Many years ago while on a trip to Colorado my wife bought me a travel convertible rod by Diawa, it converts from spinning rod to a fly rod. It is 6' in length. I have several graphite fly rods in various weights and lengths, can I use this convertible rod as a fly rod, more or less as a last resort??
6' Fly Rod??
- Thread starter midge1
- Start date
durangobrad
Well-known member
you can can use a chopstick as a last resort also. Short rods really dont cast any amount of line well. A 6' rod would work on only the smallest and tightest of creeks. I find no use in anything shorter than 7'6".
Rip Tide
Well-known member
I have three 6'6" rods that I use often enough
Perfect in tight spots
The only rod that I have that's shorter is 4'9" and that rod is too short.
Perfect in tight spots
The only rod that I have that's shorter is 4'9" and that rod is too short.
rusty 54
Well-known member
I would like to be in that place, with that weather right now!
I once made a trip to my cabin to do some work but intending to bring home a couple salmon when I left. When I arrived I discovered that I had left my 13 foot 8 weight rod in the back of my truck. That took some of the fun out of the following couple days but I found an old Ugly Stick with worn ferrules in the fuel shed. The ferrule had to be fastened with Duct Tape so it wouldn't separate so I taped things up.
When I was on the way home I put a $750 reel with a 55' mid Spey line on that 7 foot Ugly Stick and caught a bunch of fish. You can make any rod work if you have to.
I have a 6'3" five weight graphite, a 6'6" fiberglass and a 6'6" bamboo flea that was a custom order from the Orvis bamboo shop long ago. Either 6 foot rods work and work well or I'm just plain stupid. Where I grew up there are plenty of streams that are too tight for a longer rod, that's why I have the short ones.
The fiberglass and the bamboo aren't comfortable being pushed much past 40 feet or so but the graphite rod will cast as far as needed. You will need to put a reel and line on it and then go give it a go. No one can tell you if you will like it or not and you'll need to figure out which line weight will work best.
When I was on the way home I put a $750 reel with a 55' mid Spey line on that 7 foot Ugly Stick and caught a bunch of fish. You can make any rod work if you have to.
I have a 6'3" five weight graphite, a 6'6" fiberglass and a 6'6" bamboo flea that was a custom order from the Orvis bamboo shop long ago. Either 6 foot rods work and work well or I'm just plain stupid. Where I grew up there are plenty of streams that are too tight for a longer rod, that's why I have the short ones.
The fiberglass and the bamboo aren't comfortable being pushed much past 40 feet or so but the graphite rod will cast as far as needed. You will need to put a reel and line on it and then go give it a go. No one can tell you if you will like it or not and you'll need to figure out which line weight will work best.
sparsegraystubble
Well-known member
Back in the ‘60s I carried 6’, 7’ and 8’ Fenwick glass rods at one point. I almost always ended up fishing the 6’ in famous Pennsylvania streams like Spring Creek, Big Fishing Creek, Penn’s Creek and so on.
I used that short rod for dries, nymphs, streamers and traditional wet flies. I don’t remember ever having much of an issue with how far it casted or even with a low back cast. As I remember (of course my memory sucks at 73) it even turned over a 12 foot leader fairly well.
I’ve been tempted a time or two to buy a replacement off of eBay, but I know that I would never really fish it given my other line-up of rods. Actually I stopped fishing the 6’ much when I moved to New York. I don’t know why but a longer rod felt more comfortable on the Willowemoc and Beaverkill.
Don
I used that short rod for dries, nymphs, streamers and traditional wet flies. I don’t remember ever having much of an issue with how far it casted or even with a low back cast. As I remember (of course my memory sucks at 73) it even turned over a 12 foot leader fairly well.
I’ve been tempted a time or two to buy a replacement off of eBay, but I know that I would never really fish it given my other line-up of rods. Actually I stopped fishing the 6’ much when I moved to New York. I don’t know why but a longer rod felt more comfortable on the Willowemoc and Beaverkill.
Don
I have a 6 foot one-piece Cabela's Prime 3-wt. It is the rod I use the most on a small stream near my house. I put a DT line on it and it is perfect for that stream, which has lots of brush and trees and doesn't require super long casts. Now that I think of it, did I read somewhere that LK could cast a whole line using just a tip section?
tcorfey
Well-known member
I have a 6'2" 2wt Redington Butterstick that casts just fine if you have a true to weight line on it. I also have a 6' Bamboo rod in 4wt that I can cast overhand to about 50' (maybe more with a haul) and roll cast out to about 40'. No problems with using a 6' rod if that is all you have in my opinion. Yes, I have had Chris Korich take the tip off my 4pc 9' rod in 4wt and cast the whole line (he did have to double haul).
Regards,
Tim C.
Regards,
Tim C.
patrick62
Well-known member
I have several short rods. Most of them work well. A couple don't.
Six foot, five weight Cabelas Birch Creek. Nothing special but the heavier line flips over easily. Not much good for a long cast.
LL Bean Streamlight five and half foot, three weight -- almost useless.
The various Cabelas CGR fiberglass rods -- I use the 6 1/2 4 wt all the time on little blue lines. There's a 5'9" 3 wt (I think) and a 6'2" 2 wt (maybe it's the other way around) that are serviceable but for my money the 4 wt hits the spot.
TFO six foot two weight. Not as useless as the LL Bean model above but close.
An odd duck called the "L'il Streamer," made by an outfit called Global Dorber in Flipping, Ark. They don't seem to be around anymore. The Global dorbeR Group, Inc. - Rods & Reels - Equipment / Accessories - Buy & Sell -
It's five and a half feet, five weight, and has a lot of oversized guides. Once you get used to waving around what amounts to a cork-handled tomato stake, it's remarkable what can be done with it.
Note the rods I mention most favorably are weights 4 and 5. There is a misconception, I think, that (small rod + light line) x small stream = success.
I have found that a four or five weight is sufficiently heavy to turn over on a waterload or a bow-and-arrow, or just a lob, and can handle a heavier fly without getting slingshotty. At the same time I can still stick a dry fly where I want without making a fuss.
Just to be ornery, I have taken to sticking a Tenkara rod in my pack on my little blue line adventures -- usually an eight foot Wetfly, but sometimes something longer.
Six foot, five weight Cabelas Birch Creek. Nothing special but the heavier line flips over easily. Not much good for a long cast.
LL Bean Streamlight five and half foot, three weight -- almost useless.
The various Cabelas CGR fiberglass rods -- I use the 6 1/2 4 wt all the time on little blue lines. There's a 5'9" 3 wt (I think) and a 6'2" 2 wt (maybe it's the other way around) that are serviceable but for my money the 4 wt hits the spot.
TFO six foot two weight. Not as useless as the LL Bean model above but close.
An odd duck called the "L'il Streamer," made by an outfit called Global Dorber in Flipping, Ark. They don't seem to be around anymore. The Global dorbeR Group, Inc. - Rods & Reels - Equipment / Accessories - Buy & Sell -
It's five and a half feet, five weight, and has a lot of oversized guides. Once you get used to waving around what amounts to a cork-handled tomato stake, it's remarkable what can be done with it.
Note the rods I mention most favorably are weights 4 and 5. There is a misconception, I think, that (small rod + light line) x small stream = success.
I have found that a four or five weight is sufficiently heavy to turn over on a waterload or a bow-and-arrow, or just a lob, and can handle a heavier fly without getting slingshotty. At the same time I can still stick a dry fly where I want without making a fuss.
Just to be ornery, I have taken to sticking a Tenkara rod in my pack on my little blue line adventures -- usually an eight foot Wetfly, but sometimes something longer.
roadkill1948
Well-known member
Use what you have and enjoy it. I once taped a reel with 5wt line to one of the yarn lined-practice-learning rods. It actually cast quite well out to 30+ feet.
Just for fun I put a fly reel and line on a cheap 7 foot spinning rod and took it out in my yard to see what I could do. I was surprised at how well I could actually cast with it (perfectly adequate for a small stream). I thought about trying it with an 11 foot surf casting rod, but I don't have a fly line that heavy.
My favorite short rod is a St Croix Imperial 6' 2 wt.
It took me a while to figure out that it is much happier with a 1 wt. line than it is with a 2 wt. line.
It's just right for some of the tiny streams I fish in the mountains of NH and ME.
The first time I used it I was fishing a larger river I crossed while walking to a small stream. The first fish was a 15-16" brown. The rod handled that fish with no problem. Plenty of bend, but no problem.
It took me a while to figure out that it is much happier with a 1 wt. line than it is with a 2 wt. line.
It's just right for some of the tiny streams I fish in the mountains of NH and ME.
The first time I used it I was fishing a larger river I crossed while walking to a small stream. The first fish was a 15-16" brown. The rod handled that fish with no problem. Plenty of bend, but no problem.
rsagebrush
Well-known member
6 foot rods are a hoot on the appropriate water and sometimes that is larger than a tiny trickle for sure. They lack a lot of mending ability but they aren't for that anyways, their point and shoot rods.
A lot of people don't like them because they are rather hard to cast, but practice makes perfect and will also improve your casting with longer rods too.
Those practice sticks sold by some company's are really short but I cast them fine.
A lot of people don't like them because they are rather hard to cast, but practice makes perfect and will also improve your casting with longer rods too.
Those practice sticks sold by some company's are really short but I cast them fine.
trout stalker
Well-known member
I am that way below 7'.
I really like my 6 foot fiberglass Cabela's Prime rod. It is one piece so it is always ready to go (though not as convenient to transport, I suppose) and casts fine for the small stream. And I only paid $49 for it (unfortunately I don't see it on the Cabela's site anymore, so I wonder if it is discontinued).
I have a few other "short" rods. One is a really old Garcia Conolon, 6'6" in what translates to about a 6 wt. It is good for bass fishing in the kayak (I like a short rod for kayak fishing so I can reach the tip with one hand while holding the handle with the other, unless I am using a tenkara rod where that is unnecessary). I have a 6'10" LL Bean Pocket Water 4 wt, which is also a really nice rod on the small stream (it is actually the most expensive rod I own at $200 retail. I let my brother use that when I am using the Prime or a tenkara rod). I have a 7" CGR 5 wt, and the rest are all more than 8 ft, that I use for pike and salt water fishing. Those rods provide more upper body workout. If I spend the morning on Lake Champlain swinging a 9'6" 8 wt with the Behemoth reel, it is a joy to pick up that little Prime in the afternoon at the stream, it is like a feather.
I have a few other "short" rods. One is a really old Garcia Conolon, 6'6" in what translates to about a 6 wt. It is good for bass fishing in the kayak (I like a short rod for kayak fishing so I can reach the tip with one hand while holding the handle with the other, unless I am using a tenkara rod where that is unnecessary). I have a 6'10" LL Bean Pocket Water 4 wt, which is also a really nice rod on the small stream (it is actually the most expensive rod I own at $200 retail. I let my brother use that when I am using the Prime or a tenkara rod). I have a 7" CGR 5 wt, and the rest are all more than 8 ft, that I use for pike and salt water fishing. Those rods provide more upper body workout. If I spend the morning on Lake Champlain swinging a 9'6" 8 wt with the Behemoth reel, it is a joy to pick up that little Prime in the afternoon at the stream, it is like a feather.
karstopo
Well-known member
My Cabelas CGR 2 weight is 6’2”. I find it very useful and often preferable in tight spots. I can even use Deer hair divers with it. Bass don’t run off a lot of line. A fish capable of running off line might present a problem unless the reel had the line capacity needed.
I guess it depends on your particular 6’ rod and what you want to do with it. There’s a lot of situations and fish out there. Then you have whatever your imagination can come up with. Short rods aren’t toys any more than any other rod is a toy.
patrick62
Well-known member
^ Atta boy
Not sure what you can do with a 6' rod that a 7' rod can't do too but a 7' rod can do things a 6' rod can't do as well.
To the member who mentioned Lee Wulff using a 6' rod. True, he did, but have you read how many 6' rods he broke?
To the member who mentioned Lee Wulff using a 6' rod. True, he did, but have you read how many 6' rods he broke?
proheli
Well-known member
Omg. I'm still laughing and smiling five minutes later.
Moderators, is there a "Classic Lines" forum for the gems that guys come up with from time to time? I've seen a few other things that folks have said that really gave me a chuckle or I thought should be written down for some good reason or another.
Lonnie Utah
Well-known member
My first rod was a 6' finwick glass rod. My dad and I got my brother and I identical ones when I was 6 years old. I fished with it in the small streams of western North Carolina until I got my first graphite rod in the late 1980's when I was in college. Back in those day's and those streams, a 15' cast a long one.
Unfortunately, it disappeared when I was in graduate school. I would love to have it back to give to my son. (He's 7, soon to be 8.)