Small stream fly fishing setup?

[LA MantaRay12]

Hey folks,

I am looking to purchase a small stream fly rig. I have narrowed my search down to:
Orvis Clearwater II 7' 4wt med action
St Croix Imperial 7' 4wt fast action
TFO Professional 8' 4wt fast action
TFO Finesse 7' 9" 4wt med action
I plan to couple one of these rods with a Orvis BBS II reel
I am open to suggestions...don't plan to purchase until first or second week of March
Any comments?

Charles

[kentuckytroutbum]

LA Manta-

I think you're on the right track for setting up your rig. You do want a shorter rod, 4 wt, and a fast action. I base that upon the fact that the small streams usually have brush & trees along thlem and your back cast will be limited unless you like catching squirrels. You will probably have to make your casts with a roll cast and a fast action will help you load the rod quicker. And you probably will not be casting very far.

Good luck.

Bill

[narcodog]

Yep sounds as if you are on the right track all of those rods are a good choice. My small stream rod is an 11 ft Tenkara.

[RFork]

Originally Posted by kentuckytroutbum

LA Manta-

I think you're on the right track for setting up your rig. You do want a shorter rod, 4 wt, and a fast action. I base that upon the fact that the small streams usually have brush & trees along thlem and your back cast will be limited unless you like catching squirrels. You will probably have to make your casts with a roll cast and a fast action will help you load the rod quicker. And you probably will not be casting very far.

Good luck.

Bill

I like a slower rod for small streams personally. I have more control on short casts.

[flybum62]

I fishe the Smoky's with a 8' 2wt TFO. I love to fish the small streams. The 8' gives me length to keep line off the water and the 2wt.givens an awesome feel, I also use an Orvis reel.

[gmreeves]

I'm on the team that a slower rod is better in the backcountry because it loads with less line out and typically role cast better. As far as length, I think that is a personal preference depending on if you like to dap or cast. I like to cast so tend to go with someting ni the 7' range with a medium action. It kind of works out nice since I like bamboo and that is about the optimal setup. I've made and fished shorter and longer rods and usually go to either a 7' 4wt or a 7'6" 5wt rod.

[David Knapp]

I agree with the others that like slower rods. I would go for the TFO Finesse probably out of those choices... Try casting them all and see which one you like though because everyone is different...

[501]

Charles,
Although I enjoy using 2 and 4 wts of various lengths I find that using 5 wts gives me a little more versatility. I have them in 6 to 10 ft lengths and usually select the longest one I think I can get away with that day. It depends on the type of water I'm fishing. Lots of books have been written about small stream fishing!

Lee

[ChemEAngler]

My small stream rod is a 7'-3" 2-wt TFO finesse series. It is what I like. Others prefer faster rods or longer rods. You need to go to LRO and test out a selection of rods and see what works best for you.

You can buy a rod based on our opinions, and absolutely regret your choice. Go physically put your hands on all those rods, preferably side-by-side, and make your decision then.

[donwinn]

LA MantaRay12,

I am certainly not a casting expert nor a rod expert. However, I believe that a slower action rod does work better in conditions requiring a lot of short casts an roll casts. I agree with others that you need to go and compare the rods. I would make sure and do some roll casting during that process. I have a TFO Finesse that I use in the mountains on small streams. It is a great rod, but my casting method may vary significantly from yours. You don't want to make a decision that you regret later. Good luck and good drifts.