[wilhelm]

Originally Posted by puddlejockey

If I do that, what are the indicators that the rod is too overlined I should watch out for?

If your 4 piece rod suddenly became a 5 piecer, you've overlined it too much. I suspect you'll need to overline it a lot more than just 2 line weights for that sort of catastrophic result.

Otherwise you won't be able to cast it effectively. You'll loose control of your casts (hmmm, maybe all your rods are overlined) and you just won't be able to throw anything with it.

Your bud,
wilhelm

[phg]

It's all a matter of basic physics. The rod has a built in stiffness and a built in flex. These are rated, by the manufacture, to be optimal when used with about 30' of 6-wt weight forward line outside the tiptop. Now, since lines are measured in grains, we aren't really talking about a lot of difference. If you normally fish 25' of line, a 7wt will behave just about the same as a 6wt at 30', and if you fish 35', then a 5wt, will do almost the same.

That said, you're real question is, is a 10' 6-wt the rod for fishing big bass bugs. I'd say no. I have a 9' 6wt that I use for streamers and it can have problems handing some of the heavier Clousers, especially when sitting in a toon. You might get by with a 7wt, but I think that big, wind resistant bugs really need the backbone of an 8wt, plus the weight of the line, to carry them out. Of course, if you hook a 10" smallie, an 8-wt will make it feel like a guppy....

I really think letting the guys show you how the different line weights would handle on your rod is a great idea. You could probably also try a couple of different rods to get an idea of what would handle your bugs best.

Jack may be a PITA, but he won't give you bad advise.

[gmreeves]

I'll agree with pretty much what every one has said. I do think going up in line weight will enable to turn over those bigger bugs. It will also stop you from getting distance in your cast. I'm guessing you were hoping for distance since the rod is longer than average. The best bet is to take the flies you are hoping to cast and tie them on to each line and give them a go. You will probably find that the bigger bugs are easier to cast with a heavier line and find it harder to cast them further differences.

[puddlejockey]

Thanks for the advice!

Actually I got the 10' rod for mending and high sticking better, which it does pretty well....

So to recap for us slow kids:
An 8wt LINE will turn the bugs over better, but to get the distance that I want I need a rod that will react better to the heavier line than the 6wt potentially will.....having to do with how much potential energy is stored in the lighter rod as it bends, in relation to the weight of the heavier line.......err....right?

[phg]

By George, I think he's got it!

Think of the fly rod as a spring, rather than a lever (it has some characteristics of both). If you overload it, it will flex more, but it won't deliver any more energy than its maximum capacity. To deliver more power, you have to get a stronger spring.

That said, the only real way to know the limits is to get out there and test them.

[Discomidge]

Originally Posted by phg

Of course, if you hook a 10" smallie, an 8-wt will make it feel like a guppy....

You trout boys keep on believin' that


Paul I think you meant ta say..

Originally Posted by phg

Of course, if you hook a 10" smallie, an 8-wt will make it feel like a guppy draggin' yer boat all over the river..

OK, I like ta catch the occasional smallmouth, I have an 8wt St Croix that was my goto smallie setup...now it's my subsurface dealio. Last year I picked up a 7wt TFO that I overlined with an 8wt Wulff Nymph line for the big wind resistant poppers and other topwater bugs. With no effort whatsoever that thing will suck line, backing and anything else that gets in the way off the reel


Kim

[puddlejockey]

You trout boys keep on believin' that

No NO NO kim!

PHG is 100% correct.

In fact, smallies are no fun at all.

Not much fight in 'em little ones......hardly worth the drive.

I wouldn't even bother fishing for them if I were ya'll........

[phg]

I must have been thinking about a 10" rainbow....

Still, the point is, the heavier rod will take some of the fight out of smaller fish. It's always a trade off.

[Richard]

Well PJ,
Some interesting responses... The main thing is how it casts for you...regardless of what some person at the company had printed on the rod. Good article recently in one of the mags on how to choose a fly rod emphasizes a person trying different line weights, regardless of what the person at the company thought was correct for the rod.

It's not unusual to go up two line weights above what the rod specifies. You might be very surprised how well a rod can perform. And, if the rod can handle two more line weights, that bigger line will "drag" those bigger, wind resistant flies thru the air pretty well. And, I don't think you will lose distance...in fact you may well find you have an increase distance with no extra effort. That's what I think Disco was referring too....

I have cast the rod you have and have cast it with 6 and 8 weight lines. It seems to do really well throwing those 8 weights and I think it will be a good performer for smallies. In fact it's a pretty Sneaky setup that will do a nice job for Pete's sake.

My experience is that it will perform well with the Wulff Tri Taper Nymph and Indicator line in an 8; the Jim Teeny Lefty Kreh line in an 8 and I think also with the Rio Clouser line in an 8 and probably quite a few of the other 8s.

[narcodog]

Thanks, this was a very timely discussion for me. I bought a 10 ft 4 wt Cortland from a board member and I have been fishing it with a 5 wt line. Yesterday I really loaded it with two bead heads and one BB shot and two 4's and that rod put those flies right where I wanted them.

If he still has the 3 wt. I would recommend someone buy that rod, I think you would be very pleased.