Reese, I have rods from 6' to 9'6" and I can say my favorite length rod are my 7' rods. At that length, I have three rods in bamboo, glass, and graphite. I can take a 7' 4wt rod and fish in almost any environment that I fish.
I have used 7', 7'6", 7'10", and 8' rods in that section, and they all work well. Mending isn't much of an issue in those streams, so you don't need the length for that, but it is handy when having to reach and touch a fish. Anything in that length range works fine, but I find my preference is for the shorter end of that range, with a slower action to hit small spots just a short distance away. The longer rod does come in handy if there is a breeze, because I can generate more line speed with it.Reese, I have rods from 6' to 9'6" and I can say my favorite length rod are my 7' rods. At that length, I have three rods in bamboo, glass, and graphite. I can take a 7' 4wt rod and fish in almost any environment that I fish.
My 8' rods only have an advantage over my 7' rods in certain meadow streams...narrow streams, high grass banks, clear water, with wild spooky trout. In those streams a longer rod is an advantage where I must cast over the grass about 20' to a spooky trout...or, when I must hang the tip of the rod over a grassy bank to drop a fly on the water (and listen for a loud splash to set the hook). Below is one of the streams where I like to fish my 8' rod when the grass is high (that little white dot is my brother at the grass horizon).
Honestly, I fish my 8' rods less than any other length rod that I own and that's only because of the stream environments that I frequent. I probably fish my 7' and 7'6" rods the most because I'm on mountain creeks and streams with brushy banks and tree canopies more often than not. For me, the 8' rod is a specialty rod that I wish I could use more often because I like to fish with them very much. I don't think you would regret having an 8' in your quiver...
Jefe, I too have fished shorter rods on that stream but find I can do more with my 8' rod there (especially when the grass is high). There are some deep undercuts in the banks and I find it easier to reach out over the bank and dangle a fly with a longer rod. I once was walking on the trail that was parallel to the stream about 4-5 feet from the bank and my foot broke through the soil down to an undercut of water. Those trout have some serious hiding places there!!!
r reese, I have the Orvis 8' 4wt Superfine Touch, and it's a lovely rod to fish with on slower moving waters meandering through a meadow. Casting 40' of line is not an issue with this rod. Roll casting is a breeze and it lays out the line very nice. The one thing I have found, and it's probably just me I'm sure, is the mending. Sure, it will mend a little more line than a shorter rod, but if there's too much line out, it struggles just a wee bit because of the softness of the rod vs. the weight of the line and the water tension I think is a factor. So the lift of the rod I guess you could say struggles with too much line out. But with 30 feet of line out on the water, it mends just fine for me, and I see no reason to mend my line all the way to the leader like some videos show.
