Spent several hours stomping around the wood in pursuit of the elusive Grouse with rainbowchaser yesterday. He and his buddy Tom flushed 5 or 6 saw 3 got one! (I never saw a bird!!) All in all a great day.
Anyway, later over a cold beer I asked ‘chaser about putting a 5 wgt line on a 7’ 6" 4 wgt. as I want to keep my reel and line inventory managable.(H&H doesn’t have a short 5 wgt kit.) He said the the rod would load faster but I forgot to ask if this would be a help on small streams and would there be a differance between weight forward and double taper?
I have a spare spool for the 5 wgt, and plan to load it with a double taper 5 wgt.
Or, do I just load the spare spool with a WF 4 wgt?
I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!
Cactus AKA “Lucky Dog (Pirate Name)”
[This message has been edited by Jack Hise (edited 17 October 2005).]
Years ago I had a fishing buddy that had a Scott 904 (9’ for a 4 wt). He fished a WF5F on it and it cast better than a 4wt line on that same rod. I tried it several times and found it quite enjoyable to cast.
I’m not sure, but I think that a dt 4 and wf 5 floating line weigh the same for the first 30’. I only mention this because I have an 8’ 5wt rod that I have been playing around with using a dt 4 on it and it seems to cast just fine.
That’ll work just fine, Jack. The rod will load with less line out the tip, which is great for small streams and very short casting distances. At longer distances the rod may start to feel sluggish, especially with a DT line, but at short-to-mid range distances overlining probably won’t be a problem. As far as DT vs. WF, they’re the same for the first 30 feet, and after that the DT will get heavier faster, so I would advise that you go with a WF line.
Just my $.02, take it for what it’s worth. Let me finish by saying there are times when I will put a 5 weight line on my 2 weight rod for real close quarters fishing. So overlining definitely does not throw the planets out of orbit or cause global warming. A little bit of experimentation won’t hurt anything.
[EDIT] The above is given that your rod loads perfectly and casts just fine with its rated line weight. There is always the possibility that the rod will come alive and be perfect at all distances when you overline it. I’ve never casted your rod, and I’m not you, so I wouldn’t know
[This message has been edited by OkieBass133 (edited 17 October 2005).]
I saw your post on the rodbuilding board so I assume you are talking about overlining the Forecast 7.5’ 4wt blank. I fish the 4pc version of this rod and it is my go to rod for largemouth bass. I finished it out with Fuji Alconite Guides and it is sweet. BTW, I fish it with a WF6F Air Cel line and it casts this line extremely well out to 50’. I’ve also used a Mastery Headstart WF5F on this rod and think that you will be very pleased with this blank.
I do it all the time. I inherited a rod that’s labeled 4/5 weight, but really is a 4 wt. Like the other guys have said, it will load noticably faster which is fine depending on the conditions and the fish you are casting to. When I hike into the mountains for for wild trout on streams you can cross in one step, I find I really need the 4 weight, while if there’s a breeze that breaks the water’s surface or if I’m fishing to less “presentation-minded” fish like bluegill or bass, I string up the 5 weight line. Playing around with the line weights on a given rod will also affect your back cast and I’ve found it to make me a much more conscientious and all-around better caster.
Sorry for my reply that I thought that a dt and wf line weighed the same for the first 30’. It is obvious that Castwell doesn’t think so, but for some reason he chose not to share what he knows.
i use the forecast 5pc 4wt. i load it with wf5f line and absoluely love how it casts. with a wf4f line on it, it felt a tad sluggish to me. i couldnt feel the load the way i like. after lining it with wf5f, it casts like a dream.
Everyone dies. Only the lucky ever truly Live. Take your time.
Anglerdave, I was wondering if maybe you got it backwards, i.e. that a 5 wt DT is a lot like a 4 wt. WF, for the first 30 feet?
I still don’t know if that’s true or not, but a check of the line tapers from the manufacturer(s) should reveal the secret.
Ed
