I have owned and fished a 1pc 5ft bamboo, a 5'3" 2pc glass, a 5'6" 1 pc graphite, a 6'2pc glass a 6'6" 3pc glass and a 6'6" 6pc glass. I sold them all and now my shortest is a 7' 4pc 6wt glass Fenwick and it is great. In fact I own two of the same vintage model and class year. I also caught a dozen fish to 13" on the top two sections of the 6'6" 3pc glass which made it a 4'4" when I broke the bottom section. I fished with the reel in my pocket and the fly line coiled in my hand. I did the same with the tip section of a 7' graphite rod when I fell and broke the base so that made it a 3'6". I still prefer my Fenwick 6wt 4pc 7 footer. It is strong and smooth, but still sensitive enough for tiny fish. I can cast 60 ft with it and land a 5lb fish with ease. With it and and its duplicate I can carry them on any airline in my hand and fish for any species I want to take on from panfish to bass to stripers with flies from size 20 parachute Adams to size 2/0 Clousers. The only shorter rod I wish I still had was the 6'6" 3pc glass rod custom made for me by Dennis Franke of Glastech rod fame but even it wasn't as versatile as my Fenwicks and both of them were under $60.

Randy Knapp