newbie question

From what I have read on here, most guys recommend 6 to 8 weights for Erie in 9 to 10ft. You probably would be fine using a 6 weight for trout, my friend does and he hasn't complained, although we are new so you might want some others advice also.

DT got you covered
If you ever want to fish Neshanock give me a shout

If you're looking at only getting one rod to do everything, I think a 6wt in 9' to 9'6" is pretty much where you want to be. Anything under 6wt and you're losing the ability to put the wood to fresh steel, anything much over 6wt and you're getting into overkill for stocked trout elsewhere in the state.

ORIGINAL: DarDys

Get a 7-weight for steel and a 5-weight for pelletheads.

Agreed.

dumb...

listen to cold... i fish 6 wt. for everything up to midges, expect the 2wt for small wilds.

Thanks for all the great input.

I actually have a Martin 8' 3pc 6/7wt rod that my nephew gave me years ago when he gave up chasing trout for chasing girls... I had forgotten about it since, as I said, I've been fishing with bait casters and spinning rigs for several years now and had never picked up the art of fly fishing. I think I'll use this rod this spring with the normal trout around SW PA and get used to fishing with a fly rig before next Fall when I will be able to make another trip to Erie to try any new skills I might pick up on the steelhead. I really just need to pick up a reel that will pair up well with this rod for now.

During my last trip to 20 mile creek (Dec 28th and 29th), I had the chance to observe a couple of fly fishermen who really were very artistic in their ability to control their casts and were quite productive too. I've been itching to learn to fly fish for several years now, but the cost of the equipment has always turned me off to the sport. Seeing those gentlemen (term used loosely here... lol) really kicked my itch up a few levels, and like I said in my first post, I'm in a position now to get myself some top-notch equipment much cheaper than retail (I work for a sporting goods retailer and have some good employee discount deals available to me as an employment benefit).

After reading all the great responses I've gotten from this post, I'm considering ordering one of the Imperial rods from St. Croix. Do any of you own one of these and possibly provide me with some feedback? The rods I'm considering are:

I907.4 9' 4pc 7wt
I1007.4 10' 4pc 7wt

I looked at the rods from G. Loomis, and while they are probably worth the money, I just don't have $400 to put towards a fishing rod. Even with the discounts I am able to get through them, they are sadly still out of my price range... after all, I still have to pay a mortgage, truck payment and support a wife and two small kids (not to mention gas for the truck).

Thanks,

Charlie

ORIGINAL: Cold

ORIGINAL: DarDys
I tend to agree, however, it is best to get the right tool for the right job and unfortunately, a nine inch stocked trout and a nine pound fresh steelhead are too far apart to be effectively and enjoyably fished for with the same rod -- overgunned on one or under gunned on the other.  While one can shoot a squirrel with the same rifle as one uses for moose, it is not recommended.

Get a 7-weight for steel and a 5-weight for pelletheads.

Absolutely agree on having the right tool for the task, but in a pinch you can drive tacks with a crescent wrench. For a beginner that may want to try it all for a minimum investment, a 6wt will get it done.

If we're expanding to a 2 rod set, I'd probably go 4wt and 7wt, but that's just personal preference. Most 4wts will do everything that a 5wt can, but the pellethead will be a little more exciting.

 
True, but I not only bet you $5 that you wouldn't drive tacks with a cresent wrench for eight hours and enjoy it, but that you wouldn't do it a second time.

I guess I just don't understand how it is thought possible that there is anything at all that can work across the span of differences there are between things as great as the span between stocked trout and steelhead.  If the average stocked trout weighs eight ounces and the average steelhead weighs seven pounds that is a factor of 14 difference.  Does the same jacket work for that big of a difference in temperature or do most folks have a few different weight jackets?  Do people try to make one pair of shoes do everything from hunting/fishing to running to shoveling snow to walking on the beach to playing sports to dress to casual or do they own a few different pairs of shoes and boots to cover the spread of uses? 
 
Why should a one-size-fits-all species fly rod be acceptable then?
 
Sure, it can be done, but one sure way not to enjoy flyfishing is for a newbie to get frustrated by equipment.

ORIGINAL: DarDys

I guess I just don't understand how it is thought possible that there is anything at all that can work across the span of differences there are between things as great as the span between stocked trout and steelhead.  If the average stocked trout weighs eight ounces and the average steelhead weighs seven pounds that is a factor of 14 difference.  Does the same jacket work for that big of a difference in temperature or do most folks have a few different weight jackets?  Do people try to make one pair of shoes do everything from hunting/fishing to running to shoveling snow to walking on the beach to playing sports to dress to casual or do they own a few different pairs of shoes and boots to cover the spread of uses? 

Why should a one-size-fits-all species fly rod be acceptable then?

Sure, it can be done, but one sure way not to enjoy flyfishing is for a newbie to get frustrated by equipment.

First of all, the main point I was emphasizing, is that a 6wt would work for both trout and steel. No more, no less. Fish weight differences really aren't that big of a factor when you're talking about using a 6wt fly rod for trout and steel (using the factor of 14 can go either way too...I most definitely use the same jacket when it's 2 degrees out and 28 degrees out). Yes, it will work for both, end of story. Many trout fishermen use a 6wt rod as their main rod. Many steelhead fishermen use a 6wt rod as their main steelhead rod. To me, that is a strong indicator that the weight can perform double-duty reasonably well. If you want to custom-tailor a setup for a specific type of fishing, obviously, there's benefits, but for most beginners, they want to get on the water with a decent setup, at a reasonable cost, that will open up the most opportunities for them in the fishing they like to do. For a PA angler, that's a 6wt. You can fish stocked trout, warmwater, and steelhead. About the only applications that a 6wt isn't at least a decent choice for would be tiny natives and big fish like stripers, pike, and musky, both in terms of the flies typically used and the fish itself.

So would it be ideal to have two separate rods, one for trout and one for steel? Absolutely.

Are two rods necessary in order to be able to fish for both and enjoy oneself? Absolutely not.

Is it a foregone conclusion that using a 6wt for both species will frustrate a beginner? Definitely not.

Is a 6wt so non-ideal that you'd be better off not fishing at all than to try it? I don't think so.

echuck i hope you got your answer(bring two jackets)good luck with your choice im not a flyguy(or gal)but its still better to fish and fine tune your gear to what is comfortable to you.i have never fished with anyone who said his arm was sore because my setup was heavy.

Always taken as intended.

Just trying to shorten a newbie's learning curve by recommending what they will eventually do anyway.  And if you look at it in a slightly different way, getting two rods now will save them in the long run because if they go with the 6-weight as a catch all, it will be abandoned once they go to a 4 or 5 for trout and a 7 for bass/steelhead, so they will have bought three rods instead of two. 

ORIGINAL: D-nymph
Oh yea, I remember those posts from you about how it was so frustrating that you were going to quit the steelbow game. lolzerz.

You do? Do you have a link or is there any way to get back to those old threads? I'd be interested to see what was said, both by me and to me.

ORIGINAL: Cold

You do? Do you have a link or is there any way to get back to those old threads? I'd be interested to see what was said, both by me and to me.

I do not have a link, I'm sure you could dig them up some way. I just remember you being bummed out that you couldn't land any fish your first few trips, then saying you were considering quitting trying. Then some of us were either busting your bawls about it or laughing about it or both.

ORIGINAL: Cold

I was really kinda hoping someone had found a simple way to read threads more than a year old here, too, though.

Go to the page listing at the top right, click on the double arrow. That will take you to the first posts, March 2007.

Then work backwards skipping every few pages until you get into the time frame you're looking for. That's about as easy as it can be on this site.

The post in a few of those threads and watch people act like it's a new thread, not one that's 4-5 years old.

ha ha.

"The man"