I have an order for a fly rod. My customer has no idea what weight he needs or wants nor do I.
He has a trip planned to Idaho and Utah this summer to fish for trout. He says he will have plenty of "casting room" and wants a 9 foot rod.
What weight fly rod do you who are familar with that type of fishing recomend?
Thanks in advance, and thanks to all of you who have responded to my queries in the past

It would be hard to go wrong with a 9 footer in either a 5 or 6 weight (of course, these numbers don't really mean too much and can be all over the board). Is he a competent caster? When he says he has "plenty" of room, it sounds like he is planning to push out and wants to cast longer distances.

I could give you a better ERN figure if I knew just a bit more about him and how he plans to use the rod.

........

Those western streams have a pretty good current flow - makes a small fish fight bigger than they really are. I would think a 6wt would be a bit more appropriate in those waters.

ask him what kind of water and weather conditions as well as type of tour he'll be fishing, even names of rivers or lakes. ask him to check with a couple of idaho or utah flyshops in the area for suggestions or you could do that as a custom rodbuilding service. part of your research.

eric
fresno, ca.

The six weight will do eveything the five weight will do plus handle larger flies and the wind a bit better due to the heavier line weight. However the five weight performs very well in most conditions he'll encounter. I use both and never feel handicapped if I leave one home.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

The six weight would also be heavier to cast all day. Most trout are caught on dries and light weight nymphs so I would vote for the 5 wt, unless he plans to throw heavy streamers or is casting in heavy winds.

Wayne

This is one comparison that I don't think weight is readily discernable given rods of the same material. In my advanced years I can't tell much if any difference at the end of the day. If you are fishing the larger streams a major portion of the trout will be caught on weighted nymphs using strike indicators unless you are part of the minor exception that doesn't choose to fish this way.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

A St Crox 5 wt SC IV handles a 6 wt line very nicely. And is good for winds. It will need a fast casting stroke.