Small stream rod suggestions?

Tim G wrote:
I've been fly fishing now for about two years, and I'm afraid it might
be time to take the leap... to a second rod!

I have a 9' 5wt St. Croix Legend, which works fine for me on the
rivers I most like to fish - larger stuff like the Beaverkill,
Farmington, Housatonic, etc. But I also often end up on smaller
streams, some of them really tiny. I'd like to get a smaller and
lighter rod, for --

1) less getting my line (not to mention rod tip) caught in the trees
2) improved delicate presentations
3) better match for smaller fish (i.e., make the little guys feel
bigger)

I'm not entirely sure my reasoning is correct, so I'd love to hear
opinions on that, as well as suggestions for actual rods, sizes and
models. I'm thinking a 3 weight, 7'6". Been eyeing the Orvis
Superfine, or maybe spending much less on a TFO or Redington. (No
need to break the bank on this, as this will not be my most-used rod -
though, hey, I'm always open to quality, right?) I'd love a travel
rod, but from what I've seen it looks like the smaller and lighter
rods are most likely to come as 2-piece, which I suppose would be
fine.


Thanks for any suggestions!

Tim

Tim,

As a fly shop owner and from my own personal experience fishing
the small streams here in NC over the years, I have been able to
"test" quite a few different rods in different situations. Your
post has spurred me on to put my thoughts on this matter down in
writing, something I've been meaning to do for quite awhile now.

It's funny that the rod size that I recommend for most people
interested in a small stream rod is the one that I cut my teeth
with in learning small stream trout fishing. A 7.5' 4wt. is a
versatile tool in that you have enough length and power to fish
the larger pools you stumble across but it is also small enough
to allow for fishing in tight conditions.

That said, there are other fine small stream sizes available today:

A 6' or 6.5' 3wt offers you the ability to fish really tight
situations. I usually grab my 6.5' 3wt when I'm heading off to a
small stream.

A 7' 3 or 4wt. offers you a bit more oomph and line control than
the smaller sizes in casting and I like this length when fishing
"larger" small streams.

the graphite models....

Quality rods in the 150 to 225 dollar range:

Our best selling small stream rod and a damn fine performer is
the Sage DS2 7.5' 2pc. 4wt. This rod is advertised by Sage as an
"All-purpose entry-level trout rod for small rivers and lakes."
Pshaw.... it is a great small stream rod and serves many anglers
well in my area.

The Redington Wayfarer has a few 5pc. small stream models
available for the traveler in 3 and 4 wt. I haven't personally
fished the smaller sizes but I have fished the 9' 5wt and it
performs well.

The Redington RS2's 2pc and 4pc come in a plethora of different
lengths and weights, all of them cast and fish well.

The St. Croix Avid 7' 3wt and 6.5' 4wt are both fine sticks.

In the 100 to 150 dollar range:

The Redington RedFly 7.5' 4pc 4/5wt. is a good casting and
presentation rod that also offers you the extra bonus of a travel
model. I have fished this rod and it performs nicely.

If the new Diamondback Americana in the 6.5' 3wt and 7.5' 4wt are
half as good as their predecessor, the All-American, they will be
wonderful small stream rods. I just received my first ones in the
shop and they are nicely made and attractive.

The St. Croix Imperial 7' 3wt and 7.5' 4wt. Although I don't have
personal "onstream" experience with either one, they do cast well
on the courthouse lawn across the street from my shop.

In the under $100 range, the TFO Series 1 7.5' 3wt performs
remarkably well on the courthouse lawn as does the Redington
RedFly 7.5' 3/4wt. I have sold quite a few of both models locally
and the guys seem to like them very much.

the good small stream stuff.... the glass rods.

In my opinion, the serious small stream angler is armed with a
glass rod. The slowness of the glass, similar in style to a
bamboo rod, offers the angler super presentation of the fly to
the wary trout.

There are two that I personally own and fish with often.

The Hardy Perfection Glass 6.5' 3wt is a dream. You won't find a
better small stream stick anywhere for all around delicate and
accurate presentation of the fly whether normal casting, roll
casting, or what I do often, bow-and-arrow casting. It is my go
to rod most of the time.

The DiamondGlass 7' 4wt made by Diamondback is one sweet puppy. I
find that this rod is great in more open places in that you can
toss out a fly 30 to 50 feet if need be and at the same time have
that slow delicate presentation in the tight areas.

The DiamondGlass is also available in smaller sizes. I haven't
fished the 6.5' 3wt (don't wanna **** of my Hardy, donchaknow)
but I have casted it out on the courthouse lawn, most recently
with the new Cortland Sylk line (developed specifically for
bamboo and glass rods) and it is sweet!

Well, that's my take, I hope it helps you some.

Tight Lines,

--Walt
Fly Fishing NC & more...
http://www.ezflyfish.com
http://www.wilsoncreekoutfitters.com