I’m looking for a new fly rod to use for mostly bluegill. Right now, I am using an 8’ 5wt. I want something lighter that would make fighting the fish more fun. Does any body have any suggestions on the best weight, and length rod that would be best for me?
Thanks.
We kinda hop back and forth between a 3wt and an 0wt. There is an old glass Fenwick ferralite (sp) 7’6" 5/6wt that gets tossed a great deal for this too. We like’em all. Especially for BG’s.
Best for you? Nope, cannot answer that…only you can. 
Are you fishing from shore? Are you tubing? Are you dragging stuff thru lots of weeds? Hmmm…lots more questions.
…lee s.
Just FYI - I’ve gone pretty well to a 3 wgt for all my panfishing. It’ll handle a fair amount of wind - a lot more than I thought. I fish from a small pram, a Hobie Float cat, and on small creeks by wading. My 8’ 3 wgt handles all these areas. The only handicap I can see is excess wind or need to cast farther from shore. You have the 5 wgt for that.
Donald
I use a 9ft, 3 wt and mostly fish from a float tube. We have lots of wind here in ND but I find I can cast bluegill flies without much trouble even in a fairly strong wind.
I have to agree with the 3 & 5 weights.
I like to Float Tube lakes ? sometimes these lakes are deep. I have yet to find a 3 weight that will really sink. That?s where the 5 weight comes in. When the fish are on the surface I like the 3 weight.
I like the 3 weight because sometimes I will fish a fly tied with a little lead wrapped around it. The extra weight of the fly does not cast well with anything less than a 3.
Of course then there are Dry Flies for the Gills, maybe size 16 and smaller flies. I might need to look at that 0 or 1 weight.
Let No One Walk Alone
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Bill
Another vote for the 3 wt…in my case, an 8 footer. It does handle wind well & it’s a lot of fun. I’m sure a 0 or 00 would be unreal, but I would think any wind might have quite an effect. Of course, I’m just guessing, having no experience below the 3 wt.
Mike
Gill,
I’m also a fan of the three weight as a great all around panfish/trout/bass light fly rod.
They will handle a surprising range of flies, deal with more wind than most realize, and really make the fighting powers of the smaller fish shine.
You really can’t go wrong with a 3 wt. for a first light rod.
Good Luck!
Buddy
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Thanks for all the replies! I mostly fish a #14 foam beetle for the gills, so I was thinking maybe a two weight, but from what I see it sounds like the three weight is the way to go. I will look at some rods over the weekend and figure out what I want. Thanks for all of your suggestions.
Gill
Gill,
Don’t be afraid to go with the 2 wt if one catches your eye. For panfishing with a size 14 fly as you mentioned it would be perfect. I think what the others are saying about the 3 wt is that it has a little more punch if you decide to tie on a bigger bass type fly and might be a better “all around” type light action rod for both bass and gills although I can’t speak for the others. For what you describe, a 2 wt or even smaller would be fine. You’re going to have so much more fun fishing for the 'gills with a 2 or 3 wt. that I encourage you to go for it. By the way, my all around “light rod” for pan fish and bass combo is a 4 wt. which I think handles the Oklahoma wind a little better than the 3 wt. When I’m tubing though I carry 2 rods—a 2 wt with a panfish fly tied on and a 4 wt with a bass fly tied on.
I have to agree on the 3wt. My main panfish rod is a 6.5 ft 2wt, but I fish a DT3 line on it for more versatility. I am also playing around with short 1pc glass rods in 4-5-6 wt for dual panfish/ bass outings. I like the soft action and the heavier lines throw poppers and mini-clousers with ease. The short length is also great out of the kayak.
Good luck with your choice and let us know what you get.
Lou
Another vote for a 3wt.
I had a custom 9’ made for me w/ a detachable fighting butt. Works much better in the fly rod holder on the kayak. Also helps w/ playing those big LMB.
I take the butt of when trout fishing so my TU buddies don’t get excited.
I love using my TFO 2wt. It was 6’6" but the a piece of the mid section broke so now its like a 6’1" or so. But either way its a blast to fish with! I have a bit of trouble tossing #8 flies and bigger, but theres really no need to around here. The only down side is that if there is any wind it can get a bit tricky. As far as distance goes it cant cast huge lengths but it goes where I need it too. So thats my vote.
[This message has been edited by Tim S (edited 01 April 2005).]
I use either a 9’ 3wt or 6 1/2’ 2 wt. depending on what I’m throwing and what the fishing conditions are. I bought a 6 foot bamboo on ebay that someone made using the tip and butt sections of an old 10 foot, 3 section bamboo rod and I love using if for BGs on occasion. It has a real sweet/slow action and handles 3 wt. line well. I always hesitate to say one rod is better than another for all situations but if I could only use one rod it would probably be the 9’ 3 weight.
have two three weights.
I have two rods that I have narrowed it down to right now. I am looking at pretty cheap rods from Cabelas. The ones I narrowed it down to are The Traditional, 6’6" 2 weight, and the Three Forks 7’6", 3 weight. I am leaning more towards the 2 weight traditional, but I’d like to know what everyone thinks before I go out and decide. Thanks again for all of your help.
gill123:
Hello. I recently assembled a St. Croix SCIV 7’9" 4 piece 3 wt. blank. It is an outstanding rod. It casts a 2 or 3 wt. line great and will handle some wind. I have used it float tubing with an indicator and midges and it worked great. I caught rainbows up to 17" with it and it was a blast. The rod handled these fish with no problems. Bass and panfish season is starting here in southern California. I am really looking forward to fishing this rod for bass, bluegill, crappie, and green and redear sunfish. I tried the Sage TXL series and they were great. I did want to spend $250.00 for a blank. The St. Croix is just as good a rod.
Lanny
If you are inclined to building a rod, the Forecast 7’6" 3wt from Hook & Hackle is a great rod for the price. I enjoy mine a bunch with panfish.
gill123
Do you have the chance to handle the two rods you are trying to choose from?
We used a 7’9" 2wt for some time and REALLY liked it. We handled a 6’6" 1wt for just a bit and it did not impress us enough to further experience it.
Again, all just personal preferrences and may do you no good at all.
Seems we try to aquire a rod mid-range of the “handy” rods for a given task, be the deciding factor casting criteria (big bugs/diminished clearance/etc.) or target species. It usually gets well used. Then, to our bride’s dismay (“Why you need all them “poles”?”) we find we “need” the rest of the arsenel to toss the bigger bugs and then the smaller bugs and then the bigger fish and then the smaller fish. After that stage, we generally go back to grabbing the handy one out of the corner (which is usually also the last one used) time and again and go for it!
Enjoy the ride. It IS a fun one…even if expensive.
gill123,
The Three forks is a great rod! Love it for small stream trout fishing and it is a blast for bluegill and LMs. Must be 4-5 guys in my TU club that have bought them after trying mine.
I went to Cabelas today, and looked at all of the rods. I ended up getting one that I didn’t list. It is a Clear Creek 7’ 2wt, and I got the combo, which I was able to get with a Prestige Plus fly reel. The whole package seems like it was a great deal. I am looking forward to catching a bunch of panfish with it this year. Thanks for all of your help.
[This message has been edited by gill123 (edited 02 April 2005).]