Smallmouth rod

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

I've landed smallmouths up to 7 lbs without wetting my backing. The rod
I choose is determined more by the size and weight of the fly, than by
the size of the fish.

In rivers (wading) a 6 weight.

On large lakes (boating), casting distance is more critical, so I
generally have both a 6 weight, and a 9 weight (for the BIG flys), in
the boat. If I was limited to one rod, I'd bring a 7 weight.


--
Pete
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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.

On Mar 22, 5:15 pm, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
What's your choice for a fly rod for smallmouth ?


My choice for smallmouth is a faster action 6wt.

--
Ken Fortenberry

The rod weight rating or its action has nothing to do with the target
fish. The fly size, general conditions, and the consequent line weight
required is what determines the rod you need.

MC

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
news
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


Ken, here in central wisconsin, I use mostly my 6wt medium fast. I did a
lot of smally fishing last year.

Rick

--
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true,
to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such
devotion.

Mike wrote:
On Mar 22, 5:15 pm, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

What's your choice for a fly rod for smallmouth ?


My choice for smallmouth is a faster action 6wt.

--
Ken Fortenberry


The rod weight rating or its action has nothing to do with the target
fish. The fly size, general conditions, and the consequent line weight
required is what determines the rod you need.

MC

Yes and no.

The fly size and general conditions are largely determined by the target
fish (how big they are, what they eat, what kind of water they're in,
how hard they fight, etc.), therefore the rod size is largely determined
(or at least strongly influenced by) the target fish.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

On Mar 22, 7:45 pm, rw wrote:
Mike wrote:
On Mar 22, 5:15 pm, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

What's your choice for a fly rod for smallmouth ?

My choice for smallmouth is a faster action 6wt.

--
Ken Fortenberry

The rod weight rating or its action has nothing to do with the target
fish. The fly size, general conditions, and the consequent line weight
required is what determines the rod you need.

MC

Yes and no.

The fly size and general conditions are largely determined by the target
fish (how big they are, what they eat, what kind of water they're in,
how hard they fight, etc.), therefore the rod size is largely determined
(or at least strongly influenced by) the target fish.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

If you want to fish three inch long bulky or weighted streamers for
trout, you will need at least an #8 weight line to cast them.

If you want to fish #10 weighted nymphs you will need at least a #5
weight line to cast them.

If you want to fish #18 dry flies for trout, you only need a #3 weight
line to cast them.

In all three cases above, the fish you are targeting are the same
size. These situations and usages are also fairly typical. The same
applies to bass and a number of other fish.

The rod action in these cases is largely a matter of personal
preference, and the rod rating is dictated by the line weight you want
to use. In rough conditions, ( lots of wind) you might want to use a
heavier line even for smaller flies.

In fast water, you might want to go up a rod weight for specific
purposes. Or if you expect heavier than normal fish. If you are trying
for distance, you might also want to use a heavier rod and line
combination, coupled with a fast action.

If you are going after tarpon and such with large flies, then you need
a rod with enough backbone to cast the flies, and fight the fish, so
the rod rating would in such a case also be mainly determined by the
size and type of fish.

For most "normal" sized fresh water game fish, this simply does not
apply. The rod required is more or less wholly dependent on fly size
and conditions, not on the size of fish.

There are very many possible scenarios and variables here, but the
original examples and choices given, and the reasoning for them, was
not sensible, mainly because it completely ignored fly size, which in
the cases given is the main determining factor.

TL
MC

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
news
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

.....my home waters are smallmouth waters. Granted, around here a three
pounder is a big un. But, the occasional channel cat or carp can put a big
bend in your rod and I use a five weight 95% of the time. Heck...that rod
is made to flex and I have no problem with fighting a fish right down in the
butt of a rod as opposed to playing one on the tip section.

John

On Mar 23, 1:56 am, daytripper wrote:
On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:15:13 -0500, 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.

My go-to smallie rod is a 9' 7 weight Sage RPLX. It's the perfect rod for
casting 1/0 and 2/0 poppers to - and then fighting - the big bastids we catch
on the Androscoggin - where the smallies get up in the mid-20 inch range and
fight like the dickens.

I don't know exactly what current Sage line would match up to the RPLX...

/daytripper

Sage and others are now pushing this as "THE" bass rod;

http://www.flyfishingoutfitters.com/...D-SAG-BASS-33L

Maybe it is. Odd that they advise using the equivalent of an #11
weight line on it don´t you think?

I have been suggesting that for various things for years, and most of
the people here merely laughed it off.

By the way, I don´t like queers.

MC

On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:15:13 -0500, 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.

My go-to smallie rod is a 9' 7 weight Sage RPLX. It's the perfect rod for
casting 1/0 and 2/0 poppers to - and then fighting - the big bastids we catch
on the Androscoggin - where the smallies get up in the mid-20 inch range and
fight like the dickens.

I don't know exactly what current Sage line would match up to the RPLX...

/daytripper