I’m a newcomer to flyfishing. I have two relatively inexpensive flyrods… a Redington RS2 5 wt and a St. Croix Premier 6 wt. Both are 9-foot, 2 pc. rods. I can’t cast the Redington for beans. The St. Croix, on the other hand, casts quite easily for me. I have put 7 wt, 6 wt, and even 5 wt lines on the St. Croix, and I cast satisfactorily with all of them. The lines are pretty good quality SA and Rio lines. I have put the same 5 wt and 6 wt lines on the Redington, and I’m pretty disappointed with the results.
First off… do you think a 6 wt rod is too heavy to be used as an all-around rod? I would use it for panfish, and trout, but there is a high likelihood I could get into largemouth/smallmouth bass, or even walleye or pike where I fish, so I’m thinking maybe the 6 wt. is not such a bad choice.
I’ve thought about trying to find a comparable St. Croix rod (Premier, Reign, Triumph, Rio Santo) in a 4 weight, for trout and panfish, but I don’t want to do it yet if the reason I’m struggling is because the lighter weight rods/lines are just more difficult to cast.
In other words, is the difficulty I’m having more likely related to the rod design or the lighter weight of the rod/line?
First you failed to tell us what fly you are trying to cast with the 5 weight?I have a st croix legend ultra and have found it will cast a size 6 popper or clouser type fly and a weightless 4 but anything larger and it will not cast it, chuck and duck with me no matter the leader i use.I feel with certain rods they can be overlined by one weight but more than that just buy the rod weight you need.I use my five weight for panfish,bass so it can be done.I would not disgard the redington yet unless it just mirrors the st croix in use.If you sell it and buy a 4 weight say for trout will your current reel work for that or will that be another purchase.
Thanks for your reply. The flies I would probably be using most would be 10-12, wooly buggers, girdle bugs and other panfish flies, etc. If I ever want to go big, I have an 8-9 wt at my disposal, so if I want to target bass or pike, etc., I’m covered. The places where I fish for panfish also have lots of other gamefish, and especially with my spinning rod, I catch a lot of 14-15 inch bass and smaller walleyes, etc.
I have a reel for each of the two rods I mentioned previously (Redington/St. Croix). Both reels are the same Redington mid-arbor reels designed for 5-6 line, so I assume I could put a 4 wt line on one of them if I put on more, or a heavier weight backing. I have three extra spools for these two reels. Truthfully, I’ll probably fish more for warmwater species just because it is more convenient, and I have lots more places to go with my kayak. I live in Wisconsin, and have some of the best trout fishing in the state within an hour or two, but I have lots of great warmwater fishing literally within minutes.
Maybe it’s a matter of just getting better with the 6 wt, and then the 5 wt will be easier?
I think it has to do with the flex of the rod and your casting style rather than the line weight. When you cast does one rod “feel” different, like a stick or a stiff rope? Like in golf different clubs (rods) swing differently with the same motion. Try slowing your cast down (or speed it up) with the Reddington to see if that makes any difference.
I use a 5wt for almost all my fishing from trout to bass and have never had any problem landing what I fool. I say as long as you like what you use - go for it.
Modern fly rod design has developed to the point where a 5 wt. fly rod does cast a 5 wt line better than an lighter or heavier line. You are making casting harder to learn by attempting to cast multiple weight lines on the same rod, that’s not what the rod - nor the line were designed for.
You can really cut down on your learning curve by reading the Fly Fishing 101 section right here on FAOL: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/
The heavier and/or longer a rod is the harder it is to “stop” it - it is stopping the rod which makes the line go. A 5 wt rod will be ‘easier’ to cast than a 6. Glad you found FAOL, there is a lot of help for the new fly angler here S
Without actually watching your cast it is hard to determine what your issue is but I think new2thefly is on the right track. The action of the St. Croix may just fit your developing casting stroke better. As you become more proficient you will learn how to adjust to different rods. I have a Premier 6wt which is a very nice rod for the money and I fish it as often as some of my rods that cost three times as much. Its been quite awhile since I handled the RS2 5wt, but if my memory serves me well, it is a bit faster action, or more of tip flex action than the St. Croix. I may be misremembering that rod however.
When I started out fly fishing years ago I was able to cast some rods ok but had fits casting other of the same line designation and set up with the same line. Over time, as I gained experience and my skills progressed, I learned how to adjust to different rods. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to try hundreds of rods over the years and can now cast fairly well, if not expertly, any rod that I pick up. But I still have preferences and there are some rods that I feel comfortable with and some that I do not like. When I help novices I will often bring three or four different rods, rigged with the same lines and it is not unusual to find that they do better with one than the others.
Developing casting skills and rod preferences go hand in hand and is part of the journey.
Some just cast better for me than others do. Can’t say why, but I’m not the only one to notice this.
Fly fishing is done primarily for fun. Struggling to cast a rod that isn’t right for you won’t be much fun. It doesn’t matter why, nor does it indicate that you are a bad caster.
I’d say bench the 5 wt… Sell it, give it away, whatever, and fish the 6 wt… If you want a lighter rod, try it before you buy Find a rod you like BEFORE you buy it (I seldom get to do that, which is why I own rods I don’t cast well).
If you really want to get to the point where you can cast anything well, and many fly fishermen want to, there are courses and instructors that can teach you to do that. It just takes time and lots of practice. I’m too lazy for that, I just want to have fun and catch fish.
In my case… the 6 wt is easier to cast than the 5 wt, so theoretically, if the 5 wt should be easier to cast, as you say, then it is probably the rod, not the line weight, that is giving me the difficulty. As far as trying different line weights on the two rods, I was just experimenting to see what difference it would make. However, I will admit that I will probably use whichever line casts best for me, regardless of whether or not it has the same designation as the rod. Thanks for your feedback.
The RS2 does seem quite a bit stiffer to me. I have difficulty feeling it load. Whereas, with the Premier, I do feel it load. Thanks for your feedback!
In my case… I probably am a bad caster! LOL However, I think you are right. I walked down to a pond last night that is filled with smaller bluegills. I used the 6 wt St. Croix Premier and catching gills on it was fun. I’ll just have to focus on catching bigger bluegills!
Welcome to FAOL. As has been mentioned and as you’ve noticed, the RS2 is a bit stiffer and the action a bit faster than the St Croix Premier. Consequently your timing when casting does not leave a whole lot of room for error. I would not get rid of that rod. As you progress with your casting you may find that in time you prefer a faster action rod. What I would do is try to get connected with a local club or fly shop and take some casting lessons.
I don’t know if wind is a factor but as it gets more breezy a higher weight rod will make it easier to punch into the wind because the respective line is heavier and less likely to get blown off course. Also a faster action rod would help in the wind too by generating higher line speeds and get your line from point A to B with less deviation. As for lines, I would say those brands you mentioned produce great lines. Fly lines need to be sufficiently slick and supple if you want to achieve longer casts. I have a really low quality no name brand line that is really hard to get out there. Cheap and low quality don’t always go hand in hand. You can find some quality lines for relatively cheap, and possibly vice versa? Anyway, have fun with the gills, they are a blast. I’d say keep the 5 weight and after several more months of casting go back and try it again. At that point if you still don’t like it you could sell it.