line wt question

[FrankTheTank]

Im looking to buid myself a new rod and have some question about line wt. Ive been fly fishin for a few years but im only 19 and im the only one in my family that fly fishes. I fish small trout streams mostly in adams co. an i was wondering a good line wt. Im looking for a good short light rod for fishing mouuntain streams in the woods. but i dont want to go to light so that i cant cast streamers.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jayL]

Frank,

Welcome to the board.

You will find that nobody can agree on what the best line weight is for small stream trout fishing.

Some people prefer light lines because they correspond with small, light rods.

Others, myself included, prefer a heavier line on a shorter rod for most small streams. The heavier line is easier to cast short distances, and can be punched into a tighter loop. A 5 or 6wt line on a 4 or 5wt rod is best for this IMO.

Some also prefer longer rods with lighter line, replacing traditional casting with reaching and dapping, as well as bow and arrow casts.

You have many choices, but I would say get a 7.5 or 8ft 4 or 5 wt and fish it with one line size up.

Edit:

Here is one of the threads on this topic.

 

[pcray1231]

Welcome to the board. You'll get a lot of different answers.

Personally I like a heavier line and faster rod on tight mountain streams, as I quite often have to punch a cast through some tight spots and delicacy is usually not an issue. I fish a 5 wt. rod with 6 wt line. Overlining a rod often makes it easier to load at short distances. Rod wts. are rated at a certain distance (30 feet I think). So if the rod is rated as a 4 wt, and you're only casting 10-15 ft, a 5 wt line may actually be the "proper" load.

I am in the minority, though, on the heavier line wt thing. There are lots of folks who like their 2 and 3 wts, and 4 wt is probably the most popular for this style of fishing. Personally I reserve those types of set ups for delicate type fishing, such as midges or tricos on larger, more fertile creeks. In the end its just what you enjoy.

For small streams, keep it short. Most would agree on this. Probably between 7 and 8 ft would be good.

Jay,

For solely bow and arrow casting, a longer rod with a HEAVIER line is better, combined with a short leader.

 

[DGC]

Cheap graphite 7 or 7.5 ft for 4/5 is what I use but I am a average caster. I like cheap because I probe brushy or grassy areas for snakes before walking through, and because there are simply many models of that size that are good quality yet at reasonable prices. My current favorite is a $40.00 Browning that has served me well for 20 years.

 

[bikerfish]

it really depends on the type of small stream you are fishing, I know some small streams where an 8ft rod is nice to have, I fish others that I use a 6ft rod on. is the stream choked with brush and limbs or fairly open to allow regular casting?
as for line wt, a 5 or 6wt line on a 4 or 5 wt rod is what I usually use. I have a 3 wt, but I find it hard to cast streamers of any size.
plus most dry flies you use on small streams are big bushy attractor types, take a little heavier line and rod to punch them through any kind of wind.
I know a lot of folks that LOVE the eagle claw yellow glass rods for small streams, action is a little slower than graphite, but they are cheap(20 bucks!) and available at most walmarts. I think they come in 6' through 8' sizes in 4 or 5wt. the glass rods really let the fish show off a little as well. just my 2 cents worth.

 

[dryflyguy]

I use a 7'9" 2 weight rod, paired with a 3 weight line for smaller streams
The action is great, but I don't fish many brushy steams.
If I did, I would probably move up to a 3 or 4 weight rod

 

[maxima12]

how about a 6 footer, 2 piece, 3-4 weight. small mt. streams. now in central pa we have mt. streams, but when i think small mt. streams i am thinking brook trout. Small rod with a long leader. no need to throw line. casts of ten to fifteen feet. Easily carried through the woods, light, effortless casting. Great fly presentation. small stream fishing usually means a mile at least of fishing. moving from hole to hole. watching, stalking, sneaking. Done that lots of times. usually you can buy an old bamboo and crank it down to what they call a banty. bamboo makes a nice stick to fish with. just make sure the tip is straight. a nice cigar handle, nice red wraps, good guides, smooth operator.

nothing worse on the small ones is getting more trees than fish.

best regards---------p s don't forget some salt, pepper, butter and a small fry pan to enjoy the best pa has to offer.

 

[troutslammer]

6' leader , 7'6" 4wt with a 5wt dt line , wish the rod was a 7 though but i can reach the far banks better with the 7'6" i guess its a catch 22 here , and looks like jayl and i agree on somthing here ...lol

 

[jcspey]

i also fish adam co.

when i fish small creeks and stream brushy or open, my go to rods are a 8' 5/6 with a 5 wt. line for the open areas and for streamers. My other rod is a 7'6" 4/5 weight with a 5 wt rio Lt trout line on it.
Just my 2 cents.

jcspey

 

[Bruno]

6ft 3wt for bushwackin - I love that little rod. Lee Wulff always fished a 6ft rod from what I have read.

 

[troutslammer]

1 size up in line-rod weight , in double taper on a small rod/stream set up

 

[skiltonian]

I like shorter, lighter line weight rods for real small stream (but I'm pretty good at casting) I use a 6' 2wt and plan to get a 1 wt (not that I can afford one :-? cause I want a Sage TLX) for this year. Here's a link for good, affordable blanks for you to consider:
http://www.dorber.com/flyrodblanks.html

Which BTW I plan to build their 10' 1wt into an UL indicator rod (not for small streams though)