what fly size can every AFTM class cast?

[muscarul]

I don;t know if the topic title is very clear so.... here is the deal. I need to know approximately what size of flies is suited for certain rod weights.
I am especially interested in 4wt, 4/5wt and 7 wt.

7 wt- how big streamers can i cast with it. Do you think a 7wt is too lite for northern pike?

Thank you in advance

[Bugsy]

Much of this will really depend on the skill of the caster and the action of the rod. If you can describe these, you'll receive more helpful information.

[muscarul]

yes., you are right

So... the rods are G Loomis IMX (the new generation actually, called Slate), the action is moderate fast, and the caster is... let's say, medium . I can put a fly at a decent distance, with decent presentation, decent meaning in my case some 50-60 ft

[Avalon]

Dear muscarul,

Casting a fly and fishing it effectively are two different things.

With the 4 weight, and the 4/5 weight you should be able to handle flies from size 2 to 28 with the proper leader of course.

Depending on what size pike you will be fishing for the 7 weight will be borderline marginal to pretty much useless. A 7 weight will be no match for good sized pike in stumpy weedy water where they are most commonly found. If you need to fish large flies deep it will not be up to the task either.

If you are planning a trip up North to Canada for trophy Northern Pike get yourself a 9 weight, you won't regret it. Most trophy Pike lodges will provide gear for you if you don't have it.

If you go far enough north you have to have a guide so you may as well take advantage of all they offer.

Best Wishes,
Avalon

[Buddy Sanders]

Muscarul,

I've caught lots of pike on a 6 weight. The average pike in the waters I fish run about 20-26 inches, with a few larger ones now and again. A 6 wt. is about perfect for these 3 to 6 pound fish. I've had good success with a few larger fish on this weight rod, and I've lost a few as well. Bigger fish are supposed to be harder to land, at least in theory.

The 7 will certainly handle the 'fish', they don't fight all that hard, but getting a large fish out of heavy cover may be a challenge. Then again, getting a good pike out of heavy cover is a challenge with a 9 weight too. Part of what makes it so much fun. Nothing wrong with that, but just be prepared. I've lost good fish to heavy cover with 9 and 10 weights, and landed larger fish later the same day from the same areas on the 6. Sometimes the fish gets to win.

If you don't have a heavier rod than the 7, don't go buy one just because you are going pike fishing. Use what you have. If you like pike fishing, then you can decide AFTER you've caught a few if you want a heavier rod.

Remember, it's the TIPPET strength that deterimes how much pressure you can put on a fish, NOT the rod weight (assuming that you can break the tippet with the rod-always a good idea that the rod NOT be the 'weak 'link' in the chain).

What 'size' fly you can ultimately cast with any rod/line combination will depend to a great degree on your skills, the conditions you find, and what you define as a decent cast.

I can, and sometimes do, throw 1/0 and 2/0 sized deer hair bugs with a 3 wt., I just don't throw them farther than about 20-30 feet. And I can't throw them even close to that far into any kind of a breeze. Too much wind resistance for that light line to overcome.

The weight of LINE does dictate, to some degree, how large a fly you can efficiently cast. You can work with how flies are tied/constructed to mitigate this somewhat, but tossing an 8 inch deceiver or a bunny leech with heavy dumbell eyes isn't too much fun with a 7 weight. So, you'll have to downsize the flies a bit if you need to make longer casts.


Good luck!

Buddy

[n2permit]

The other factor on "what fly size" is the weight/aereodynamics of the fly. You can throw a 3/0 sparsely dressed(w/synthetic material)fly on a 6wt, but if it's a big bulky deerhair bug, that won't shed water, you'll need a 10wt. I just don't think you can say "what size" w/o taking this into consideration.

[Micropteris]

Buddy's post is right on the money. Experienced fishers can use the smaller gear because they know how to tie larger flies with less material that are aerodynamic in the air but create a larger silouet in the water and are able to cast larger flies and land larger fish without breaking their gear. Heavier fly gear is more forgiving to mistakes, inexperience, and wind. I know a guy that will occasionally use a 3 wt for stripers just because he knows he can. He can throw 4-5 inch streamers with it and has landed many fish in the 30 lb range with it. He won't recomend anything less than an 8 or 9 wt though for most people because they are more forgiving to casting and fighting fish.

Last night I was throwing 50 ft of line into a pretty nasty head wind with three streamers on with the largest at 4" using my 6 wt.

[chavez]

I know a guy that will occasionally use a 3 wt for stripers just because he knows he can. He can throw 4-5 inch streamers with it and has landed many fish in the 30 lb range with it.

Last night I was throwing 50 ft of line into a pretty nasty head wind with three streamers on with the largest at 4" using my 6 wt.

All I can say is "Holy smokes!".

[Micropteris]

Yeah but they were very sparse flies on a 330 grain line. Anyone can do it when they know how. I'm not a great caster I just know a few tricks that make fishing easier. As JC says more efficient.