what you pay for, but I also think that you sometimes pay for brand hype/reputation and marketing, and also for marginal gains that can't be appreciated by non-advanced anglers. And I suppose you also pay for customer service and now more than ever USA-made equipment. I don't really know anything about euro nymphing so I'm clueless about what the trade-offs are when looking at entry-level ($350 and under) rods. So, if anyone has thoughts, experience, or recommendations they'd like to share I'd really appreciate it.

Here's what I'm looking at:

At the $250 price point, Echo Carbon XL Euro Nymph and Orvis Clearwater, both 10' 3-weight.

At $300, the Cortland Nymph Series 10'6" 3-weight.

And at $350, the Echo Shadow II 10' 3-weight and the Redington Strike II 10'6" 3-weight.

Any ideas on the pros and cons among these options? I don't want to hamstring my learning curve with something that will soon hold me back, but I don't want to overspend on something that I won't really be able to appreciate as a beginner.

Thanks a ton.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Zak
That Echo Carbon XL in a 10' 3wt is a heck of a rod. Also fishes a 4wt line well. I used mine for a few seasons/years to see if I liked ESN and develop some skills. I recently sold it another forum member as I upgraded to the same in a shadow 2 which is lighter and more sensitive (well, a bit more feedback, you'll be watching your sighter to detect most takes).
 
Last edited:
Tom Butler said:
That Echo Carbon XL in a 10' 3wt is a heck of a rod. Also fishes a 4wt line well. I used mine for a few seasons/years to see if I liked ESN and develop some skills. I recently sold it another forum member as I upgraded to the same in a shadow 2 which is lighter and more sensitive (well, a bit more feedback, you'll be watching your sighter to detect most takes).
Click to expand...
I have the Echo Carbon XL Euro Nymph 3wt. Very versatile rod and a worthy purchase imho! I don't do euronymphing with mono lines but have, like most, done a lot of tight line nymphing.
 
I’ve owned various euro rods, between $150 and $500, and the Echo Carbon XL 10ft 3wt is my favorite. It’s not an amazing euro rod. However, it is a very good do-it-all rod.

If you want something more specialized, I suggest Moonshine Epiphany or Cortland Nymph Series 10ft 6in 3wt. They will cast a euro setup better, but are not really able to cast a fly line.
 
I build my own, so can't speak to others out there...BUT...Check out Greys Fin 5/6 wt reels: full (hybrid) cage (so mono line doesn't slip in behind spool), cast aluminum ( at 6.28 oz, heavy enough counterweight to keep rod tip slightly elevated with no effort), smooth drag, large arbor ( reduces mono coiling) and, at approx $100, very inexpensive...and all you need.

euro nymph builds.jpg
 
Have a Greys 10' - 3wt. Broke tip years back and they replaced the entire rod with a new, factory, built, rod for about a third the price of a Sage tip blank. Not saying I don't like sage rods as I have a slew of them, but Greys service is awesome.
 
Herkileez said:
I build my own, so can't speak to others out there...BUT...Check out Greys Fin 5/6 wt reels: full (hybrid) cage (so mono line doesn't slip in behind spool), cast aluminum ( at 6.28 oz, heavy enough counterweight to keep rod tip slightly elevated with no effort), smooth drag, large arbor ( reduces mono coiling) and, at approx $100, very inexpensive...and all you need.

View attachment 155094
Click to expand...
Just the info I needed! Thanks.
 
I got the Greys Fin 10' 3 wt combo with line, rod and reel, and a nice case. I think it was around $300. I don't euronymph much but can confirm it'll catch fish. I found it a very inexpensive and easy way to try out euro nymphing.

Edit: There's one selling now on Ebay for $225
 
Last edited:
I’m curious about the Strike 2.0…..specifically the 10’6” 3 wt. I’ve had it in my hands, and it felt pretty nice. Not much I can find review-wise on the interwebs? Any of you guys fish it?
 
Pigs said:
I’m curious about the Strike 2.0…..specifically the 10’6” 3 wt. I’ve had it in my hands, and it felt pretty nice. Not much I can find review-wise on the interwebs? Any of you guys fish it?
Click to expand...

There are more proven rods at this price, so why take the risk?

On the positive side, it has modern design features, so it’s probably a decent rod.

- Down locking reel seat
- Stripping guide closer to cork
- Second stripping guide
- Snake guides near tip

Moonshine Epiphany gives you all that and a spare tip for half the price though. I don’t think you can find better value than that.
 
jaredoconnor said:
There are more proven rods at this price, so why take the risk?

On the positive side, it has modern design features, so it’s probably a decent rod.

- Down locking reel seat
- Stripping guide closer to cork
- Second stripping guide
- Snake guides near tip

Moonshine Epiphany gives you all that and a spare tip for half the price though. I don’t think you can find better value than that.
Click to expand...
So the Epiphany 10’6” 3 wt is solid choice in your estimation? I see varied reviews.
 
Pigs said:
So the Epiphany 10’6” 3 wt is solid choice in your estimation? I see varied reviews.
Click to expand...

A lot of people hate Moonshine, for various reasons. Some of those reasons are valid, but a lot of them are nonsense. For example, a lot of people online say they are "rebranded Chinese garbage". However, they are actually made in Korea, like (most) rods from Echo, Hardy, Redington, etc.

The Epiphany was decent value at $299. At $190, they are very good value. They feel similar to a Cortland Nymph Series. I suspect the blanks are literally the same. However, the Moonshine came out a while later and all the hardware is a bit more "state of the art". For example, to my knowledge, they were the second rod on the market to have snake guides near the tip. Hardy was the first to do that, with their Ultralite rods. Now almost every mid to high end euro rod has that.

Just be aware that if you want to cast a fly line sometimes, the Epiphany is the wrong tool; it is a dedicated euro rod, like most euro rods now on the market. I personally prefer the Echo euro rods, because they are designed to cast a fly line reasonably well and that opens up a lot of versatility. You lose some performance on the euro side, but I think it is worth it. When I carry two rods, I don't carry a euro rod and a regular rod; I carry two Echo euro rods.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top