Fly Rod Length

I want to get a new fly rod Im thinkin 5/6 wt. I generally fish average sized stocked trout stream in pa, say 30 ft wide max but sometimes fish streams as little as 10 ft wide what would you say is a good length rod? I saw the fly rod for sale in the ads section but thought maybe 8ft was a little short... Whats your opinion?

One rod lenght will not do it all. 30 foot stream, a good all a round rod would be 8 ft 6". For a 5 wt. If your going to be casting in tighter corners. A rod from 6 to 7 1/2 ft would be the ticket. Also in a 5 or 6 wt to load in tight brush.

Jeez, such a subjective question.

Just get what ever you think would be great and use it till you are right.

I have one 9' 5wt. and one 7'6" 4wt. and after using both for a couple of years, I can use either for anything but the furthest ends of the spectrum, catch fish and have a great time.

I've had days with both of those rods that ranged from picking apart deadfalls on meadow then walking down to the yough and chucking one out there into a second seam or midstream pool.

ORIGINAL: strandman220

One rod lenght will not do it all. 30 foot stream, a good all a round rod would be 8 ft 6". For a 5 wt. If your going to be casting in tighter corners. A rod from 6 to 7 1/2 ft would be the ticket. Also in a 5 or 6 wt to load in tight brush.

To each his own, but I disagree with this standpoint to some extent. One rod weight will not do it all. One length might.

An 8'-6" 5wt is indeed a good "all-around", but a "5 or 6 wt to load in tight brush" is, imvho, not terribly accurate. I *do* have a glass 5/6 that loads with about 4 feet of flyline past the tip top, but the weight of a rod has nothing to do with how quickly it will load, at least not without other factors such as line, action, and material. Likewise, I fish a 7'-9" 3wt that is really one of my most favorite rods, which I fish in a wide variety of conditions.

No disrespect toward others who may disagree, but I feel that the length of your fly rod is one of its least limiting factors.

So, while a collection of 4wt rods, in 6-6, 7, 7-6, 8, 9, and 10 will not cover every situation by any means, a collection of 9 footers, in 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 weight might.

In short: if you can get an 8 foot, 5wt, for a price you like, go for it. It will be a versatile rod.

Steel Junkie,

The 8 footer you mention may...MAY not be quite enough for a true "all-purpose" rod, but

If you are going to be fishing streams that small my suggestion would be a 3-4 weight around 7 to 7.5 foot

small streams leave little room for back casts and on a 30 foot stream your cast are not going to be 30 feet long..........

Regrds

Flags

ORIGINAL: jimhalupka

i say 8' 6'' 5 wt...  best all around rod

for PA streams

sure, there are certain conditions to have a golf bag full of rods but he asked for an all around rod length.
(paco i did like your analogy)
 
take a 5wt. 8'6" med-fast action rod and put a wt forward line on it and you'll be able to cast any weighted bugger or fly for trout in PA waters without too much of a problem.
put a dt line on the same rod and you can fish small brook streams with small weightless flies. with a med-fast action you should be able to load your dt line quickly without a full backcast.
show me your favorite trout streams in PA and i'll show ya how the 8'6" rod does the trick. then we can go smallie fishing with the same 5wt. 8'6" rod.

i prefer a $49.99 8' cortland rod with a battenkill large arbor reel .....right on DT !!!!

ORIGINAL: strandman220


Also the misconception of small stream, lower line weight. Is one of the biggest mistakes. I see over and over. Dont buy in to it. You need a short rod and a 5 or 6 wt. to load in tight corners. Theres very little false casting. Its working like hell to even get enough line out to start the cast. A larger line wt works here.

Loading a rod has absolutely nothing to do with line weight. I have casted 1wts that will load with practically 5ft of line out. Similarly, I have fished 3wts that needed 30-40ft of line out until it loads. I have 2 5wts, one fast action that needs some line out to get it loaded and another mod/fast action that will load nicely with only a little line out.

The action of the rod and line you choose for it are what dictates how much "line out" you need to load the rod. Picking the right line can help "slow" down a faster rod and allow it to load sooner.

Esox. You are talking a true one wt rod? With a one wt line? No overloading on the line wt.
Please tell me the model number and I will buy one tommorow.

Anyone use a St Croix Avid.  I am looking at a 8'6 5 wt.  How fast of a rod is it?

"Fast" and "Slow" are becoming such ridiculously subjective terms when it comes to a rod's action. Just in the rods that I own I have a "moderate fast" hardy rod that is way faster than my "fast" action sages. I have two switch rods, by different makers, both desribe their actions as being moderate fast. One fits that description, while the other is the "slowest" rod I have. Both great rods, but the terms are just so relative. Its too bad orvis's numerical system of rod flex didn't catch on with other manufacturers, IMO.

For the first 5 years I fly fished I had two rods. A full flex 7 foot 9 inch 5 weight, and a 9 foot 6 weight mid flex rod. The 6 was a little long for smaller streams, but I got by just fine. The 7 foot 9 5 weight was a great rod. I gave it away to someone just starting out in fly fishing, and I'd really like to find another similar rod to replace it. It was a great length for 90% of the fishing I do. If you are a budget minded fly fisherman you could have a reel with a decent DT 6wt line on it, and use it for a short 5wt on small streams, and on a longer 6 weight for larger streams. It would work well in both situations.

Thanks guys I think I will definately go with a 5 wt 8' 6" or 9'

As an allrounder.. What big foot said.