I always hear how you can never have enough 4 wts. and was thinking of getting one. what are the benefits of a 4wt to other line rods and what are they better used for? there are no natural trout here just gills and bass and stocked steelheads in the colder months with catfish thrown in. anyone got any ideas for my 1st 4wt combo? preferbly one under 200 bux and thats with line and backing included. I seen a redington crosswater 4wt for 100 some and there new red 2 fly rod combos for 200 or about that price. just wondered if anyone can point me in a good direction? I wanna get a quality rod this time and redington has a lifetime warranty which I like. so far I have the 3 wt bitch creek ($126)and 6 weight martin($28) plus the cabelas 8wt ($99). is it worth the money to invest in a 4wt . I have been searching for a few hours now for rod combos and am just not sure yet. I was thinking of getting the 4/5wt tfo nxt combo also. just wonder if its 4wt or 5wt line on it?? . this seems like a good combo and I like the lifetime warranty and rod case and the fact that its a 4 piece. I am almost not even caring what size line comes with it as I can buy whatever size I want anyways. I will prolly just use whats on it tho. was also thinking of maybe giving my 6 wt martin 20 dollar combo away to my buddy since he seems to of taken to fly fishing and wants to go with me this year more but doesn’t have any gear. although its hard cause its my 1st ever setup I got. maybe I will just spend 30 more bux and get him a new one haha. does that make me a bad guy? man I just cant seem to part with anything… anyways I am gonna sleep on it and see what ya guys recommend and I will make my decision from there.
4wt or 5wt… It depends on the size flies you want to cast too. A 5wt line will cast a big fly better than a 4wt. What’s a big fly? I don’t know; it all depends…
Iknow you did not list this as an option, but I would feel bad if I didn’t suggest that you build your first rod. 9’-0" 4wt 4-piece Tradition II for $69 plus shipping. http://shop4.mailordercentral.com/hookhack/prodinfo.asp?number=HHF9044
Joe
In my limited experience, if you intend on throwing flies with bead heads a 4wt’s tip will break a LOT easier from being hit by the fly than a 5wt’s will.
Let’s see here that’s 3 4wt tips broken to , uh…0 5wt tips broken by bead heads.
I am using a 5wt rod with 4wt line. I love this combination.
fishaholic69 -
Since I don’t do the kind of fishing you are describing, and I don’t have ANY 4 wt rods, I’m just kind of taking what you said and some of the replies from others and putting a twist on it. Not much difference between a 3 wt and a 4 wt. And you are thinking about giving away your 6 wt. So give the 6 wt to your friend and get yourself a 5 wt. You won’t miss the 6, and you’ll get a friend started doing something you BOTH want him to do. The 8 wt will cover the top end of the fishing you do. You can part with the 6, get a 5 ( whether you build it or buy it ) and have a win-win-win situation.
John
I hope this doesn’t strike you or others as to “direct,” and that it is taken in the spirit it is offered.
I agree. I started out with a 6wt. . Once I got a 5wt I never used the 6wt again. I do have a 4wt and now an 8wt.
I use the 5wt most of the time…my “go-to” rod if you must. I use the 4wt if I am trout fishing only.
I am going to get the 8wt out here shortly to go after some big ole momma carp!
The 6wt I may use to go after some big bass but that is the only time I will use the 6wt.
If I were starting out again I would get a 5wt if it were to be my only rod. But that is because I fish for trout, bass, bluegill, crappie. It does it all with these fish.
If I were doing trout-only I’d lean toward a 4 wt.
F69,
I fish in the same area as you and I personally feel more comfortable with a 8’ 6" 5wt. Seems to cover alot of bases for me and you can throw out something larger alot easier. It can be done with a 4wt but I use mine for smaller waters. I built the 4wt on a forecast blank and feel really comfortable with it, and when you build a rod there is a strong connection with it because of the involvement of the whole process, but I always seem to gravitate towards a 5wt. This is just my opinion and it may be different for you. a 4/5 weight is 4dt and 5wf. Ultimately it comes down to what you are comfortable with if the rod is too fast for you, you can try to upline to slow it down a bit, or the opposite…don’t forget about the gar in our rivers. ha! catch them with a no hook t-shirt fly.
Good luck don’t stress over it once you make a decision it’s fishing after that.
Janus
As was stated above by J Castwell the rod you choose should be dictated by size/wieght/wind resistance of the fly you intend to cast. A 4 wt rod is awesome for bluegill/crappie etc sized flies. Typically 18s to 10s maybe a bit larger if the flys aren’t overly heavy or bulky. The line designation is meant primarily as a means to establish what size of fly you can efectively cast. A heavier line is able to pull a larger/ more wind resistant fly better with less “kick” and a better loop for better casting control. IMHO a rod for a 5 line is more likely to offer you more latitude in fly selection than a rod for a 4 line. Choose your rod based on the fly sizes you are most likely to present. In many instances a 6 wt may be too light for largemouth if you are casting particularly heavy or wind resistant flys. Yet it will handle a range of flys suitable for 8" blugills to 20 pound carp. I use many different rods based on fly size and wind. One must also take into account the action of the rod. A fast rod will allow you to cast a heavier line, say a SA GPX (1/2 line wieght over line) or a Rio “outbound”. Again the heavier line will allow you to cast a heavier or more wind resistant fly.
Also consider the type of water you most likely encounter. If long casts with larger flys are the order of the day you obviously need a heavier line and possibly faster rod.
I fish rods from 3wt to 7 wt for most of my fishing. Some are fast some moderate and at
least one cane rod is slow. I tend to choose a rod based on it’s intrinsic ability to do what I need done at the moment. So, to shorten an already too long reply, you need several rods, including a 5, a 6, a 4, etc. The 6 in this scenario will do everything the 4 will do and more but it may be a bit heavy for the enjoyment of most bluegill fishing.
And while a rod for a 4 or 5 line may be adequate for fishing small drys and nymphs it certainly wont handle a #2 sculpin pattern very well if you have the need to fish meat to trout. Fishing with only one rod is like trying to play 18 holes of golf with only a putter.
ok thanks for all the pointers and ideas. I am now leaning torward a 5 weight. now I just got to find one with a lifetime warranty for the rod and one with a decent reel and some line for around $200 or so. any ideas? I am gonna search a lil more. I like the idea of building my own rod but would hate to screw it up and waste $70 bux. I have no clue how to even build one what to use, or no tools to build it with.
I am thinking of maybe going with a 5wt tfo professional series rod? just got to find a good reel and some line for a decent price! maybe even a combo if I can find one somehow
If you contact Firelands Fly Fishers ( http://www.firelandsflyfishers.org/ ) you might get into one of their rod building classes. They’re right in your backyard at French Creek Nature Center. Tell them I sent you.
Joe
IMHO there isn’t much difference between a 4 wt and a 5 wt. Be careful of 2 things. Select a good length for what you are doing and pick the propper action. A stiff 4 wt will act like a mild 5 wt. and you won’t notice much difference. I would not buy a rod without casting it first.
If you want to get really geeky about it you can check out Bill Hanneman’s common sense system or read some of the stuff on my website on the mechanics of flycasting.
Bob Bolton
HATofMichigan.org
Here is a chart I use as a guide.
Bill
Here is a guide I use.
Fly Line, Leader, Tippet and Fly Balancing
[CENTER][CENTER]line
weight
butt
diameter
tippet
size
fly
size
3-4
.017
4X-8X
14-28
5
.019
3X-7X
12-22 - dry
to 4 - streamers
6-7
.021
0X-5X
to 8 - dry
to 5 - streamers
8-9
.023
2X +
4-3/0
10-15
.025
0X +
2-4/0[/CENTER]
[/CENTER]
Bill
Usually a 5/6 designation like that means they suggest a 4 wt double taper line or a 5 wt weight forward line. However, I don’t think it matters a great deal. The rod action just feels slightly different.
just dropped $188 for a tfo pro series 9ft 4piece 5 wt and orvis rocky mountain turbine reel with airflow line… was told by a moderator at north american fly forum it was a steal and a great rod and reel both with warranties. had to get it. will find out if I like it or not when I get a chance.
First, you owned a 3, 6 and an 8 wt. You didn’t need another rod, you wanted one. Guess what? It’s OK, you are a fly fisherman, you don’t have to need something to buy it. 
Have fun with your new rod and when you are ready to add something to your arsenal next time look at a 0 or 1 wt to have fun with those gills that you chase.
I own 3, 4 wts and a single 5 wt. Love the 4 wt rods for spring creek fishing for trout. By the way, I have landed a 30’’ plus carp on my 3 wt with 6X tippet. What a riot. It’s all about what you want to accomplish. Have fun and enjoy the new rod. It won’t be your last new rod, just your next new rod.
Rick
clay my excuse this time was my one buddy could take the old 6wt out since he don’t have gear and use that. I might even give it to him. its a cheap $20 combo I learned with and he liked flying it instead of regular fishing where he would cast for 10 min and quit. actually took him fly fishing and he was excited after catching fish and can’t wait to go again!!! never seen him act like that since hes so so inpatient. well thats my excuse and i’m sticking to it. lol
got me the tfo in the mail today already!!! heres some pics! came in brand new packaging too. the orvis reel came in lined up and ready to go! heres some pix!!!
I am not sure if you are near a Gander Mtn. store but they were selling Reddington RS2 combo’s for 199 which of course was the reel, line, backing, tube and I believe they also have a range of wts from 3 up to 8’s. I also think Gander has all of their Guide Series rods on sale at 50% off and they also have some Guide Series combo’s on sale. I got a 3 wt combo last year in the guide series for $120 and it is a nice rod and reel. Add an SA fly line and your under $150.