6 ft 2wt for a small stream rod?

Murph

Murph

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Dec 5, 2013
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I have a 9 ft 5wt rod I'm planning on using for the Pohopcco and Lehigh but I normally fish smaller streams so I'm looking for something i can use for that. I'm wondering if a 6ft 2wt is too light for my purposes. The smaller streams I'm referring to are less than 10 yards wide and I would be targeting fish less than 17 inches long. Thanks for any input you guys can provide.
 

Anything under 7' is a niche toy. 7'6" is better.
 
for small streams and dry flies, I think that the 7 foot greys gs2 2 wt on amazon for $110 is a very nice fly rod. a 6 foot rod is great on streams 10 ft width or less but I'd go to a bit longer rod on streams 10 ft to 10 yards wide. can put 3w lines on 2w rods.
 
Murph wrote:
7'6 2wt or 7'6 3wt?

2wts are niche toys. 3wts compromised if you intend to be "well rounded."

4wt.
 
I routinely fish small to medium sized trout streams with a fly rod under 6' in length. However, as I'm fond of saying, such short rods are an acquired taste. The rods I use are also 4Wts mostly. Nevertheless, if you expect to do a good bit of terrestrial and midge/trico game, I think you'll find a tiny fly rod can be a lot of fun. Not sure about a 2WT - I think a 3WT would be better.
 
Honestly in some of the tight quarters I fish in I don't know how I would manage a rod close to 8 feet long. Granted I'm new to the fly fishing game but I know I purposefully buy spin setups at 5.5-6 feet long to flip under bushes and other obstacles.
 
I fish a 6'6" 3 wt on smaller streams and it serves me well. I fish both dry flies and nymphs. The small streams I fish have a lot of cover so most of the time I'm roll casting of flipping nymphs.

Don
 
You might consider overlining a fly rod you'll use on very small streams. An X weight fly rod is made to cast the weight of a standard length of X weight fly line, maybe 30 feet. A shorter length of a heavier line may have about that same weight. So for casts involving only 15 feet of fly line, a 2wt rod may perform better with a 3wt line than a 2wt line. Or a 3wt rod with a 4wt line...

(make a cast with 15 ft of fly line and allow for rod and leader length = about a 25 foot cast from you to fly. often make shorter casts than that on little streams)
 
I am a fan of short rods for this type of fishing. While I think a 2 wt is adequate for the intended purpose, I think you will be better served with a 4 wt outfit. Several years back, I had my mind made up to purchase a 6' 2 wt Orvis outfit. After lawn casting for just a few minutes, I found I was unable get the tight loops I feel are needed for fishing tight cover. Also found the outfit lacked any real punch. Disappointed, I next tried a 6'6" 4 wt Trout Bum and was amazed at the difference. I never regretted the decision to to the heavier outfit.
 
I have a six foot 2wt but only use it on very small streams that are 6-7' wide max...and thats probablu why I havent used it in a few years. It was really nice for casting in tight brush but if I can fit a longer rod in on wider stream I opt for that. I tried using it my first time in SNP in Va and the pools were larger than I expected...it was a pain to cast that flimsy noodle all day. I have a 7' 4 wt now too which covers a much broader range of uses
 
You have a bunch of good replies to look at here and they are all saying pretty much the same thing (except gfen doesn't like rods less than 7'6). There are no absolute right or wrong answers here, there are many ways to do it.


Caveat - When I speak of a rod by line weight, I mean the line weight you use on the rod not what is printed on the rod. So, while K-Bob says he likes a 7'0" 2wt and fishes a 3wt line on it, from my perspective, K-Bob likes a 7'0" 3wt. I do not have a 7'0" 3wt but I can see where that could work very nicely as a small stream rod.


I fish nine different rods less than 7' 6" and the only one I do not recommend is the "true" short 2wt. My favorites are 6'3" and 6'6" 4wts.
 
The shorter the rod the harder it is to cast, especially if you are just starting out. The modern rods can accomodate several line weights. Personally I find a. 7' rod to be agreeable to over or under lining and a good short streamer .
 
shortrod2 wrote:
You have a bunch of good replies to look at here and they are all saying pretty much the same thing (except gfen doesn't like rods less than 7'6). There are no absolute right or wrong answers here, there are many ways to do it.

Incorrect, I feel rods under 7' are niche toys. And that the extra 6" is immensely helpful. A 7'6" 4wt is vastly more well rounded than a 7' 3wt.

30' wide isn't all that small. Or, if it is, its about what I consider to be my normal, and that extra 6" to 12" is immensely helpful. If you're on your knees in 6 inches of water 5' wide under a rhododendren tunnel, then I'm out of my element... But that's not what he described.

If you want my actual opinion, a true 8' 4/5wt rod is perfect for all around fishing on a 30' wide creek.


 
Maybe i should amend that. The streams can be as small as 6-8 feet wide at some points but at their widest theyre probably no more than 30 feet. That's why I said 10 yards or less. Rhodo tunnels and tall brush tight against the bank are something I have to contend with.
 
It's good to think about this in terms of your all around "arsenal.

Right now you have one fly rod, a 9 ft, 5 wt.

You plan to add one fly rod to that, and fish PA trout streams with an "arsenal" of two fly rods.

In that situation, the best choice, IMHO, is a 7 1/2 ft 4 wt.

With those two rods, you are well set up to fish any stream in PA.

Including small brook trout streams.
 
I would not let yourself be swayed from getting a rod under 7' but one word of caution you will probably not want to get a "rod outfit". I have fished many small rods and the most recent one I got is a 6'6" 3 wt that came with a ridiculous large arbor reel that did not fit the rod at all (the outfit was a gift from someone who does not fly fish put together by the manufacturer). This made the rod a pain to cast at times.

Many rod outfits, including those from higher end rod manufacturers who should know better, are paired with absolutely the wrong reel when you start looking at short rods. With these length rods you want to stick with small click pawl reels only. Any reel that has a large arbor or a drag system will more than likely weigh a full ounce more than a similar click pawl. While this may seem meaningless it will throw the balance of the rod off and it will not cast intuitively. You will probably benefit from a reel in the sub 3 oz range. As mentioned overlining the rod may also help short casting but don't be surprised if you have a problem with turning over a long cast.

I love using a short rod on smaller streams, but you don't want to be stuck with it when visiting a stream much larger than a headwater.
 
Murph – Seeing where you’re from, I know the kind of streams you probably mean. Here’s my take…I fish these streams with either a 7’0 4wt or a 7’6 3 wt, both are overlined by one line weight in anticipation of the generally short casting distances you encounter on these streams. I prefer the 4wt, but it is a 2 piece. On longer hikes, backpacking, or streams that require a bike ride, I’ll take the 3wt – which is a 4 piece. I agree with some of the earlier posters that 7’6 is about the best middle ground on average for a legit small stream rod. You generally want to go with as long of a rod as possible on a given stream, without being too long to where a significant portion of your casts are being hampered by the length of the rod. A longer rod provides a longer lever and is easier to cast, and will allow you to keep more fly line off the water enabling better drifts – this can be important on small pocket water streams. At the same time you don’t want to be knocking your rod into trees or rhodo all day long either. There will be times on any small stream outing where you’ll want a shorter rod, and times where you’ll want a longer rod depending on the situation. IMO 7’6-ish is the best compromise length for most small streams. FWIW, I actually generally find that I’m wishing for a longer rod more frequently than a shorter one while fishing these kind of streams, but the times I want the shorter one seem to be a more significant issue with getting a cast to where I need it. There will be spots where they tighten up and spots were the open up…generally IMO the more open (and easier casting) spots outnumber the tighter spots. The ones that are legitimately really tight “rhodo tunnels” would be tough (if not impossible) to fish with any length rod.
 
Thanks for all of the great info here guys. Swattie, what brand/model are your 3 and 4 weights?
 
I agree with gfen, short rods in less than 4wt are a niche toy.

That being said, I have one of those niche toys (363) and it is my primary brookie rod. The only downside to its length is bow and arrow casting a good distance. One note, your timing on hook set will change a little with a short rod because you can't pick up line as quick.

I would recommend a 3wt if you already have a 5wt.
 
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