What length rods...?

[JasonC]

If you could buy 2 new rods, what lengths would you choose? Or would one length be versatile enough for something open like the Little Lehigh to the canopy-tightened Valley? And would 5wt be the magic weight for both dries and wets?

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Two rods = 7 1/2' 4 weight and 9' 5 or 6 weight
One rod= 8 1/2' 5 weight

 

[kobalt335]

It doesn't get more versatile than a 9ft 5wt. I prefer the 9 rather than the 8 1/2 simply because i enjoy longer rods, and i see no disadvantage to adding that length. So two rods I'd get a 7 1/2 to 8ft 3wt and a 9ft 5wt. You could do without the 3wt however and still be fine.

 

[JasonC]

Thank you. Was thinking of stretching out to possibly a 10' if I could only get 1 but I see how that could be a problem on small, choked streams.

 

[moon1284]

One rod? Give me an 8.5' 6wt all day.

Two Rods? 9 foot 6wt / 8 foot 4wt.

I hate 5 weights...

 

[Canoetripper]

I think that my next fly rod will be a 9' 7 wt.

I think that it will be a little bit better at casting two wooly buggers or clouser minnows than my two 9' 5 wt. fly rods into the wind where I fish.

I don't need it that bad if I can keep getting better with my current 9' 5 wt. fly rods. I am thinking that the heavier line weight will help. I am new to dual clouser minnows and kind of think that heavier line weight will get my casts where I need them to go, but I am not giving up just yet on more experience with my 5 wt. fly rods.

I think that I can get it done and make it happen. Clouser minnows are something new to me. I like that the hook rides up, but don't have enough experience with them yet with my 5 wt. fly rods.

I am starting the process with smaller clouser minnows to get this down first.

 

[pcray1231]

If I had to pick 2, it'd be a 9 ft 5 wt and a 7.5 ft 5 wt.


Valley is a tweener, not nearly as tight as most brookie streams, but not big open water either. An 8 or 8.5 footer is perfect for there. But neither the 7.5 ft nor the 9 footer will have you completely out of place.

Recommend 2 new rods, and you'll have 90% of your bases covered, rather than getting 1 tweener that isn't perfect for anything. If you want to add the tweener later, that's your choice. Getting them both in a 5 wt, remember, allows you to get away with only 1 reel/line combo. Just switch which rod it's on and change out the leader.

 

[ryansheehan]

A 10 foot 4 weight is my most used rod. Going to a 10 footer is one of the few gear switches that will actually help you catch more trout.

 

[3sip]

I fish a small class A that is 10 to 25 ft across. My 10.5 3wt i use the most. Second rod i use is a 8ft 4wt. I have a 6"2' 3wt and a 7.5 4wt. They are great for casting in tight quarters but are difficult to hook up with fish. You miss a lot of takes due to the shorter rod length. A longer rod will give you more control and leverage when setting the hook. I do fish a 9'6wt at night when I tend to catch larger fish.

 

[afishinado]

ryansheehan wrote:
A 10 foot 4 weight is my most used rod. Going to a 10 footer is one of the few gear switches that will actually help you catch more trout.

+1^