A Mess On My Hands?

I always go A line size over, have done it for the last 30 years, and I feel it helps me cast better. Give it A try like it is , you may just like it.
 
Too much thought and speculation has gone on in this thread already. Unless you are fishing really wide rivers or trying to cast an entire spool the overweight line will be a plus for loading the rod and casting.

I fish a six weight on my 5 weight rod and most of the streams I fish are less than 30 feet wide and cast less than 20 feet and I catch my fair share of fish.
 
Never too much thought and speculation if that's what you want to do. Unlike many, I commonly underline a rod up to 2 line weights. I also get into "trouble" with some of my casting instructor friends for advocating this since the common line of thinking is, "if a caster has a fast action rod they'll usually cast better by overlining the rod by one line weight." The reasoning here is that the heavier line will "slow" the rod a bit. This becomes a bit muddled by the fact that many of the lines offered today are line-and-one-half weights. I have always wondered how many ff'ers take this into consideration when purchasing a line.

If a caster (all ff'ers are casters, obviously) invests the time to develop sound casting mechanics he/she will have no problem casting a rod with a line weight range of +1 to -2 from what the rod manufacturer has indicated.

Also, I've been made aware that some manufacturers have deliberately marked a rod as a 5 wt. when it was actually a 6 or 7 wt. Logic would have someone believe that, if a rod is designed/rated based on casting "X" grains of fly line weight with 30' of fly line beyond the rod tip, if you have a lighter line weight it will take more length of fly line to reach that same weight; therefore, you should be able to cast a lighter line further. This holds true to a point.

I do my best to avoid buying/using heavy-for-weight fly lines and I will not advocate for nor promote them.

 
UncleShorty wrote:
Per the AFFTA Approved Fly Line Weight Specification a 5 wt line should fall within a range, in grains, from a low of 134 to a high of 146, with a sweet spot at 140. For a 4 wt the specs call for a range from 114 to 126, sweet spot at 120.

So it seems go me I've got a 5 wt line.

Having, in my considered opinion, never cast the rod with a 4 wt line I'm curious as to how it would perform.

So I guess the thing to do is buy a known 4 wt line, install it and throw it around some. If I like it, I keep it spooled up. If I don't I can re-install the 5 wt.

Or, just givin' it a tink... Xmas is coming, Santa could bring me a 5 wt 9 footer, a new reel, 100 yards of backing and a 4 wt line in a box.

That'd solve all my problems...
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Now that sounds like a plan.

The heavier line just means it loads better with less line out.

Worse case it will be a nice backup.

I have a total of three spools for the reel I use the most and have different lines on each spool. Actually, I have two identical reels and an extra spool. My trout fishing usually requires a couple hours or so on the road. One never knows when they need a backup. I also carry a backup rod in the car.
 
Logic would have someone believe that, if a rod is designed/rated based on casting "X" grains of fly line weight with 30' of fly line beyond the rod tip, if you have a lighter line weight it will take more length of fly line to reach that same weight; therefore, you should be able to cast a lighter line further. This holds true to a point.
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Yes, it is. That said, casting as far as I can is not my goal. My goal is getting maximum control at set distances, typically well under 30'.

I rarely cast 30' of line beyond the rod tip. Figure add a 9 foot leader on there, that's a 40' cast beyond the END of the rod. I'm not saying I can't cast that far. But my ability to manage drifts and effectively FISH at that distance is somewhat degraded. Meaning casting that kind of distance becomes a "by necessity only" type thing. It happens on occasion, when you get to that place where you can't wade out another inch and those fish are still way out there. But it's
 

There is misunderstanding by many anglers that magic happens at the 30' mark and a rod is properly loaded. 30' is really an arbitrary distance at which all fly lines are measured to standardize the fly line weight ratings.

Take a couple of strips of line in, and you change the weight of the line your casting from a 5wt to a 4wt, or let out some line and your casting the weight of a 6 wt line.

There are so many different rods with different tapers and materials yielding many different actions and flex, not to mention how rod length changes the whole equation when casting.

Add to that so many casters with so many different abilities and casting styles as well as likes and dislikes.

Further, add so many types of fishing situations, conditions, leader type and length, added weight as well as terminal rigs used and types of flies cast.

How about the difference in floating line, intermediate line, sink-tip line and full sinking line. They all may be the same weight, but none of them cast the same.

Not even to mention all the specialty lines made with a myriad of different tapers and head lengths.....you get the idea. There are so many variables to consider.

With all these variables, it is best to chose a rod that is versatile and can work in a large variety of conditions and type of fishing you do. And don't get locked in to only using the line weight printed on the rod, try over or underlining or maybe a different taper configuration to meet your needs.

Another thing, while I am aware that just about all the line manufacturers market a half weight heavier line as a choice, I'm not aware that any line manufacturer is overweighting their standard lines and labeling them a lighter weight rating.

 
I'd just send it back and get the correct line.
That way you'd at least have peace of mind knowing which line designation you have.
Make sure they give you the "model" name of the line you're receiving.
 
I am just wondering why anyone would go through all that trouble just to be unhappy.

Uncleshorty - if your not satisifed with the online dealer - see if you can return it for a full refund. Than take your money and purchase what you really want. If not put the setup on this website and see if anyone is interested.
 
I'm not really unhappy, just curious.

The engineer in me wants things to "meet the spec". The rod casts well enough, but how would it cast if the set up was known to be correct? Would it make a difference? Is one set up better than the other?

It would seem that the line weight should be determinable with the right testing method.

I'll contact the guy and see what he has to say. But that short circuits the learning process and won't stop me from wanting to solve this "problem" on my own.

Damn engineers just can't let anything go...
 
UncleShorty wrote:
I'm not really unhappy, just curious.

The engineer in me wants things to "meet the spec". The rod casts well enough, but how would it cast if the set up was known to be correct? Would it make a difference? Is one set up better than the other?

It would seem that the line weight should be determinable with the right testing method.

I'll contact the guy and see what he has to say. But that short circuits the learning process and won't stop me from wanting to solve this "problem" on my own.

Damn engineers just can't let anything go...
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The "correct" line for the rod is the one the casts best for you. If the line is too heavy strip in 4 feet and the rod will turn into a 4wt.
 
UncleShorty wrote:

Damn engineers just can't let anything go...
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True, but buying a farm does help. ;-)

Another thing that helps is using old antique stuff that has no markings. I rebuild it and then just try different lines until I find one that feels good.

But I'm back to using the plastic rods for awhile and I carry some of that T&E engineering over.

 
Please understand that you don't have to fix everything. (this is a male thing) Sometimes it's best to let up and enjoy life.
 
The rod casts well enough, but how would it cast if the set up was known to be correct?
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At the same distance? The 5 wt will feel a touch slower and heavier, and the 4 wt faster and lighter.

But we're talking a "touch". i.e. the 4 wt at 30 ft will feel awfully similar to the 5 wt at about 25 ft. And you'll be able to cast both lines just fine from about 10 to 40 ft.

As for what the "best" is. If you are going to more often play in the bottom end of that range, the 5 wt is better for you. If you are gong to play more often in the top end of that range, the 4 wt line is better. So...

Would it make a difference?
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Yes, but it's pretty minor.

Is one set up better than the other?
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Most likely, yes, but again, only slightly, and which one is better depends how you intend to use it. The proper "spec" isn't necessarily the better one, for you.
 
If you are just beginning, I don't think the higher weight line will make a difference. I have a 10' 4WT Clearwater on which I use 5 WT line. It casts a little farther for me using this line. I would imagine if you are more proficient you will notice the line weight variation. I might use the line difference as a way to get more goodies from the vendor, but I don't think you'll find having a heavier line will impact your fishing. Is the 4 wt line more expensive than 5 wt?
 
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