As I have a rod case for my CRS 3 weight, but not for my Winston BXIII 7 weight fly rod, I took the 3 weight to a large grassy field to practice my casting, and improve my double haul. Ther was a fairly steady 20 mph breeze blowing. The light line, and light rod just didn't have the power to fight through the wind. During the brief periods when the wind abated, I could nearly throw the full fly line. Hoever, when the wind picked up, often, the fly would travel a ways, the blow back towrad me.

Moral of the story, build the rod for the conditions it will be primarily be used in. light for stream fishinf on calm days, 6 weight and above for windy lakes, and wide, open rivers, and lakes. A 6weight and above will have a hard time delicately setting a fly on the water. A 4 and below just doesn't have the power to throw distance, heavy flies, or cut through wind.

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF

Absolutely: I was throwing a weedless hooked soft plastic without weight on light rod to get better distance. Well when it came time to set hook, way too much rod bend and no hook penetration. Switch rod power lost some distance gained hook ups. There is always a trade off I've found.

While conditions can dictate a lot, many a 6-weight can land a small fly softly. Also, don't discount the effect of the type of fly line and taper. And you need to get a rod case for your Winston. I have about 10 rods weights 4 through 6, and a 7-wt. Most don't see much action. There is one each of the 4, 5 and 6 weights that I prefer. Per your main comment, each has it's place and application.

I have taken this to an extreme. I fish a lot of very small streams in northern Wisconsin for brook trout. I am a spinner and bait guy. Fly fishing would limit you to seriously about ten percent of the streams.Have several general use rods. I could do most everything fairly well with them. However I have built rods that only get used on one or two specific streams with a single technique. I built one rod that I use for one specific hole on one stream. For me there is something special about handling a finely crafted tool that does a certain job perfectly. Just takes my enjoyment of fishing to a higher level. Especially if the fish ain't cooperating

Michael Sutheimer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have taken this to an extreme. I fish a lot of
> very small streams in northern Wisconsin for brook
> trout. I am a spinner and bait guy. Fly fishing
> would limit you to seriously about ten percent of
> the streams.Have several general use rods. I could
> do most everything fairly well with them. However
> I have built rods that only get used on one or two
> specific streams with a single technique. I built
> one rod that I use for one specific hole on one
> stream. For me there is something special about
> handling a finely crafted tool that does a certain
> job perfectly. Just takes my enjoyment of fishing
> to a higher level. Especially if the fish ain't
> cooperating

In Michigan's U.P., I grew up with a Zebco 202reel attached to a 5 foot fiberglass rod. We were worm dunkers on the small, brush-choked streams. Only at a good sized beaver dam could you use a flt rod on the streams we fished. On the river, or bays, it was the same rod with a Mitchel 300 spinning reel, a bobber, and either a worm, or minnow for perch, and bass. Worked beautifully. For me, the allure of fly fishing is to make my own fishing poles, and flies, nymphs, ans streamers that I can catch targeted species of fish with, and that do what I want them to do. If I was 30 years younger, and had the money, I'd be building hydrofoil pontoon boats, or microlight airplanes. I love creating things, whether it's food recipes, hardware, fishing polles, or electronics circuits. I even write science fiction, and fantasy fiction novels. At this stage of the game, I can afford to build the occasional rod, and tie flies. I still play with food as well.

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF

Robert, you know the true source of happiness,making and creating..it all comes from the inner self,the happiness or joy is the reward..Amen.lol.

The allure of a building a better rod or two is always there! I had a case of 5-weight-itis and now have a bevy of them. Of course I had to buy multiple spools for my reels so I could have a bevy of line choices: WF, DT, dry fly, etc.

Before you rush off and build or buy a new rod for yourself try test casting the rod you have with four or five different line weights/tapers. You can borrow a reel/line from a friend or order perfectly good fly lines from Amazon for under $20 each.

MR. Ewaniki, Amazon contributes nothing to this site, the sponsors on the left support it.

My bad. Forget Amazon. Buy or borrow inexpensive lines of different weights and tapers and find which casts best for you and that particular rod. You line selection is at least as and probably more important to casting success as your rod. When you find the right line for you and your rod you WILL know it!

Phil is right, IMHO, almost any rod will cast well at some distance with some line. You just have to find both. The right line and distance.

The caster, the fly line, and the leader [not the rod] determine how the fly alights on the water, just as they determine the direction and length of the cast.

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The caster, the fly line, and the leader [not the
> rod] determine how the fly alights on the water,
> just as they determine the direction and length of
> the cast.

IB believe the rod has something to do with it as well as the caster. If I'm trying to cast a Griffith's Gnat, size 22 hook, onto a piece of small stream/creek, I'm not going to be very successful using a ten foot, 8 weight rod. The line required to load that rod is too heavy for the conditions, and will slap the fly down on the water pretty hard. Conversely, If I'm trying to throw a conehead wooly bugger, on a size 6 hook, I won't have enough line mass, or rod strength with a 3 weight fly rod to turn over the fly. So, there must be a balance of caster, proper line-leader-tippet, and correct rod power to achieve the optimum cast. At least, that seems right to me.

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF

In fly-casting after the line has cleared the tip-top the rod can't steer the end of the line up, down, or sideways, even though some claim a really good rod can push a line forwards. BTW: The "rod strength" does not turn over the fly. The speed and mass of the line/leader does that.

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In fly-casting after the line has cleared the
> tip-top the rod can't steer the end of the line
> up, down, or sideways, even though some claim a
> really good rod can push a line forwards. BTW: The
> "rod strength" does not turn over the fly. The
> speed and mass of the line/leader does that.


The fly ;ine leader does turn over the fly. That is correct. The rod strength must be sfficient to supply energy from the castor to the line.

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF

Does the castor have some oil on the line?

it would float better..lol.