Joined
·
2,427 Posts
Found a nice 366-2 LL. It's now the shortest of my fly rods.
![Hand Grass Plant Audio equipment Musical instrument]()
![Hand Gesture Grass Grassland Plant]()
A little rod for little water
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Joined
·
2,703 Posts
Because little blue lines greatly outnumber larger streams, every fly angler needs a light short outfit or two (and sometimes a short medium or even heavy). But for some reason, many of us are more likely to shop for a 9 1/2 foot five weight, to fill the yawning gap between our 9 and 10 foot five weights.
Joined
·
35,207 Posts
I like the little blue lines. I have just the rods for them. A 7'9" TFO Finesse rod in a 3wt. A 7'6" GL2 4wt which I use for nymphing small deep holes. And a unknown blank that is a 7'6" 3wt. I have a favorite spring creek that I fish the hell out of every summer. It might be a small skinny water but the fish ain't all small. These all work quite well in Spring creeks.
Joined
·
10,887 Posts
One thing about a rod that size... it will make any fish you hold next to it for a photo look very large ...
Shortest rod I have is a 7 foot fiberglass travel rod... works well for those creeks in the Cascades and the coast range but now that I'm dedicated to fishing stillwaters... it doesn't get much use.
As far a little rods goes, that little Sage is a dandy!
Shortest rod I have is a 7 foot fiberglass travel rod... works well for those creeks in the Cascades and the coast range but now that I'm dedicated to fishing stillwaters... it doesn't get much use.
As far a little rods goes, that little Sage is a dandy!
Joined
·
2,427 Posts
A break in the rain, and I did some lawn casting. Not the best results so far. It was a bit breezy, but nothing too bad. The Rio Gold seems to not want to let me get much distance. It could just be me, as I've never casted a fly rod under 7.5 feet.
Joined
·
2,427 Posts
Yeah, I probably just need to "learn" the shorter rod. I didn't have a lot of time between rain squalls.
Joined
·
2,189 Posts
You will love that setup for little blue lines in the Cascades, and Olympics. I got a 6' 3wt last year. I am incredibly pleased with it. As long as I didn't ask for it to do something, it clearly shouldn't. Now I am excited about getting its bigger brother, A 7'3 5wt. This summer that's going to perfect for blue lining for smallies.
No Rio Gold. Get a true to weight line. Rio Gold is on the heavy size, not always great for old rods. They will bog down at distance (that rod probably isn't a long thrower anyways tho). S.A. Mastery Trout is a nice true to weight line for old school rods
Joined
·
1,613 Posts
Very nice rod napawino, one of my first unobtainables ever drooled over in Kelly Galloup's 'Troutsman' Fly Shop. I can still vividly remember Rock Wilson (manager) pantomiming with dialog, rod in hand, casting a #18 caddis to a mid-teens Brown 20' out in a hard to reach lie..
svinyard: RIO Gold is not heavy.. unsure why you keep promoting the notion. Yes the 4wt specs are 126 grains.. yet still within guidelines. Yes, on the upper end. Show me a caster who can tell a few (as in singular) grains one way or another. Some line manufacturers script a plus / minus of 5% in the fine print, that could equate to 24+ grains from one 4wt line to the next when figured low end extreme to the high side.
If you don't care for the Gold, that I can get (Personally no great love or devotion to it either) I also like many SA lines. Apologies for the minor rant but I feel it's inaccurate info concerning the RIO Gold.
svinyard: RIO Gold is not heavy.. unsure why you keep promoting the notion. Yes the 4wt specs are 126 grains.. yet still within guidelines. Yes, on the upper end. Show me a caster who can tell a few (as in singular) grains one way or another. Some line manufacturers script a plus / minus of 5% in the fine print, that could equate to 24+ grains from one 4wt line to the next when figured low end extreme to the high side.
If you don't care for the Gold, that I can get (Personally no great love or devotion to it either) I also like many SA lines. Apologies for the minor rant but I feel it's inaccurate info concerning the RIO Gold.
Joined
·
5,158 Posts
It is nice to have a 6-7 footer when it's the only way you will be able to cast.
Around these parts the forests are thin and the grass is tall. That's why I usually fish an 8-footer, even a 903.
Around these parts the forests are thin and the grass is tall. That's why I usually fish an 8-footer, even a 903.
Joined
·
1,613 Posts
Pretty diverse terrain here. During dog days of summer the little tribs of tribs are still ice cold. Many in steep dense spring fed Cedar and Spruce sided valleys.. a cool place to play.
![]()
Joined
·
7,341 Posts
Over here in the NE forest even a 6' rod is often too long. You can hear the stream, often you can see it, you know it carries fish-but how the hell.....? Very few spots allow for an actual cast. Something like a paintball gun to cast the fly would be useful but there is still the problem of playing and landing the fish. It is a pleasant conundrum to have though and you will usually have it alone as there is very little competition on forest streams.
Nice pic Shotgunner, I can just imagine the colors of the wild fish in that stream.
Nice pic Shotgunner, I can just imagine the colors of the wild fish in that stream.
Its pretty obvious from a 126 down to 120 gain on a 4 wt man. I just went through 5 different lines casting side by side and there was a NOTABLE difference between true to weight lines in WF and Rio Gold. To each their own.
Joined
·
1,613 Posts
Even by archaic guideline of AFTMA table the Gold 4wt is true to weight. Meant no offence, just seems like you've been doing your best lately to give the Gold a black eye. Different feel due taper, sure. 6 grains, not so sure..
Joined
·
4,977 Posts
I love my little Sage 279LL. Go for a 2 wt if you can find one. I think Tenkara might be the thing though!
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Join the discussion
