If You Can Only Have One Set Up

Winston biiith 8136
Speyco
Definitely leeches, big black leeches

Yes the female fish love big black leeches

9ft, 5wt, WF floating line, brand of rod and reel doesn't matter much to me. I can out fish most of you all with a broom handle

10'0 7wt with some sort of indicator taper line with a long back taper. 1 inch thingamabobber

whatever decent reel


and an orange/black egg sucking stone.


why this choice? well id like to be able to keep catching both steelhead and trout in the future.

8-10wt single hand rod, with about 63 different lines I guess..

I've already got my one setup. Meiser 11'1" 8/9 with a Battenkill LA VI and a 475 grain commando with 132grain tips

When I was in college I only owned 1 setup. It was a 9ft 8wt St Croix Avid with an Okuma mid-arbor reel. I had 4 spools, floating line, 10ft type 6 sink tip, type 6 full sink, Airflo multi-tip. I used this to fish everything from 8 inch trout in mountain streams to Coho off the kelp beds at Sekiu and enjoyed every minute of it.

When I had only one set up it was because I'd just begun fly fishing and hadn't started collecting gear yet. It was an 8 1/2' Eagle Claw fiberglass 7 wt rod. I used it for everything from 6" trout to steelhead. It worked. I wouldn't recommend it and would never go the "one outfit" route unless I got to the point that I only participated in one fishery. Then I would choose the optimal outfit for that job. But I don't see that happening any time soon, if ever.

Sg

I would design a multi-piece rod that could morph from a short light rod to a heavy switch rod . It would probably be a 6pc rod. It would feature a removable, adjustable butt section/handle that allowed me to use all or just some of the sections. This way, I could create the length and weight of rod I want.

The reel would be the real challenge, so to speak. It would have to be a new design. I am thinking maybe some kind of cage-free open design, basically just a inner arbor so it could receive different sized spools. Lots of kinks to be worked out...

In the end, I would have one set-up that does from small creeks to steelhead/salmon. but until this set-up is brought to market, I will use the right tool (aka rod) for the job.

BTW, I would actually love this type of rod for travel and have dreamed of it for years! I hope a Rod company actually does make one.

I'd probably go 9ft 6wt of some sort. Though I'd be quite sad to lose my 3wt and a two hander. A 5-6wt switch rod is tempting, but that risks being the El-Camino of rods and not really doing anything all that well in the PNW. So I'd probably just stick with a 6wt single hander and work harder on getting good at my single-hand spey casts.

9' WFF 6 weight. I used an 8-1/2' 6 weight for many years and to good effect for years back in the day, so I know it's effective. I'd opt for a 9' rod now because I no longer fish small streams very often. I already have the seasoned Medalist to go with it (as well as the rod & line, lol.).

If i could only have one set up I would quit fishing.Variety is the most important aspect of fishing and having the right tool for every job is also paramount. I cannot fish an evening caddis hatch with the same rod I would huck a double weighted size 4 wooley bugger. The experience would lose all of it's joy. There is not much better in this world than having a rod do exactly what your brain is telling it to every single cast.

to me a 6 wt would be completely worthless for everything but throwing small to medium streamers. A 5 weight is only good for hoppers and stone flies but the 4 weight hits the sweet spot for most trout dry fly fishing especially if it's short.

life is too short to consider only using one rod for everything

What an asinine idea (that we've all debated mentally).
I could easily pare back to 3 to 5 rods and not miss the others much. But if I HAD to keep just 1, it would be the Epic 686 (& Sage 3300D + a couple spools). A bit light off the beach but it will cover, especially in fair weather. A bit heavy on small streams but even smallish fish can show off with glass. Finally, it is one of the most fun rods that I own to cast.
I haven't fished Steelhead in a few years now. The 686 might stand a chance with the small ones, but it wouldn't be my choice.

Oh, if only 1 line it would have to be a Rio Gold InTouch, even though I fish with a Coastal Quickshooter most of the time normally. Fly = Rolled Muddler (or Black Leech).

A Lowes 9 ft broom handle lined with 6wt Rio Gold line on a Perfect reel

906-4 Sage One, Galvan T-5, and a few spools for it: Rio Perception, Fast Sinking 10 ft. StreamerTip, and a full sink.

I'd miss a lot of rods...especially on the lighter end of that. But the 6wt One is a sweetheart, and I'd still be able to fish everything but the smallest streams with it.

Lue Taylor said:

A Lowes 9 ft broom handle lined with 6wt Rio Gold line on a Perfect reel

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Spray paint it some god awful color, give a lame one syllable name, charge $1200 for it and you could get a rod designer job at Sage!

@jake-e-boy you get any rig you want and you are going with a Speyco? Cmon man!

I'm not rich enough to sample the newer rods but I'd love a 7130 custom burky with a hardy salmon 2 and a WA45

David Loy said:

I could easily pare back to 3 to 5 rods and not miss the others much.

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If we're forcing people to get rid of our closet of rods, I would much prefer to go this way. I could get a lot done with an ~8ft 3wt, a 9-9'6 6wt and a 6-7wt spey. I'm sure there are times I'd wish I had a 5wt, 8wt or a switch rod of some sort. But overall, I don't think I'd miss much of my regular fishing with just those three rods.

For 3, I'd go: Epic 480 and 686, and a T&T 7wt SW rod. Going to 4 or 5 would get into higher math and possibly revision of the above. I'd try to work the 4wt Winston MS into the lineup, just for fun.

Salmo_g said:

When I had only one set up it was because I'd just begun fly fishing and hadn't started collecting gear yet. It was an 8 1/2' Eagle Claw fiberglass 7 wt rod. I used it for everything from 6" trout to steelhead. It worked. I wouldn't recommend it and would never go the "one outfit" route unless I got to the point that I only participated in one fishery. Then I would choose the optimal outfit for that job. But I don't see that happening any time soon, if ever.

Sg

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I still have my 7wt EC. Wore out the medalist. Salmon to brook trout. That was 50 + years ago.

My goto setup is 9' 5wt with dtf line