Derek: Hey Tom about how much does the ZeroG cost and where can i get one?

Orvis sells them (orvis.com), or at least they used to – the rod’s been discontinued in favor of the Helios, which is (you guessed it) lighter and more expensive (and a straight taper vs a compound taper).

ZeroGravity rods are still being offered on eBay by closeout companies, so if you want one, you’ll probably end up there.

@MHH First, I’d go with a good graphite rod, and worry about bamboo later. Bamboo is expensive, but more importantly, buying used cane can be a dicey matter; I finally gave up even trying to buy bamboo on ebay after getting stung. In the price range you mentioned, you probably won’t get a great rod.

As that cheap bastard Singlebarbed noted, there are some deals to be had on new rods on eBay, and your instincts about getting a solid graphite to start with are good.

There’s no shortage of advice from people about which rod you “should” own (or my personal favorite, “You can’t go wrong with… xxxx”), but you don’t really know what you want to buy until you’ve fished a while (fast rods, slow rods, etc). Buy a decent rod, fish it and have lots of fun.

@Tom; I’m not familiar enough with the Delaware to make any proclomations, but I’ve been really happy with my 9′ 6wt Orvis (same as you described). Then again, I’m a fool for 6wts to begin with – they do so much so well, and there just isn’t a penalty to using them unless you’re allergic to another half-ounce of weight (mine protects fine tippets just peachy).

I have a Montague bamboo rod I would sell for $300 and I’ll have it appraised shortly to confirm my price. It is used and comes in three pieces: three pieces together make it a 8.5 ft rod; with the additional piece substituting for the second piece) included, it becomes a 6 ft rod. Never used it – so I’ll sell it since I have too much stuff around here. I can be reached at 973-214-6473 to discuss.

Yes, for the newcomer to fly fishing, Orvis has great customer service and bends over backwards to assist us in selecting the best rod for our budget and taking it back should we buy the “wrong” rod. And their warranties can’t be beat when you buy “new”. Best to go up to their Manchester Vt. property to test out their rods in their ponds. And you can’t beat their “tent sale” during Memorial day weekend!! – where newish rods are sold at rediculously low prices but come without their warranty I’m told.

I’d be happy to assist if you want answers on the eBay process and what rod is appropriate for your fishing. That first tackle purchase is hellish – as their is so much to learn and most of that comes with experience.

I’m sure TC would also be happy to answer any of your questions, drop us a note.

Good point about the warranty. I’m pretty close to 100% sure I’m going to buy one of the cheaper Orvis graphite rods (either the Clearwater II or the TLS) to get started, so that will at least give me something reliable. If it is indeed possible to get a decent bamboo rod online for something in the neighborhood of $150-250, I would like to have one to compare to the graphite. Goal being to determine which material I want to save my shekels for to upgrade later.

I guess the crux of the issue is there’s not really any such thing as an entry level bamboo rod that you can buy new from a manufacturer or an independent rodsmith. Most of them appear to cost about twice as much as a top of the line graphite rod. That’s hard to justify when I haven’t had the experience to convince myself that bamboo is better, let alone two or three times better.

Orvis makes an excellet offering. You may get a great deal on line but…you may want to patronize your local dealer. One you keep a man alive, two you get the warranty…which is nice and being a beginer you will probably need said warranty. When you become addicted like the rest of us you can begin mortgaging your home for fly fishing equipment. You most likely will end up divorced and heavily reliant on alcohol and trout steams!

Cheers,
Matt

You may compare it to other rods in the Orvis line, that would be better indoing the things the ZG doesnt’ do well, etc. Thanks. tom (again)

Before you buy a Zero G, try to test cast the same rod in a T3; the ZeroG is a compound taper, and I’m told the T3 (and the Helios) rods are relatively straight tapers, and some prefer one over the others.

Good luck.