Joe Hyde's Overlined 1 Wt.

[DieKatze]

It's starting to sound like I need to just go out and buy the Clear Creek 1 wt. rod, then try it with all 3 line weights, and see what feels and works best for me. In the final analysis that what it all boils down to anyways, what works and feels right to you. I've always had a much better feel of the loading on my 5 wt. and 6 wt. rods, but have never had a good feel of the loading on my 3 wt. Maybe I should try over lining it with a WF4F line. So many choice and so little time!

If I do that experimentation I'll be sure to report it here.

Thanks to everyone for their insights.

Jim S.

[beadleech]

Joe - I think Jim uses 3 & 4wt rods for his giant redears. I think I remember a story about a RE turning a 2 or 3wt rod into toothpicks for him!! <G>

I have a friend that has a St Croix 6 1/2' 4wt that is a fun rod to fish; however, if there is any wind [or if you need to reach out with a cast] it's a bit of work to fish. That's the main reason I've always stayed with the 8' rod - good balance between actual weight of the rod and castibility. 'Course this is all IMO; yours may vary. This year I've been using my 3wt more because of all the wind we've had. Been a bad spring for it.

Do you find your 7'10" Sage easier to cast that the 7' Cabela's?

Donald

[DieKatze]

Ha, Ha, very funny Donald!

Not too many red ears down here, but we do have some killer gills and shell crackers. :^)

I just moved down here from Michigan, and had the 6 wt. for bass, pike and steel head. And the 3 wt. for general panfish; gills, pumpkin seeds, rock bass, crappie, yellow perch and the occassional large mouth. When I moved down here I bought the 5 wt. for trout on the White and Little Red rivers in Arkansas. It worked nicely for a couple of 3 to 4 pound browns on the White this past March.

I've got about a 5 acre pond in my back yard that's loaded with blue gills, crappie and bass. And thought a 1 wt. would be perfect and a lot of fun for the gills and crappie.

Donald, or Joe, if y'all are ever in the Memphis area, give me a shout and we can have some fun fishing the pond. Had a friend catch about a 4 pound bass in it about 3 weeks ago, but he cheated. He was using spinning gear. ;^)

[mudni]

I got a good deal on a 4 wgt.DT line a while back.I cut a 30ft "head" off of each end of the line and made 2 shooting heads,1 was 26ft long
(an addtional 4 ft removed from large end)and the other 30ft long,with each spliced to a running line.I have used these lines on 4,3,2,and 1wgt rods.The longer heads on the 4,3 rods and the shorter heads on the 2,1 rods.I use a lot of size 8 clouser type flies and find
these lines work wounders especially on windy days.

[beadleech]

Good idea mudni - by shortening the one "head" you effectively made a "lighter" shooting head. This can be a way to cast larger flies on smaller rods.

I had the chance to cast a rod built on Dan Craft's 7' 2-pc 1wt blank last Jan and I have to admit that I was impressed with it - a lot. Also the Orvis 1wt wonderline on it. A lot of people call that blank an "actual 2wt", including the guy that apparently hangs bags of pennies on rod tips to find "the true rating for the blank". However, I found a 2wt line really bogged that rod down and made it a real "dawg" IMO.

I have a friend that has the Cabela's 7' 2wt rod and, IMO, that rod is nowhere near a 2wt - a stiff 3 or even a 4wt better describes it for me. On the other hand the Craft rod I cast is just a very chrisp and quick 1wt. That rod may very well be my next "winter" project.

I'm also working on "downsizing" my flies that I use with my 2wt - perhaps to 1wt size?? I do use foam spiders that can easily be tied down to 14 or so but I do not seem to catch as many [or as large] fish on then as on the popper. Oh well, as my wife says "gives me something to do"!

donald

[DieKatze]

Donald,

I hope my previous post didn't offend you. I wasn't offended by your teasing, and didn't intend to sound defense. I was just teasing back.

But I was serious about the invite if you ever find yourself in the Memphis area. You'll have a place to stay, and someone to talk fly fishing with. And drink some scotch and have a cigar if you're so inclined.

Best,
Jim S.

[beadleech]

DieKatze - no offence taken!! I sometimes get sidetracked when responding to a post - especally late at nite.

If I get down that way I'll certainly give you a call; appreciate the invite. Since I've retired I don't travel as much as I used to in my fishing [the $3.00 gas doesn't help, either].

donald

[Linecaster]

The rod weight or number is immaterial if a heavier line is fished comfortably with that rod? A 1 weight fished with a two weight line surely cannot be classified as a 1 weight but a two weight. I have a 3 weight rod that casts well and is more suited to the 4 weight line so it now is a 4 weight is it not?
Eric