On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:32:32 -0700 (PDT), "Joel *DFD*"
wrote:

On Mar 22, 10:15?am, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
What's your choice for a fly rod for smallmouth ?

Here in the streams of central Illinois my 5wt is an appropriate
tool for stream smallies. Like Goldilocks says, not too much rod
and not too little rod. But the smallies here in our streams aren't
that big. After the first time I battled a Quetico smallmouth with
a 5wt I knew that on subsequent trips I'd be bringing my 7wt.

Now I go smallie fishing in northern Wisconsin and Michigan's UP.
I find the best all round rod smallie rod, lakes and streams, is
a faster action 6wt. The 7wt is fine in the Sylvania Wilderness
Lakes where the fish are bigger but a 6wt is better I think if
you cast for hours at a time and the 6wt does just fine pulling
the smallies out of the brush and snags on the rivers.

My choice for smallmouth is a faster action 6wt.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Northern Wisc.
Big bass.
Big Wooly-buggers.
I like a 7 wt.
I think George C. uses a 6 wt. and Wolf uses a 6 wt. or even a 5wt.
and they do just fine.

I've used six weights but I like my 10' 7 wts. better. The longer
length is nice when you're sitting in a canoe and keeps any lead eyed
streamers that much farther from the back of my head. The seven weight
line handles deerhair divers and heavy flies better than the lighter
line weights. I broke my Redington 10/7 last summer and replaced it
with an Orvis tip flex Streamlight. Very satisfied with it.


GeoC