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Why would I buy an 8 weight for steelhead?

15K views 154 replies 50 participants last post by  Chris Scoones 
#1 ·
I was finishing Art Scheck's book, Fly Fish Better, when I got to the chapter on Appropriate force. In his tests, which I trust because he is right about the knots in my own tests, he basically states that his 5 weight does better in his pulling force tests then the 8 weight that he was using. ***Question*** Why am I using an 8 weight for Steelhead when I could be using my 5? I like my five better but I have allways been afraid it would break. I live in Buffalo and the steelhead are huge - to me at least. Does anybody fish bigger sized steelhead with a 5 weight? And has anybody broke a 5 weight fishing for steelhead?
 
#74 ·
Sickclown,

I hate to break it too you because you sound like you worship at the alter of Art Scheck, but Scheck is not a rod builder he wrote the book because someone he knows in the publishing business asked him to. He isn't much of a fly tyer either.

If you want to get a good book, written by a real rod builder, get Tom Kirkman's book on rod building. If you want to get a good book on fly tying, get one of Dick Taleur's books.

And if you really want to learn something about PNW steelhead, get a copy of my good friend Bob Arnold's STEELHEAD WATER.

In the meantime, go catch a mess of steelhead with your 5 wt. and don't tell us about how many you caught.

Guys,

I wonder if Sharp Steelie has moved or been reincarnated?
 
#76 ·
FT, how in the world do you know why Art Scheck wrote a rod building book. Do you know him somehow? Are you in some kind of book writers/ editors inner circle. Whatever you say I believe though. Cause you fish for Washington steelhead I'm sure you know alot more about fishing then everybody else in the world. I trust Art Scheck because his knots work. The guys at the fly shops tell us to use improved clinch knots with surgeons on the fluorocarbon tippet. It does not do well. I've personally done tests with knots and the bimini tippet wins all the tests with no other knots even close to it. So I trust him for tippet. Instead of going to the library I saw his fly tying book at some store and bought it. Seems like alot of it makes sense. Other then that I don't give a crud about him. And I still don't think your steelhead, or rainbows, or salmon are bigger then ours. Just this weekend there were some huge fish being caught, I'm gonna have to look at the curent records I think mine are at the NYDEC website. Where are yours? - I think this is for steelhead - Rainbow Trout 31 lb. 3 oz. Robert Wilson - Lake Ontario, Niagara Co. 8/14/04 .
 
#80 ·
Errr... I build rods, and frankly the Scheck book is a great beginners guide, but it lacks any real substance. As for the bimini and such, sure doubles work great, but they are sure as heck a lot harder to tie on the stream, and in general, I wouldn't understand why you would want to use them for trout.

As for the large steelhead debate, who cares? I mentioned that the largest strain of wild steelhead in the US comes from the Clearwater. If you don't believe me, then talk to all the bios that know the fish really well. If you still don't believe me, then that's fine. If you enjoy catching Skamania transplates with a 5wt, the have at it... :)
 
#81 ·
It is entertaining but Dude this is getting old you remind me of a distant relative that I am sure we all have and would just kind of like to forget about. You are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy out there. I don't know what is in your water out there but you need to get off it.
 
#83 ·
Its funny how all these morons come back to this thread to say it should die. Why would you come back to it then. I wish it would die. Die thread Die. Nobody could learn anything from it anyway, or could they. And if they did learn something, would I care. And if terrorists picked this thread from all the threads in the world and killed everybody who posted on it, would there be a national holiday for us? I think not. All that aside, I'm glad at least three of the people who posted on this site have read a book or claimed to have. I think I'll do some tests of my own on the 5 weight compared to my 8 weight. And I still can't believe only one of the people on this thread even heard of the book. You think the guys at the fly shop are gonna teach you everything. What if you did only need one rod ( just for the people who know how to cast) to fish for little rainbows and steelhead. Do you think the fly shop would tell you, or SIMMS or whatever fly rod company? Give me a break, these people get money by selling this stuff. I know you people want to believe just because they fish they couldn't sell like a salesman, but being a salesman gets to you after a while. Being in buisness gets to you after a while. From trout bum to salesman of the year for the owners of the fly shop. It's real and it happens. Close your minds people. It's over, you'll never learn anything without challenging the establishment. Test things for yourselves. Actually, who cares. At least you think you have big fish. You'll allways have that. I believe that you were told by somebody that you have the biggest strains. Where is the proof? I don't care if it's true, I hope it is. Maybe I'll visit someday and kill all your fish with my 5 weight. Would you shed a tear?
 
#99 ·
Porter, you think this kid is old enough to remember that?

Sickclown, you started out so good, with a legit question and a source. Why'd you have to go all 2nd grade on us? Be a lurker for a while, learn something. Besides, your Scheck hero is not gonna be happy to find that a google search of his name is going to produce this thread for the first 10 hits!

BTW, I LOVE your avatar. A bit schizoid, but very clever. And how many of us actually were clever enough to use our avatar art to insult others? Brilliant and original.
Now take a time out.
 
#94 ·
Well, I don't really know whats going on here because I haven't really read the thread since I last posted, which was on the first page. But I want to say Sickclown, I hope you're not loosing worrying about this threat too much man. Life is way too short! Stressing about some thread on the computer is the least of my worries and I hope I would be the least of yours.
 
#101 ·
Yes, this is awesome. Just read the whole thing! Now i am going to get my 10 wt and go catch some dinky little rocky mountain trout on 20 lb p-line.

Oh by the way I spent two weeks in New York this fall catching steelhead. A 5 wt will work just fine.

Ocean is a mean tough place. I would have to say that any fish that can survive that is OK in my book. Too bad the great lakes fish never get to experience that.

:)
 
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