short fly rods primarily brookie streams?

[dalerio]

who fishes a fly rod shorter than 7 ft. what brand and pro's and cons. i was thinking of trying the 2wt. TFO 6ft. just for brookies. my 7ft. 4 wt. in some places is twice as wide as the water i am fishing.

the problem i see is you would only be fishing the leader and NO fly line? 7.5 leader and 6ft. rod. how do they cast just a leader? well that is what i have been doing all along but i do have some fly line out though. just wondering

and it's always good to get another toy on the other hand.......LOL

[Crockett]

hey dalerio I fish streams like you describe and I found to my surprise having a longer rod like an 8ft is actually a help in such places. Reason being when you get in really tight with lots of rhodo you wont be able to cast at all no matter if the rod is 6ft or 8ft (even trying to just cast the leader usually won't work and will get you tangled) so how you will end up fishing is just poking the long rod out to a hole or run and dappling the line in the water. A cast will amount to a flip of the rod tip to flip the line ahead 2 or 3 feet. Very similar to Tenkara fishing where they use very long rods with leader at the tip. The extra rod length gives you some leverage and the ability to reach the next hole more easily while staying concealed behind a rock, tree, or ledge. Might even consider a tenkara. I have from time to time but still consider it a bit too strange not having a reel even though I rarely if ever actually use the reel on a stream like you are describing.

Anyway if you just want another toy go for it and give us a report on how the short rod worked. Hopefully others that use the shorter rods on tight streams can tell us how they approach it.

[jeffnles1]

The shortest rod I own is 8'4". It's a 3wt. All the rest (4, 5, 7 wt.) are all 9' and one is an 8'6".

Like Delario, I have found longer rods work better in the tight streams.

Also, like him, I always find it fun to buy a new toy. (and my loving bride likes it when I help OTHERS buy new toys. )

Jeff

[dalerio]

Originally Posted by Crockett

hey dalerio I fish streams like you describe and I found to my surprise having a longer rod like an 8ft is actually a help in such places. Reason being when you get in really tight with lots of rhodo you wont be able to cast at all no matter if the rod is 6ft or 8ft (even trying to just cast the leader usually won't work and will get you tangled) so how you will end up fishing is just poking the long rod out to a hole or run and dappling the line in the water. A cast will amount to a flip of the rod tip to flip the line ahead 2 or 3 feet. Very similar to Tenkara fishing where they use very long rods with leader at the tip. The extra rod length gives you some leverage and the ability to reach the next hole more easily while staying concealed behind a rock, tree, or ledge. Might even consider a tenkara. I have from time to time but still consider it a bit too strange not having a reel even though I rarely if ever actually use the reel on a stream like you are describing.

Anyway if you just want another toy go for it and give us a report on how the short rod worked. Hopefully others that use the shorter rods on tight streams can tell us how they approach it.

that is how i have been fishing all along. i just was wondering why the need for a 5-6.5 ft, rod? my rods are 7 4wt. , 8 5wt., 9 5/6 wt. i use in the winter fishing nymphs and streamers also smallmouths almost forgot them. i high stick nymphs in the smokies and dap the dries, so wh then the need for the short sticks.

ever see the heartland series show with the old men using cane poles and flies. can't remember their names. bo-han-nun. he also talked about catching and raising bears for meat. one bout got him feeding it with chained in the barn. also where i seen the georges nymph tied one show.

i was wondering who uses them and what kind and kinda how an why. i read some on it and they say hook sets are harder to get without supersharp hooks. what else is bad about them

[Jim Casada]

dalerio--I actually think long rods are a significant advantage in tight streams Think more reach for dappling, longer bow-and-arrow casts, easier mends, longer roll casts, and more I go into this matter in great detail in my book and if you own it you might want to read the section covering this subject I'm a staunch believer in longer rods and I'll leave one-weight fairy wands to the hypesters.
Jim Casada
www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com

[tlshealy]

I've read Jim's chapter on Rod's for the mountains, and I agree 100% on the advantages of a long rod on freestone streams, but to add another point of view, I just switched from a 9' 5wt to a TFO 7'6" 3wt and after 2 trips down to the mountains, I love the smaller rod. It's so much easier to cast and high stick all day without my back, shoulder and elbow getting sore, plus it's easier to get around in tight quarters. It doesn't catch more fish, it's just easier to fish with.
Tad

[dalerio]

tslhealy, thats what i was talkin bout, but i was wondering about the REALLY SHORT rods. i was wondering who all used them short rods and how they liked them good or bad. orvis has one that weighs less than a pair of forceps. i'm thinkin one 18-20in. brown and you would find out bout the warrinity.

also i read they (short rods) stress fish and kill more fish cause they don't have the backbone to horse the fish in.

[Troutman]

My favorite brookie rod is my little 6.5 ft lamiglass 3 piece. I don't really care for dappling flies over the water as I enjoy the cast. A longer rod of 8-9ft is probably a more efficient tool for the mtns streams, because you can fish so many different ways with ease. the main reason I enjoy the short rod is that its fun! I like to sneak into a position below a pool , check behind me for an open area for a little backcast and make a short cast into the pool. The short rod is easy to maneuver in tight spots and not all that hard to cast a 7-9ft leader with practice. Short rods are very good for fishing dry flies, not so good for nymphing. A dry and dropper work fine.
The point is, no matter what others may say, short rods are usable and can be a blast to fish with. Everyone has an opinion on them. I like them, use them not only for brook trout, but bream and have on occasion, have caught some pretty sizable bass on them.
Most fishermen either love them or hate them. before you commit to buying one, I would spend some time when you on the stream fishing with a longer rod and then take the butt section and reel apart and stick it in your pocket. Fish just the upper two or three sections with just the blank and line. this will give you an idea of what to expect. Don't worry about over stressing a fish by using a short rod. Thats a myth. That topic comes up all the time. I think people throw that out there just to start an arguement on forums.

6.5 ft lami glass



2wt scott on a smokies brookie stream.


19" smallie on a lami 6.5ft 3wt.

[Rog 1]

I love the short rods...I have one of the original Orvis one ounce rods that is a 6 1/2 ft 2wt...also have a Diamondglas 6 1/2 3 wt and a 5 ft Cabelas 2wt.....love to fish the Cabelas in Jake's Creek. The others I have fished all over...the two largest trout I have ever caught in the Park have been on my Orvis rod...16" bow and a 14" brown...both were a wild ride.

[ifish4wildtrout]

I have a 5'2" 4 wt I use in the really small water. It was 5'8" but I broke the tip. It's fine for bow and arrow and dappling, but you really can't cast it more than 10-12 feet.

I use it for streams like this one, when the 7'6" is just a little too big.