Streamer/nymph Rod advice?

[Redfin]

I have not fished streamers much at all for past few years, and I have been tying up a bunch to use this season.
Buggers, slump busters, sparkle minnows, zoo cougars, old school patterns too. Mostly size #4 through #10 streamers, both weighted with lead and or cones/beads.
Nothing crazy.

And I love to nymph fish usually with small indicators and often fish tandem.

I fish little j, bobs creek, yellow creek and anything in between. I also wouldn't mind doing some smallmouth fishing with the fly rod also using streamers and similar this year.

So with this in mind I would like to get a new stick. And gear it towards this type of fishing mentioned above.

I have not tried but I'm don't know if my 8.5 5wt is going to handle this very well?

Can you guys offer me advice on the right Rod weight?

I will probably stick with a 9ft length for this. I was thinking of looking for a faster rod action also.
Want to stay under $250 for the rod. Thanks guys!

 

[Redfin]

How are the orvis clear water rods? I see they are a fast action. And Well priced.

 

[kobalt335]

Your rod should handle this fine, but the best way to find out is to try it. You may also want to look into getting a 6 wt instead of having 2 5wts that are about the same length.

 

[krayfish2]

Here's 2 that come to mind that will fall in your budget

Echo ION
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Echo-ION-XL-Fly-Rod-9-6-WT-/201734305096?hash=item2ef84d3548:g:fQkAAOSw-0xYP6Vu

Custom TFO
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Temple-Fork-Outfitters-TiCrX-9-6wt-Fly-Rod-Custom-Built-for-You-TFO-/272478958517?hash=item3f7102f3b5:gHsAAOSwKIpWCueq

 

[Redfin]

So you guys think a 6 wt.

What about the 4 pc. All the rods I have been looking at are 4pc. My fly rods are all 2pc.
have even gone from 2pc to 1pc in my spinning gear. Why so many 4pc fly rods rods? I have not bought a fly rod In years and it seems that many are 4pc now.

 

[ryansheehan]

Two things, first if you love to nymph get yourself a ten foot rod and use the 8.5 foot 5 weight to streamer fish. If you are using an 8.5 foot rod to nymph a 10 footer will catch more fish right away. Your line management will instantly improve. As far as four pieces versus two I have some of both. 4 piece is much easier to transport only drawback is there are 2 extra connections to worry about. I don't even think about it anymore but when I got my first 4 piece I did for a little bit. Last, whatever you decide on, get a better rod off the swap forum, nothing wrong with the rods Kray suggested but there are some steals on this sight, maybe even post a WTB.

 

[Opie610]

Take a look at the Echo Shadow 2. It's a hybrid of sorts and I love mine. Great nymphing rod , also throws a streamer and dry pretty well.

 

[Redfin]

Thanks for the advice.
And Ryan,
I will check out the swap. I bet that longer rod would help my nymphing . I sometimes get funny with too long of a rod especially the size of the streams I normally fish. It seems to be more of a pain than a help sometimes. I cut my teeth on a 7.5 footer. It served me well on my normal waters.

 

[724flyfishing]

I'd suggest looking into a 9'6" or 10' 7wt. It can do everything a 6wt will do and then some. It's a little overkill for trout but a nice rod/line combo can still present a dry fly ok in a pitch. It will effortlessly launch just about any size streamer all day and it works well for big tandem nymph/split shot/indicator rigs too.

I read on here one time someone suggested to skip a weight when buying a new set up to go up or down because two consecutive weights are too close to really justify needing both. In other words you're really not gaining much over your 5wt's by getting a 6wt, so opt for a 7wt. If you had 4wt's, then a 6wt would be a good jump up in capabilities where 4 and 5's are pretty close. It made sense to me anyways. I myself use 4wt's for most of my trout fishing and 7wt's for streamers and anything else.

 

[afishinado]

ryansheehan wrote:
Two things, first if you love to nymph get yourself a ten foot rod and use the 8.5 foot 5 weight to streamer fish. If you are using an 8.5 foot rod to nymph a 10 footer will catch more fish right away. Your line management will instantly improve. As far as four pieces versus two I have some of both. 4 piece is much easier to transport only drawback is there are 2 extra connections to worry about. I don't even think about it anymore but when I got my first 4 piece I did for a little bit. Last, whatever you decide on, get a better rod off the swap forum, nothing wrong with the rods Kray suggested but there are some steals on this sight, maybe even post a WTB.

^ agree with Ryan. You said in your OP that you nymph quite a bit and fish Yellow and the LJ. Fishing a 10' rod when nymphing makes a world of difference. It's my go-to rod in every trout stream or river I fish with the exception of streams narrower than the rod.

Also, the longer rod means a longer casting stroke > easier to cast overhand and lifts more line on a roll cast. Not to mention easier to mend and reach. So it improves your dry fly fishing capabilities as well as nymphing.

 

[Chaz]

I have enough rods that when I'm on the water whatever rod is in hand can be used for nymphing.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I'd go with a 9ft 6wt for streamers. Can tie a nymph on with streamer as well have had a lot of success with that.

 

[ryansheehan]

I use my 10 footer on small streams all the time. All I can say is try one. I'm not a fan of needing the latest and greatest rods, most of the rod changes won't lead to alot more fish, a longer stick will. Better drifts, easier mends, more line control all greatly out weigh any hassle.

 

[ryansheehan]

Chaz wrote:
I have enough rods that when I'm on the water whatever rod is in hand can be used for nymphing.

I disagree, this is not the best way to approach rod selection for any type of fishing.

 

[Dave_W]

While I like my short fly rods...I'll certainly agree with those who have made the case that a longer rod in the 10' range will improve your nymph fishing.

I'll also second those who have recommended that you step up a weight and go for a 6WT. A long 9-10' 6WT rod makes an excellent streamer rod as well as a good stick for nymphing, especially on big waters during heavier flows, such as one might expect on the Little Juniata in April. A 6WT will aslo do well for smallmouth bass. It's a bit on the light side for bass, but if you're mainly a trout guy, stick with the 6WT.

Fly rods have been getting longer, faster, and lighter for years and they feel different than a generation ago. The days when multiple piece rods were associated with poorer performance have also largely come to pass. Four pc rods today perform very well - at least as well or better than 2 pc rods a generation ago (at least, I can't tell much difference, but then again, I'm not super picky about fine shades in rod characteristics).

This thread will be moved to Gear Talk shortly.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[troutbert]

Redfin wrote:
So you guys think a 6 wt.

What about the 4 pc. All the rods I have been looking at are 4pc. My fly rods are all 2pc.
have even gone from 2pc to 1pc in my spinning gear. Why so many 4pc fly rods rods? I have not bought a fly rod In years and it seems that many are 4pc now.

The move from 2 pc rods to 4 pc rods has mainly to do with airline travel.

A 4 piece rod packs in a short case, and the airlines will let you carry it onboard.

With a 2 piece rod, many of the airlines will ask you to check it, i.e. it goes in the cargo bin.

 

[afishinado]

Redfin wrote:
So you guys think a 6 wt.

What about the 4 pc. All the rods I have been looking at are 4pc. My fly rods are all 2pc.
have even gone from 2pc to 1pc in my spinning gear. Why so many 4pc fly rods rods? I have not bought a fly rod In years and it seems that many are 4pc now.

Mainly for the reason Troutbert stated in the above post, the vast majority of anglers prefer 4pc rods. 2pc rods are easier to manufacture (2 less ferrules) than 4pc, but many rod companies don't even make 2pc rods because there is little demand for them.

In the shop we had 2pc rods sitting on the rack unsold for months and more than a year in some cases. They were displayed right next to the equivalent 4pc rods, and the 2pc rods were actually cheaper! The rods finally had to be sold at a deep discount to move out.

 

[Redfin]

Thanks for the great advice guys!

 

[ChesCoAngler]

I bought a 10' 5 wt Douglas DXF last year and have found it to be really versatile on larger water. The 10' makes it great for nymphing, and it has a pretty solid backbone for chucking streamers. I don't get into 6" articulated stuff, but if you are, a 6 wt might be a better option.
I used it on the upper Delaware last fall and it fished nymphs and streamers very well. The last day we had some trico and bwo surface action and I was more amazed at how well it did casting those light dries, and you had to put your fly out there on those flat runs to not spook them. That rod still has pretty good feel for its length.
If you go with a 10' rod, make sure it's not too stiff.