2 weight rod - Will I really ever use it??

[milleger]

I picked up a Redington Classic Trout recently and got a nice deal on a new Ross Evolution LT size 0 to pair up with it. It's a nice little set up, I'm just worried it will not see much time on the water.

I fish mainly the Gunpowder in MD with an occasional outing to Spring Creek, Muddy Creek or Yellow Breeches. I have not gotten the chance to fish small mountain streams for Brookies unfortunately. Oh yeah, and a new baby at home has seriously put a hurting on my fishing time. With that being said, will I ever use this set up?

Here's the other option.. return the CT, sell a few items that I have gotten nice deals on lately, and invest in a nice 4 weight instead. Most of my fishing is with 4 weights, so it might make more sense to invest in something that will get more of use, rather than a lightweight specialty set up...

What do you think??

 

[k-bob]

a longish two weight like that is great fun fishing machine for small trout in small streams with dry flies up to about a 14. not versatile for big fish, flies, streams, or wind. just a question of the fishing you will do.

maybe do some yard casting with a 3o ft tape measure and the plastic still on the grip, return it if you dont like it?

it might feel ok with even a 4 w line, but i'd put a 3 ona rod like that.

 

[Dale49]

I also fish the Gun and mainly use a 10 foot, 4 weight rod. That being said, I have an 8 foot, 2wt Orvis Superfine and use it on the Gun during lower flows and when I'm using midges and smaller nymphs with fine tippet. I do use a 3wt line and don't have any problems casting.

I also fish smaller streams throughout PA and MD and use the Orvis rod and love its performance.

I guess it's all about what you're comfortable with.

Dale

 

[JohnPowers]

Return it....unless your rich. Not to get preachy but with fatherhood, your trips will fall off significantly for awhile.....a dozen years......so why have it around especially given where you'll fish when you get out.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I have a St. Croix "Avid" series rod in 7'6" 2 weight. I use it quite a bit during the summer months fishing tricos and terrestrials on several nearby limestoners. They are a specialized tool and are not designed to throw weight or cast in the wind. They also work best with smaller flies no bigger than about 14. I own a number of rods so it does not hurt to have a couple of specialized outfits. I would not buy one as a all-around rod though.

 

[Chaz]

I'm not a fan of ultra light rods. Ilike to bring fish in quickly, there's no need for me to play them for an extended period so they are exhausted. My motto is, if you have to revive a trout it's a dea trout and you've done something wrong.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I do not have any problem fighting a trout on my 2 weight rod. I get them in just as fast as any other rod. I have never played a trout to exhaustion. It's the technique used to play the fish not the rod's line weight.

 

[dryflyguy]

I've had lots of fun with my 7'9" 2 weight for over 20 years now. It's not just a toy IMO, and certainly very practical for use on small - and medium size streams, like spring and fishing creeks

 

[k-bob]

I fish with two weights on small streams that are infertile and have few or no trout too big for the rods. Have never fought a fish to exhaustion. If you think about it, you bring these small fish in in the same amount of time with a 2 or a 5. As WTT suggests above it is the speed you pull line in, not the rod, that determines how long you fight a fish. And because the two weight gives more than a five weight, you transmit less force when you do sometimes hook a small fish. So my opinion is that in streams with few or no large trout, using a two weight is easier on the fish than using a 5 wt. PA has many small infertile streams with many trout but few or no large trout.... Just read pfbc surveys by their biologists.

 

[IdratherbePhishing]

I use my 2 weight all the time.

 

[dsmith1427]

If the home finances allow, I would hang onto it. You may want to use it to introduce your son/daughter to fly casting for pan fish on a local pond on lake. As for me, I use a 7 foot 3 wt on small to medium size streams fishing nymphs. On medium size streams, I may not be able to cover the whole stream but there are plenty of areas I can cover.

Don

 

[GreenWeenie]

The ability to quickly land a trout quickly has more to do with tippet size than line size. 8x tippet has the same breaking point under tension no matter whether it is on a 12' 12wt rod or a 6' 1wt and some rods are better suited for protecting light tippets. Tie on a 3x tippet to a 1wt rod and you can land the trout just as quickly as with a 6wt rod.

 

[ratgunner]

I'd keep it for bluegills and such. I'm sure you'll be taking the kids out close to home for that sorta thing and that rod will make it more fun for you.

 

[DaveS]

I have a one wt. and it doesn't get the use my 4 or 5 weights get. BUT it is kick-a$$ fun for bluegills. And fishing small flies it is a great tool. I have landed trout up to 23 inches with the rod. I wasn't necessarily expecting to hook a fish so large, but what the hell you gonna do? Break him off? I also got about a five or six pound carp on the rod, which was way too much fish. I thought I was going to end up with a warrenty claim. So IMHO if you can afford to keep the rod, then do so.

 

[CRB]

I use my 7' 10" 1 wt all summer from about June-September. It dose not take any longer landing a fish on my 1 wt as to my 4 wt.
One does need to learn, you don't fight the fish with the rod 90* to the water but as close to parallel with the water.

 

[k-bob]

oxygen stress to fish will probably result from a long fight with a big fish in warm water... short fights with small fish in colder water, as in brookie fishing with the 2 wt rod, arent really the circumstances that stress fish

 

[TDB]

nope

 

[mattwolf]

I disagree with the trips falling off shortly. My son and I have been fly fishing together since he was 4. I got him casting by himself and this summer he will turn 6 and all I have to do is tie the fly on for him. I expect by the middle of this summer he will be doing that himself. It takes great patients to teach a youngster fly fishing, but if it gets us away from mama for a few hours it is worth it to both of us. Ha Ha. I would keep the rod and let him use it in a few years.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

I use my #2 all the time. But I fish a lot of smaller streams too. They are great for brookie sized brown trout streams and for sunnies, redeyes and bluegills in small warmwater streams.

I typically know what type of fishing I plan on doin when I take it along. Small nymphs, small to medium sized dries and foam ants on small streams. I have no problem landing a typical trout under 14" with my 2 weight.

I can manage to cast some some larger nymphs but even the smallest weighted buggers is pushing it to the chuck and duck boundary, which I have no problem doing succesfully if I have to.

Roll casting is limited to small to medium sized nymphs say a 14 or smaller weighted. Any larger and I find the line can't always pick the weighted nymph from the subsurface of the water without some extra snap and perfect timing.

The drag alone from a marabou tail bugger hinders much success while roll casting and one must very carefully and slowly bring the rod back and bugger up to the absolute surface for the roll cast to carry through and the line to be able to turn the leader and bugger over.

Honestly I spook less trout and it really makes catching small to medium sized wild trout fishing much more exciting, although I have found myself using it when I should be using a #4 or #5 because I just like using it.

 

[jdaddy]

Nope