Cablela's Clear Creek 5'6" 4wt and Cabela's Three Forks Stockingfoot hip wadersw?

[Buggy]

I just ordered a pair of Cabela's Three Forks Stockingfoot hip waders from Cabela's. I opted to pick up the delivery from the store because I only live a 1/2 hour away. They don't have the waders in stock at the store so the return process will be easier if there is a dislike for the waders.

Two weeks ago I was at Cabela's and they had a few 5'6" 4 WT Clear Creak Rods. I was planning to purchase this rod when I picked up my waders. The sales person told me this rod is made from a St Croix blank. The rod is $99 and I think it would be useful for the small streams I fish 75% of the time.

I curently have an 9' 8wt fiberglass Shakespear I use for largemouth on lakes. I have a 9' 6wt Temple Fork Outfitters Lefty Kreh Signature I use on medium to large waters for trout. I have a 7'6" 4wt St Croix Pro Graphite that I use for small streams and dry fly fishing.

I realy like my 7'6" rod but it is difficult to maneuver in tight areas. Does anyone use a 5'6" for small streams? Do you feel that reducing two feet will be helpful in the Rhododendrun choked streams I like to fish?

Thanks for your suggestions on the short rod.

 

[MKern]

I have a 6 footer, and absolutely love it.
I love teh way a 8" brookie feels tugging on the end.

 

[2bonthewater]

I just purchased a 6'6" loomis, 3 wt to fish all those tiny streams.....I also looked at the cabelas rod and LL Beaner makes a small rod also........I am certain it will be a worthwhile investment....all those hanging branches you clipped with the rod while setting the hook or playing fish will no longer be clipped.....I have been using a 7 foot 3 wt, but is at times tough to maneuver when in tight cover..............I might even try the LL Beaner tiny rod down the road...........the tough part is finding a reel light enough to somewhat balance the rod out..........

so, I would say the smaller rod would help in the tight rhodendrum choked streams of Schuylkill County and elsewhere

 

[tomgamber]

I built a 6 ft 2/3wt for the same reason...does it come in a 2 or 3 wt...4wt might come in handy of you have to roll the shorter rod but I usually don't have a problem with mine...Sometimes the longer rod is better wen you just need to reach but anything to lessen the likelihood of a tangle with the bushes if you are a Klutz like me...

 

[David]

I bought a JP Ross 36T in a 7'6" 3 wt that I love for my small stream fishing. I had a shorter rod, but I then found there were just as many time I needed a little bit more length to lift the fly above the bushes. The rod is very wispy, so it is fun with the Brookies. I believe it was right in that price range (It has been several years - I know he had some in that price range.) I had issues with a subsequent purchase from him, but to his credit he made amends. I bought a G Loomis Adventure 3 reel for another $100 to put on the 36T and, although the set up is one of my least expensive outfits, it is one of my favorites. He will even personalize the rod with your name on it (not that I'm into vanity, but I think it's pretty nice.)

 

[brookie]

I used to think that a very small rod would be benificial for small streams with lots of brush and such, but I now think that it would not be. When on small streams that are brush choked I dont really do much traditional over the head casting, I mostly use bow and arrow casting and then roll casting. I find that the longer the rod is the further you can shot the line and the more accurate and easy it is to roll cast. The only down side to having the longer rod is that carrying it can be cumbersome with all the branches and such snagging while you trying to walk, but other than that I find fishing with it far more accurate and effective.

 

[gzacckey]

brookie has a good point. On certain tiny streams a longer rod is better for all the reasons stated.

I do fish certain tiny (3 to 10 ft.) streams with a 5' 2wt. and it's a blast to catch tiny brook trout on this outfit. You rarely stand in the water but there are times and streams where you can get in the water or on the bank (mostly on your knees) and cast under the canopy with a short rod. It's just another fun way to catch a fish. It's takes 10 minutes to slowly get into position for one or maybe two casts. Then it's off to the next pool.

Also, don't be afraid to cast over branches, bushes or rocks to control your line. You only need a short drag free presentation and the fish are usually tiny enough not to break you off before you get control of your line.

 

[pete41]

If I still fished Pa. I would feel a 5 ft. 2wt. and a 6 ft 3wt. would be all I needed for stream fishing as it was all I needed back in the 60s and I doubt the either the streams or trout are any bigger or meaner now.
Go West or steelheading a different matter.Why the 9 footers for Eastern streams puzzles me-must be a macho thing or could be too limp wristed to high stick a sixfooter?lol

 

[ian_brown]

While you're at the store, compare the cabelas rod to the TFO Series one in a similar weight and size. The TFO is the same price, and I thought loaded more easily.

Pete - I can throw a streamer on my 3 wt, but it's easier and more effective with my 8'6" 5 wt. Also, would you really choose to high-stick a midsized PA stream with a 6 foot 3 wt instead of a 9 foot 4 or 5 wt? If so, why?

 

[brookie]

just my opinion, but I really do not see any advantages with using a shorter rod other than it being easier to carry and easier to feed the leader and line through while setting up. As far as it being macho to use a longer rod, I think it is actually less "macho"
because with a 5 or 6 ft rod it takes more energy and force to cast the line with any distance and as far as shooting the line using bow and arrow techniques it would be even harder to do so with a short rod.

 

[gzacckey]

I'll go along with brookie on the macho thing. It's definitely more macho to try and cast farther with a smaller rod.

My 6.5' 3wt. is currently my favorite rod but when the wind picks up, or the Tully is running high high I go for my 9' 5wt. It's simply using the right tool for the right job.

 

[pete41]

Just having a little western fun-no offense meant but I kid you not-back in the 60s smaller rods were in and NO one seemed to mind using them or feel they were undergunned-
8 foot rods were politely snickered at.
Glass and bamboo are both quite a bit heavier than graphite so the longer rods were not a pleasure to use.
However if you haven't tried a 4wt. 7 footer- you might be surprised how much more fun they are then you may have been led to believe.
6 footers make it more of a challenge to position but a real blast when you hook a five pound Letort hopper eater.

 

[mattmask]

i tried my buddies small 6 foot fly rod out the other day. I disliked it and found it difficult to mend, even though the longer rod is inconvienent on small streams i feel like i have much more control over the line and fly. Its all about feeling comfortable with the rod.

 

[Buggy]

Thank you for all your input on the short rod. I know it will be a challenge adapting to a new rod. A friend offered to give me an old 6' Fenwick rod. I will give the Fenwick a try but it won't be comparable to the Cabela's Clear Creek. I am sure the Fenwick is fiberglass which will add to the chalenge of adapting to a new rod.

 

[tobewan77]

I have the 5'9" streamlight 3 wt from LL Bean. The rod is a nice sweet rod. I actually have used a 4wt DT line on it because i already had the line for another small 4 wt rod and didn't feel like purchasing another line. Works really well on tiny class A brook trout streams. Honestly if you're mending more than 35' of line with it you're probably trying to do too much with it. You can certainly cast out and past that with it but it's really meant for close in fishing.

I have a battenkill Bar Stock reel on it and it balances very well.

I think the small size does help on the small streams. For any type of cast it just stays out of the way better.

 

[RLeeP]

>>Go West or steelheading a different matter.Why the 9 footers for Eastern streams puzzles me-must be a macho thing or could be too limp wristed to high stick a sixfooter?lol>>

In the Upper Midwest on the meadow spring creeks, there's 2 ways to fish because many if not most of the streams are framed in high grass. You can either go with a very short rod and make relatively short casts within the open channel or you get a 9 footer so you can get a backcast over top of it all. It has next to nothing to do with stream size.

 

[RLeeP]

I've ben thinking about buying a pair of the Three Forks waders and having the nice Korean lady who does my wifes cleaning and alterations convert them into a pair of waist highs for me. That 420 denier material is tough stuff and right up my alley the way I tend to stumble and find all the loose barbed wire laying on the banks. I go through a pair of conventional breathable waist highs virtually every year.

If I were in PA, I'd do the same thing I think. I believe in waist highs these days.

 

[Fishidiot]

Short fly rods are a bit of an aquired taste. I happen to like them a lot and usually use a 5 ft 4WT for most of my spring creek and brookie stream work. If your game is high stick nymphing on mid size creeks or larger rivers a very short rod will obviously not work very well. I have built several rods for small brookie streams in the 3-6 foot length and really enjoy them. I'll typically cut down a 7' blank or use an ultralight spin blank to build extremely short rods. Of course, the best thing to do is borrow a short rod and try fishing it. You might also be able to try casting a short rod at the store.

 

[eballat]

I own the Cabela's Clear Creek rod in the 5'6" 4wt model, and i must say i absolutely love it for small class A streams. I bought it for two reasons. 1. Maneuvering: I found my 7'6" rod constantly getting tangled in the limbs of the hemlocks and laurels that grow along the edges of the streams at home and up at my cabin. 2. Hook Set: I found that with the 7'6" rod at times when really small brookies took my dry (like 3-4 inchers) i would litterally tear them from the water through the air with the twitch of my wrist-not much fun to me. With my Clear Water this doesnt occur nearly as frequently and when you do nail that occassional 10-12 incher he feels like a whale.

 

[Chaz]

When I first started fishing small streams I used a 9foot 6 weight rod because it was the only rod I had. Now a 7' 6" 4 wt. rod that's great. I won't go shorter, because it affords me the ability to cast with one backcast and 1 forecast. It also allows for a very quick pick-up of line and quick cast. I can rollcast 40 feet of line with it too.