2wt v 3wt for Mountain Brookies

[Letort]

I would appreciate some input on a new rod for mountain Brook natives up to 10".

I have a 8.5 3w, 8' 4w, 7"'3" 5 w, and a 8.5' 5w.

Want something light for casting elk wing caddis dry flys. But concern is if the wind picks up at all or if I have to go BH below the surface. The 2w would be taxed.

Any real life experience you can share?

I'll try to attach a pic of the stream, to give you an idea.

 

[PatrickC]

Oh heavens, I love using a 1wt for those streams. Brush up on casting techniques during windy conditions and you should be fine with any of your rod choices. AND, by and large, I find myself roll casting on small creeks like that more than overhead casting, esp with dries.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I pretty much use everything from a 2wt to a 6wt on streams like that. For me it's more about rod length than line weight, and what I'm in the mood for. Sometimes I want to fish w/ my 2wt, other times I like to use a little Berkley Perimetric glass rod I have that happens to be 6wt. And I'll fish a dry-dropper on either one. I haven't really seen an advantage/disadvantage to either rod. Just what I'm in the mood for. I've fished (and have friends who do as well) small brushy streams with their regular old 9'5wt rods and do just fine.

 

[steveo27]

I fish my 7'6" 3w overlined with 4w line on 95% of the streams I fish. I find it has the right mix of power and maneuverability.

I recently bought a 5'9" 3w CGR just to have. It doesnt cast anything weighted very well, but I am looking forward to giving it a try throwing some dries on some tiny little trickles this summer.

 

[krayfish2]

I used to fish the ditch with a 7'6" 3wt. Cast #2, 2xl sculpin pattern with 2 BB pinched on the hook eye. Very easily handled it. Would casting a #14 BHE "tax" a 2wt? Hardly.

 

[steve98]

You have a 4wt,
No need for a 3wt. in my opinion
Go with the 2wt.
I have a 4wt and 2wt and use both on the same stream at certain times.
depending on conditions

Steve H

 

[Mwheaps32]

Your 735 will do fine for that size of stream. I fish a 795 and a 704 and I always over line them. I like rods in the 7ft range because you can keep more line off the water.

 

[Jessed]

I fish a 5' 2wt and absolutely love it! I fish it on larger streams too! Little rod like that are always a blast to fish

 

[PennKev]

Letort wrote:
Any real life experience you can share?

Yes. I fished 2wts and 3wts for years on small streams. I never had the charming experiences some guys go on and on about.

The light gear made casting harder than it needed to be. Small fish were still small fish and a quick hook set launches a 3" brookie into the air the same as a 6wt would. Fighting fish was no more exciting than if I had used a pool cue.

I had much more fun with my light rods fishing trico and midge hatches for larger fish on larger waters. All of the rods and lines I had gotten for small streams were actually much more well suited for this type of fishing.

Nowadays, I fish 4wts almost all the time on small streams. Short, accurate casts with larger flies are easy. Dry and dropper rigs are easily fished. The rods and lines can also easily handle wooly buggers and other smaller streamers with a little weight.

The fish still pop out of the water on the hook set.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I'm going to go the other way on you.
On small streams I use a 6' 3" 6wt fenwick fiberglass custom 1pc.
Casts 5 wt line like a dream, 10/12" fish feel like 15" fish and it's a full flex that feels like a 2wt.

That said one of the best all around small stream rods I've used is the orvis brook trout 7'6" 4wt. I just have more fun with the above set up

 

[Char_Master]

I use a 7' 3wt on streams smaller than that but feel its overpowered for fish under 9-10". A 2wt would be a wise investment.

 

[sarce]

I'm with PennKev on this one. Once you've done some saltwater or smallmouth fly fishing all trout feel tiny no matter how light the rod is. I use a 4 or 5 wt for brookie fishing because of the casting benefits when I want/need a bigger fly (it does happen). And also because it doesn't feel so fragile when I'm bushwacking in to a stream through dense brush and climbing over rocks.

 

[Susquehanna]

I never felt the need to bring another rod, just seems as if it would just be extra gear. Usually when I encounter a small stream, I just stand back from the mouth and toss my 8wt into it. ;-)

 

[sarce]

I'm with PennKev on this one. Once you've done some saltwater or smallmouth fly fishing all trout feel tiny no matter how light the rod is. I use a 4 or 5 wt for brookie fishing because of the casting benefits when I want/need a bigger fly (it does happen). And also because it doesn't feel so fragile when I'm bushwacking in to a stream through dense brush and climbing over rocks.

I can't think of many days where I've needed a dry fly to land softly for brookies. Better to have it smack down and get their attention.

Mods please delete post 12. this one was supposed to be an edit.

 

[Swattie87]

I think I'm going to pitch my idea for the "Gemmie Launcher" series of rods to the major manufacturers. See if I get any bites.

Available in lengths between 5'0 and 6'6, and line weights of 9-11.

Serious portion of the post begins here:

OP - I think you already have the perfect rod for small stream fishing in that 7'3 5wt. Shorter 5 weights are hard to come by these days and are very versatile for small stream fishing IMO. I've often been intrigued by the idea of a shortish 5 weight, but my 7'0 4wt does just fine and I can't really justify the purchase.

That being said, the stream section in your picture I would classify as a pretty large stream, and I wouldn't fish it with any of my small stream rods. I'd probably fish it with my standard 8'6 5wt.

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

I'm with Krayfish. I used to fish the Ditch with a 7'6" 3wt, as well, and I never had any issue with casting a sculpin or weighted rig. Regardless of line weight, the key is having a short enough rod to keep you out of the tree canopy, but long enough to turn over a bushy dry. You're not going to be casting much more than 30 feet in those circumstances, so the weight of the line is almost immaterial.

 

[troutbert]

The stream in the photo looks really large for a brook trout stream. It looks like there would be plenty for casting room.

Your 8 ft 4 wt should be perfect.

A 4 wt is much more versatile than a 2 wt.

I do my brookie fishing with a 7 1/2 ft 4 wt, which I think is good all around rod for brookie fishing.

But I think an 8 ft 4 wt would be nice. If I owned one I would probably use it a lot.

 

[Letort]

My Winston WT 8' 4w is my favorite rod in the arsenal.

Just want something a little lighter for dry fly days

 

[BrookieChaser]

I had a 363 Sage TXL. It was a one-trick pony. I traded it for a gun and never looked back. It was a good rod for dry flies on tight streams but that was it.

I prefer my 473 LL.

 

[pcray1231]

For small brushy streams I use a 7.5 ft 4/5 weight rod. I'll overline it with 6 or 7 weight line. The line weight is very material. You gotta load a rod with only 5 or 10 ft of fly line out. And I tend to like faster rods as you need a tight loop to stay under obstructions. So you want a rod that will throw tight loops at normal distance, then the line weight to load it like it was a normal distance.

IMO the 2 and 3 weights only have one place. Throwin midges and tricos in slow, medium sized streams. Think Letort.

But the stream in the pic is neither small nor brushy, nor slow. Yeah, probably 8 to 9 ft. 4 or 5 wt.