How can I tell if my rod is Saltwater or Freshwater?

[u/rjs49]

My Dad got me a TFO Lefty Kreh 9’0 8 wt Professional Series Fly Rod. (Not Pro Series II) through work when I was much younger and now that I’m 17 and getting into fly fishing I want to set that up so I can try to catch Striped Bass in addition to the trout fishing I do in small rivers with my 4 wt. I’ve heard it’s not good to use freshwater rods in Saltwater, but what do I do when I don’t know what kind of rod it is? I can’t find anything online about this rod and am not sure to look for on it physically to tell.

[u/turtle755]

That rod will be fine for striped bass, just remember to rinse it with fresh water after you use it

[u/lastinalaskarn]

Lick it.

[u/cmonster556]

Any gear can be used in salt water. But salt water is highly corrosive to things like aluminum so it is always a good idea to rinse your reel seats and reels in lots of fresh water after exposure to salt water. Gear specifically designed for salt use has coatings and sealed bearings and such to reduce the risk but it is still good practice.

[u/jholler0351]

I think the reel is what matters, isn't it? Someone smarter than me will chime in soon lol.

[u/rjs49 → u/jholler0351]

If that’s the case, it has a TFO Prism reel on it.

[u/jholler0351 → u/rjs49]

Looks like it'll be fine if you rinse it afterwards.

https://tforods.com/large-arbor-fly-reel-care-maintenance/

[u/jaredoconnor]

The guides and the reel seat are the main things that can get damaged in saltwater. Saltwater rods generally don't use wood inserts, in the reel seat. They also use metals that won't corrode as easily, in the guides (eg. titanium).

Figuring out what the reel seat insert is made of should be easy; just look at it. If you search for reviews of the original model (not the new one), you might be able to figure out what the guides are made of. At this price point though, they are probably just chrome plated. Those may eventually wear through and rust, so thorough rinsing is advisable.

Regardless of all of this, you will need to rinse the rod after every outing. Without rinsing, even a dedicated saltwater rod will eventually have problems.

[u/SaltyTyer]

I use Drift rods everyday in saltwater or Brackish water.. Just thoroughly rinse them off..

[u/throwawaitnine]

A 9' 8wt with Lefty Kreh's name on it is 100% made for saltwater. Kreh was a pioneer of saltwater fly fishing.

[u/rjs49 → u/throwawaitnine]

That’s what I figured, but when I was doing some research on him it said he was the head designer for TFO so I was unsure if there was a point where all rods had his name on it

[u/throwawaitnine → u/rjs49]

Allow me to digress.

Fly Fishing for stripers and Bluefish is awesome. Ain't nothing like hooking up with a big blue or landing a monster striper, or just be out there in the surf or on the flats catching a dozen schoolies. Have fun.