How light is too light?

[Mariner]

I started fly fishing with an 8wt. Years later I moved to a 6wt. and found it a blast. I picked up a short progressive action 4wt. and have so much fun and lose so few fish with it that I use in on all but the largest western rivers. I've been fishing with a guy with a sweet TFO 7'6" 3wt. and it's a blast too.

So when I move to PA in two weeks I was thinking about buying myself a parting gift of a new rod. If four is fun and three is a blast why not go for zero? Has anyone tried any of the super light Sages or others?Sage's Page Would a rod like that be practical on PA waters?

See you soon!

 

[MKern]

For most situations here in Penn's Woods a 4 wt is outstanding.

If you are looking for a small moutain stream rod a range os possibitities and oppinions are sure to come.
I'll start:

I love my 6' 6" 2 wt. and wouldn't go any smaller than perhaps a 6' 2 wt. There are stream where my 7'6" 4 wt. is better suited and I will use that.

Some will say that they love their 9' 5 wts., but IMO to get the full experience of brookie fishing the 2 wt. is king.

I personally would never spend the money on the over hyped 0 wts. A lot of money to spend for a rod that doesn't do much casting. (more like bow and arrowing, or tossing and flicking)

But hey, my philosophy is and always will be; if you have the money and really want something you should treat yourself. Everybody needs to buy themself something every once in a while.

 

[pete41]

Depends on
A.how young and agile you are
B.if you don't take yourself to seriously
When I was in my 20s[in the 60s]
I fished all the prime Pa. trout streams with a 5 foot and a 6 foot custom bamboo rods[$35 and $50].Old weights about HEH but don't remember.I had an absolute blast-those 2 rods could do it all.Fun,fun,fun-
Moved to Montana and forget it-6,7,8 wts. because of wind and river size but to this day I am convinced the Pa. angler [except steelhead ] is over gunned above 7 foot.
All this talk about needing the long rods for nymphing,yeah right sure you do.9 foot rod to catch 12 inch trout-something wrong with that picture.lol

 

[chstrcntyfish]

I just bought a 7' 3wt. today. It seems like the perfect dry fly rod. I haven't fished with it yet, only casted it in the yard, but I noticed that when I was fishing tricos with my 8' 6" 4wt. that I didn't have the control of my little fly. My rod was just too big. I bet I'm gonna have some good fights with it too

 

[JackM]

I don't see how the length of rod has anything to do with the size of the fish sought. I use 9 foot rods in 6,5 and 3 weights and for me, it is the perfect rod length on all except the exceptionally narrow creeks, which I don't fish much anymore.

 

[pete41]

and your 8mm magnum and 10 guage are ideal for deer and turkey unless your up in Potter county where something heavier is needed??
Teto
9 foot 8wt. seemed in balance to me.
81/2 for 6wt.
7 for 3
but thats me.

 

[JackM]

Comparing the length of a rod with the load or caliber of a firearm makes no sense whatsoever. A nine-foot three-weight and a seven-foot three-weight have the same stregth to play fish. You would have a better analogy by comparing the killing ability of a 10-guage with a wooden conventional stock to a 10-guage with a composite pistol-grip. They both Shoot the same ammunition. Like you said "but that's me," and with that I can fully agree.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Mariner,

I've been fishing an Orvis 1 weight since they existed and I've never felt it was not enough for me.

6X tippet is 6X tippet even if it is attached to 15 weight Spey rod, that is your limiting factor.

Please keep in mind though that when you fish light tackle to increase your enjoyment you also have the potential to severely impact the fish's chance at survival. If you can play a fish quickly and bring it to hand there is no reason you shouldn't use the lightest rod you want to use.

Also keep in mind that it is difficult to deliver a fly other than a small dry fly or nymph with a light rod. If tricos are hatching a 0 weight might be fun. If a sporadic Hendrickson hatch is coming off a 0 weight might not be your best choice.

On a side note, did you lose a bet? No real trout fisherman moves from Colorado to Pennsylvania on purpose. :-D

You'll find plenty of things to throw you 8 and 6 weights at though that you didn't often find in CO.

Welcome to our State in advance!

Regards,
Tim Murphy

 

[Mariner]

'Preciate the feedback as usual. I'll probably be asking a lot of dumb questions on this forum, e.g. "Really? Trout eat fireflies and Japanese beetles?"

TimMurphy-- the One Weight sounds sweet. A quick look on the web looks like there was an original One Weight in 6' and the new one is 7'6". I think either would be a blast.

As for survival rates, this never really crossed my mind. I've read that in warmer water conditions this could be an issue. I'd lose a lot of sleep if I lost a fish to my stupidity. I'll read up on this more, but so far I haven't met a fish that was either too big to horse in away from structure upstream with 5x or downstream with 4x. I know 6x is a different situation. Here in CO we're just really careful not to let a fish get downstream of us on 6x otherwise they can really hog out with the current. A lot of bank running and frenetic rowing as you can imagine.

I'll give my 4wt. a good trial run this summer on the Brandywine and my old haunts from when I grew up in that area.

As for the move out of CO, long story. Got out of the Philly 'burbs at 17 and have lived in Ireland, Alaska, and Colorado since. Moving back is part family, part work-related. I'm totally stoked about catching more browns, carp, smallies & shad.

If any of you have a trip on the radar to Western Colorado (Frying Pan, Roaring Fork, Crystal, Colorado, Gunnison, Green, Yampa, White Rivers) for fishing (or hunting) I've got the beat down. The green drake hatch is 15 miles downriver and I'm just going to catch the start of it when I rock out of here next week.

 

[dryflyguy]

I use a 8'6" 4 wght for the bulk of my fishing here. On the largest streams - the yough and the delaware - I go to my 9' 5 wght
But I have a 7'9" 2 wght that I use on small to mid size streams like spring and fishing creek, that I just absolutely love! It's my baby - it makes catching even a 6" trout fun
I also have a 6'6" 1 wght that gets used on just the tiniest streams, and it's OK for that. But it's pretty impractical to use anywhere else IMO

 

[wetnet]

I consider a rod too light when you start stressing fish out because it takes you too long to land them. It may be fun having a little fish put on a big fight but for me if it takes me too long to land a fish I feel disgusted with myself for needlessly stressing out a fish due to either my ineptness or because my tackle was too light.

 

[Padraic]

I've gone down a 2wt. I really enjoyed using it, although it does SERIOUSLY limit the way you fish. Imagine how irritating it would be to have your fishing buddy pull in one after another on a size 8 crowe beetle when you can't throw anything bigger than a 14. Yes... it happened.

As for landing fish on a 2 wt. I never felt I stressed a fish, but then again, I'm not afraid of putting a bend in a rod either. I have the Orvis 6'6" 2wt and that bends all the way down to the cork when you cast it. When you lean on a decent fish, you'll feel it.

I'd stick with a 3wt for versatility though.

 

[ian_brown]

I really like my 7'6" 3wt for dry fly fishing around here. I can't cast too far, but it's easy to make nice casts in close.

It's weird, but I seem to catch more fish with it than with my 5wt. I have no idea why.

 

[wetnet]

I'm not afraid to bend a rod either but was abit miffed that I didn't change my tippet to fish for smallmouth to start off. I had 5X trout tippet and a really decent bass. I knew if I hossed at all I would break off. It took me way too long to land that fish. When the net even got close off it went. Maybe it's just a girl thing. Don't want to hurt the little fishie but I really like to be efficient and get them to the net.

I won't mention launching creek chubs into the trees when I got my first tip flex rod. Poor Little guys!