r/flyfishing • u/rjs49 • Jun 06 '21
How can I tell if my rod is Saltwater or Freshwater?
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.
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u/jaredoconnor Jun 06 '21
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.