6 Weight Rods and PA Streams

[steve98]

I see no reason to even have two rods with consecutive weights eg. 5 and 6 wt. especially since you can use the same line weight on either one 5wt on the 6 6ix wt on the 5 etc.

I fish most of SE and NC Pa and everywhere in between.

I have a Winston 4wt and a St.Croix 2wt.

Steve 98

 

[Coughlin]

D-fin is right. Be careful about wt designations.

A few years ago I bought an 8 for bass. Never used it, and gave it away for auction. Then bought a 7 for Montana and fished my 6 wt. (yes, on the Madison) except on the Gardiner where I fished my 5. Maybe I might fish my 6 on the Brodhead or Big-D, but I'm in the Southeast, so nothing I fish here requires more than a 5 for the fishing I do.

 

[tomitrout]

6wts are tough, kinda 'big' for your day in day out trout fishing, kinda light for an all around warmwater/steelhead rig. A 6 is nice for throwing heavier trout flies or dealing with wind, but I'd rather have a seven if I have to fish like that all day. Otherwise my 5wts do just fine throwing goofy big western hoppers into the wind when needed and I prefer them (or lighter) because the other 95% of the time is when I find myself on the water. I don't really play the streamer game or heavy double indicator rigs for the trouts, so I rarely feel under gunned with a 5wt.

 

[Chaz]

I used to use my 6 wt all the time. For a while it was my only rod. Now when I'm fishing big water, I only need it on windy days, or if I expect to be cast very long distances. My 9 foot 4 wt. works especially hard during trip to big water, and I've never not landed a fish because of the rod. It would be a good steelhead rode it's a rod with backbone. I use my 6 wt for steel. But your friend is correct you don't need a 6 wt for 99.9% of the trout streams in PA.
In my mind if you go heavier go up a couple of rod weights, or above a 9 foot rod. Many models have 10 lengths and more, it's about leverage not necessarily power. My next biggest rod to the 6 wt. is a 9 wt. which is hardly ever used.

 

[CRB]

Make sure you cast the Winston. Winston casts the rod weight not a line or half line heaver to make the casting easier.
I use my 6wt for my steelhead rod because it is the lightest weight rod with a fighting butt.

 

[JerryC]

If I'm fishing Ridley or Valley I usually use my 5 wgt. When I fish the Wissahickon it's a toss up. Usually I grab the 5 wgt and at times wished I had grabbed the 6 wgt when I've hooked into one of the bigger smallmouth or largemouth that are in there. Larger creeks, rivers, lakes and ponds I use the 6 wgt. I even use it in salt water the majority of the time. With the variety of materials available it's not difficult to tie a 4-6 inch fly that can be comfortably cast with a 6 wgt.

 

[krayfish2]

Fade,
If you're heading out west again this year, a 6wt would be a nice addition. You may get limited trout use here in PA with it but it opens the door to the wonderful world of smallmouth and carp

 

[fadeaway263]

krayfish2 wrote:
Fade,
If you're heading out west again this year, a 6wt would be a nice addition. You may get limited trout use here in PA with it but it opens the door to the wonderful world of smallmouth and carp

Andy we have room if you want to make the trip. Bonus one of our group is coming in a truck and can bring your boat/raft

 

[krayfish2]

I'm due for a raise but don't think the finances will permit a MT trip.....yet again. I need a sugar mama.

 

[PennKev]

6wt rods and lines are useful. Especially at this time of year when there are higher flows. Are they that much more of an advantage over a 5wt? No, but if you have one, early season is definitely the time to use it.

As far as action and stiffness and whatever are concerned, get the rod you prefer. The heavier 6wtine will still have a bit of an advantage over a 5wt on the larger creeks intil they settle into they're later spring flows.

 

[dsmith1427]

As a kid, I started dragging crawlers for trout and throwing poppers to blue gills on a HDH rod I bought from my brother for $10. The first rod I bought was a St. Croix 5-6wt (early 90s) and this is the rod that still gets the most use today. When I trout fish, I spend most of the time flipping nymphs with multiple flies but I have switched to dry flies without any issues. If I am fishing smaller creeks, I will use my 2 wt but most of the time I am fishing water like pine creek and fishing creek. I have fished with my wife's 4wt but I still prefer my 5-6 wt. IMO, it is what you like and what feels good to you.

 

[fadeaway263]

krayfish2 wrote:
I'm due for a raise but don't think the finances will permit a MT trip.....yet again. I need a sugar mama.

To tempt you more there are dogs coming this year as one cabin allows pets

 

[pete41]

Mt. trips can be very affordable-pull in any state or fed. forest-sleep in your car- also along railroad tracks-butt go-Bathing can be a problem unless you forget the chains or felts-although gotta say Va's Rapidan had the slipperiest bottom I ever fell in .

 

[PatrickC]

Rod weight should be considered more of a factor of what you are throwing, not the size of the water (or the fish in many cases).

If you are dry fly fishing, not many reasons to use a 6wt. A heavy indie rig for nymphing deep fast waters may require a 6wt rod just to turn a heavier rig over.

I use a 7wt to cast big streamers. Doesn't make any difference what size creek or river I fish, if it has fish big enough to hit a 6" articulated streamer I want a heaver rod to be able to use line large enough to turn over that streamer. That keeps the casting a pleasure and far less fatiguing. It's the same reason I use a 12wt musky rod instead of a 10wt. I'm less tired at the end of the day casting the 12wt than the 10wt, because the 12wt and appropriate line is better suited to cast the flies I use.

Anyway, choose your rod, line, leader, and tippet size based on what you are casting, primarily, not what you are catching. Hope that helps.

 

[TimRobinsin]

6wt is fine for many PA streams. Of course so are 3 thru 7 weights. Like PatrickC said, it all is based on what you are trying to do with the rod.

My all around do everything rod is a 9' 5wt fast action rod.
My dry fly rod is a 7'9" 5wt full flex rod.
My Nymph rod is a 10' 4wt fast action rod.
My Streamer/steelhead rod is a 9'9" 7wt mid flex rod.

Sometimes I throw 6" streamers on my 4wt other days I throw dries or tightline nymphs. I have a 7 weight switch rod I have been known to highstick nymph with single hand 7wt line and there's fly shops that will report you to the manufacturer for doing that because allegedly that's illegal! I know, I actually had a shop complain about me telling people that I do that!

My point is you can make any rod throw almost anything but the reality is that they are all built for specific purposes and weight ranges.

Nothing wrong with a 9' 6wt, especially not for ISO's on the D or drakes on penns or pine, or streamers on almost any PA stream. Nothing wrong at all with that, especially if it's a Winston!