What size rod ?

[greenhead55]

Going to buy a new reddington rise 5 wt and looking at a tfo professional series 5 wt rod. I fish streams and also the Yough river. Do you guys think I should get the 8"6 or the 9 ft ? Looking forward to your advice.

 

[bam]

9'

Its nice to have every inch you can get away with on big water like the Yough. You can get a good deal on a 7 to 8 foot 5wt for the smaller streams if you find a 9' too long. If the 9' is too much for the type of streams you fish, an 8'6" will likely be just as ackward.

Oh, you can't have too many rods

 

[jayL]

My general rule is to use the longest rod that I can get away with at or under 9'. Once you go over 9', you start sacrificing weight and action in my experience, so I only use longer rods as a specialty tool.

If you can routinely get away with a 9' rod (i.e. the streams you fish are large enough), then I would strongly recommend it.

 

[wsender]

I have a 6wt 8'6'' for fishing rivers of similar sizes and I must say I wish I had the extra 6 inches.

Get the 9'.