Cabela's CGR Review

While I only made one trip out with my new Cabela's CGR, I got a pretty good feel for the rod.  This year is the first time since I first began fly fishing ages ago that I've used glass rods.  I really enjoy casting the rod.  While I do think Cabela's CGt casts like butter, I do think that 5 weight line on the 5/6 rod was adequate.  

The only issue I ran into was rod control - using a 7'6" instead of a 9' or 8'6" for trout fishing.  Also, glass is going to have more action than a graphite rod but when fighting 14"+ brown trout in swift water, the 5/6 didn't handle those fish as well as I would've preferred.  I did have to play a few and my dad had a hand in netting them.  But it was barbless and catch and release, so . . . you're gonna lose a few.  

However, I do believe the 7/8 Cabela's CGR would be the way to go in being able to play and sufficiently landing decent sized trout.  Today, I bought the 7/8 CGR for specifically handling spunky trout and smallmouth bass - and possibly for better casting on heavy streamers.   This rod is also 7'6" and both have fighting butts.   Did use the butt on the 5/6 but didn't land my biggest brown trout of the day.

Obviously, my review of the Cabela's CGR 7/8 weight rod will be coming later.  A few weeks ago, I matched a Lamson Konic with the CGR 5/6 but will probably be using the Martin 66 click and pawl for next year's #clickordie.  And, I'm most likely going to match my very first fly reel - the Rimfly click and pawl to the CGR 7/8.

I plan on landing a few more trout before focusing on my prep for smallmouth bass.  Dad wants me to take him out for a few Smallies.  Since losing several honey holes, I've got to continue scouting some new waters.

Beautiful Browns

Dad and I woke up around 4 am or so.  Well, I did.  He was dragging butt.  Trying to reach our destination on the river first, we headed out to the Little Red River.  And of course, someone was already at "our" spot well before dawn.  Figures.  The early angler move down a bit and we still got to fish near where we wanted - well, at least I did.

My first fish came on a sow bug within a few minutes.  That fish put a serious bend in the new Cabela's CGR fiberglass fly rod.  It headed down stream and I fought it back and was just about to bring my net around when the brown took off upstream.  As I tried to slowly apply pressure on the line, SNAP.  Wonderful!

I had my father net the next several for me. The riffles were very swift and it seemed the Browns wanted to head downstream to a large hole or flat.  

While I did catch some lovely Browns, I had one take every inch of slack and then some.  Dad tried to land the fish and eventually, a guy downstream - as I kept having to walk the the beast - offered to land it.  Well, he reached over a log and spooked it.  Snapped my fly off - 4X and a pearlescent red ass size 16.  

We  started out with sow bugs but they really tore up the Red Ass.  Then, they started hitting weighted buggers, flashabou buggers and cone head buggers - black.  Olive buggers were a huge bust.  Being barbless and playing them in the very swift riffles, I think we played more than we caught but we stopped counting.

A nice brown that my father landed.

I had a nice fight that began in the riffles and ended in a deep hole with this brown. Had to step off into a 4 foot hole to pull it out of the weeds.

Caught a few nice 14-16" or so.

The Cabela's CGR 5/6 fiberglass fly rod was satisfactory.  However, I do think a 7/8 would do very well in handling 14"+ Browns.  Maybe it was the overcast sky that caused the fish to be more active and not hold so deep or maybe it was that I was pumped and ready to go but it was a day that my father and I will remember for a long time.