Brad,

That is a very good question, but also very hard to answer. All rod manufactures have there own way to rate a rod. Not every 6:4, 5:5, or 7:3 is going to be the same. Some are softer and some stiffer than others in the same class. Chris Stewart sells some nice rods at decent prices. The Shimotsuke Tenkara 3.3 and 3.6 seem to be a good all around starting rod. If we knew what you are fishing for and where it could help allot. If your fishing the smoky mountains streams with tight cover the shorter rod might be your best bet. This may reduce the range of rod actions available. What type of action do you like when western fly fishing? Are you looking for the same action or different? If you could provide some more info we could better help.

Mike P.