Builds,
I can actually play a fish harder on that 4wt because it will provide better shock absorption for the 6x.
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Jude
Small flies work best. Elephants eat peanuts.
www.customflys.com
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Builds,
I can actually play a fish harder on that 4wt because it will provide better shock absorption for the 6x.
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Jude
Small flies work best. Elephants eat peanuts.
www.customflys.com
Riverdancer ,,i alway try to match the tippet to the rod flex ,rod and line weight fly size and wind. that is with 6x and smaller..iam with you on the 4wt. and 6x
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make a rod, catch a fish
Bigger'n this one:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...2205_3_lc2.jpg
how about 4lbs, 29" on a 1wt? i was fishing the inlet of a loacal lake for small brookies.
i regularly use my 3wt. its my goto rod, and often catch 17-24" trout on it.
Andrew,
Just to add to what has been pointed out already, your 4 wt. will handle just about any trout you'll be likely to encounter.
The amount of 'pressure' you can put on a fish is the function of the tippet strength (given angler ability to properly apply said pressure).
Regardless of rod weight, 4 pounds of pressure is four pounds of pressure. Even if the rod is capable of applying more pressure, the tippet will part once it's breaking strengh is reached.
So, if you can 'break' the tippet with the rod (you should be able to do this, otherwise you are risking your rod), it doesn't matter what 'weight' the rod is designed to 'cast' (THAT is what the rod weight refers to, not how 'strong' the rod is, but what weight it is designed to CAST).
So, simply put, if you can break a 4x tippet with both a 3 wt. and a 9 wt, the amount of 'pressure' you can apply to the fish is identical with EITHER rod if using the same 4x tippet.
This means that, in your situation, you should adjust the tippet strength upwards (within the limits of the rod, of course) when you expect to encounter larger fish. This is often not feasible, due to presentation requirements (sometimes you have to use lighter tippet to get the fish to take the fly, get the action or drift required, etc..). In this instance, your four weight has all the 'muscle' you can use...
Good Luck!
Buddy
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As mentionned, the line wt/rod combo won't limit what you can land.
It DOES make a difference if you want to release a lunker.
Occassionnaly, we'll connect to atlantics here while fishing for trout in the late season. On the 5wt, I've connected to +15lb salmon. I've never "landed" one though, 'cause to do so,I'd have to fight it for nearly an hour and exhaust the poor critter. On my salmon rig, I use 6-8 lb tippets and it takes 45 minutes in a medium flow.
We'll break off on purpose instead of killing the salmon.
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Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
For me, the take and initial run are the "quality" portions of the game. Simply having a fish on the hook and toying with him endlessly has no attraction for me at all. Whether I am going to release a fish or not I bring him in as fast as the tippet will allow, which is PDQ since I consider using too light tippet unethical. Only my humble opinion.
Jim
NWK,
My feelings too. Look back on "that" moment with the fish of a lifetime... Atlantics, it's often those first few moments (seconds), splash, fly gone, lift the rod, strike, got 'im. The rest is anticlimatic.
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Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
Does a 55 pound grass carp count? Caught on an Avid 8.5 ft 4 wt. Took about an hour and a half to land.
David
If it swims, I'll pursue it, even if only armed with a 4wt.