Heavier line in tight streams ??
- Thread starter springer1
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pcray1231
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Yes. Rod weights are determined by the weight of line that properly loads it at a certain distance (30 feet?). If the majority of your casts are under that distance, then using, for example, a 4 wt line on a 4 wt rod is actually underlining it, and the proper load on that rod may be a 5 wt or even a 6wt line.
Personally, I do a lot of brookie fishing. My main brookie/tight brush rod is a 7 1/2 ft. 4/5 wt and I throw a 6 wt line.
Osprey is right too, leader adjustments also make a big difference.
Personally, I do a lot of brookie fishing. My main brookie/tight brush rod is a 7 1/2 ft. 4/5 wt and I throw a 6 wt line.
Osprey is right too, leader adjustments also make a big difference.
troutslammer
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what is the rod flex ? tip , mid , full ....?
pcray1231
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It depends on the stream, but for the most part, PA's little mountain brookie streams don't require much in the way of delicacy. Stealth, yes, but rarely delicacy.
osprey
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Honestly , i hate to repeat , but , unless you are independently wealthy and money is not an issue for you , before you shell out , what $50 anyhow for a new line , experiment with your casting technique and your leader set up , you have a wide range of compensation/adaptation , things you can make up for , with just minor changes in casting and leader. Learning as you go along is a big chunk of the overall fun of it. HAVE FUN!!!!
No doubt this is true, and fun to mess around with this stuff. Give it a try.
troutslammer
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no matter , what leader , or line or casting ability , some rods don't cast well in tight areas , there are rods made for specific situations , its in the flex of the rod , how much of a back cast it takes to load it properly , yes tapered leaders will work better etc , but most of it i think is in the rod flex
All true. One thing though, casting a heavier or lighter line weight on a rod will not change the "flex" of the rod. With heavier line the rod will load a little more at a shorter distance, and vice versa for light line.
I'm a big believer that a faster rod (but not super fast) works better in tighter casting areas, for me anyway. I can squeeze my line in tighter spots with the tighter loop resulting from a tip-action fast rod. Over lining with a fast rod in this situation may be an asset since it will load the rod a little more at a shorter distance. I agree with you Slammer that the flex of the rod is the flex of the rod. I really can’t give any suggestion how to tweak a full flex rod.
Osprey is correct that there are other things to tweak, especially your casting.
troutslammer
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exactly a fish, fast action tip flex rods are made for tight quarters , tighter loops - more accurate at short distances , for punching in brush or rocks , over lining a med. fast action rod will help a little but .., tapered leaders help too but they create drag for nymphing if that is the task at hand.
pcray1231
Well-known member
Agree with all points.
Stiffness or action: I favor faster action rods. Better for bow and arrow, and in backcasting you can throw tighter loops through smaller windows.
Leader/tippet: I tend to use a really short, fastly tapered leader, say 5' of leader material. I do add tippet, but change the length constantly. As long of tippet as I can get away with, but not longer. Sometimes, when I gotta throw really tight, we're talking a foot or so of tippet, but I'll go well above 3' if I can get away with it.
Length of rod: This is the tricky part for me. If it's wide open, big woods type area, I favor a longer rod for obvious reasons. If its just a little tight, say Hemlocks and such, I'll go a little shorter to make backcasting easier. If its really tight, and this is tricky, I'll actually go longer again, maybe 8'. You're not gonna backcast much anyway, and longer rods are clearly superior for bow and arrow casting.
Stiffness or action: I favor faster action rods. Better for bow and arrow, and in backcasting you can throw tighter loops through smaller windows.
Leader/tippet: I tend to use a really short, fastly tapered leader, say 5' of leader material. I do add tippet, but change the length constantly. As long of tippet as I can get away with, but not longer. Sometimes, when I gotta throw really tight, we're talking a foot or so of tippet, but I'll go well above 3' if I can get away with it.
Length of rod: This is the tricky part for me. If it's wide open, big woods type area, I favor a longer rod for obvious reasons. If its just a little tight, say Hemlocks and such, I'll go a little shorter to make backcasting easier. If its really tight, and this is tricky, I'll actually go longer again, maybe 8'. You're not gonna backcast much anyway, and longer rods are clearly superior for bow and arrow casting.
Thanks all, Lots of great pointers & I'm going to experiment with different leaders. Since I had a WF 5wt line available, i tried it and its a real improvement on this 4wt rod ! (Medium / fast - 8ft) I can't vouch for what others might experience but for my fishing which is tight with short casts it's a noticeable improvement.
AlwaysWading
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I wouldnt worry about the line itself, I would be more concerned with the length of the setup. Eight foot is a lot of pole for a small thin water stream. I have a couple shorter setups in the lighter weight for the smaller streams. I tend to worry less about fighting my way through the tight spots and having space available for doing more than a roll cast.
