FFIM

Here's another fresh off the chore of winter maintenance question. I just broke down my fresh and saltwater rigs. I carry a double rod tube case for both my freshwater and saltwater outfits The freshwater case contains a 5-weight and a 7-weight. The saltwater case contains an 8-weight and a 10-weight which leads me to my question.

Most people I've talked to say if you're only going to buy two rods and you want to cover fresh and saltwater fishing get a 5-weight for your fresh and a 9-weight for your salt and I concur. But if you have the choice of 4 rods and you want to cover both fresh and saltwater fly fishing what would be your four line weights? Or would you even have four line weights? Would you maybe have two five-weights (a fast and a slow) and then two 9-weights (a fast and a slow)? (freshwater both ponds and moving water - saltwater both wading flats and fishing from a boat)

If I could only have four rods (geez......I sure hope not) I’d go with a 4; for dry fly work.......astrong 6 for Streamers and drift boats........@an 8 for light salt........and a strong 9/light 10 for heavy duty salt work.

If one mostly fished smallstreams maybe a three in place of the four wt., but other than that you’d be pretty well covered with my selection.

In my two dbl. rod cases I put my threeand four in one.......and two fives in the other. If I had my druthers I might trade one of the fives for a Sage Method six, but that’s really a specialty rod.

Dave M

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"Fish the West every year. Life is short; and you'll be dead a long time." Chris Hutchins--2009

Two bamboo 5wts., a 6ft. and a 7ft. A 7wt. Switch rod for both salt and freshwater. And a 9 weight for pike and salt. These are the four rods I use the most.
Another question would be, how many rods would you have to leave behind, if you could only choose four?

I would go with a 8ft 4wt for drys, and a fast 6 wt for the longer dry casts. For salt, a 7wt T-3, and a 9wt Hydros. Which is an odd list, as I do not have a 8foot 4 weight. Wish I did...I DO have 3 6 weights of the type I listed- and I love that weight for just about everything. Sadly, this means I have a bunch of rods that do not come out of the gunroom for years....Bamboo is a different story. I'd use my bamboo more if I didn't value them so much- and if I could get them on the plane with me- I'd fish the 8014 Guide almost exclusively.

Hutch

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Time to tie- Best wishes.

Well... this is an easy choice for me, I have 2 4wts, a 5wt, a 6wt, a 7wt, and a 9wt. If I could only fish four rods I would ditch a 4 and the 7. Easy. But my 7 is an 11 foot switch, which I mostly just fool around with, I have not mastered the two handed cast. Now that I have a cane rod, the 5... a Payne 102, I use that almost exclusively for every bit of trout fishing I do. Very rarely I'll use a 4 or the 6, but that was less then 3 days this year... I didn't even use my 7.5 4wt this year. The 6 is my go to bass rod, and the 9 is obviously for stripers, however it is occasionally used for pike and throwing big junk to smallies.

Peter

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"A good game fish is too valuable to be caught only once"
Lee Wulff

Just 4. Id carry my 5 wt Bamboo, a 5 wt Sage, a 6 wt for streamers and a 7 wt for salt (don't fish the salt anymore but on a tough windy day out west the 7 would be a help).

Why the 7 Wt? Years ago when thinking about building a striper rod I spoke to Jack Gartside at the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington Ma. Jack was, at the time, the recognized Striper expert. I asked him for his opinion on the right rod and he answered immediately, a 7 WT. Granted this was 25 or more years ago and rod weights have come down over time so a new 9 wt might only weight what a 7 did back then. I landed many 30-36 inch stripers with that 7.

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You see that dimple way over there? Well I couldn't hit it with a cruise missile.

Don’t know which 4 rods I would want but if limited to that I would have to leave behind 47 bamboo rods, 8 glass rods and 3 graphite rods so as you can see that ain’t happening.

andre

ANDRE!!!!! That car head north anymore? Still salmon in GLS.

Hutch

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Time to tie- Best wishes.

4 wt and 5 wt spey for fresh;
8 wt and 9 wt two hander for salt.

10' on all of them. 4 (is the new 5?) and 6 for fresh, 7 and 9 for salt. Casting a 9 all day is tiresome - love my 7 for most salt excursions; barring wind. Probably need a shorter 4 (or 3) wt for tight streams but, if I have to give it up, so be it....

I used my 7'7" 4 wt Scott glass for a lot my dry fly fishing this year, even on the West Branch. I am about to "invest" in an 8' 9" 4 wt glass from Livingston Rod Company.

47 bamboo fly rods? Holy #### !

Dave M

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"Fish the West every year. Life is short; and you'll be dead a long time." Chris Hutchins--2009

Hutch,
Actually it does and I was considering coming to Superboo until I found out it was cancelled. Will head up to Catskills tying event at museum now. Fully retired other than guiding in Catskills during the summer. see web-site below. I don’t post much but have checked this board every day since I’ve left Maine.

Mike, go with the 4 rods and not 2. Dave, having that many bamboo rods means I or someone will have more to do when comes time to settle my affairs. Still miss fishing with all you guys and would love to show you the Catskills, free of course. May change your mind about staying in the east on summer. I know it’s changed mine.

Andre

https://www.flyfishingthecatskills.com/

Andre, believe me, I carry those 4 and a few more on most trips. Good to see a post and hear you're fully retired except for elective work like your guiding. Linda says Hi.

Mike, great to hear from you and say hi to Linda for me. (Always was glad to see her) Why don’t you guys plan a weekend in the Catskills this summer whe David and Kat come down in September. Would love to show you guys around.