I'd like to weigh in on some 'general' myths about fly rods, fly lines, and their uses when it comes to bass fishing.

Many folks here on FAOL concentrate on what 'line' is best for 'casting' distance with a given rod.

I've even seen is posted here that the rod manufacturer knows 'best' and you should always use the line weight listed on the rod, less you some how 'damage' it.

Tight loops, 90 feet, all that stuff. Great if you are into the 'sport' of fly 'casting'.

I'm not a fly caster. I'm a fly fisherman. A fly rod is a tool that has a variety of uses that have nothing to do with how far it can cast. They can easily handle a wide range of line weights.

I put the line on a rod that allows me to easily cast the flies I want to fish on it, and fish the techniques, depths, and weather I'm going to face for that outing. If I want to fish a full sinking, type VI line on my 2 wt., I put the 4 wt. version on it, because they don't make it in a 2 wt.. If I want to fish a 2/0 deer hair diver in a driving wind with a 3 wt., I'll put a 7 wt. line on it to make that easier. I can cast this set up 30 feet in a pretty stiff breeze, which is all I'd ask of it.

The lines that you use on your rods can be switched around to give you lots of possibilities and options. The reel seats on most rods have little screw thingys that let to take the reels off and on as much as you like....up to you, of course.

The first 'myth' it that you can hurt a fly rod by 'overlining' it. You can't, even if you put a 9 wt. line on a 3 wt. rod.

The second 'myth' is that how much 'pressure' or 'power' or 'pull' you can exert on a fish is a factor of the rod weight.

Sorry guys, but given equal tippet stength, I can put EXACTLY as much pressure on fish with my 3 wt. as you can with your 9 wt. If you think about this, it's a matter of physics. It's the TIPPET stength that determines how hard we can pull on a fish, since if you pull HARDER than that, the tippet BREAKS...

With my 3 wt. pointed at 5 degees above the point of pull (almost straight at the fish, so the stess is off the rod), I can break 15 pound tippet. I can do the same thing with my 9 weight. NEITHER of these rods will break 15 pound tippet fully flexed, the rod will go first.

The 'purpose' of the lighter rods during the fight of the fish was to protect 'light tippets' when flexed. A stiff, heavy weight rod won't flex as far or as quickly as the lighter rod. So if the rod is held at 60 degrees and the fish makes a run, then a 6x or 7x tippet might break before that 6 to 9 weight rod flexes enough to absorb the initial shock.

We generally aren't using 'light' tippets when bass fishing.

So, for the guys who believe that you need a 9 wt. or an 8 wt. or even a 10 wt. to fight bass in heavy cover, sorry, but it's just not so. If you know your equipment and how to put pressure on a fish, you can land the same bass you would land on a 9 wt. with a 3 wt. since it's the TIPPET strength, not the rod, that determines how hard YOU get to pull....

What the 'bigger' or 'heavier' rods are 'good' for is casting distance with wind resistant or large flies. Since I fish from a boat or a pontoon when bass fishing, I can move closer to the fish and I don't need to cast far. So I can use ligter rods, which I find are more fun to fish with.

Those that need longer casts should use what they want to that allows them to do the job. I love my 8 and 9 weight rods. Tuna, Sailfish, Pike, and ocasionally bass fishing chores. Really BIG flies need heavy lines, and I'll admit that casting heavy lines is 'easier' on heavier rods, especally where you want to hold a bit of line in the air.

In any event, I know how entrenched this whole '7 to 9 weight' thing is in bass fishing circles.

All of the facts aside (since I can't get them to understand physics stuff), I'll just reiterate that I fish for fun. Lighter rods are more fun. I want the larger fish to be harder to land. AND, every 10 to 12 inch fish I hook will be LOTS more fun on my light weight rods, and if I lose that 6 pounder in the brush, I'll manage to survived it.

Good Luck!

Buddy