To be honest I build very few fly rods and those that I do, input on what is wanted is from my customers. However, there is a fellow that I have built several bass rods for and he has asked me to recommend a good overall fly rod for trout and smallies without indicating their size. My assumption based on where he lives would be fish up to 2-3 pounds. I should probably ask that before recommending.

He has a smaller fly rod for bluegill etc. Would I be wrong in recommending a 9 foot 5wt. Any input from you fly rod experts would be greatly appreciated.

Tom

The 9 foot, 5-weight rod is often considered the "all-around" freshwater fly rod. Not too light and not too heavy, outside of the larger freshwater species some flyfish for. It certainly wouldn't be a bad choice. And, given that most of the smallmouth you're likely to catch anywhere are only going to weigh a pound, with larger ones a bit fewer and further and farther between, a 5-weight allows you some fun on the more average sized fish. The 5-weight would also make a good all around trout rod.

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

I would respectfully recommend a 6wt, especially for the smallmouth fishing. It's not for handling the fish, but for handling the flies often used to fish for them. A six is the minimum I use, due to the size and/or weight of flies. A six is also good for trout fishing, although the 5 would protect lighter tippets better. A 5 would certainly work, but once you put a larger streamer, heavy clouser, or popper on, that 5 might struggle a little. Just my 2cents.

I get this same question posed to me quite often, anglers wanting to use the same fly rod for bass and trout fishing.

The question and information I give back to them is, what size flies do you plan on using for both species? Consider this, most trout anglers use flies from lets say #8 down to #20 most of the time, dries weight almost nothing, bead head nymphs more, maybe some small streamers now and then. That's probably the angler who uses a 5wt most of the time, and that is an excellent all around stick for that work.

Now consider the bass angler, top water stuff is pretty big and wind resistant, streamers are usually weighted, heavy and bigger, while the length of the fish sought are not much bigger than the trout you are chasing, they are stronger also. So most bass anglers opt for a 7 or 8wt, mainly to handle the weight and bulk of the flies.

If your customer is only looking for "one" rod to do both, the 6wt will do it, but it is going to have limitations on both ends, it won't be as delicate as the 5wt and protect fine tippets, but then on the other end it may not cast the heavier bass flies, so he really needs understand the self imposed limits he could have. The 6wt can easily handle the tussle a small mouth bass will dish out, and I often use a 6wt for trout too, especially if I am running with heavy nymph rigs and I know I stand a good change at tanking a big fella in heavy current.

But its more about the flies he is going to want to use.

Comments deleted



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 05:04PM by John E Powell.

Wow some great information here. Not being a fly fisherman I had no idea that the rod is as much about the fly weight as it is the fish's weight. However it is no different from bass rods rated for lure weight too??

I am going to pose these ideas to him and let him decide what he looking for in a rod.

Many thanks for the replies

Tom

Modern graphite fly rods are capable of casting fly lines over-lined two line weights and underlined two line weights, depending upon the amount of overhang during the cast and the proficiency of the fly caster. You almost have to watch a customer cast a line to give her/him helpful advice about the ideal rod for her/him. A proficient double-hauler can easily drop down two line weights, a wrist caster can't.

I really like the 6 wt. too - and there are more bass taper lines available in 6 wt. generally, which add a little punch for casting bigger flies.

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!

Tom Wewerka Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow some great information here. Not being a fly
> fisherman I had no idea that the rod is as much
> about the fly weight as it is the fish's weight.
> However it is no different from bass rods rated
> for lure weight too??
>
> I am going to pose these ideas to him and let him
> decide what he looking for in a rod.
>
> Many thanks for the replies
>
> Tom

The flies weigh next to nothing - it's actually the line you're casting (the line is where the weight is) and then the line pulls the fly along behind it, eventually turning over and delivering the fly out in front.
............

Tom ask the customer what will be the largest fly he intends on throwing rather than the size of the fish he expects to catch. Heavier, and larger more wind resistant flies will do better on a 6 wgt rod. A 5 wgt and a 6 wgt will both throw small and light flies equally well but a 6 wgt has the edge with larger heavier flies. The 5 wgt has the edge in being lighter and more fun with smaller fish. However, I do not think you can go wrong with either a 5 wgt or a 6 wgt, the trade offs are rather minimal.
Norm

And this isn't something you likely want to hear at this point, but it does bear mentioning - One company's 5-weight rod may be more powerful than another company's 6-weight rod. Probably not worth going into at this point. Decide on the line he's better off using and then try to dial the in rod that will cast it best at the distances he's planning on fishing.

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

Tom,
I use an 8 foot 8 weight built with light guides.
Trout fishing in windy conditions can be a struggle with light rods but you still need to drop to 7X at times.
The smallmouth flies mostly poppers and jig heads require the 8 weight to turn over the leader.
Build the tip section light and you can have good fun with either species.
Even the heavy line can be landed softly for spooky fish in clear water. That's under the caster's control.
The Sage bluegill is a very versatile choice

Gene

Given all that information I would not go with an 8 weight. i do not know HOW something that stiff can protect light tippets at all for trout fishing. I think your best bet is going to be a 6 weight. I have two and fish them frequently for trout that typically run to four or five pounds and for smallmouth that run about the same. I have also caught pike to 24 inches (chasing bigger this year) and even wrestled carp to 13 pounds on it (well my brother in law used his anyway)

A six weight, with a sink tip line, throws some of those big articulated streamers pretty well. Smallies around here love heavy clouser minnows and we all know how heavy those lead dumbell eyes are.

Most of the time I am throwing double nymph rigs for both trout and smallies with mine.

Ya also have to remember that a fast fly blank with good butt power will always handle several lines
So if you get a 5 wt it should be able to handle a 6 and maybe ( depending on blank ) a 7 line
Take a look at several and come back to see how it handles line according to others that have built it
Call the supplier and company for info
I had a st croix 9' 5wt that I liked with a 6 wt line It did handle several lines

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2016 01:08PM by bill boettcher.

I like some of the more moderate action fly rod blanks, but a 5 Wt would be the standard for stream trout and smallies. Also, a rod will usually handle one weight heavy and one weight light in its design. Some of the line is 1/2 wt heavy weight forward, and it will load up pretty well. I like to use single foot guides, simply because they do not require as much winding. Build 2 rods and keep one for yourself... Fly-fishing is pure magic.

The action of a fly rod has a far greater effect upon casting than it does upon playing a fish - AKA "protecting tippets". There is a lot of talk about the advantages of traditional, bamboo/fiberglass action rods, and it's possible to find graphite fly-rod blanks which mimic this slow-recovery action. You should not pay a lot for such a graphite blank.

I think "speed" is the operative term here. Action is action, no matter what the material is.

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

Where is he fishing -- Small streams From shore Or wading in the stream and no trees or bushes to worry about
What does he like The rod he now has find out what it is and and maybe try to duplicate it
Fly fishing is more a Personal Thing As to Feel that a person likes
I like the feel of a overloaded fast rod on the back cast you can feel the line pull on the rod Kind of a Smack in the head -- Go forward with the cast

Bill - willierods.com

I stand corrected Tom, Speed is the word that I should have used.

Randy Kruger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I stand corrected Tom, Speed is the word that I
> should have used.

Did I miss something?
I didn't notice anything in Randy's post to indicate this.
Herb