I guess it would depend on what you fish for mostly but for me,its an 8wt.This rod will handle most of the NE inshore fish and still be comfortable to fish fresh water with.Some say a 9wt is better but an 8wt can be uplined easily if needed.I have an old book by Joe Brooks and he says that the 8wt is the best for saltwater because it doesnt spook as many fish as a 9wt.If I only had one fly rod for all my fishing,it would be the 8wt.