Good Small Stream Rod

Why? I mean, for sure, it'd be for a specialist rod only. But if I had a 3 wt, and I expected that I'd never cast more than 10-15 ft on the day, then yes, loading it with 6 wt line is entirely reasonable. I've had such situations. Though, to be sure, even my more typical days on brookie streams involve casts up to 20 ft or so. 2 line weights seems more reasonable for most.

My "typical" brookie set up is a 6 wt line on a 4/5 wt rod. Yes, I've loaded 7 wt line on it once or twice, and it was the right decision for those situations.
 
Why do people spool mono on fly reels in the great lakes? Cause its easier. We like the challenge of fly fishing so like i said its only my opinion. We're talking about brookies here...you should be able to bash em up pretty good without the need for overlining by 2 or 3. I realize you do a lot of this fishing so yes it's more specific to you and if that's your deal go for it.

jeff
 
I appreciate all of your responses to my question. I did not realize that the rods were rated for 30 ft of line. This actually helps me understand, and makes sense now, as when I cast my 2 wt. in the yard, I generally cast more line than in practical application. No wonder it feels better in my yard than on the stream. I rarely make a 30 ft cast on the stream, so I really think I would benefit from overlining the 2 wt a bit. I will try a 3 and 4 wt line and see how it feels on shorter casts.
 
Why do people spool mono on fly reels in the great lakes?
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Drift. Casting is typically very easy on the tribs, you could do just fine with any set up. So with casting out of the equation, getting a perfect drift, and having a lot of sensitivity is the next step of importance. Hence, mono.

you should be able to bash em up pretty good without the need for overlining by 2 or 3
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Oh, I agree you can catch them without severely overlining. But by the same token, I don't see any advantage to not doing it if the situation calls for it. It's not like I go in with a preference to stay light but will go heavy only if I "have" to. There is no initial preference either way, every day is a blank slate.

I have 2 reels which cover all of my collection of 5 wts. Each has 2 spools, for a total of 4 line combinations I can choose. 4 wt, 5 wt, 6 wt, and 7wt. Merely a question which reel/spool I put on which rod each and every outing.
 
This actually helps me understand, and makes sense now, as when I cast my 2 wt. in the yard, I generally cast more line than in practical application. No wonder it feels better in my yard than on the stream. I rarely make a 30 ft cast on the stream, so I really think I would benefit from overlining the 2 wt a bit. I will try a 3 and 4 wt line and see how it feels on shorter casts.
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It will help, you're welcome. Try it out in the yard, it'll do better close in. But don't go casting those hero distances anymore, cause then it's overLOADING. At worst, you'll break the rod (that is doubtful, but I don't wanna be responsible). At best, your cast will fall apart at a shorter distance than it did before, and it'll feel like crap and you'll be tempted to go back. Remember, what happens at distances beyond where you'll fish are meaningless!

Yard casting is good practice, plus it makes the neighbors think you're weird (one of the perks). It's especially good if you give yourself obstacles and situations. Can I get put my backcast under this limb, then cast under that limb and hit the leaf there beyond it. Just do it at typical fishing distances. Take an old fly and cut off the hook. It is much more realistic than the piece of yarn trick, which tends to spin and float and twists up your line something terrible. And also remember that land based roll casts suck compared to what you can do on water.
 
Interesting thread. I agree with Pcray that rods can be overlined (and at times underlined) for better performance at certain distances and/or fishing conditions. One thing, the 30’ fly line thing is often misunderstood by many anglers. All fly lines are measured (weighed) where the taper begins out to the 30’ mark. That 30’ distance is only for the standardization of the test, and not necessarily the optimum casting distance of the rod (just like the 48 mph average speed in the mpg test is not necessarily the optimum speed for an automobile). Your rod should be able to cast more or less line well.

If you are casting a short distance, than overlining a rod may be a good option, but it really depends on the rod itself. A fast-action rod may perform better overlined, but a slow-action rod may not. I suggest you experiment a little to find the optimum line weight for your rod taking into account the type of fishing and casting you expect to do on a particular stream.

To further complicate things, since you can control the power application on your cast, a more aggressive or less aggressive speed-up and stop will have a similar effect on the loading of your rod as changing the line weight.

Long and short, play with it a bit to find the combination that works best for you and your rod.
 
I like yard casting, but I think it's a good idea to measure how far you are yard casting because a 40 ft cast looks much longer on a small trout stream vs your open yard. On small streams you will often catch fish at 15-30 ft, which looks like nothing in an open yard. If you set up your rod and line for fun 50 ft and longer yard casts, it wont be set up for the 10-30 ft casts you usually make on a small stream. On most pools in really small scale streams it is often impossible to use a 40 ft cast, youd cast past the start of a pool.


I often wind up overlining rods by one or two weights if I plan to use them on small streams.
 
afishinado wrote:
Interesting thread. I agree with Pcray that rods can be overlined (and at times underlined) for better performance at certain distances and/or fishing conditions. One thing, the 30’ fly line thing is often misunderstood by many anglers. All fly lines are measured (weighed) where the taper begins out to the 30’ mark. That 30’ distance is only for the standardization of the test, and not necessarily the optimum casting distance of the rod (just like the 48 mph average speed in the mpg test is not necessarily the optimum speed for an automobile). Your rod should be able to cast more or less line well.

If you are casting a short distance, than overlining a rod may be a good option, but it really depends on the rod itself. A fast-action rod may perform better overlined, but a slow-action rod may not. I suggest you experiment a little to find the optimum line weight for your rod taking into account the type of fishing and casting you expect to do on a particular stream.

To further complicate things, since you can control the power application on your cast, a more aggressive or less aggressive speed-up and stop will have a similar effect on the loading of your rod as changing the line weight.

Long and short, play with it a bit to find the combination that works best for you and your rod.
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I'll complicate this even more. You probably realize it but just in case, your rod will feel different casting it on the stream versus casting it on the lawn. Good Luck!
 
Rolf wrote:
afishinado wrote:
Interesting thread. I agree with Pcray that rods can be overlined (and at times underlined) for better performance at certain distances and/or fishing conditions. One thing, the 30’ fly line thing is often misunderstood by many anglers. All fly lines are measured (weighed) where the taper begins out to the 30’ mark. That 30’ distance is only for the standardization of the test, and not necessarily the optimum casting distance of the rod (just like the 48 mph average speed in the mpg test is not necessarily the optimum speed for an automobile). Your rod should be able to cast more or less line well.

If you are casting a short distance, than overlining a rod may be a good option, but it really depends on the rod itself. A fast-action rod may perform better overlined, but a slow-action rod may not. I suggest you experiment a little to find the optimum line weight for your rod taking into account the type of fishing and casting you expect to do on a particular stream.

To further complicate things, since you can control the power application on your cast, a more aggressive or less aggressive speed-up and stop will have a similar effect on the loading of your rod as changing the line weight.

Long and short, play with it a bit to find the combination that works best for you and your rod.
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I'll complicate this even more. You probably realize it but just in case, your rod will feel different casting it on the stream versus casting it on the lawn. Good Luck!
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:-o .......... ;-) :pint:
 
pcray:
First thing most do is strip out 60 feet of line and start hero casting. Well, guess what, there's one rod in the mix that's actually a 7 wt with a 5 wt sticker on it. And it feels FANTASTIC, much better than the other rods. Sold, and you go home with a 7 wt rod and saying, "boy, modern rods cast so much better than older rods". Till you get streamside and have to make a 10 ft cast with an underlined rod, anyway....
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ok, so I gotta ask...if you personally know this, then why do you buy rods only to overline them when you fish? Looks to me like you're doing exactly what you describe here, why don't you just get a 3/4wt that actually does load in close without having to overline it?
 
So, now we have lots of complicating factors (all valid). Summary.

Taper differences ensure that line weights cannot be standardized on a per foot basis. An agressive taper will vary more than a modest one. For instance, an agressively tapered 4 wt line at 10 ft might be equivalent to a flat 6 wt at 10 ft. At 50 ft, it may act more like a flat 2 wt line at 50 ft. While a more modest taper might will have a lesser differential, maybe a 5 wt in close and a 3 wt out far. A flat line should always act like what it says it is.

Ratings are merely "guidelines", not rules, and in the age of marketing are abused often. Not all rods nor lines are rated as they should be.

The rod itself can create the effect of a heavier line by being slower action, and vice versa.

The caster can create the effect of a heavier line by accelerating the casting stroke, and vice versa (I think we all instinctively know this one, even if we don't know we know it :)).

Any rod should be able to handle multiple line wts at multiple distances. i.e. a 5 wt will likely do just fine with anything from a 3 wt to a 7 wt line anywhere from 15-45 ft, any improvement at a specific distance is marginal.

Bottom line: Experiment with your equipment, at the distance and in the situations you expect to use it. Forget what's printed on the rod or line, go with what performs the best.
 
the short range at which you catch many trout on small streams can be surprising... I like these rio gold lines, they cast well and have a color change at 32 ft of fly line. allow for a leader, and the color change tells you your fly is about 40 ft away. on many small streams, you seldom make a long enough cast to see that color change.

http://www.flyfishohio.com/Rio_Gold_Fly_Line.htm

if you see that you are usually making casts of < 40 ft when fishing small streams, you can set up rods to yard cast well at < 40 ft for those small streams.
 
Update. I had a Batson 6.6 2 wt (although I'm using a 3wt and may even try a 4wt) made for me. Guy did a great job but didn't charge me are agreed upon price because he said the color of the thread bled due to his color preserver or something. Sends me pictures and all. I can't see a damn thing wrong. We agreed upon $190 but he says he can't charge me more than $100. Sends me the rod and I still can't see what he is talking about. Took the rod out for a spin Monday. Casts streamers well, nymphs and dries great. Best part, I didn't get stuck in one tree like I did with my longer rods. Even got some fish too. I couldn't send the guy only $100 bucks because I would have had to go to confession for stealing. So I split the difference and sent him more. Guy sends me an email and is extremely greatful for me being so generous. I'm thinking, I'm not the generous one dude. Anyway, guy is my rod builder for life. I highly recommend this rod if you are looking for a small stream rod.
 
I use a TFO Finesse 7'9" 3wt with an Allen Alpha 3/4.
 
Foxgap239 wrote:
Dano, the Batson blank was the eaxct one I was looking at. But I didn't know Sage had a 7' 4 wt. I may need to consider that one too.
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The Sage TXL has been redesigned and discontinued. The new rod is called the TXL-F. The short 4 weight is now 6' 10" long. It is also 4 piece. My older model is 3 piece. IMHO I REALLY don't see how they could have made the TXL any better.
 
orvis has a 1 wweight thats really light. im not sure the exact lengths but they have many models.
 
flyflinger7 wrote:
I use a TFO Finesse 7'9" 3wt with an Allen Alpha 3/4.
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How do you like the rod?
 
When I fish shorter fly rods, like under 8' I really like the feel and performance of fiberglass. There are lots of old glass rods around so if you can find one give it a try. Some of these are even in higher line weights like 5 or 6, something you don't find with graphite, but as mentioned you usually have to "line up" graphite for short casts. And in the glass realm I find the old shakespeare wonderrods to be pretty flexible (soft) and the Fenwick and Steffen to be a little quicker but still soft realative to g'phite.

Anyhow glass is just another way to skin the cat and it also makes a 6" fish feel bigger - try one they're a lot of fun
 
kbobb wrote:
When I fish shorter fly rods, like under 8' I really like the feel and performance of fiberglass. There are lots of old glass rods around so if you can find one give it a try. Some of these are even in higher line weights like 5 or 6, something you don't find with graphite, but as mentioned you usually have to "line up" graphite for short casts. And in the glass realm I find the old shakespeare wonderrods to be pretty flexible (soft) and the Fenwick and Steffen to be a little quicker but still soft realative to g'phite.

Anyhow glass is just another way to skin the cat and it also makes a 6" fish feel bigger - try one they're a lot of fun
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I have to agree with you, Fiberglass is FUN! I have several that I fish from time to time.
 
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