light weight rods
If I had my druthers, I would fish my 3 wt all the time, because I just enjoy it. However, when I'm on a "big fish" water, I tend to go to the heavier rod, less because I am concerned about playing the fish too long as I am afraid I might break the rod trying to get the fish in. I also fish the heavier one in a faster current, because that makes the fish heavier on the rod. Have any of you broken rods playing fish? Can I just treat my 3 like a 5 and pull them in without worrying?
herefishy, you might want to check out Buddy's Bass Tidbits...in one of them he discusses fighting fish with light rods...
Rod Breaking
Mr. Bass Tidbit.....Buddy......just talked to me about the same issue. He explained it very well. Simply put, your tippet is your weakest link. If you are using 30 pound tippet...you might could break the rod. But...with a fish on and a normal tippet...it is going to break the tippet before it breaks the rod. He has horsed in some 8 pound plus fish on a 2 wt rod.
I can't find a thread about bass tidbits - could you give me an approximate date?
They are all over the WarmWater forum...
Here's the one you want...
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/view ... hp?t=16693
This might change your mind about using light rods.
I've talked to bill a couple of hours on the phone. He'll convince you that your 3wt is not even light enough.
http://www.byrdultrafly.com/ultramain.htm
Herefishy,
As Jim pointed out, it's the tippet that determines how much 'pressure' you can put on, and thus how 'quickly' you can land, a fish (given YOUR skill level, of course). Rod weight is irreleveant given equal tippet strengths and that you can BREAK the tippet with the rod.
Your three weight is fine for places like the San Juan or similar streams and rivers.
With the small flies and light tippets used there, I doubt you'd feel any difference in how you 'fight' a fish between a 3 and a 5. In many ways, the lighter rod is superior in such circumstances, as it flexes more easily to protect the lighter tippets.
Lots of the guides up there are going to 9' 3 wts. for just that reason.
If you are going to be throwing #2 streamers on 0X tippets to big browns from a drift boat, then you may want a bit heavier rod.
The 'key' is making sure that the tippet is the weakest link, NOT your rod.
Good Luck!
Buddy
It Just Doesn't Matter....
IMHO broken rods = operator error
Ceiling fans. Car doors. Nicking the rod casting clousers leading to structural failure down the road. Are the leading causes, but sometimes they break on fish too.
Most of the rods I've seen broken on fish occur when an angler brings the rod handle past 90 degrees relative to the fish (either vertically or horizontally) and/or when gripping the rod with the off hand too far up on the blank (if you're trying to apply max pressure to turn a fish your off hand should be on cork, or as close to the handle as possible, not half way to the stripping guide). A lot of the breakage occurs when the fish is in close, maybe because the angles get more acute and there's less line to stretch and absorb shocks.
As long as you watch the angle of the handle relative to the fish (keep the pumps short, not long sweeping ones) and keep your hands on cork you shouldn't have a problem regardless of weight rod. Hooks may pull out, tippets may break and you may end up with the occassional pigtail where your knot was supposed to be, but your rod should live to fight another day.
Uhhhhh... and here's a suggestion.... when your buddy has a big fish at the boat, and you have an underwater camera and think it would be really cool to take an underwater picture by holding the camera underwater and snapping a close up of the fish..... don't use the flash...... don't ask me how I know this. Doh!
peregrines
When I pull on a 6x tippet to see how much force it takes to break it. I can't believe any rod would break before that tippet unless you some how tried to break it by jerking it.
I fish light rods all the time, and have been scolded for using too light of tackle for the fish I am chasing. And yes, I have broken rods on fish. But every rod I broke on a fish was a result of my stupidity, not some inherent inability of the rod to deal with the size of the fish.
And if you can find a trout in NM that is too much for a skilled operator with a 3wt, let me know, I will come down and try to catch it!
But, like Buddy said, sometimes it is more appropriate to use a heavier rod, just to get the flies out to the fish.
Dennis
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