5wgt versus a 6 wgt rod

[acal]

Is there really that much of a difference between a 5 wgt and a 6 wgt rod ?

[Jed]

There is some difference. It is not dramatic but for a day's worth of fishing your arm might notice the extra weight of a 6. Pulling in a big fish the 6 might help by giving you a little more backbone in your fight.

One way to look at it is that I would not own any 2 rods that were 1 weight apart, meaning I won't own a 5 and a 6 weight rod or a 7 and 8 weight rod. They are too similar and therefore not a good investment. I own a 4,6,8 and 10 weight rod.

Hope this helps.

jed

[dpenrod]

just one guy's opinion, but i have owned a 6wt. and i found that my fast action 5wt. could do everything my 6 wt. could do, so got i got rid of the 6.

[lastchance]

The weight and length of the blank are another considerations. I think they all make a difference. I have a cheap 5 Wt. Blank that has the backbone of an 8 Wt. Also, my 6 Wt. rod is much heavier than a few of my 5 wts. I really can notice a difference. Just my opinion.

[ducksterman]

Then there is the difference that occurs over time ...as technology improves....e.g. I had a 7 wt that was much heavier than a later model 8 wt...same company

[Clay]

As the previous poster mentioned there is more to a rod than the line that it is suppose to load the best at an average casting distance or weight of the rod. I find that the action makes the biggest difference too. I have 10 outfits and wouldn't let any of them go. I also own 4 different 4 wts. I have a 3 wt that is very fast indeed and it can punch through wind as easily as a slow action 5 wt.

Different people have different casting strokes. Some people have the patience and the mentality to cast a slow action rod. They are much more forgiving, but I am a fast action fan all the way.

If you are going to chase something larger like try to push that single rod into a steelhead rod pick the 6 over the 5. If you are fishing panfish and trout in smaller streams pick the 5 or even consider a 4wt. If I could only have one rod to fish the spring creeks that I fish for trout it would be a 4 wt.

Remember you don't have to just have one rod and the real truth of the matter is that this isn't your last rod, it is just the next rod. Fishing panfish and trout up to 20" you will have more fun with the 4 than you will with the 6.

Join your local TU or FFF chapter and there will be guys there that will help with your casting and let you try different action types and different weight rods with very little graveling. Go to a pro shop and buy a couple hours of casting instruction and try different rod types while you are there. Learning how to cast better on the front end is much better than struggling for years and then trying to break the bad habbits that have formed.

Rick

[EdD]

Perhaps to recap, today there is likely to be more difference between makes and models of rods than between 5-weight and 6-weight rods within a given brand/line. Try out a rod before you buy it. Try as many as you can. Play fair. Don't try out a bunch of rods at a fly shop and then order one online. The increased price at the fly shop helps to cover the expertise which they provide.

In general, the 6-weight rods will be heavier and take slightly more effort with each cast therefore be more tiring by the end of the day. Also they should be able to more easily handle a heavier line which means the ability to handle flies which need more muscle (i.e. heavier line) to cast them because of the weight, wind resistance, etc... of those flies.

Of course, you could just wait for Castwell to weigh in.

Ed

[sagefisher]

I own many fly rods, from 2 wt up thru 9 wts.

I use my 5 wts mainly while fishing lakes for trout. As long as the wind isn't going to be much of a problem and as long as I don't have to cast big heavy flies, then the 5 weight does well. But when casting into a strong wind or chucking large streamers, then I use my 6 weights.

I do have a 5 weight that I use for dry flies, a true medium action Sage rod. It is great for presentation type casts. I use this on rivers as well as lakes. It will handle a fairly bushy dry fly but I can easily switch over to my 6 weight if the fly is too big vs. the wind.

It all comes down to what you want to cast with, your casting style and what you are fishing for.

Larry ---sagefisher---