whats a good weight rod for small stream fhing in pA?

l will be fishing small stream for stocked Rainbows and Browns. My 6 wt 9 foot is way too much! The "guide" says to case size l2 flies and smaller. He uses A 2 Wt but he is much more experienced than Me.

That would depend on how small "small" is, and if you want to use the rod for other streams as well. I've got a 2 wt, use it and like, but it's not very useful as a general purpose rod. (For one thing, it's harder to find 2 wt lines.) If you plan on using the rod only on this small stream, I'd consider a 3 wt. How long would depend on small the stream and how tight the quarters are -- anywhere between 6 and 7 1/2 feet. If you're planning on using the rod on medium sized streams as well, a 4 wt might be more practical.

I believe that the most important thing when fishing a small rod it to get a rod that you feel comfortable with based on the length of the rod rather than the weight. I bought a 1 weight 6 ft rod that I just didn't like. Not the rods fault it was just too short for me. I experiment around and decided a 6.5 ft was my minimum. I have a 2 wt, a 4wt and a 5wt on 6.5 ft rods. While I use them all the 5 wt gets the most use. It is a glass rod.

Good luck. Tim

Tim

A 7' to 7 1/2' 4wt will let you fish any trout stream across PA. I would go with slower action rod that will load in close quarters, or overline. I am partial to a 7 1/2' 4wt overloaded with a 5wt DT line. It will help load in short order and allow you to toss a bit of weight if say high water calls for a weighted #10 Golden Retriever. :)

Cabela's currently has their Three Forks rods on sale. Rods are around half off and combos with reel and line are around a third off. The 7-1/2 foot 3 piece 3 weight is a pretty darn nice rod for small stream fishing. Don't let the low price turn you off. Look at the online reviews.

Go to their site and click on Bargain Cave, then flyfishing.

Dave