Gear question for the veterans

robodork · #1 10-05-2009, 12:50 PM

After getting a suggestion in another post, I'm looking for more opinions. If you could pick one set up for fly fishing small mountain streams, what would it be? I'm talking about a single purpose rod for catching small brook trout on very small water. What rod, reel, line, etc would you use? I'm open to any suggestion as long as you can justify it. I'm currently looking at a Sage TXL in 2-3 weight, but I have no idea what sort of reel would go well with it. I'm very interested in lightweight bamboo, but only if it doesn't destroy my wallet. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I am a complete n00b

Thanks in advance.

Scud · #2 10-05-2009, 01:13 PM

From your other post, I see you have an 8 weight. I lean toward a 7 1/2 foot 4 wt for mountain streams. An 8 to 9 ft 5 wt would work also and give you a little more versatility if you should fish tailwaters and such. Orvis makes some decent reels in all price ranges. The BBS is a good choice. Some folks for reasons of line control, like a long rod even for the mountains, but I enjoy rods in the 7 to 7 1/2 foot length. Good fishing.

cowboy · #3 10-05-2009, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scud

From your other post, I see you have an 8 weight. I lean toward a 7 1/2 foot 4 wt for mountain streams. An 8 to 9 ft 5 wt would work also and give you a little more versatility if you should fish tailwaters and such. Orvis makes some decent reels in all price ranges. The BBS is a good choice. Some folks for reasons of line control, like a long rod even for the mountains, but I enjoy rods in the 7 to 7 1/2 foot length. Good fishing.

What he said. Get you a 7 foot 4 weight and your good to go.
No need to go with a 1 or 2 weight, although it can be more fun.

ColdOnTheShoulder · #4 10-05-2009, 01:51 PM

I'd get a 3 or 4 over a 2 wt. I've owned several of each but a 3 wt is a lot more versatile. It has the finesse for low water in the park but has enough backbone to handle a pig out of one of the limestoners.

Bamboo can be pricey but if you are looking at TXL's, there are plenty of good bamboo rods to be found in that price range.

Silvercreek · #5 10-05-2009, 04:02 PM

I don't know about you guys but on my local streams, the rod I use depends a lot on the time of the year and the flies I am casting. In the spring when grass is low, the tag alders have not filled out, and the water is higher, I use a 8.5 ft 5 wt but as the stream gets narrowed by grass and filled out trees, and the streams gets lower, I go to an 8 ft 4 wt or a 7.5 ft 3 wt.

Point being that it is hard to tell someone what equipment is best when you don't know how spooky the fish will be, how narrow the stream will be and how far you need to cast.

Do you guys use one rod all year round for mountain streams?

Scud · #6 10-05-2009, 05:21 PM

You've got a point silvercreek. That being said I've got a couple of rods I just enjoy fishing in the mountains, so I pretty much do use the same rod for the same streams regardless of the time of the year. I've got other rods I like for bigger waters. From my persective, I was just trying to give some broad advice to a guy looking to get a start fishing for trout. Lord knows that if he is like most of us the rods will accumulate.

**FlyDoctor** · #7 10-05-2009, 05:31 PM

I own rods ranging from 6 1/2' to 9' and 1wt to 7 wt but I use the rods ranging from 6 1/2' to 7 1/2' on mtn streams. My goto rod among them for mtn streams and brookies is a 7' 4 wt (bamboo of course). I would think you could get a bamboo rod from a local maker for under $500 or look on Clark's List http://clarksclassicflyrodforum.yuku.com/. With bamboo a Pfleuger Medalist looks good and is dirt cheap--I have a 3wt on mine. On small streams all you need the reel for is to hold the line--Larry

Silvercreek · #8 10-05-2009, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robodork

After getting a suggestion in another post, I'm looking for more opinions. If you could pick one set up for fly fishing small mountain streams, what would it be?

PM sent

phg · #9 10-05-2009, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvercreek

...
Do you guys use one rod all year round for mountain streams?

Silver, for the most part, yes we could,... but no we don't.

We generally don't have to deal much with grass and weeds. Most of our streams are in heavily wooded areas, and the casting conditions don't change much.

I do almost all my trout fishing with a 4wt, and generally with either a 7' or a 7'6" rod, although I own other lengths of 4wts from a 4'9" bamboo banty to a 9' Forecast. A 4wt is a good size for 6" to 16" trout, which covers just about everything I'm likely to catch.

When I was out west, fishing the Madison near $3 Bridge, I did have to use a longer rod, but there's nothing like that around here.

Upstream · #10 10-05-2009, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robodork

I'm talking about a single purpose rod for catching small brook trout on very small water.

OK, I'm going to take this as the focus of the question, and assume that you're NOT looking for recommendations about an all-around small stream rod, but a rod for the smallest, tightest streams. My two main rods for this are both fiberglass (cane's OK, but I'm cheap). One is a Fenwick 5'3" 5 wt. No, that's not too heavy, it rolls under the rhododendrons like a champ, and the rod's material and length makes a 4" brookie feel like an actual fish. That rod is no longer in production, but there have been a few versions over the years, and this is the newer one; i.e. about 10 years old. The other rod is a 7' 3 wt. built on a Lamiglass blank. Although a little long to cast under a lot of cover ("very small water," right?) it's a great bow-and-arrow caster. That blank is still in production, although they don't sell them as finished rods anymore. And if it came to it, a 7' 3 wt. works OK as an all-around small stream rod.

Good luck.

Bob