Do I need a new rod? Especially in a 6 wt.

[Letort]

Title for attention. Answer is of course.

Specifically, I have multiple rods 2-5 weights that handle the bulk of my trout fishing. Everything from 7’ 2wt - 9 1/2’ 5 weights. For some reason, I have a psychological barrier to going over a 5 wt for trout.

However, I think I am ready to break through to a 6 wt. Because even my 5 wts would fall more into the dry fly category. I need something that I can swing weighted nymph rigs and heavy wooly buggers in early season water. And maybe some bass in the summer months.

I tend to prefer progressive rods v. Fast action, though for this application, I may need to rethink that.

So, do I need a 6 wt and which one?

 

[laszlo]

In my opinion I would skip the 6 wt and get a 7 wt. Your 5 wt should handle all your trouting needs but a 7 wt would get you into bigger fish like smallmouths and carp.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I agree on going to a 7w if your not looking for trout only versatility, and wanting something for heavier rigs + multi species versatility. In my mind a 6w is a western rod for tossing big foam hopper dropper rigs or casting an elk hair caddis in 45 mph sustained wind. A 7 weight is probably the best all around mulit species PA rod there is.

 

[dudemanspecial]

Also...what is your budget?

 

[tjsingle]

I'd go 7wt. That way it could double as a bass rod in addition to being a trout streamer rod. I personally like my Orvis Clearwater, its a dependable rod, and the warranty is awesome. I broke the tip last summer and Orvis sent me a new one in like 3 days.

 

[rancid waders]

Glass SuperFine, you won't be disappointed

 

[5footfenwick]

The heavier you go, the easier it will cast big flies. If you are gonna go full on jumbo streamers go big. If you are just gonna tinker with weighted wooly buggers get the 6 if that’s what you want. Keep in mind you get to pull this rod out every time the water comes up and off color. There should be a few times between early season high flow and summer bass to throw some streamers after thunderstorm and rain events.

~5footfenwick

 

[Swattie87]

Generally speaking, I like faster action the more weight I’m planning on tossing. So while my Brookie rods are probably medium to medium fast, and if you asked what action I like, this would be my answer, I do have two fast action rods though. One is a 10’ 5wt that I use on bigger Trout streams when I expect to by nymphing most of the day. It’ll toss a dry or a moderate sized streamer if need be, but nymphing weighted nymph rigs is what it does best. That extra foot of rod length is exponentially useful when nymphing.

The other is a fast action 9’ 6wt. I really like this rod and if you MADE me sell all my rods, and keep one, it’d probably be this one. It’s my primary WW rod, and I use it for streamers on big streams with Trout. One time, while suffering from brain flatulence, I grabbed this rod tube by mistake when heading out for a small stream outing, intending to fish dries. Yeah, it was too long, and faster than I’d like for that application, but it did fine, I caught fish that day.

Short version…a heavier rod will do light things better than a lighter rod will do heavy things, if that makes sense. A 9’ 6wt is a good all-around rod, and I’d lean that way. Unless your primary use of the rod will be nymphing, then I’d probably look at something longer. And it seems most of the 10-11’ “nymphing” rods are 3-5 weights.

If you’re looking at it as a warm water rod only, yeah get the 7 weight. From a guy who fishes WW with a 6 weight. Rods are all about compromises. Some guys like having one specific rod for each occasion. Downside to this is if stream conditions change, and you’re a couple miles from your vehicle, you’re fishing the rest of the day with the wrong rod. Or carrying two rods all day. Some guys value versatility and being able to do more than one thing with the same rod, even if there are better options available for each individual application. I’m more in the latter camp, FWIW. I have one or two sort of “dry fly specialist” Brookie rods that would struggle doing much else, but the rest of my rods all have more than one job.

 

[Swattie87]

One more nod to the 9’ 6wt. I don’t fish Green Drakes every year, but when I do, I fish them on the 6wt. Not one of my 5 weights. I also like it for Summer time Hoppers.

 

[poopdeck]

I have a st. Croix imperial 6 wt. I like it for chucking weighted streamers and poppers for stream bass. I skipped the 7 wt and went with two 8 wts for big river smallmouth fishing. I say yes you need a 6 wt. Since I never met a rod I couldn’t cast, I would not spend more than 200 on any rod so I’ll leave the rod recommendations up to others.

 

[BruceC2C]

Prob a common expression,
That I just heard, for first time, earlier today....

If u know the number of rods u own,
u DEF DO NOT, own enough...😎🍻

 

[nymphingmaniac]

its not what you need (1-2 rods) but what you want and can afford!

 

[Patroutfly]

Yes, 9’ graphite.

 

[Gibbon]

Buy a 6 wt this year and next year you can buy the 7wt. One can never have too many fly rods.

 

[Bamboozle]

...For some reason, I have a psychological barrier to going over a 5 wt for trout...

Funny thing, the line weight I fish most often at your namesake stream is a 6wt. Probably because my go to rods there for many, many years were a 8'6" 6wt Orvis Graphite Limestone Special and an 8'0" 6wt Leonard 50M. I fished these two rods EVERYWHERE for trout for decades.

I still own both of those rods along with the bamboo version of the Limestone Special plus a 9'0" 6wt Winston DL4 and even a 8'6" 7wt Orvis Bakelite from the 1940's and all get used regularly on trout, especially when I anticipate longer casts on bigger water.

Trout don't fear heavier lines, trout ANGLERS do... 😉

That being said, for warmwater, I prefer a faster action rod so none of these rods suits me or gets used for bass or sunfish. I own fast action rods in 6, 7 & 8wts and all are graphite and none get used on trout where I prefer moderate to slow action rods.

I'm really not a die hard streamer or heavy weighted nymph fisherman for trout more than a few presentations when called for at a particular creek so just about ANY rod I own will work. However on the occasions conditions or the stream dictates that streamers or multi weighted fly rigs is the way to go, my rod of choice is a vintage 8'6" 6wt Fenwick FF85-3.

 

[JeffK]

Tough choice. One view is that you can keep your rod arsenal more efficient by going up 2 sizes rather than one since one size up isn't that different. By this thinking a 7 wt is the answer. 7 wt will chuck bigger streamers and buggers IMHO and is a great smallie size. That said I built a fast 9' 6 wt for bonefish. Nice idea, but in practice always too windy to be comfortable with it. Last spring I brought it to the West Branch Delaware and had a great time using a 6 wt Triangle Taper line. Chucked dry dropper rigs well until the dries started in full and then could more readily get the distance I needed in the bigger pools. Fast helped in these situations. I agree with the sentiment that bigger and longer is helped by faster and that seems to be part of the void you are trying to fill. Except, lobbing heavy multiple nymph rigs in medium sized streams requires open loops (tight loops lead to a tangle) which is probably helped by a softer rod. Decisions, decisions

Being an old guy, I remember the 70's when the hot PA light fly rod was the Fenwick 756 - a 7 1/2' 6wt! Broke it out to fish the Little Lehigh tricos and it was surprisingly pleasant to fish. The nice slow action was accurate and dropped the line softly even though it was a 6wt. A fast stroke might slap the line, but the slow fiberglass action is sweet.

 

[Bamboozle]

...Being an old guy, I remember the 70's when the hot PA light fly rod was the Fenwick 756 - a 7 1/2' 6wt! Broke it out to fish the Little Lehigh tricos and it was surprisingly pleasant to fish. The nice slow action was accurate and dropped the line softly even though it was a 6wt. A fast stroke might slap the line, but the slow fiberglass action is sweet.

I was fishing my 1940's vintage 8'6" 7wt Orvis Bakelite at the Little Lehigh one winter afternoon when I saw some fish midging along the edges. I cut off my nymphs, changed my leader from short & heavy to long and fine and caught several of those fish on that 7wt on size 24 & 26 dry midges without missing a beat.

 

[wbranch]

In my opinion I would skip the 6 wt and get a 7 wt. Your 5 wt should handle all your trouting needs but a 7 wt would get you into bigger fish like smallmouths and carp.

I agree 100%. There is little you can't do with a #5 except throw big air resistant streamers. Go right to a #7 weight and you will have a solid rod for all but the biggest streamers. You will be able to use it for PA & OH steelhead with no problems. It will also be an ideal smallmouth rod for Clousers & poppers.