My son and I are going to build a couple fly rods this winter. They will be used primarily for sunfish. We have always liked to throw a popper and casting bubble on spinning gear, but it often tangles and is not very stealthy when that bobber splashes down. If the rod could do double duty and throw a larger lure for bass that would be alright. I tried a bit of fly fishing over 40 years ago so we are total newbies.

Based on input from a few years ago I think a 5 wt was recommended. I was able to pick up a few blanks for a good price. I have two Tiger Eyes. One is 8' 6" 6/7 wt and one is a 9' 3/4 wt. I also have a Forecast 8' 6" 5 wt. Is the 6/7 just too much rod for my intended use? If so, what is it good for?

Thanks

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"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

The general wisdom would say to use a light rod. Probably a 3 or 4 weight for sunfish. If you need to cast a popper a "country mile" (40+ ft.) into a stiff wind you might want a 5wt. for sunfish. I believe that people going after bass are generally in the range of a 6 or 7 weight. That said you could use any weight you want it mostly depends on the experience you want. A lighter weight rod will make smaller fish feel much larger and can be more delicate in the presentation. A heavier rod will quickly over power a smaller fish but will do much better in the wind. I've caught bluegills on a 5wt and it was fun but the fight would have been more challenging on a lighter rod.

I'd probably keep the 6/7 weight specifically for Bass. It would likely over power all but the largest sunfish very easily but it would be a perfect weight for throwing bass flies. It could also be used as a streamer rod for large trout or other fish in that size/weight/power range.

Of course when a bass eats the sunfish you are trying to pull in a 3wt. things quickly get very interesting. :)

I'd probably go with something along the lines of a 9' 4-weight, 5-weight at the most. That keeps it fun and the length maximizes the power of the fish against you.

..............

I use an 8'6", Fast Action, 4 weight, but anything close should offer plenty of fun.

I have a Tiger Eye 5 wt. which I dearly love for pan fish and small bass. It is a dream to cast.

Thanks for the input. I'm going to put them on the test fixture and hang some pennies on them.

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

I bet that 8'6" 6/7 will be a lot of fun casting poppers and divers to largemouth.

Greg
Aptos, CA

Talk about fun….Try it at night with a full or medium moon with a glow-in-the-dark popper. They are made by Betts. You hold the popper under a flashlight and then lay it out close to the bank or stump. All you hear is a pop when the big bulls hit it. Back to your question fishing so close to the bank you get hung on a side of a tree or bush. That is why I like the 6wt. It is easy to roll cast to get the popper un hung. Especially when you have 30-40 foot of line lying out.

Gabe Neal Wrote:
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> Talk about fun….Try it at night with a full or
> medium moon with a glow-in-the-dark popper. They
> are made by Betts. You hold the popper under a
> flashlight and then lay it out close to the bank
> or stump. All you hear is a pop when the big
> bulls hit it. Back to your question fishing so
> close to the bank you get hung on a side of a tree
> or bush. That is why I like the 6wt. It is easy
> to roll cast to get the popper un hung.
> Especially when you have 30-40 foot of line lying
> out.

Sounds like a blast. We'll probably be in a boat most of the time. Thanks!

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

Chuck,
I normally build the rod for the size fly I'm throwing.
Poppers can be used with a #4 but an #8 makes it easier.
Keep the rod short and the line heavy and you can cover a lot of water from one spot.
The difficult part is getting a soft presentation from a heavy line but with practice you can fish drys delicately.
My go to is an 8' 8 weight. Makes casting poppers or streamers with indicators effortless.

Gene

I use an 8'6" - 4wt. with 5wt. floating line on it. My father used a 3 wt until recently. He claimed that the 3 wt was just a tad too light, especially if you get into some nice crappie or large red ear. I would go with the 4 or 5 wt.

David Dosser
Coshocton, OH