What size line should I buy?

[Jimmie]

Last night I bought a 4 wt rod and a reel that I was told was recommended 3-5 wt. When I got home I did a little research and found the reel is recommended 5-6 wt (it was a spur of the moment close out buy @ our closing Sportsman's). Will a 4 wt or 5 wt line be best? Do you think the reel is going to be too heavy for the rod? Thanks.
Jimmie

[FrankB2]

Buy a line that suits the rod, not the reel. What length is the rod, and what
does the reel weigh. I've often gone up a size in reel so that a 9' rod doesn't
feel tip heavy.

[Jimmie]

Yeah, it's a 9' rod Frank. Thanks.

[GRN]

Like Frank said, line must suit the rod first and foremost. The reel shouldn't influence the line selection at all... it's actually the other way around. If the reel is a size larger than it needs to be, you're fine as long as the balance isn't way off, which would typically be most pronounced with a shorter rod. I used to use a #3 Canyon on my 5wt before I had multiple reels, it was the best middle ground for the rods I had at the time (5-7). It was a bit heavy, but I caught fish...

[BigCliff]

Buy the line that suits the rod best. That's most likely a 4wt, but possibly could be a 5wt. The good news is that with that reel, you've likely got plenty of room for line and backing, and that's always better than it being too small.

A local fly shop should have both a 4wt and 5wt line you could try on the rod before you pick which one to buy. Also keep in mind that there are some lines out there that are more like a 4.5wt- SA's GPX, Rio's Grand, and some others.