This weekend I had an opportunity to cast/use some 1 thru 3 wt fly rods. Using the 2 wt., I happened to catch a palm sized gill. The rod bent almost double. The gill got caught in some weeds and it took almost 2 minutes to land. SO, what’s the point of using these " wet noodle" rods ?? Is it the thrill of fighting and tiring the fish? Just WHAT is the PRACTICAL reason for using these low weight rods?
After using the lightweights, I strung up my 5 wt. It cast better, retrieved the catch quicker and frankly gave me a feel for the fishing experience unlike the lower weights.
My question should not be deemed controversial but just expressing curiosity for the choice of these rods. Is there a good reason to use a 1 wt in waters that have 16 inch trout??
I don’t think they are any more damaging to the fish than a whimpy whippy rod of a heavier line weight. There are some awful soft 5 weights out there. If you are using 5X or 6X tippet that will be the limiting factor in how much pressure you can put on the fish anyway.
I trout fished probably 25 days from late April to mid June, and I used my one weight for 90 percent of those trips. They were all to smaller streams where the shorter rod came in handy. I don’t think I caused any extra problems for the fish and managed to take fish up to 16 - 17 inches on the one weight using smaller dry flies and terrestrials. In the past I’ve caught fish over 20 inches on my one weight.
I wouldn’t use anything smaller than a 6 weight for warm water pond fishing though. I’ve seen too many nice fish get lost in the weeds and slop when I used a lighter rod. My one, two, and three weight rods just don’t have the hoisting power necessary to keep the better fish out of the slop.
Even when I can keep most of the fish out of the weeds the extra time I have to spend cleaning gunk off the line and flies, I often use two or three flies when pond fishing, when the fish find the weeds makes the light weight rods impractical for me.
Our fisheries tend to differ from area to
area much as our likes and dislikes vary
from person to person. By all means, choose
the gear that does the job and gives you
pleasure in the process. There is no one
answer to fit all situations and the
determining factor is ultimatly the
fisherman.G It it puts a grin on your
chin, you must be doing something right.
Warm regards, Jim
I pretty much agree with Jim’s comments about putting a grin on your chin. If you don’t enjoy light tackle by all means switch to a heavy outfit. I also think that it comes down to a question of percentages. If you are fishing an area that has a large number of 8-10 inch stockers, the lighter rods will certainly be a more enjoyable experience but you have to be ready to lose that unexpected hold-over fish (or maybe have the fight of a life time). The same situation holds true for warmwater fishing. If your primary catch is going to be moderate-sized brim in clear, snag-free water, the lighter rods make it a lot of fun. Don’t count on landing the the stray five pound bass that happens by. Your choice really depends on the size of your typical catch and the type of water you are fishing. Different strokes… 8T
You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it’s a real short camping season.
[This message has been edited by Eight Thumbs (edited 10 July 2006).]
From by experience in the last two weekends. A four pound bass can be readily landed on a 1 wt given that there is not a lot of junk for it to get hung up in. On the other hand a 20 pound carp on a 1 wt only provides a humorous interlude for those fishing around you. As far as I could tell it never even slowed down on the way out of town.
What Jim said!! However, if one needs 5 & 6 weight rods to handle small bluegills then one should use 5 & 6 weights!! <G> They are, after all is said done, very MEAN fishies!
donald
[This message has been edited by beadleech (edited 10 July 2006).]
Why would your bring PRACTICAL into a discussion board riddled with people who get excited standing on slippery rocks in moving water hoping trout will eat a hook covered with slaughter house debris? Practical- maybe maybe not. But it is really fun to catch fish on those light rods!
“Had some fine hook ups on about a size 12 yellow stimulator and brought 5-6 to net mostly smallish bows and the one decent 12 incher on my 2 wt made it feel like a 20 lb steelie.”
The above quote is from a different board. I guess light weight rods are about making a dink feel like a steelhead.
Marko…I don’t get it either. I have 1-2 wt rods and fish um…but I get in trouble when I post replies to threads about um. Some folks think itty bitty rods are the answer to it all.
The point is mostly to present more delicatly, often in smaller waters which don’t require long casts. Tippet stregnth determines how fast a fish can be landed, not rod/line weight.
Well I’m back from a hard day at work. Read all the above posts ( thanks)and… Perhaps I should have not mentioned “practical” . I should have simply stated that I didn’t get any pleasure in having my rod bend into a “U” regardless of what ate my offering and in this case a feisty gill. It’s just not my cuppa tea. But having said all that, is there really a “practical” raeson???
Did you read what I wrote above? It’s more practical to fish a lighter rod on smaller waters. Why don’t you go after those gills with a 10 weight? It’s cuz your arm would be fatigued from waving it all day and you’d pop tippets with your hookset. You probably wouldn’t need to cast very far either so a heavy rod would be overkill. Sometimes it’s nice to get farther away from the heftyness of a five or six weight and fish something a little lighter in hand. I get much pleasure from my rod being bent into a U shape and that’s how you can whip a big fish fast with a small rod. You should fish whatever makes you happy because there are no rules.
I can’t help but to think that the manufactures have had a helping hand in making the light weights popular. After all, how many 5 & 6 wt rods can they sell you?
Having said that, my next rod will most likely be a 3 wt. and under 7’ for the small brook trout streams here in Pennsylvania. I see them more as a specialty rod. Many of the fish I catch are under 7" and I don’t think it really much matters what weight rod you have in terms of landing a fish that size. Let’s face it, a very small fish is a very small fish no matter what wt. rod your using.
Thanks again for the responses. Obviously there is no debate and none is intended as to “whatever floats your boat”. I have many times “tuned” my 5 wt(I have a 7’,8’and a 9’) and to accommodate small stream conditions. I underline to whatever, and adjust leader/tippet size and length for presentation concerns. That is what works for me.
I guess that, unlike some of you here, I do not like the “feel” of the mini weights when a bigger fish is on.
However, if one needs 5 & 6 weight rods to handle small bluegills then one should use 5 & 6 weights!! <G> They are, after all is said done, very MEAN fishies!