I am considering buying a 3 weight rod to use on the Kern River, I read a lot of posts from locals that are switching to this lighter outfit, but I wonder if they are just being trendy because in most of there fly reccomendations they usually are talking about 14, 16 and 18"s which seem slightly big for a 3 weight, I am a beginner so maybe I am misunderstanding what the object is and why they want to switch to a 7 foot #3 to work a river that is over 50 feet wide in most places, I would appreciate any point of view
Nav63
I’m a cheapskate (gotta be) so I’d consider a three weight if my other rod is a one, five or a six weight. I wouldn’t consider a three weight if I already had a two or four weight. Your goal IMHO should be to have everything covered that you’re apt to fish for.
I have 1, 3, 6, and 9 weights. This is a minimal arsenal for this area since I fish small brooks where fish will average only about 7 inches and lake tribs where fish can be over 40 inches. There are many larger trout streams and some bass rivers in between.
I have it pretty well covered with just these 4 rods.
My determining factors would involve what fish I’d be going for. I buy a new rod when I need one for a different kind of fishing. Rarely do I replace a rod unless I’ve found one that surpasses what I have by far!
Then again, sometimes I get rod fever (incurable) and my whole plan goes up in smoke.
Probably not too much help but I think you have the idea.
I agree to the 4 wt. I have a 2wt, couple of 3’s several 4’s, 5’s,6’s and 8wt. I use the four weights (all different flexes) probably more than anything.
I have a three weight that I love, but I bought it for smaller streams. If you want to make your rods more versatile you might try a shorter rod for small creeks and continue to use a five (or something similar) for rivers like the Kern. I love fishing creeks and rivers up to about 10yds with my 6ft 3wt, and have used it on bigger water when it was my only option for one reason or another.
Just my 2 cents.
Adam
I really like fishing a three weight. It’s kind of like having a motorcycle, you don’t take it out every day, but when the weather is nice on the weekend you take it out for a spin. I’ll fish any size fly I feel like with it, distance is the main limiting factor so I’ll mostly fish it on smaller water. Last year I had a blast with it on the Missouri, which is big water with big fish. I see no point in anyone owning a rod shorter than 8’6", unless you’re a midget, fishing in a 400 gallon aquarium, or you’re fishing bamboo.
Nav63, again it is personnel preference thing. The main determination should be the size of the streams you are fishing and the wind conditions.
A 3 wt is perfect for smaller streams and little or no wind.
For me personnelly I use a 9’ 4wt for almost all of my trout fishing. It is versatile enough to throw a wide range of fly sizes and has enough power to cast into the wind.
That said,this last summer I sold a number of 3 wt rods. All of these rods were purchased by people who intended to use them for local small stream fishing.
I think that at least for us in the Rocky Mt region, a 3 wt is a nice specialized rod weight but not really adequate for day to day fishing.
Windy conditions and big water are common here and I think a 4 or 5 weight handles these situiations better then a 3 weight does.
Still, it is alot of fun catching fish on a 3 wt and if it works for you then go for it.
A few thoughts. You will read, and correctly so, that typically for trout, most of the light rods tend to be in the 4wt class.
As a beginner, like you’d stated, you might do well to stay with this 4wt rod or even a 5wt! Reason being is until you can “feel” the rod loading etc. and you get a real feeling for what the line and the rod are both doing together your casting improvements would be slower. A beginner really does need to feel that rod as she loads and works for you.
I did much the same as you want to do and because I took some years to get used to a 5wt and then a 4wt working for me, it helped immeasureably. It did!
Another thing. On doesn’t need a 50 ft cast to work trout efficiently. The closer you are the better you can control the various problems with presentation of the fly. This is dealing with everything from the casting distance, line control and also the river itself, the varied currents etc.
Drag…You’ll hear this all too often.
And lastly. When you become comfortable (I’m making a lot of assumptions as to your “beginner” status here) with a 4wt, then and only then would I suggest you probe the ultra light weiths, the 3,2 nad 1 wt rods. But when you do you’ll better appreciate what it means to take a fish with them
Until then, it might give you more grief than you want casting.
And for the record, my 9’ 3wt Sage SP will throw a #24 midge and a #10 Clouser with no trouble. I prefer the #18 dry though.
My 3 wt rod is my most favorite rod. Granted, I fish mostly smaller streams and ponds, where wind isn’t a huge factor. It’s a simply 3 piece Cabela’s Three Forks rod - and it casts like a dream! I made the mistake of getting their combo when I got mine. At the time it came with some crappy plastic reel (I think they called it a “Prestige”) and a really bad line. I had to throw the line away immediately, as it was kinky and generally worthless. The reel never saw water either, as when I did some lawn casting, it seized. I mean seized to the point where the spool would not turn forward or back.
But the rod is a real gem! It packs easy, being a three piece, and only 7’6" in length. I can lay out a 50 foot cast fairly well with it as long as there’s not a heavy wind. It really shines tho on the 30’ or less casts.
My next favorite rod is a 7’6" 4 wt. Another super small stream outfit, and it’ll lay a 50 foot cast easier than the 3. I had a 9’ 4wt that I loved a lot too, but for personal reasons wound up selling that one. I’ll replace it eventually.
For general purpose fishing I’d opt for the 4 over the 3 wt, and I’d probably pick an 8 footer. It’d do better in the brush than a 9 footer, but would still give you extra height on the back cast for more open areas.
Thanks for the info Tyflier. That is what I wanted to know. Also thanks to all the people with their info. It’s all good.
I have a small stream nearby. But all summer long I fish one of the many lakes here and most often have some wind.
Sooooooo…the 10’ 3wt FULL FLEX for a toon rod for ME doesn’t sound like a very good idea.
Good…cause I bought a 10’ 4wt moderate fast action blank. But I really want to try that there 10’ 3wt. Guess it will have to be the Dan Craft 4 piece 10’ 3wt moderate fast action iffen I get to the 3 wt.
Bob,
that 9’ 4wt XP is one of the best 4wts I’ve had the pleasure to cast!
I have the 8’6" 2wt XP and it’s a cool little smaller streams trout rod that I’ll toss a #12 Clouser with if I want to ply the shaded, cooler, overgrown banks with when it gets warmer. Shallow bankside action…12" of water!
That action has saved many a day when the trout didn’t cooperate and no hatches were available.
Thank all of you on your input regarding my thoughts on getting a 3 wt outfit, Having heard from this large gallery of expiernce I am thinking of getting a 9 ft 5 wt Redington I am looking at in the Cabellas fly fishing catalog, or what ever Guy Jean thinks I have to have when I see him next Saturday hehe. Let me tell you about my current and only fly outfit and maybe you will see why I might need to upgrade, I walked one day about 6 yrs ago into my local fishing shop and told my old buddy Bob Frazier ( alais Baja Bob )that I wanted him to build me a fly rod, so we got out the catalog and with our combined lack of expeiernce ordered a two piece 8 foot blank of unknown flexibility and taper, Bob wrapped it like all the salt water rods he has done for me over the years and it came out bueatiful with a triple wrap thread job and a old copper colored reel seat we found in the used parts box, I am sure that it weighs less then a pound, but not much less, hehe, Bob is an old WWII underwater demolitions guy so he tends to build things bomb proof so to speak, I will always cherish my first custom made fly rod and I am sure it will last forever with its special Frazier Brick Sh*t House Construction, but I’ve got the fever for something more articulate after holding a few Sages and Glommis’s in my hand. We took my Frazier Frankenstien special to an actual fly shop in Upland California, and after the chuckling was over he decided it was probably a 5 0r 6 wt and we dressed it in 5 wt clothing, last Spring my son and I fished it on the upper Sacramento on a drift boat trip for sea run Bow’s and it seemed to do a admirable job landing several dozen of these bueatiful fish in the 1 1/2 to 4 pound class ( I’ll post some of these pics as soon as I find them again )
Thanks again everyone for your replies
nav63
Phelan Ca