Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: flyingfisherman on February 04, 2014, 04:53:16 PM
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Hi everyone, im new to this forum and i was wondering if a 4 or 5 weight fly rod would be better for me. I plan to fish for rainbow trout, cutthroat and grayling in lakes, streams. I would automatically go for the 4 weight but some of the lakes I visit have rather big rainbows(2-10lb). Thanks
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How far do you need to cast?
What size and weight of flies are you casting?
Are you casting into serious wind?
Either a 4 or 5wt rod will be fine for those fighting and landing those fish. The bigger issue is casting.
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I dont think I would need to cast very far and mostly around size 10-20 flies.
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Then either would work. I use 5wt rods for trout and have landed Rainbows over 10lbs from lakes.
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Do you think I could land a 10 pound rainbow trout with a 4 weight?
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Yes u can. But I would go with a 5wt just for better casting.
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-4 wt is starting to get into specialty rod but still quite versitile... so think about what your next rod purchase will be... I went with 4 wt then next rod a 6wt for a bit more punch.
- I like a 5 wt then for lighter rod go to 3 wt.
--Lighter rod can be an issue playing larger fish in a river especially... in a lake not so much.
-Different line design can help for casting in wind.
--Flex, lenght and power all as important as the wt. A good way to choose is to go to one of the stores that has a demo day so you can try various combinations and get what feels right for you.
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Thanks everyone and what are the main pros and cons of 4 and 5 weights?
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honestly the feel when fighting a fish between a 4 or 5 weight is minimal or nothing at all. Casting is where you will notice a difference. I fish a 4 and 5 wt Sage side by side and the 5wt can punch a lot further and makes longer leader bobber casting easier than my 4wt. I do notice a little difference when fighting fish but that's only because there is a 10yr gap between the two technology wise and even then the difference is still very minimal.
The other thing is if your comparing 4 & 5wt rods from seperate companies you'll notice differences. Best way is to compare rods from the same manufacturer
example - comparing a Sage to an Echo, G.Loomis to a Winston, Scott to a T&T..........etc.
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Can you fish dry flies well with a 5 wt?
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You can most definitely fish dries well with a 5 weight. A lot of the success for dry fly fishing comes into using a proper leader, and making sure you let the fly land gently instead of just trying to bomb out as much line as possible. Personally I find this easier with a slower rod regardless of the weight.
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One of the lakes I plan to visit has 20+ inch rainbows, is a 4 weight strong enough for that?
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You could use a 4wt but its not ideal. As a beginner I would get a 5 weight as a better all rounder. Get a few books out from the library and do a bit of reading up too, lots of good flyfishing books in Vancouver central library!
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You can most definitely fish dries well with a 5 weight. A lot of the success for dry fly fishing comes into using a proper leader, and making sure you let the fly land gently instead of just trying to bomb out as much line as possible. Personally I find this easier with a slower rod regardless of the weight.
Agreed. Stiffer action rods are much better for delicate presentation of dries in still water. Like others have said, the difference in fighting fish between a 4 or 5 wt is negligible. If you get into a 10 pound fish on a 4wt, having a 5wt isn't going to make much of a difference but it is going to be more versatile.
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If your thinking that this is a fun hobby to do once in a while I would get a 5 weight as your only trout rod. A five will give you delicacy to fish dry flies and small nymphs etc. It also has enough backbone to cast bigger streamers and fish bigger waters for bugger fish like in the interior.
However, like most of us you will probably end up wanting more than one rod. In this case I would buy a 4 weight and a large reel with a spare spool. Then get a 6 weight as your next rod. That will cover pretty much every situation for trout fishing. If you buy a reel that can work for both line sizes you will be set. A 4 weight is perfect for all the lower mainland lakes and some smaller trout in the interior. The 6 is great for bigger fish as well as pinks, bull trout and coho.
I wouldn't spend much on a reel either, maybe $100 to $150 for something basic and reliable.
Enjoy.
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Can you fish dry flies well with a 5 wt?
I toss dry flies with spey rods ;D
my lake setups are as follows
4wt 10'
4wt 9'
5wt 9'
the 5wt is now the backup since I got a second 4wt (the 10'). I prefer the 4wt's myself and I mostly just indicator fish on lakes, its nice and civilized and allows me to drink beer, eat snacks, take pictures.........etc
I'll stick anything under a bobber ???
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You really need to visit a good tackle shop and talk about specific rods. I have three 5 weight rods and each is different from the other. Length of the rod, stiffness, particularly in the lower half of the rod will vary quite a bit between different rods in the same weight category. I think you likely will better off with a #5 which is a very good all round size for trout fishing.
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I agree with RalphH. Five wt is pretty much the best fly rod you can buy for trout fishing.
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I have owned many rods over the years. My first piece of advice is-the very old saying that you usually only get what you pay for-of coarse, every once in a while a good deal comes along. My second piece of advice is there is not and never will be a single rod that you can buy that is all purpose. My sincere advice is a 4wt. is just a super rod for lake fishing especially if you are fishing from a boat. Distance casting is usually not a problem just position your boat so that the wind is at your back. As far as river fishing goes if you are fishing for trout the 4 will work. I feel the perfect rod for larger fish is a 7wt. The 5wt and the 6wt are really great rods depending on the specie that you are targeting-just buy the highest quality that you can afford.
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All this talk about fly rods makes me want to go buy a new one :'(
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I'll vote get a 4 wt.. But buy a reel and line first and try it on every 4 wt the shop has.
There's a bigger difference in brands and rod actions than there is in line weight.
A sage 4 wt tcx and a 4 wt Winston b2t have almost nothing in common.. These are top of the line rods and probably over budget but just an example.
You really do have to try a couple rods to find out what you like!
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Remember, the weight of the rod (4 vs. 5) is not the only factor, if at all, when determining a rod's "delicacy". The "delicacy" of the rod also is influenced by its "action". I currently fish with two 5 wt Sage rods for trout. My 590 SLT is very smooth and "delicate", and is perfect for dry line chironomid techniques. My SLT allows me to slow down and open up my casts while tossing a 20+ foot leader. My other trout rod is a 590 VPS (which is Sage's RPL blank). The VPS is a nice rod with a faster action than my SLT. Casts like a rocket, but also feels like a "telephone pole" compared to my SLT. Not a fair description, as the VPS is a nice rod indeed. I've also casted the Z-Axis 590, and it casts a mile as well, but I much prefer my SLT for "soft" casting and delicate presentations.
Good luck and have fun!!! :)
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Remember, the weight of the rod (4 vs. 5) is not the only factor, if at all, when determining a rod's "delicacy". The "delicacy" of the rod also is influenced by its "action". I currently fish with two 5 wt Sage rods for trout. My 590 SLT is very smooth and "delicate", and is perfect for dry line chironomid techniques. My SLT allows me to slow down and open up my casts while tossing a 20+ foot leader. My other trout rod is a 590 VPS (which is Sage's RPL blank). The VPS is a nice rod with a faster action than my SLT. Casts like a rocket, but also feels like a "telephone pole" compared to my SLT. Not a fair description, as the VPS is a nice rod indeed. I've also casted the Z-Axis 590, and it casts a mile as well, but I much prefer my SLT for "soft" casting and delicate presentations.
Good luck and have fun!!! :)
problem is the VPS, Z-Axis, One and a few others by Sage are fast/ultra fast action which means only the top 1/3rd of the rod actually does the work while casting. These rods will give you a lot of lower end power when you need it though. Your SLT sounds like a moderate/mod fast meaning it should flex deeper towards the cork and you may find you "have to" slow down to allow the line to lay out before changing direction. I notice this mostly when I'm playing with new spey rods and prefer the slower full flexing rods as well :)
Each rod has its place, and I to prefer slower single handers when I'm tossing indicator rigs, for sink type lines a fast action is better because it can give you the distance needed quickly.
Enjoy your trip to Tunkwa/Leighton this weekend FFM ;D
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Thanks Hook! And good luck to you as well! :)