If you could only pick one...

[nick k]

If you could only pick one rod weight to have and use for the rest of your fly fishing life, wherever you went, what would it be?

 

[fredaevans]

Bit of a toss up between a six or a seven. For trout fishing (lake fishing) a six would be just fine. As most of my fishing is in the Rogue River a seven is the best all-round choice (and my vote).

fae

 

[turbineblade]

8-weight for me, hands-down...no question. A lot of the world has saltwater and I won't go out there for long casts, in the wind, with big flies with anything lighter.

For the smaller stuff it is overkill, but it still works. The same can't be said of the reverse....

 

[nick k]

Bit of a toss up between a six or a seven. For trout fishing (lake fishing) a six would be just fine. As most of my fishing is in the Rogue River a seven is the best all-round choice (and my vote).

fae

I went with the 7 as well for my vote. I could use it for bass, carp, and stripers.

 

[nc_cooter]

A 6wt covers my warm water needs just fine.
Mike

 

[fly_guy12955]

4wt.

I could kill squirrels with a Barrett,,but what's the point. Ain't much I couldn't catch on a 4wt.

 

[von behr]

I think a 6-wt is a good middle ground rod and covers most situations without being too heavy or too light.

-VB

 

[comeonavs]

4wt


Since my affinity with fly fishing involves mountain streams and mid sized rivers I can cover it all with a 4WT. I don't plan on any Salmon/Steelhead type of fishing or else I would have obviously had to gu for a bigger rod.

 

[baseman1]

I went 8wt as most of my fishing involves the silver bullet (atlantics) and anything lighter and you run the risk of rod detonation.

 

[krikau27]

7wt.

Kim.

 

[turbineblade]

4wt.

I could kill squirrels with a Barrett,,but what's the point. Ain't much I couldn't catch on a 4wt.

Maybe not (thought I doubt it) but I could show you literally dozens of areas on the East Coast where a 4-weight would be so thoroughly useless that you couldn't even come close to casting to the fish with a it.

If you only fish for trout, point taken. I guess it isn't clear in the title of this thread if we have to pick a rod that we'd fish only in our current location, or one we'd theoretically have to use anywhere.

 

[nick k]

I guess it isn't clear in the title of this thread if we have to pick a rod that we'd fish only in our current location, or one we'd theoretically have to use anywhere.

Well I did say "wherever you went" in the initial post but it is then left up to each person to decide where exactly that is for them, as many of us will never be places that are common to others.

In regards to the 4wt, any rod weight can be too light for one application, or useless in certain scenarios. Light weight rods get really bad raps, but unjustly so. Just about everyone here likes to tell me my 2wt is a not a good tool for the bass fishing I do. In my personal experience, I have never been limited with it to the point of losing fish. Sure it takes longer to bring some in, but I've never snapped it while fighting a fish or had trouble throwing the size flies I wanted to.

The only real difference between lighter weight rods is that you cant cast as far with large flies, and you have less pulling muscle power. If you don't need to cast far, and you are patient enough to give the fish some extra time on the reel, it really doesn't make a difference.

---------- Post added at 11:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:22 AM ----------

I see a few people posting comments but forgetting to vote in the poll. Please log your vote so we can all see the final results.

 

[ditz]

I voted a 7wt as well and see there are a lot of votes for the 6 and 7. ....Makes me wonder why there was a thread called 'Why no love for the 7wt'........

 

[nick k]

I voted a 7wt as well and see there are a lot of votes for the 6 and 7. ....Makes me wonder why there was a thread called 'Why no love for the 7wt'........

Lol. I actually started that thread.

In my defense, you very rarely see anyone ever talk about 7wts. Most people usually argue 6 or 8 and jump around the 7. I still maintain the fact that the 7wt is the most undervalued rod weight out there.

 

[tex]

I LOVE my 3wt. If I had to use only 1 rod, I would forego bass fishing in lakes or steelhead in the American River. It would be ponds and streams from here on out, and I would be OK with it 110%.

 

[turbineblade]

Lol. I actually started that thread.

In my defense, you very rarely see anyone ever talk about 7wts. Most people usually argue 6 or 8 and jump around the 7. I still maintain the fact that the 7wt is the most undervalued rod weight out there.

A 7-weight is a good rod for sure. I could do quite a lot with one, but it would just get dodgy trying to do some of my fishing in the wind on certain days.

 

[nick k]

Really interesting to see this bell curve come out, although I'm surprised there aren't more votes for 8-9wt. I guess the saltwater crew hasn't found this post yet.

 

[krikau27]

Really interesting to see this bell curve come out, although I'm surprised there aren't more votes for 8-9wt. I guess the saltwater crew hasn't found this post yet.

Not all of us fish in the tropical saltwater
Kim.

 

[nick k]

Not all of us fish in the tropical saltwater
Kim.

We do have a lot of diehard saltwater guys here though. Especially a lot from the northeast particular to stripers.

 

[fly_guy12955]

The idea of what rod you'd prefer seemed to indicate that it was 'what rod you prefer for YOUR average fishing.'

I prefer 2wt and 3wts for trout and small-mouth fishing. But I'd use a 4wt ,,grudgingly, if I though I might hook bigger bass.