As I've grown a bit older, I've developed an affinity for smaller water, high elevation creeks, and small watersheds and tributaries from tail waters, for several reasons;
1) They are plentiful within an easily commutable distance of me.
2) They are FAR less crowded than the larger waters, (particularly here in Colorado where angler quantities are robust), therefore, provide a more tranquil experience.
3) They are easy to wade if needed and fishable almost always without worry of flows.
4) They can be fished with lightweight, very pleasant to use, gear.
5) They offer, potentially, as great or greater challenge in stalking wary fish. (smaller fish naturally are predator hyper sensitive as easier targets).
6) They offer, by location, exceptional insect habitat in most instances, and therefore offer, arguably, heightened opportunities for fishing dry's. (think size 22 Parachute Adams and Brookies).
Because of this, I have become somewhat of a light line enthusiast over the last 5-7 years. I know that many people do not fish lower line weights, that they prefer the mass of larger line for casting manipulation, and that certainly, any smaller of body can be fished with larger gear. However, I have come to know this aspect as a challenging, new dimension, to my fishing resume. Becoming an artist with a 3 wt or lighter is it's own unique skill set, requiring a bit of re-write of one's casting prowess, and a completely different set of presentation expertise. I also would argue, that a 3 wt is an optimum medium for this canvas. In recent years, light line rods and lines have come about from 3,2,1 wts. to 0,00,000,0000 wts. and who knows how much lighter, but, I have found that as an all around light line configuration, 3wt is the most usable, especially under any slightly adverse conditions that may arise. The lightest weight I own is a 1 wt. But find, with the exception of one 2wt. I hold in admiration, that the 3wt is the "5 weight all arounder" of light line configurations.
With this in mind, I thought I would open up a post for others that may be light line enthusiasts, or those exploring the options where we might compare 3 wts and our experiences there-of. Especially since the 3wt options currently in market are catering to the niche quite admirably and are very robust as of current, in both Glass and Graphite + material design.
What is your favorite three weight and why?
How many three weights have you fished, your opinion on them, and in what configurations?
What new three weight are you eyeballing as a prospective purchase?
How many three weights do you own?
Do you also prefer the 3 wt as an all around light weight rod? If not what do you prefer?
Aaaaaand Gooooooo...........
1) They are plentiful within an easily commutable distance of me.
2) They are FAR less crowded than the larger waters, (particularly here in Colorado where angler quantities are robust), therefore, provide a more tranquil experience.
3) They are easy to wade if needed and fishable almost always without worry of flows.
4) They can be fished with lightweight, very pleasant to use, gear.
5) They offer, potentially, as great or greater challenge in stalking wary fish. (smaller fish naturally are predator hyper sensitive as easier targets).
6) They offer, by location, exceptional insect habitat in most instances, and therefore offer, arguably, heightened opportunities for fishing dry's. (think size 22 Parachute Adams and Brookies).
Because of this, I have become somewhat of a light line enthusiast over the last 5-7 years. I know that many people do not fish lower line weights, that they prefer the mass of larger line for casting manipulation, and that certainly, any smaller of body can be fished with larger gear. However, I have come to know this aspect as a challenging, new dimension, to my fishing resume. Becoming an artist with a 3 wt or lighter is it's own unique skill set, requiring a bit of re-write of one's casting prowess, and a completely different set of presentation expertise. I also would argue, that a 3 wt is an optimum medium for this canvas. In recent years, light line rods and lines have come about from 3,2,1 wts. to 0,00,000,0000 wts. and who knows how much lighter, but, I have found that as an all around light line configuration, 3wt is the most usable, especially under any slightly adverse conditions that may arise. The lightest weight I own is a 1 wt. But find, with the exception of one 2wt. I hold in admiration, that the 3wt is the "5 weight all arounder" of light line configurations.
With this in mind, I thought I would open up a post for others that may be light line enthusiasts, or those exploring the options where we might compare 3 wts and our experiences there-of. Especially since the 3wt options currently in market are catering to the niche quite admirably and are very robust as of current, in both Glass and Graphite + material design.
What is your favorite three weight and why?
How many three weights have you fished, your opinion on them, and in what configurations?
What new three weight are you eyeballing as a prospective purchase?
How many three weights do you own?
Do you also prefer the 3 wt as an all around light weight rod? If not what do you prefer?
Aaaaaand Gooooooo...........
