Help me decide between 8wt or 9wt

[dickensheets]

I am shopping a new setup. I currently fish a 6wt only. I want to branch out and do some travelling and get into the salt scene a little or salmon season etc etc.

I want to travel confidently and not show up someplace undergunned. Is there anything wrong with using a 9wt in these situations.

I am 5-10 200lb with decent arm strength.

Ryan

[BigCliff]

You should be alright with a 9wt, but its still gonna wear on you a bit more than the 8wt would. There's a few situations where the 9wt line landing on the water is more likely to spook fish, but you can just lengthen your leader in those situations to offset that.

I think an 8 and 9wt do about equally well fighting the wind on the TX coast, but the 9wt does a bit better turning over large bass flies that work best on the E TX lunker bass.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi dickensheets,

I think Cliff has pretty much laid it out for you. I would follow his advise.

I will add that if you are a new fly fisher then the 9wt may not be as good a choice as the 8wt. With more experience the 9wt can be a better rod if you are throwing really big flies.

[dickensheets]

Thanks guys.

[bonefish41]

Hold on...here comes old saltwater...as I have said before it's 10 wt for salt...up or down in tippet...the 10 wt is IMHO like the 30-06...it can do it all

[burns]

I'm currently facing the same problem - 8 or 9 wt.

For me, the rod will be used primarily for east coast stripers. However, I'm sure that one day it will go along on a trip for salmon to the north, steelhead to the west or jacks and snook to the south (Florida).

Some people tell me 8 and some tell me 9, then a few tell me 10. So...I'm at a loss.

Guess this wasn't too helpful!

[ecuadorrebel]

Hi Ryan,

I just finished building a Sage XLi 9wt for Sonny Dinkins in Wilmington, NC. He just published his book "Redfish on the Fly". He was looking for a rod that he could use for Redfish as well as Bonefish. That is why he went with the 9wt. An 8wt would have been fine for the redfish, but the bonefish required the extra strength. You need to decide exactly what type of fish you are going for before you invest. Too much rod is going to wear you out and too little rod is going to loose you a lot of fish and possibly a broken rod.

Steve