Fly Fishing Equipment

Sierra fisher wrote:
I do 95% of my dry fly fishing with a 3 wt or 4 wt. However they are both 9
feet. When you are fishing even small streams you should try to stay as far
from the fish as possible. I think that the longer the rod, the better the
distance and accuracy. Actually, I don't think that many can tell the
difference of 6". However I think that using 7' carbon rods are just
handicapping yourself. If you are going to have to cast 30' while
surrounded by willows, you can do it easier with a 9' rod. If you are
using a 7' cane rod, you like hanicaps.

I think there's a big difference between a small stream out West and
ones back East. Because of the type of vegetation we have and the runoff
we get out West, our small streams are very different from those back
East. Out West we just deal with willows, which at times can be bad
enough, but you don't know overgrown until you've fished a little stream
back East. Very different ballgame. I do fine on small streams in the
Rockies with my 9 foot rod but on the little streams I fished in
Pennsylvania, a shorter rod would be a big advantage. Many of those
small over grown streams don't allow over head casts especially 30 foot
ones. It's one situation where I think a 7 foot bamboo would be superior
to a 9 foot graphite.

Willi

Wolfgang wrote:
"Jeff Miller" wrote in message
news:Fq0eb.5985$k74.5834@lakeread05...


.....i still think a 4 weight is the best all purpose single
rod and line weight for normal troutin in the places i've fished.


Hm.......never used a 4 weight myself, but I've fished both 5 weights
(for 18 years) and 3 weights (for the last 2) in many of those same
waters as well as numerous others. Both work flawlessly.......even
brilliantly. I guess there's no good reason to suppose that a 4
wouldn't be adequate.


Although my favorite rod and first choice is a 9' four weight, for
larger waters or for throwing large dries or for nymphs with weight or
in windy conditions or for lake fishing or for throwing streamers or
......... a 5 or even 6 or 7 weight is a better tool. There are just
too many situations in the Rockies where you're going to be undergunned
with a four weight. For trout fishing in the Rockies, I think a 5 weight
rod would be the most versatile but if you're out when the wind is
howling you're going to wish for something heavier.

Willi

For that need to throw further or to use a heavier line with shorter rod,
I've got an old Eagle Claw Pack Fly/Spin combo. It is, at best, a
compromise but it is only 7'6'' and can be moved through brush and
undergrowth with more ease than anything else I've used. And because it
requires a heavy line, 7 wt to perform, it can handle bass if need be. I've
fished it in three time zones with some sucess.

---
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Darkstar
Save a cow, eat a PETA

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm

"Sierra fisher" wrote in message
...
My $.02
I don't know why anyone buys a rod less than 9' long. There is no savings
when you buy it, It doesn't cast any better, it is not appreciably easier
to
negotiate through brush, it doesn't mend as well, and it weighs less than
1/2 oz less. If there is an reason, it favors the rod builder. There are
a
lot of times when I would like a little extra distance and wish my rod was
10' long

Obviously, you have never fished in NC. Not that you'd want to, mind ya, as
our streams are extremely polluted and over-fished by marauding rabid black
bears.

Op --who owns a six foot rod and has the guts to use it, properly!--

"Willi" wrote

Although my favorite rod and first choice is a 9' four weight, for
larger waters or for throwing large dries or for nymphs with weight or


Is that the SLi blank ?

Like most of us I own too many rods, but "mainly" I use these 3 ... a
2wt Sage Light Line ... love it, but it doesn't have the backbone to land
big fish fast enough ( given my skill ) I think you could break the rod
before it would break 6X. And, of course, it's useless in a breeze

4wt 9' something, St Croix, maybe. My most used rod, but it too lacks real
backbone ( 20"+ fish ) AND I don't think it handles a real short line well
either .... thus, I'm thinking of replacing it. I have no experience with
the current generation of "progressive" actions but was impressed by the
discription you gave of a 4 wt recently ... "loads well with short line, but
lots of butt strength section available" or some such.

My third "always in the truck trout rod" is a 6wt 9' older, softer rod that
works well for nymphing, being slow enough that tangles tend to not happen
..... but as you point out, it still feels undergunned on those Western days
when you open the truck door using both arms to keep it from being blown off
( and they aren't that uncommon )

Anyway, just wanted to confirm that you liked that Cabela's blank and felt
it combined good backbone with the ability to throw a very short line (
most of my fishing is very short, but sometimes even I manage to find a
bigger fish :-) or need longish casts )

"Sierra fisher" wrote in message
...
(First liar doesn't have a chance)

I agree! I have singlehanded rods from 0 wt to 14 wt, and spey rods from
6
to 11 wt. Only two are less than 9' and only because that is the way Sage
builds their 0 wt and 2 wt rods.

I believe that the best reason listed above, is that is what fits in a
camper rigged

If I'm too lazy to rig up each time I fish, then, I figure, I'm too lazy to
fish.

Op --who could get a 13', fully rigged rod in his Suburban, if he wanted
to, but really sees no need. Really, I just measured my vehicles interior
(no bend necessary either), in case I ever change my mind and decide that no
one should own a rod shorter than 13' long.--

"Willi" wrote in message
...


Sierra fisher wrote:
I do 95% of my dry fly fishing with a 3 wt or 4 wt. However they are
both 9
feet. When you are fishing even small streams you should try to stay as
far
from the fish as possible. I think that the longer the rod, the better
the
distance and accuracy. Actually, I don't think that many can tell the
difference of 6". However I think that using 7' carbon rods are just
handicapping yourself. If you are going to have to cast 30' while
surrounded by willows, you can do it easier with a 9' rod. If you are
using a 7' cane rod, you like hanicaps.

I think there's a big difference between a small stream out West and
ones back East.

you betcha. tell you what, sierra. you fish a little piece of water in
western n.c. with me by the name of dick's creek with a nine foot rod, and i
will fish it with my seven foot winston. i will bet you don't even survive
the fishing, let alone catch as many fish.

of course, i exaggerate. but just ask someone who has been there. as
willi points out, if you are fishing in a tunnel with a 9' rod, the tunnel
had better be at least 10' tall.

wayno

"rw" wrote in message
. ..
Guyz-N-Flyz wrote:

If I'm too lazy to rig up each time I fish, then, I figure, I'm too lazy
to
fish.

I often find myself driving from spot to spot, so leaving the rod rigged
up is important. Also, if you ever fish with Willi and Bruiser you'd
better rig up your rod the night before, or you'll be the object of
ridicule the next morning. I half expect those two to sleep in their
waders. :-)

Actually, if I kept a rod rigged to go, in my Suburban, it would be in
splinters with in a few days. I keep a ****-pot full of stuff in my truck
and it gets thrown about a good deal. Presently, I have a plow, a disc, a
cultivator, a tow hitch set-up ( its for the Tahoe, if I ever get around to
puttin' it on), several 50# bags of deer corn (they're for feedin' the bears
on the property, as the deer don't seem to stand a chance of gettin' any),
100#,. or better tool box, and GOSH knows what else. So I don't dare leave
a fully rigged rod loose in the truck. Hell, I'm afraid that even in the
tubes they may end up crushed!

Op --If ya wanna attract deer to your property, don't put out deer corn!
It only seems to attract black bear.--

Guyz-N-Flyz wrote:

If I'm too lazy to rig up each time I fish, then, I figure, I'm too lazy to
fish.

I often find myself driving from spot to spot, so leaving the rod rigged
up is important. Also, if you ever fish with Willi and Bruiser you'd
better rig up your rod the night before, or you'll be the object of
ridicule the next morning. I half expect those two to sleep in their
waders. :-)

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

perfectly appropriate point...if you're in the rockies all the time.
but, as i was considering the best all purpose single rod for the places
i've fished (i.e., you can have one rod only), if you've got to choose a
single stick for nc, pennsylvania, maine, montana, idaho, virginia,
tennessee... well, i figure an 8 to 8.5 foot 4 weight to be just about
right. what would you have preferred in that little gulch we fished off
of rock creek? i think a 9 foot 7 weight would have been tough for me.
....and if you tell me you fished a 9 foot 7 weight...well, you just
ain't human is all i got to say. g

jeff

Willi wrote:







Although my favorite rod and first choice is a 9' four weight, for
larger waters or for throwing large dries or for nymphs with weight or
in windy conditions or for lake fishing or for throwing streamers or
........ a 5 or even 6 or 7 weight is a better tool. There are just
too many situations in the Rockies where you're going to be undergunned
with a four weight. For trout fishing in the Rockies, I think a 5 weight
rod would be the most versatile but if you're out when the wind is
howling you're going to wish for something heavier.

Willi