One rod for the upper Manistee and the Holy Waters

[jjack]

Interested in your recommendations for one rod for the upper Manistee (casting is tight in many places I go) and the North Branch Ausable and the Holy Waters (wide open casting).

This would be for fishing dries and maybe a Mickey Finn or Woolly Bugger. No nymphing or chucking big streamers. I have 6 wts for that.

I'm not hunting trophies, just trying to catch whatever is rising.

I have a wide assortment of current rods, so it's not a question of fitting something into my lineup - I'm just asking what you'd take if you could only take one with you. I'm assuming 3-5 wt.

Interested in options anywhere from $80-800 new.

Thanks all!

 

[rusty 54]

When fishing those rivers, it's usually my 8 1/2ft 4wt.

 

[lake flyer]

Any 7.5 to 8 ft 4 or 5 weight will do. That includes bamboo, glass or graphite.

 

[lanyard]

All else being equal, what would be the main performance difference between 4 or 5 wt rods in 8'6" vs 9'...? Casting distance, other factors?

 

[moucheur2003]

For years the Winston IM6/WT 8 1/2' 5 weight was known as the "staff of Moses" on the Holy Waters. Later I think the honor was also bestowed on the 8 1/2' 4 weight Winston BIIt. So I would say you're probably looking for a medium action, 8 1/2', 4 or 5 weight. (Unless you think that would be too long for the close quarters you fish on the Manistee, in which case I'd say the same thing in a 7 1/2 or 8 footer.)

Those models are no longer in regular production, although you can still custom order the WT from Winston, in a 2- or 3- piece configuration. Of similar rods currently in production, I'm especially impressed with the 4-piece Orvis Helios2 mid-flex 8 1/2' 5 weight. The Scott G2 is another popular medium-action rod series, but I've never tested one of those myself.

---------- Post added at 03:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:42 PM ----------

All else being equal, what would be the main performance difference between 4 or 5 wt rods in 8'6" vs 9'...? Casting distance, other factors?

The shorter rod typically gives you better control and presentation at short and medium casting distances -- say, up to about 45 feet. The longer rod is typically better for distance, wind, and high-stick nymphing, and better for avoiding low shrubs on your backcast, but worse for catching overhead branches.

 

[lanyard]

The shorter rod typically gives you better control and presentation at short and medium casting distances -- say, up to about 45 feet. The longer rod is typically better for distance, wind, and high-stick nymphing, and better for avoiding low shrubs on your backcast, but worse for catching overhead branches.

Thank you.

Edit to say, the difference may be something I wouldn't notice. My interest is that I have a 9' 4 wt I intend to use for the same purpose.

 

[jjack]

Thanks for the recommendations on the Winstons. I'm loving going after those little Brookies and I like the feel of a 4wt with those smaller fish.

Shopping around for used Winstons is like looking for the Holy Grail (for the Holy Waters)

 

[moucheur2003]

Thank you.

Edit to say, the difference may be something I wouldn't notice. My interest is that I have a 9' 4 wt I intend to use for the same purpose.

Unless you're fishing in very close conditions where you're hanging up in the trees and bushes all the time, or unless you do a lot of fishing inside of 30', the 9 footer should be fine.

---------- Post added at 08:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 AM ----------

Thanks for the recommendations on the Winstons. I'm loving going after those little Brookies and I like the feel of a 4wt with those smaller fish.

Shopping around for used Winstons is like looking for the Holy Grail (for the Holy Waters)

If you're willing to consider a used medium-action rod, the Sage ZXL is another nice one that might be easier to find.

Come to think of it, another possibility to consider would be the Gary Borger Light Touch rods, made by Targus. Fellow forum member Silver Creek's recommendation turned me on to them. (There have been several threads discussing them here and on other forums which you can find if your run a search. Here's one: http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/fly-rods/243298-targus-gary-borger-light-touch-fly-rod.html) Silver Creek is a personal friend of Borger's and said that at the time Borger considered the 8 1/2' to be the best 5 weight he had ever cast. I ended up getting two of them myself, in 8' 4 wt and 8 1/2' 5 wt, so I can recommend them too. Targus went out of business a few years ago, but The Fly Shop in Redding, Calif., still has a few unsold 8 and 8 1/2 footers left in 5 weight that they have marked down to $129. Can't go very far wrong at that price, and even though Targus is no longer around to honor the warranty, they do come with an extra tip as breakage insurance.

http://catalog.theflyshop.com/gary-borger-lt-fly-rods/

 

[lanyard]

Unless you're fishing in very close conditions where you're hanging up in the trees and bushes all the time, or unless you do a lot of fishing inside of 30', the 9 footer should be fine.

Thanks...!

 

[GrtLksMarlin]

Those are not exactly little creeks so the longer rods giving you more range will be helpful. 4 or 5 wt. of little matter except that the 5 gives you a little more umph if you decide to throw out a larger streamer. I've fished with my 7'6" 3wt. there, yet always went back to a 8'6"-9' 5wt. rods (don't currently have a 4wt.) in that you can for much of it walk right up the middle and cast ahead and to the edges easier, and it keeps you from having to worry about snags on the back-cast.

I do however intend on giving my 8'4" 2wt. a go with dries this year though.

B.E.F.

 

[Vulpes]

I can't speak for the ausable...and depending on what you mean by "Upper manistee" I can say I fish it with a 7'9" 4wt. But I fish the upper....and I mean upper manistee....like, where it comes out of the ground. I'm really happy with my st. croix avid..Love it to death actually. I have a 5wt reddington thats alright, but the 4 wt is more fun.

 

[jjack]

Well, OP here.

I'm paring down my 14-rod collection (how did THAT happen?) and here's what I'm ending up with in the 3-5 wt range:

Helios 2 5wt (on the way)
Superfine Carbon 4wt (about to buy this one)

I'll use the Superfine on the headwaters and the Helios on the main branches. Very different rods but then again different purposes.