A few miles from where I live is a reservoir that feeds a small creek/stream. In some parts the area is brushy. The creek is never more than 2? or 3? deep with some pools as deep as 5? to 10?. There are areas where the water is 3? to 6? deep. The width of the creek on average is 15?. The creek has wild trout in the 4? to 9? range. What rod weight and length would you suggest I buy?
3
find yourself a 1 pc., 6’ 3/4 glass rod.
As always, the Master is right on the money. 3 wt would be a good choice. They come in 5 ft to 7 ft lengths. Beware though. You will be making short casts and the line wt will not load a stiff graphite 3 wt very well. I bought a little White River 5 foot outfit from Bass Pro just to see if I would like it for red - ears down in Florida. It came with a short 3 wt double taper line. Since the rod is graphite and very short, it tends to be very stiff. The 3 wt. line that came with the outfit just doesn’t cut it. It doesn’t load well on short casts and doesn’t roll cast well either. I should have known that though. I should have cast it before I bought it. Shame on me.
I am going to try a 4 wt line (or maybe even a 5) just to see if I like it better. If you want to thoroughly bore yourself, you can try reading a couple of articles I have on www.hatofmichigan.org under e-book. Many do not agree with some of my ideas there but you may get some insight.
Above all, and JC has said this too, go cast it at the shop before you buy it. Cast it at the distances you will be fishing it on the stream.
Bobinmich
3wt is good, but the right 4wt works great too. Like a Winston 8’4wt TMF. Drops a dry as soft as you please, but will still throw a bushy critter.
I am almost giddy with the absolute brilliance of my answer. I said nothing about length, brand, action, color, (colour) or otherwise limit my reply. The question may have wished for more details, but, “3” is the best I can find. :twisted:
Evil, evil web site owner!! Hee hee. I figured you were telling him to get three rods to cover all his bases! Or maybe a 3 foot, 3 weight, 3 piece rod!! :lol:
Alan
I thought he ordered 3 beers.
I fish a similar type stream back east for wild trout. On this stream is a low tree canopy and in most areas it’s bushy. I fish it with a 7’-0" 4WT bamboo rod because it’s the smallest rod I own and loads easily for short cast.
On my wish list (and my next rod purchase) is a 6’-0" to 6’6" 3WT rod that will also load easily. I have little need to ever cast more than 25’ on these small streams and concern myself only of it’s abilty to make a cast within this 25’ range.
So in brief:
-
short rod
-
light line #2-#4
-
loads easily for short cast
Good luck!
Scott
I’d use a 3 of 7’6" length on the more open section’s and step up to a 5 or 6wt. of same length for the tighter sections.(With a leader of 9 to 12 ft. your leader will be about all that touches the water in small waters most of time),
you’ll still get a good light presentation on the shorter casting these conditons allow for and have plenty of backbone to punch up under downed trees and such on the longer casts in the tight stuff to…
In the warmer shallower summer season I’d drop as low as a 00 wt. for the delicate dry fly and tiny wet flies that work so well during that time of year…Just a few thought’s…
J C replied
3
What can we conjure from 3?
3
was a mystical number in ancient times
is a prime munber
is a representation of the universal Trinity
is perfect for for legs on a chair
sides for a triangle , a perfect shape
sides to a pyrimad , perfection again
Very zen like,
and all he said was,
3
The sigh of the Lion is louder,
than the crowing of the rooster 8)
( 
frankly I like that new little 6’ 5wt Clear Creek i got for a little crick here in Mo.
it sounds like what your fishing . go figure 
).
JC,
You devil you. :twisted: Lets see if I can decifer your responses. You stated 3 in your response. You responded twice. So 3 times 2 is 6. Ron Kusse makes a Beaverkill Special that comes in 6 feet in length. The Beaverkill Special comes in a 3 wt and is available in 3 or 2 pieces. JC, am I even close? :lol:
Glad to see this post here. I just bought a St. Croix 3 weight 7’ Avid series rod for fishing the creeks and rivers in northeast California.
I also bought some weight forward (I cant remember the brand) fly line for it and a bunch of nymphs and dry flies.
Will this rod and line work for the #10 and 12 nymphs in smaller creeks?
I probably wont be casting more than 20 to 30 feet most of the time and usually around 10 to 15 feet.
I am comepletely ignorant about fly fishing and just want to get into it.
I have always fished these local creeks with spinning rods and have watched the fly fisherman for years.
Ron
Ronald,
Welcome aboard! I am hoping to learn a lot about small creek fishing. I mostly fish lakes and streams in the Sierras.
To be serious. I choose a 7’6’ 5wt bamboo.
Gramps,
Would not a 5wt be to heavy a line?
5wt & 6wt rods became way too heavy around 1995. Back in the 1930’s - 1960’s the scene of teary-eyed trout fishermen standing stream-side with empty creels because their fly lines were too heavy was commonplace.
Dr. Thomas Tohevay in his famous 1948 book on the Native American titled, “The Indians of the Californias” theorized that if Native American populations of the 17th century weren’t adept at spearing and gigging trout, and instead had to rely on the 5wt & 6wt tackle popular when the book was written; many tribes would have died of starvation.
The Brunswick Company speculated that the popularity of bowling in the 1950’s & 1960’s was due to the influx of massive numbers of X-fly-fishermen who couldn’t catch trout with their 7wt-5wt tackle. This opinion was also furthered by the sight of guys who bowled in waders.
Before that time; trout were way dumber but thanks to selective spawning and selective marketing; we now enjoy 00wt-3wt tackle for these super sophisticated fish.
All kidding aside…I use a 7’6" 5wt rod for many streams that size. The amount of casting room, the amount of wind and the size of the flies I expect to throw determine the line weight I choose for all of my fishing. I never let line weight paranoia get in the way of my decision; especially on smaller streams where really long casts never come into play. I also always go with the longest rod I can get away with depending on the casting room because that reach thing makes everything so much easier; JMHO.
Whatever you choose have fun!
Bamboo…I’ve been watching this thread for a few days. Before I realized you were kidding I was gathering my thoughts for a 5 wt reply. :lol:
I like the Orvis Far and Fine (7’9" 5 wt) for the water discribed.
I’ll chime in ! I use a 7 1/2 ’ graphite for 4/5 wt for fishing many small steams here in colorado. I built it myself on an IM7 blank, and I love the way it casts. I’ve never owned or used a 3 wt ! However for the sake of causing contoversy many flyfishers prefer 8 1/2 or even 9 foot rods on small steams because of ther ability to “dap” dry flys and reach over pools where streams are so overgrown and bushy that casting is impossible. So you pays your money and you take your choice ! In my never to be humble opinion a 4wt 7 1/2 ’ is ideal!
Not for a rod with soft action like bamboo. Flies land soft as a feather, and if you need to cast a bushy fly it will do it better than a smaller weight line.
My opinion anyway.