[Pocono]

Hi,

Just joined this forum and am interested in advice on a good 6 wt. fly rod. I fish mostly in the Northeastern PA area (Pocono Mountains), so small freestones are the most common waters that I fish. However, sometimes I'm on bigger water (upper and lower Deleware River) and want to cast weighted nymphs / dropper / indicator into a pretty good wind and at a pretty good distance. My current 9 ft. 5 wt. just doesn't do it easily for me and a lot of people have asked me why I don't simply go to a 6 wt. rod. I'm ready to to do that, but I'm not sure what rod to go for, so could use some advice in that area; or related to that area if the question seems off the mark.

Best,

Pocono

[sandfly]

you are looking at 2 different systems there, the 5 wt. should be fine for the freestoners, (bushkill,dingmans,broadheads,etc.)go for a 7 wt(bass,shad,stripers,trout) for the delaware
check out Dunkleburgers in stroudsberg...

[bonefish41]

I would add Anglers-Pro Shop in Souderton...not to far down the road

[randyflycaster]

Pocono,

Every caster is different. The first thing to determine is what kind of action you want. For nymphs I like a slower rod, for streamers I like a faster rod.

Next, how much money do you want to spend?

Finally, if you can cast some different rods that will be helpful, as you and I might like different rods.

Randy Kadish

[BigCliff]

I agree with sandfly that a 7wt is worth a try. See if you can borrow a buddy's 7wt and give it a try. If that's just too much rod, I would go with a fairly fast 6wt with a SA GPX or Nymph line on it. A TFO TiCR would be a great one to try, as would a Scott E2, or a Sage Z-axis. The Loomis Metolius series comes to mind as well. The Sage will be the fastest of those, the others similar to each other, but varying in feel.

For what you're doing, a 9'6" rod also might be ideal. A little more reach comes in real handy when fishing big water.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Pocono,

Welcome to the forum.

Moving up to the right 6wt may solve your problem. Some good advise here and I agree with it all. A 7wt would make a big difference in the wind over you 5wt. You don't say what 5wt you have so it is hard to judge if moving up to a 6wt would help much. There is not a big difference between a 5wt and a 6wt in some cases and a big difference in other cases. Out West I fish a 9'6" 5wt Sage with the SA GPX. This combination fits my style perfectly. I think Cliff's idea of going to a fast, 9'6", 6wt using a SA GPX line is a good suggestion. The real test is for you to cast the rod you are interested in before you buy one. What it boils down to is the 7wt will be a great choice for big water and lots of wind. It is not as much fun on small fish but the fish don't know the difference. A fast 6wt may do the job but it depends on what 6wt it is and how well you can cast it.

Frank

[Pocono]

Frank,

Thanks for the reply. I currently fish a Sage VT-2 9' 5 wt. I think (hope) that Christmas will replace this with a Sage Z-Axis 9' 5 wt. So, I'd be moving from a fast 5 wt. to, probably, a fast 6 wt. I really don't think that I need a 7wt. for this application. I can almost make the nymph/dropper/indicator set up work on windy days with the 5 wt. So, I suspect that a fast 6 wt. would do the trick for me. I'm 6'4", 185 lbs and can get a dry fly out there; 60-70' without double hauling. As I'm sure you already know, this forum is very, very good.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Pocono,

It seems you have some good casting skills and I think a 6wt Z-Axis would be a good choice. You might also want to look at the Sage TCR but I would want to cast one before I bought it. The TCR is an extra fast rod and not all people like it. Here is what Sage says about their TCR.

Frank

TCR Series


We created the Technical Casting Rod (TCR) Series rods to push the boundaries of fast-action tapers and high line speed, while maintaining the all-important fishability. To be clear, these rods are not for the casual angler. The TCR Series is designed for skilled casters facing the most demanding conditions-where technical precision, distance and the ability to cut through wind are at a premium. Try a TCR-we think you'll be amazed.

[BigCliff]

At 6'4", I guess you've got the "extra reach" I mentioned licked already.

I agree with Frank in recommending that you try out a TCR before dropping cash on one. I'm more prone to gorilla casting than most (5'10" 240# former NCAA DT) and even I have to horse the 6wt TCR pretty hard.

Though its marketed as a saltwater rod, I'd give the Xi2 6wt a try. They're really stout, but still have a manageable action too. I also think they're some of the prettiest rods out there, with the gleaming midnight blue and silver accents.

The T&T Horizon II or Vector series might suit your needs very well also.

[bonefish41]

Originally Posted by Pocono

Hi,

Just joined this forum and am interested in advice on a good 6 wt. fly rod. I fish mostly in the Northeastern PA area (Pocono Mountains), so small freestones are the most common waters that I fish. However, sometimes I'm on bigger water (upper and lower Deleware River) and want to cast weighted nymphs / dropper / indicator into a pretty good wind and at a pretty good distance. My current 9 ft. 5 wt. just doesn't do it easily for me and a lot of people have asked me why I don't simply go to a 6 wt. rod. I'm ready to to do that, but I'm not sure what rod to go for, so could use some advice in that area; or related to that area if the question seems off the mark.

Best,

Pocono

As I do not fish trout streams at present... my POV is Salt...however, as a young boy my memories are of small freestones around Wilkes Barre but never the big upper Delaware...I fish a 9 and a 10 wt TCR for bonefish, redfish, permit and medium tarpon...have casted a 6, 7 and 8...TCRs are long distance rods if you are buying just for the delaware and your fishing distances are 50 or more with at least 40 feet of fly line out in cast ...try it out.. but if you are considering any TCR on small freestones IMHO no...take the $700 plus for the TCR double it and buy an 7'6-8 foot cane for the spirituality of Pocono freestones....and tell me what are the good small freestones so that when I visit my mother's roots next summer I'll not bring my salt rods and eschew the vulgarity of cape cod stripers and instead my 8' HCF cane to first trout memories