Hello,
I am going to retire July 31st 07 after 28 years as a Conservation Officer. I have been hinting to my wife for a new fly rod. I am fairly new at fly fishing. I have a 6wt rod and would like to go lighter. I love panfishing! Three questions.
How light should I go?
I mostly fish strip pits, small lakes, and farm ponds from a "water wagon "kick boat. What length rod would be best?
$200 is my about my limit for a rod/reel outfit. Would need to mail order. Can anyone reccomend an outfit and mail order business. I have a cabelas, bass pro and ll bean catalog.
I’d look at a 4 wt, 9foot. Elkhorn has some really nice rods & reels which fit into your price range. Check the Sponsor page by clicking on the little button at the top right of this page, scroll down and look for Elkhorn.
My favorite panfish rod is my Scott 8’6" 3wt. Heavy enough to handle good sized fish (I’ve landed bass in the 4-5 lb range in open water) yet light enough to really enjoy the fight of a nice bluegill. Just one man’s opinion…
I have to agree with LF that a nine foot, four weight would be an excellent second rod. You have the muscle to handle LMB that might cross your path and it’s an excellent all around trout rod. My nine foot, four weight is my “go to” rod for most fishing. If you really do a lot of panfishing you might want to go lighter. I bought a Cabela’s two-weight, Clear Creek outfit for $150 and it is a sweet rod from brim and their kin. Bass are an experience to remember on this rod. 8T
Tom, you will get about as many opinions on brand, length and weight as there are fish in the sea from the members of FAOL. I would highly recommend that you make a trip to a store that sells different brands of fly rods and look them over, try them if possible, and then decide which is best for you. Kinda like buying a car, some folks swear by Fords, others by Chevy’s. Dodge or whatever.
Congrats on your retirement. You’ve gotten some good suggestions. I do a fair amount of fishing from both a float tube and kayak. There are three rods that I primarily use. 7’ 3wt. 8’ 5wt and 7 1/2’ 6wt. If there is no wind then the 3wt gets the nod. I find myself fishing the 5wt more often than not. Some might argue that you need a longer rod to keep the line off the water on the back cast. If your line hits the water on your back cast, the fault is with your casting and not the rod length. Also, using a shorter rod does away with the need for a net. It’s allot easier to bring a fish close when landing with a shorter rod than a longer one.
I have a lot of fun with a 7’6" 4 wt when I tie into a good bluegills, but I’m building a 6’6" 2wt for the dinks which I catch a whole lot more of. Sounds like you have a good rod already for bass with the 6wt but it will be too heavy for panfishing. If you live in the south you might want to go a 3 or 4 wt because the fish seem to run larger in the warmer climates but if your above the Mason/Dixon line you might consider a 2 Weight or lighter. $200 should be more than enough to buy a good rod that you 'll really enjoy.
I have to agree with Panman. Go to a store and try different rods. The best rod is the one you feel most comfortable casting.
The only other thing I would say is to use most of your money on the rod. At 3wt or lighter you will rarely need to get the fish on the reel. In most cases the reel is there only to hold line. A high quality drag is good for big fish that run (Carp, Steelhead, or Bonefish), but other than that it is really not necessary. I have a Sage VT2 3wt that sells for $400 with a $30 reel on it. Orvis Clearwaters ($40), Cabelas Prestige ($30), and Pfueger Medalists ($24). Orvis and Cabelas have a disc drag. One other thing I might suggest is to watch the “For Sale” part of this site. That Sage I have was made by a guy in CA and I got it for less than $200.
ENJOY that retirement - I got 675 days left, but who’s counting.
I’m partial to the Elkhorn. A great deal for the money. I’ve got their 4wt, 9’ 4pc rod and its my favorite. I like it enough that I’ve bought a 6,8,and 10wt too. Good price, great service excellent guarantee.
To me, it it determined by the wind. I use a 2 weight whenever I can, but the wind really can mess it up. 4 weight is what I use when the 2 weight won’t work. I just don’t use the 6 weight much. I’d rather use a heavier tippet and avoid high sticking. I use smaller flies, though.
I love the smae types of fishing…and I’d say, Why limit yourself to only one rod?..I’d go with both a 9 ft. 4 wt. and a 7’6" 3 wt…they both have what it takes to handle heavier fish…and Flies…The different sized waters your planing on fishing…
And Cabela’s has always been good to me…As for the rod manufacturer’s…Thats totally up to what you trust and are wanting in a rod.
My 3 wt. Has landed carp up to 14 lb on Penns creeks lower reaches…which are quite roomy!
Another rod to add to the mix is the diamondback diamondglass series. I use one of the 4 weights that I picked up on clearance for around $170 on several species of fish in ponds and it is short enough to use in small streams 7’6". It is made of an s-glass material that is stronger, stiffer and lighter than the old e-glass rods, that still work well. I will also say that you are the one that has to feel comfortable with your equipment so buy the one that feels the best to you. Spend the most on your rod and line, a panfish reel is just a line holder.
Any rod you choose to use from a kick boat is a trade off. A long rod is good to keep your back cast off of the water but not so good to land a fish.
Someone mentioned Hook and Hackle. You can buy this rod already assembled but I made this one from a blank…its a 9’ 3 wt on a H&H IM6 (Pac Bay) blank. It is the best long 3 wt I have ever cast and IMO the best rod in the H&H house brand series.
