6wt for trout

6wt for trout

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6wt for trout - 10/9/2009 12:11:22 AM

rapala11

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i will admit that i am not much of a fly fisherman, but i enjoy reading about it. it seems to me that maybe 20 years ago everyone used 6wts. then it seemed to drop to 5 and then 4. is it because of the emergence of graphite. is a 6wt too much rod for pa. streams? i would imagine that they still may be used out west. just curious.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/9/2009 12:16:11 AM

PAFISHERMAN1981

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I use a 5 wt. for trout and steelhead. Well rounded....

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/9/2009 8:07:20 AM

Loomis

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From: Delmont, PA
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A 6 wt is the best choice PA steelhead rod in my opinion

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/9/2009 9:35:57 AM

norm289

Posts: 395
Joined: 2/24/2009
From: Homer City, PA
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I use three different rods for my trout fishing. It all depends on what I am throwing. A 3wt, a 5wt, and a 7wt. Yes, the 7wt is overkill when fighting most of the fish but it does cast the bigger flies(that I tend to use) alot easier and more efficiently than my 5wt. There are other reasons that determine what rod I choose to use on a given day, lines, leader, flies,etc. I have several books that list a trout rod as anything from a 2wt to an 8wt. Lefty Kreh said you should choose a rod setup based on what fly you will be using. I say use what you feel comfortable with!

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/11/2009 11:30:35 AM

Slate_Drake_9

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A 6 weight is acceptable for many trout waters in PA. Primarily you should choose a rod (length and line weight) based on the conditions you are fishing (water size, wind, fish size). The action (slow, medium, fast, etc) will change the usefulness of a trout rod for you moreso than weight. Slower actions protect lighter tippets better than faster actions in most angler's hands(slower also lends to a better feeling fight than a fast action). Ie, a more flexable rod will bend more, taking out the shock from the fish's pulling much better than a rod that is less flexable (read stiff). This translates into a slow action 6 weight will protect light tippets much better than a fast 3 weight. The other argument against "heavier" line weights is that the heavier line hitting the water spooks fish more than a lighter line does. BUT, if you learn how to cast well, this is never an issue. Learning how to delicately drop your fly line on the water is important no matter what line you are casting. What has been happening more and more is that folks are going out and buying a light weight rod instead of learning how to properly cast the heavier weight rod they already own. Extending the length of the leader will help with this too.

You're seeing lighter and lighter rods for the most part due to marketing by the fly fishing industry. Just like you're seeing faster and faster rods. The reality is that the core of fly anglers who have been doing this for a while already have all of the equipment they need and that will do the job, so the industry has to convience us that we need something different, so we get lighter and lighter and faster and faster.

You have to remember that the masters use to use slow action 7 and 8 weights to fish small spring creeks, like the Letort, with small (size 22 and smaller) dry flies and didn't have any problems.

As a disclaimer, I own and fish rods from 00 to 6 weights for trout and 6 to 8 weights for steelhead, migratory browns and salmon and sometimes salt, so I'm not knocking any line weights and believe that a lot of them have a place on the streams I fish.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/14/2009 11:44:51 AM

RIZ

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Joined: 4/17/2002
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hi rap

what you have is a really good set up but if you are like most of use you wouldn't mind having another. case in point i just bought a redington wayfaerer, 10 ft 7wt. i've had a chance to fish this rod 2 times now and i'm going to like it better for the early steelies than my loomis 9'6" 6wt, i'll use this later in the season. i have not paired it with a real as yet. i used an okuma 6/7 sierra and it just does not balance well and the line pick-up with the small arbor just does not cut it.

btw have you been to volant lately? i've been doing fairly well on trout there. if you want to try it out i'll be glad to meet you there. and those rods i got from you, they are great. used them thios summer a few times to catch smallies. just what i wanted. thanks

riz

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Post #: 6

RE: 6wt for trout - 10/14/2009 12:03:55 PM

rapala11

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riz, hope to fish with you soon. every time i get near that fly shop, i get into trouble

. that guy is worse than a crack dealer on the east side of youngstown.

glad the rods are working out. can never have too many, eh? hey, you mending okay?

slate, your post was awesome. i remember a more simple time when it seemed all fly rods had a buggy whip parabola and looked like instruments in the hands of artists. the 6wt that i have is older, and only 8 feet, but i seem to feel it much better than my 9ft, 5wt sage ds.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/14/2009 12:55:20 PM

indsguiz

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Rap,
As I have sadi before I hav many rods but my all around favorite untill Skip built me a 5wt that is nice, was a 8'6" 7 wt with an automatic reel I used it for everything. Again mostly because I like to toss big stuff for bigger fish. But I have used it for small brookies and for pelletheads. The thing is use what you feel most comfortable with. Then if you want a different feel try something else. Fish with somebody else and use their equipment and try before you buy.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/14/2009 1:08:54 PM

Cold

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From: Latrobe, PA
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quote:

every time i get near that fly shop, i get into trouble. that guy is worse than a crack dealer on the east side of youngstown.

Really? Its an awesome shop, but I was pleased to note that he just let me look around and do my own thing in there. It really bothers me when I go into a new fly shop (for me) and the owner/employees try to "get me set up" with stuff they think I need. Usually, its well-intentioned, but it still bugs me. I was very pleased with the shop in Volant when that didn't happen, and showed it with my purchases (nothing big like a rod or reel, but a decent amount of tying stuff and a hardback book).

I also appreciated the tips & suggestions that, while it wasnt anything that was terribly secret (didnt expect that), it was frank and honest (basically, I'd arrived to less-than-great conditions, but there was a definite potential to have a good day), and the tips and suggestions didnt involve buying a dozen of 'the new killer fly'.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/14/2009 1:20:23 PM

rapala11

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cold, not his fault, but mine. i could spend a ton in there, given the chance. bob is a top notch guy. will talk, will teach, but never any pressure to make you buy.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/14/2009 1:23:43 PM

rapala11

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jack, i have a 5.6 and 7 wt rod. i just need one or five more, or so

. also have a boo rod that is locked away. i have used both the 5 and 7, but the 6wt has been gathering dust for too long. it was my first rod, a gift from my wife, and though not a thomas, i am looking forward to getting it wet again.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/16/2009 1:04:57 AM

pafisher

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I enjoy this thread,I'm old enough to remember the days before spinning gear,only the bamboo fly rods then.I have some of those rods that were my fathers,I'm 69 so that'll give you a feel of their vintage.Before you ask they're not for sale,they're priceless to me.
On to the present I use a 6 wt for steel and a 3 wt for trout,the 6 wt is a custom rod I bought in NY and the 3 wt is off the shelf.When I'm on the Salmon River I use a custom 8/9 wt for Salmon and Steel.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 12:40:50 AM

rapala11

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what is it about flyrods? i can walk by rack after rack of spinning and casting rods, of which i have too many, and never feel the need to pick one up. yet, i do very little fly fishing and when i am in a gander mt or similar store, i have to pick up three or four and just go through the motions. seems to me that they are more than just a fishing rod, more like an instrument or an artist's brush. looking forward to oil creek this year.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 1:30:00 AM

harrypelles

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Joined: 1/9/2007
From: Mercer, PA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: rapala11

cold, not his fault, but mine. i could spend a ton in there, given the chance. bob is a top notch guy. will talk, will teach, but never any pressure to make you buy.

quote:

every

Bob is pretty swell. He helped me get started in the world of fly fishing. In response, I have bought almost all of my fly fishing gear from there. Three reels and two Sage rods, along with many flies, dressings, a vest, tools, etc, etc. I do take deals wherever I find them, but many times, when I have a big list (or something big on my list), I'll stop there and check first.

I think also it is a combination of a great stretch of trout water, a nice little town with all sorts of neat shops, and a fly shop with a pretty big selection of all kinds of stuff.

quote:

what is it about flyrods? i can walk by rack after rack of spinning and casting rods, of which i have too many, and never feel the need to pick one up. yet, i do very little fly fishing and when i am in a gander mt or similar store, i have to pick up three or four and just go through the motions. seems to me that they are more than just a fishing rod, more like an instrument or an artist's brush...

I think the whole dynamic in that area helps suck us in. Especially in a fly shop. I get out, see the water, walk in and all of the sudden my wallet becomes easier to open, lol.

I feel something similar to this when I go in a big guitar store or gourmet kitchen store, but nothing else comes close to the absorption fly fishing goods (toys) seem to lay on me!

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 1:36:20 AM

harrypelles

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From: Mercer, PA
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Hah, and Bob always comes out with his trademark phrase, "We're gonna do a little damage here," when I get to the counter and he starts punching the stuff into the register.

All in all, wherever you buy your stuff, whatever you get, whatever you have, and whatever you fish it for - there is nothing quite like the whole experience. So I guess "crack" is a good analogy. I mean, from what I've heard about crack...

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 2:01:12 AM

PACOFRANSICO

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Joined: 11/11/2008
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Start building flyrods it takes the fly addiction to a hole other level. I'm building a 5 piece 6wt now. Then im gonna build my stealth stealhead slaying 7wt.( Insperation for the 7wt. came from the Metallica Black album) and then I'm planning a 7'6 5wt. The only reason I wanna build the 7 'n' half ft. 5 is that I don't know of anyone that has one or even heard of one. I good though my wife has only joked about leaving me.....I think?

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 2:57:17 AM

plnoldrick

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I went to that shop in volant today and i had a horrible experience. Seriously, it takes a lot to offend me but the owner (said he was) was probably the most dismissive person i have dealt with in a very long time. I walked in there with the intention to drop near a grand on gear and between him up and walking away from me to go take a **** while i was right in the middle of trying to explain what i was looking to do (and not closing the door so i have to hear him ****ing), filling out a hook order or something and then phoning it in while i was trying to obtain guidance, calling his buddy who sent him an email to chat for a bit, or being extremely condescending when he wasnt being dismissive.... Oh and not to mention the eventual 15 minute lesson on why i should only buy stuff from small business's and if i dont im basically a scumbag.

Seriously, everyone has bad days at work but i walked out of the place dumbfounded. Have you ever met anyone who didnt even speak a word to you yet, that you just hated right off the bat? I seriously think i was that guy for him. Anyway im buying my stuff from international angler. At least that guy engaged in small talk and exhibited a general concern to help a novice like me out. Oh and i wasnt ****y about anything to provoke that. I am way out of my element when it comes to anything flyfishing related and approach those who clearly know mountains more then i do (nearly everyone) with a great deal of humility. Hell even bass fishing, which i know a thing or two about, i approach with the humility of a novice. My opinion is there is always someone better then you and you never know who it's gonna be. oh welp..

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 9:21:39 AM

rapala11

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man, i am sorry you had that experience. i always liked the fact that bob let me look to my heart's content and would stay at the counter and wait for me to call out a question. i am hoping he was just having a bad day or was preoccupied. sometimes us old guys can have a sour moment. again, feel bad your experience there wasn't a good one.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 9:32:01 AM

Loomis

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What do you expect from an Orvis dealer?

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 9:36:37 AM

rapala11

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 12:34:54 PM

harrypelles

Posts: 806
Joined: 1/9/2007
From: Mercer, PA
Status: online

quote:

ORIGINAL: plnoldrick

I went to that shop in volant today and i had a horrible experience. Seriously, it takes a lot to offend me but the owner (said he was) was probably the most dismissive person i have dealt with in a very long time. I walked in there with the intention to drop near a grand on gear and between him up and walking away from me to go take a **** while i was right in the middle of trying to explain what i was looking to do (and not closing the door so i have to hear him ****ing), filling out a hook order or something and then phoning it in while i was trying to obtain guidance, calling his buddy who sent him an email to chat for a bit, or being extremely condescending when he wasnt being dismissive.... Oh and not to mention the eventual 15 minute lesson on why i should only buy stuff from small business's and if i dont im basically a scumbag.

Seriously, everyone has bad days at work but i walked out of the place dumbfounded. Have you ever met anyone who didnt even speak a word to you yet, that you just hated right off the bat? I seriously think i was that guy for him. Anyway im buying my stuff from international angler. At least that guy engaged in small talk and exhibited a general concern to help a novice like me out. Oh and i wasnt ****y about anything to provoke that. I am way out of my element when it comes to anything flyfishing related and approach those who clearly know mountains more then i do (nearly everyone) with a great deal of humility. Hell even bass fishing, which i know a thing or two about, i approach with the humility of a novice. My opinion is there is always someone better then you and you never know who it's gonna be. oh welp..

I'm really sorry to hear that, plnoldrick. Though, I have read of others' complaints here to the same tone. In one hand, I'm surprised but in the other, I'm not.

Honestly my opinion is that, if you own a business, you should try your best to bend over backwards for every customer who walks in the door. That's not to say to take a slap in the face from a really hell-bent customer. Still, regardless who the customer is, never be rude. If they give real trouble, simply ask them to leave.

(I am in no way insinuating that you gave any trouble - I'm just pointing out that there is *never* a reason for an owner to be rude to a customer. What you're saying sounds like you tried to dump some major $$$ in there and got slapped in the face for it.)

I can understand someone running a shop and having multiple customers with the phone ringing having limited attention to go around, but what you described is certainly out of line. Definitely something I'll think about.

One day when I own my own coffee-slash-fly-shop (lol), customer is #1.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 12:45:45 PM

Cold

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quote:

Oh and not to mention the eventual 15 minute lesson on why i should only buy stuff from small business's and if i dont im basically a scumbag.

Now that you mention that, I did get that lecture.

Of course, I think I truncated it by mentioning that I usually but from a shop less than 1/4 the size of his establishment...a place that doesn't even have a cash register.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 1:15:09 PM

rapala11

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One day when I own my own coffee-slash-fly-shop (lol), customer is #1.

harry, you wanna hire me? don't know a lot about flyfishing, but i sure can drink some java.

cold, what got me started down this path of debauchery was you questions about getting started. what pushed me over the edge was your 3wt avid and what you called the "small" reels that go with the small rods.

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 2:09:25 PM

Cold

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I'm practicing for a career in pushing meth.

First try is free!

Harry, from what I hear, many fly shops are coffee/fly...but yours will have the best coffee. I'll help out too.

Rich, I drank some 100% java yesterday...sumatra today...

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/27/2009 11:56:48 PM

rapala11

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what was your blood pressure like after that? that stuff is the bomb. when i was younger, i loved to sit around with a cold canadian beer, moosehead or blue. as i got older and my innerds got weird, i started to really love caffeine. miss a dip or a smoke with it, but it is all good. nothing like a hot cup in the duck blind or while you are gearing up.

harry, the only fly shop in our area is in volant. there is another about 40 miles n.w. of y-town, but i need something closer. could you hurry up and open?

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/28/2009 8:39:15 AM

Loomis

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Coffee then a dip....doesn't get any better than that

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RE: 6wt for trout - 10/28/2009 2:35:38 PM

doubletaper

Posts: 1920
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From: clarion, pa
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quote:

ORIGINAL: harrypelles

One day when I own my own coffee-slash-fly-shop (lol), customer is #1.

i don't know if you guys read my blogs but when we went down to edenburg VA. to smallmouth fish, Harry Murray's fly shop is in his pharmacy also. you can get addicted to fly fishing and get drugs all in the same store

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