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Most people do not fly fish for a living and own a rod
for every type of fishing. So naturally they want a rod
that can do it all, from Brook Trout to Smallmouth Bass.
There seems to be a norm in fly fishing that if a top dog
or famous fly fishermen says that this is it, then every
body in the industry follows. Keep in mind these guys get
there money from endorsements of equipment. Not to say that
they don't give good advice, it's just not the only advice
and not always the truth.
I have always been a show me type person. I do not believe
it unless I have tried it. I tried the claim of the 5 wt
rod being the best all around rod as most all fly shops
say. It is the furthest thing from the truth. I found thru
years of Smallmouth fishing and trout fishing here in the
Shenandoah Valley and West Va. that when I travel and want
only to carry one rod for smallies and trout that the 9'
6 weight med fast rod is the right tool for the job.
They will tell you at a fly shop the med action fly rod
is great for bass and trout. Also you can feel the back
cast so timing is easier to learn. You learn timing as an
instinct from practice. If you start on a fast action rod
and your instructor is teaching you properly, you will have
no trouble with timing. Why buy a $150 5 wt rod to learn
timing and then have to buy a rod later with enough back
bone to throw large fly's. A 5 weight med action rod cannot
cast big bass fly's into the wind. Let's face it, when you
fly fish... when doesn't the wind blow? But I can take a
med fast or fast action 6 wt and throw size 18 dry's softly
on the water and turn around punch big bass fly's into the
wind. Sounds like to me the 5 wt theory is Myth Busted already.
Last summer I caught dozens of 3 - 5 lb
smallies on my Scott STS fast action 6 weight. Odds are
if you see me on the river smallie fishing this will be
the rod in my hand. If you see me on Mossy creek fishing
Brown trout this will be the rod in my hand. Most beginners
do not want to put money in a high performance rod so
for my students one recommendation I make is the St Croix
Premier combos in two piece in Cabela's catalog for about
$130 for complete outfit. I am a Scott man at heart but
I have cast these St Croix and they are wonderful rods
for the money.
So if you do not order your outfit and
go to a fly shop, stick to your guns for the 6 wt all
around rod. If it is a good fly shop they will tell you
the 6 is fine and not shove the 5 down your throat. If
it is a fly shop that caters to the river runs through
it crowd and not true fly casters then they will push
the 5 wt hard. They want you to come back for the bass
rod that can throw something big enough to temp a smallie
over 12 inches! And for all those hollering I've caught
a big fish with small bait, that is true, but to do it
consistently takes large bait.
Here are the recommendations I give my students
for certain fishing situations. For Brook Trout in small
freestone streams I recommend a 3-4 wt slow action rod
6 1/2 - 7 1/2 foot. For Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout
in a spring creek I recommend a 4-5 wt medium action 8
1/2 or 9 foot rod. For Smallmouth bass 6-8 wt 9 foot rod
in med fast or fast action rod. Largemouth 8-10 wt rod
9 foot fast action. These are not set rules. If the stream
holds small fish go to the lesser weight of that type
of fishing. If the water holds large fish or you are going
to be throwing larger than normal fly's go to the heavier
weight in that type of fishing described above.
By: Allen Campbell, FFF Certified
Instructor, Published: 4-07-2004
Shenandoah Streamers School
of Fly Casting
E-mail: freestone@rica.net
Website: www.shenandoahstreamers.com
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