3 wt brookie bugs

[WildTigerTrout]

troutslammer, your right they are not much fun to fish with in the wind.

 

[gfen]

jdaddy wrote:
Do you still have a blue dot on the side of your face indicating your wild status?

No, I've had that domesticated away as I've begun being used for hatchery duty...

 

[BrookieBuster101]

Wildfish,
Brook trout will come up to take a dry fly even if you do not see them actively feeding. You see most brookie streams are infertile freestone streams. So because there is not an "overly wide" forage base the fish will eagerly take the opportunity to kill a dryfly. I, almost exclusively fish size 16 tan caddis and rarely do I ever cast to rising fish.

HOWEVER in the case that a dry is not getting the job done, I will fish a dropper off of a buoyant fly like the caddis. That dropper may be a hot head PT, a brookie buster (marabou tail and body of wrapped marabou) or a Jelly caddis. But in all honesty a dryfly will get the job done.


gfen,
nice mudskip lol
I used to spend hours playing that game hahaha

 

[Alpabuck]

I fish a 8'4 3wt pretty much everywhere Delaware, Lehigh, Lack, Spring Creek dont matter. 3 weighted bugs dry flies size 6 zuddlers. The fish dont seem to care as much as the experts that say it cant be done!

 

[jayL]

Of course it can be done. I could ride my bike to california if I needed to get there, too.

WTT,

I never considered fish fighting ability. I'm talking about pure fishability. A 3wt is a horrible tool for fishing any kind of weight. Of course it can be done, but it's a big handicap.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Jayl, you are right the lighter rods are more difficult to fish if you put excessive weight on them. I must admit I use 5 and 6 weight rods early in the season when the waters up. I fish all summer and fall so I do find myself using my 2 and 3 weights more than the average flyfisherman. IMO they work better when the stream levels drop and you don't need lots of weight. There is a trick to it but I can bring a trout in just as quick on my lighter rods.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

The tool is only as good as the operator using it.

 

[jayL]

Whatever your reason for choosing a 3wt as your primary rod may be, I think it's flat out wrong to suggest that the 3wt is the right tool for the job, regardless of how well you use it.

The fact that something can be done doesn't mean that it's being done right, most efficiently, or most effectively.

Not that any of that matters, but I don't think you're adding any kind of refutation to what I have been saying.

 

[gfen]

jayL wrote:
Whatever your reason for choosing a 3wt as your primary rod may be, I think it's flat out wrong to suggest that the 3wt is the right tool for the job, regardless of how well you use it.

Eh?

The right tool is the one that brings you enjoyment, period. I can use the same tippet on my flimsy sticks as I use on my heavy ones, and I'm just as willing to haul stuff in on 'em as I would with a heavy one, too.

So, I'm not overworking the fish and raising the chances of killing it, but I'm having much more enjoyment in the process of catching it. Plus, a lighter, flimiser rod is able to protect those lighter tippets than a faster heavier one giving me MORE fighting ability, should it be required.

Use what you want, that's the right tool for the job.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I have quite a few rods to choose from and many times I use the lighter rods because they are better for the job at hand. One example is fishing the Trico hatch. I can fish more effectively with a lighter rod and get better results fishing a 2 or 3 weight.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Afish,

Thats what I heard about the superfine. Im actually glad. I do like my current rod but I enjoyed the 7' 4wt I used to have even more. Be interesting to see what the new rods are like. Your right also, the midflex 4wt is the rod Ive been looking at. I didnt cast anything but the 4 and 5wts. I leaning hard towards the 4wt.

I do agree that there are cases where the 3wt is NOT the "right" tool for a given situation. I do disagree that it is the wrong tool most of the time. Bottomline it is all in what you like and what your casting motion is geared towards. I cast my 3wt full flex with a good deal of accuracy and im very effective with it. I cast it better than I do 5wt Mid flex rods.

Truth betold I used to own a 5wt full flex 8' G-loomis. I was effective and accurate with that rod also.

For me, the lighter the rod, the more bend it has, the better iam with it. So for me, it is the better tool for most jobs.

3wts are not effective in wind and heavy pocket water with tons of flow with big fish. Hence why Iam getting a longer, stronger rod with less flex. Other than that, I love my 3wt.

Casting weight just takes practice. Im sure if I practiced with a 5wt more, Id be fine with those too.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Jayl, I don't really have a primary rod. I fish with many different rods over the course of a season. So if I had to pick one it would be a heavier rod probably a 5 weight. I feel fortunate that I don't have to make such a decision but if I had to that is what I would choose. So I guess as a Primary flyrod I have to agree with you.

 

[Alpabuck]

Sal,

The 9'4wt Helios is a beast of a fly rod and I'm sure the hydros is as well. You will love fishing the Lack with it for sure. Best dry fly rod on the market!

 

[jayL]

gfen wrote:

jayL wrote:
Whatever your reason for choosing a 3wt as your primary rod may be, I think it's flat out wrong to suggest that the 3wt is the right tool for the job, regardless of how well you use it.

Eh?

The right tool is the one that brings you enjoyment, period. I can use the same tippet on my flimsy sticks as I use on my heavy ones, and I'm just as willing to haul stuff in on 'em as I would with a heavy one, too.

So, I'm not overworking the fish and raising the chances of killing it, but I'm having much more enjoyment in the process of catching it. Plus, a lighter, flimiser rod is able to protect those lighter tippets than a faster heavier one giving me MORE fighting ability, should it be required.

Use what you want, that's the right tool for the job.

I agree. But the context here was discussing the best functional tool for the job. Given that, I feel that what I said stands.

Of course you can choose to do it any way you see fit. I've already said that, and it's obvious.

I maintain that all things equal, the 3wts are not the optimal tool for all that much. If you enjoy them despite that, it's all that matters. For someone that gets enjoyment out of choosing the best possible tool for the job, the 3wt would be an inefficient choice. It just doesn't work well for slinging weight and streamers. If your enjoyment of using it trumps that, by all means, have at it.

If we're going to reduce every gear discussion to "use what you like most", then there's no real point in ever discussing gear. It's a clear assumption in all of this discussion, so I think the working context of all gear discussions is that we're talking about efficiency and ease of use.

 

[Wildfish]

It's a little premature for me to weigh in, since I haven't fished the thing yet, but I was drawn to a 3wt because my 5wt seemed like overkill for tiny casts for tiny fish. Part of the problem is likely that my short 5wt is too fast and doesn't load well in tight quarters. Still, even overlined my 5wt feels best casting nymphs 40'. I don't have a problem sending small caddis a couple yards away, it just doesn't feel like the "correct" tool. Same goes for landing fish. 5wt feels great on a 14in brown in moving water. Feels like a club on a 7in brookie in a pool.

When I fish midges on Valley Creek with 7x the fast 5wt does not protect the tippet as much as I would like. Since at least 60-70% of my fishing is using 6-7x tippet throwing midges and bwo's a 3wt seemed like a good idea.

That said, there aren't many bugs flying around out there right now, and terrestrials are underground. So I want to bring some "prospecting" subsurface stuff in case I can't get any rises this week. Plus I just got this rod and I want to play with it! So if the fish aren't looking up I want some patterns to throw. In any case, there are so many different types of 3wts. This Scott has some backbone. Others don't. But hey, I may come back next week thinking the thing is useless.

 

[jayL]

I love my 3wt for the kind of dry fly fishing you mentioned, particularly on valley.

As long as you don't have to throw a slumpie or an indicator, you'll enjoy it there. That's probably the only place I fish mine anymore.