6'6" 2wt opinions

[shademt]

I got into backpacking for trout a few years ago. And it's become a regular year long endeavor.

Iv'e never owned a 6'6" 2wt..so i'd like to throw it out for opinion. How do they handle on a small 20' wide or less mt streams?

And while i am sure they are nice for small brookies. Which make up 90% of this type of stream. How well do they handle the occasional 14" brown on some streams?

I probably would use another rod on streams capable of producing larger fish.

And a second question would be, has anyone built the H&H XE series 6'6'' 2wt?

 

[k-bob]

if you mostly fish dry flies and overline with a 3wt line a 6'6' 2w can be great for very small streams.

even better imho is the tfo finesse 6'9" 1w blank, it's really a 2wt. overline that puppy with a 3w line and it casts short to medium very well. also 4pc and has alignment markers.

 

[Tiogadog]

I have built a 6'6" 2 weight from a kit. Not sure if it is the same one as you. In hindsight I really wish I would have added one more guide as the spacing is a little off. May just be me, but if you are building one just triple check the guide spacing.

I also agree with the overlining.

I know a few guys who use Tenkara rods for backpacking. Not my cup of tea, but most seem happy with them.

 

[icyguides]

I've backpacked and fished for a few years now. I have an echo 6'6 3wt 4 piece, it packs down small and light. It works well for small streams casting small flies. i usually overline it with 4wt line for a little extra punch at close quarters. I've also been in a few situations where i've used it on bigger streams or with larger streamers out of necessity and as expected, it doesn't work very well in those situations.

I've landed fish to 14 inches on the rod no problem and had fish up to 19 on another 7ft 3wt. The only time imo that the rod's lack of lifting power comes into play is when you have to pull a fish away from cover. Most of the time with the most of the fish you will catch on small streams, it won't be a problem.

 

[turkey]

I have a 6' 2wt 4pc that hikes really well. If the wind is up though it can be a little tough to cast. If I could only have one rod for backpacking trips it would probably be the Orvis Superfine 6'6" 3wt, mostly because it breaks down into 4 pieces.

I have no experience with the Hook n Hackle blanks. Sorry.

 

[troutbert]

I have a 7 1/2 ft 4 wt that is a 5 piece, so it is easy to pack, and is a very versatile rod for small stream fishing.

 

[shademt]

i do often overload the rod, when short line casting is the norm..so yes 3wt on a 2wt sounds logical.

 

[bassistjon112]

Here is a good article.

2-weight shoot-out

 

[PennKev]

My experience has been that while ultra light fly rods are fun they are impractical in many situations. The frustration of not being able to toss a streamer very well or punch a bushy fly into even a light breeze is more frustration than it is worth. Also, IMO, they do very little to "make em' feel bigger." Dink fish are still dinks., Might as well use the rod that is most pleasant and easiest to fish. In other words a 3wt or better yet a 4wt.

Kev

 

[PatrickC]

I like all 3 of the small rods in this series: http://www.tforods.com/fly-fishing/rods/finesse.html#.Us3DJ7B3vIU

I have a custom built 6'6" 2wt that I exclusively use for PA native brookies. It's a fun rod.

I use a 3 wt for wild browns specifically because I can toss small streamers. I find the 3wt more versatile, but I love my 2wt. If you have a limited budget....get the 3t wt.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Can't help with any info on the XE series of H&H kits, but I own an XI series 6'6" 4pc 2wt that I bought assembled by H&H.

I really like this rod - it's become my favorite brookie stream rod. It's capable of throwing small streamers surprisingly well.

Bought this on one of H&H's sales. It was $129, and included a free H&H line - I chose the WF2F Hi Floater, and it works great with the rod. Throwing dries, dry dropper rigs, and small streamers is a piece of cake, but wind can make things tougher. For 20' wide mountain brookie streams, it's perfect for me. This rod throws a 4wt line pretty well too, but I usually just use the 2wt line. It easily throws 30 to 40' casts if needed.

This rod packs down to a very small package, but you'll likely have to make a tube for it. It came with a rod sock only.

Finding a reel light enough for the downlocking reel seat that'll balance the rod is another issue. I use a TFO BVK "0" reel on it (2.1 oz) that balances perfectly, and matches the color of the blank. This combo feels almost weightless, but it easily has the backbone to handle larger fish. A 14" trout would be easily handled with this rig.

A 6'6" rod has turned out to be a good compromise for tight, brushy streams, and more open brookie streams. If the water you normally fish is more open, a longer rod would be a better choice. I own 6', 6'6", 7', and 7'6" rods to choose from when fishing mountain streams, but the 6'6" has been a good compromise for me if I don't know what I'll run into.

Of course, YMMV.

 

[sandfly]

you all need to practice casting if you think you need to over line, or you can't cast a small streamer you are wrong.. I do all the time with no effort. bushy flies no prob. I challenge anyone to come and fish a day with me and learn. there are very little differences between a 3 wt and 2 wt. sorry its the truth. most small streams are in the woods and the breeze is broken by the bushes and trees..

 

[Chaz]

I use a 4 weight 7'6" loomis rod for most of my fishing. It's light and versatile, and I don’t have to over line it, it will cast streamers as well as it casts dries. It’s a 3 piece so if I’m flying somewhere it’s got to go in my big bag. A 20 foot wide stream is a good sized stream, maybe large enough to cause you to think about the short rod length and get a longer rod.

 

[shademt]

thanks for the opinions. appreciated.

 

[denovich]

If you really want to go light, go tenkara... for small streams it excels. Packs lighter, smaller than any other credible option and it's fun too. I think the Nissin ProSpec 2-way is the best small stream rod for the money. But if you want to get your feet wet, the Kitoyaki 27 is cheap and is still a delight to fish. I fish with conventional fly rods too... I use the right tool for the job. For brookies, tenkara can't be beat.

I bought most of my rods from Chris Steweart at
http://www.tenkarabum.com/

 

[salmonoid]

I don't have any 2wt rods but start my quiver at a 3wt, 6'6" 6 piece. It is fine for brookies and I also landed a 21" brown on it one night. So a smaller rod will do in a pinch for the occasional big fish. I don't care about the pack weight so much as I do the rod tube length. I often end up carrying an 8wt now if I know I am going to be targeting night time browns. Probably if I was forced to live with one all-around small stream rod, I would go with a 4wt, 7'6" rod in 4 pieces. But I usually target two distinct types of fish while I am backpacking - dinks and bruisers. Take away the latter and the smaller rod would be fine.

 

[BrookieChaser]

I have a 6'3" 3wt and it is great on brookie streams. It will handle a 14" fish.

The only downside to it is bow and arrow casting a long distance.