new rod to complement 9' 6/7 rod

[Pablo]

I'm about to get a travel rod to complement my 9' 6/7wt trout rod.

I want the new rod to be lighter than the current rod and would like
advice on which length and weight would be best suited as a complement
to the 9' 6/7.

Locally it'll be used for trout in small rivers and streams, but I
would like the travel rod to be fairly versatile, as the waters
available at various destinations will be hard to predict.

So, the shortlist is:

7'9" Wt 4/5 5-piece - too short?

8' Wt 4/5 3-piece - 35 inch tube too long for travel?

8'6" wt 6/7 5-piece - too close to my current rod?

What are the pros and cons of each as you guys see it?

Thanks in advance.

[riverman]

"Pablo" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm about to get a travel rod to complement my 9' 6/7wt trout rod.
>
> I want the new rod to be lighter than the current rod and would like
> advice on which length and weight would be best suited as a complement
> to the 9' 6/7.
>
> Locally it'll be used for trout in small rivers and streams, but I
> would like the travel rod to be fairly versatile, as the waters
> available at various destinations will be hard to predict.
>
> So, the shortlist is:
>
> 7'9" Wt 4/5 5-piece - too short?
>
> 8' Wt 4/5 3-piece - 35 inch tube too long for travel?
>
> 8'6" wt 6/7 5-piece - too close to my current rod?
>
> What are the pros and cons of each as you guys see it?
>
> Thanks in advance.

Hmm, I agree with your assessments: a 35" tube is too long for travel, and
another 6/7 is not what you want. Of the three, I'd go with the 4/5 5-piece.
In fact, I did!

I also have a 3-piece 9' 6/7 wt, which was my first rod (for seatrout, big
salmon and big trout/greyling in Scandanavia), and went through the same
mental process for my second rod. I ended up with a Hardy Gem Smuggler (7'9"
4wt 5-piece), and now I never fish with my big rod at all. In fact, my next
rod will certainly be a 2wt.

I like the size of it (21" tube fits inside my backpack for carry-on), there
aren't too many pieces to keep track of (more than one Roffian has mentioned
how much easier it is to leave one of six pieces on the hood of the car,
rather than one of five), and the overall length was only a problem when I
was trying to cast across a huge Swedish stream, but other better casters
were able to get another 20 feet longer than I could.

Go with the first one. Modern 5 piece rods are just as responsive as 3 piece
rods, with the added portability.

--riverman

[Jarmo Hurri]

riverman> Of the three, I'd go with the 4/5 5-piece. In fact, I did!

Another piece of advice from someone who had the same problem a while
ago.

Based on what we've heard so far, I agree with Myron. Depending on the
size of your luggage, a 4-piece rod might do as well, but a 5-piece
model is probably a safer bet.

I'm not sure what would be the best length if you want the rod to be
very versatile. Mine is 9'.

I can't talk about landing big fish - cause I haven't caught any - but
it is amazing what you can cast with a modern 4wt rod. With a bit of
hauling, you can fish streamers of considerable size, even in
surprisingly strong wind. At least if you're using something like a
sink tip line. Last year, when I was visiting Vancouver, I was fishing
the Squamish (not a small river) for a day with my 4wt and a sink tip
line. And it was windy. Had major problems in hooking fish :-) but no
problems casting.

Also, nowadays lightweight reels with very good disc drags are
available, and are perfect companions for such multi-purpose
lightweight rods. Another thing to remember are gel-spun backings,
which can be used to good effect in order to increase the amount of
backing in modern large arbor reels.

riverman> In fact, my next rod will certainly be a 2wt.

Hey, Myron, we're walking the same path: 6wt -> 4wt -> 2wt (except
that my very first one was a 10wt). I've heard _rumors_ that Winston
might be introducing 4-piece models in their classic WT series next
year (I have the 3-piece model). Start saving, a 7-8' 4-piece 2wt WT
could very well be what you desire.

--
Jarmo Hurri

Spam countermeasures included. Use as email
address or apply rot13 to header email address.

[Pablo]

The third rod should read 8'6" wt 5/6 (not another 6/7)

Riverman - looks like we're on the same wavelength, the rod I had in
mind was the Hardy Gem Smuggler 7'9". Glad to hear you like it.

My only reservation is the length - 7'9" seems short but I guess at
wt4 it's long enough.

What line are you using on yours?

[riverman]

"Pablo" > wrote in message
om...
> The third rod should read 8'6" wt 5/6 (not another 6/7)
>
> Riverman - looks like we're on the same wavelength, the rod I had in
> mind was the Hardy Gem Smuggler 7'9". Glad to hear you like it.
>
> My only reservation is the length - 7'9" seems short but I guess at
> wt4 it's long enough.
>
> What line are you using on yours?

I figured it was a Gem Smuggler when I read your specs. You'll like it a
lot; I really love mine! Its like an extention of my arm. I'm using a
Scientific Anglers aircell 5wt. It casts its sweet spot at about 8-12
meters, but an experienced hand can get the line out to 18 meters or more
pretty easily. I have a 'Stealth' LA reel I got in South Africa, which is
very light and looks nice on the rod. My only complaint at all with the rod
is that the cork in the handle doesn't seem as nice as my other rods:
there's a small flaw right next to my thumb that bothers me. I'm trying to
train myself to use it to guide my hand placement, but instead I see it like
a scratch on a Rolls Royce.

How much are you looking at paying? I won't tell you the screaming deal I
got mine for in SA.

--riverman
(OK, yes I will.. I paid about $375, brand new with warantee.)

[Brimbum]

Jarmo wrote:snip>Hey, Myron, we're walking the same path: 6wt -> 4wt -> 2wt
(except
>that my very first one was a 10wt). I've heard _rumors_ that Winston
>might be introducing 4-piece models in their classic WT series next
>year (I have the 3-piece model). Start saving, a 7-8' 4-piece 2wt WT
>could very well be what you desire.
>

A couple of weeks ago I test cast a Temple Fork 8 foot 3 piece 2 weight rod. I
liked the way it cast, but I still prefer my little 3 weight rods as they are
more versatile. Not as pretty as a Winston, but cost a hell of a lot less. You
might want to try one.

Big Dale