6 weight for trout?

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VTPAangler

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I'd like to know what people think about the necessity of having a 6 wt rod for trout fishing?

I don't fish for bass and have yet to get into steelheading. I fish for trout in rivers/streams exclusively, mostly in the Northeast. I'll get out West once every couple of years. I own 3 wt, 4 wt, an 5 wt outfits. I've never felt undergunned with a powerful/fast-acion 5 wt on the Upper Delaware, Bighorn River, or AuSable River (Michigan). I Have had no problems throwing streamers on sinking lines or throwing hoppers into the wind. That said when out West it seems like a lot of fisherman are using 6 weights. Curious to hear what others on here think. Is there much difference between a 5 and a 6 wt?
 
Agree with jack...unless you need ammo to sell the idea to the wife. In that case, the difference is monumental.
 
VTPAangler wrote:
I'd like to know what people think about the necessity of having a 6 wt rod for trout fishing?

I don't fish for bass and have yet to get into steelheading. I fish for trout in rivers/streams exclusively, mostly in the Northeast. I'll get out West once every couple of years. I own 3 wt, 4 wt, an 5 wt outfits. I've never felt undergunned with a powerful/fast-acion 5 wt on the Upper Delaware, Bighorn River, or AuSable River (Michigan). I Have had no problems throwing streamers on sinking lines or throwing hoppers into the wind. That said when out West it seems like a lot of fisherman are using 6 weights. Curious to hear what others on here think. Is there much difference between a 5 and a 6 wt?
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I think you answered your own question in the highlighted sentences. +1 for me: I rarely feel the need to use a 6wt for trout.

If you do a lot of huge streamer fishing with sinking tip lines or poly leaders, a 6 wt may work best. Also, it may be a good choice as a tweener rod for those that wish to use one rod to fish for trout, bass and maybe steelie on occasion. But for trout, for me at least, a fast action 5 weight with some power gets the job done for the places and types of fishing you mentioned.
 
If I only fished large rivers for trout and the trout could get large (say the Big D or Yough), I would probably choose a 6 weight. I owned a very nice 6 weight, somehow lost on the edge of Penns Creek Road a couple years back, that I threw with a five-weight line. As the rod was somewhat on the soft-side, the pairing of rod to line was ideal and it was my favorite rod, though Gino believed it to be "his" rod. He was unhappy when I told him it was gone.
 
I tend to agree. Stick with your 5. Use what you like and are comfortable with. If you're thinking about a bigger fly rod, a 7 weight would be my recommendation. I like a 7 for bass fishing and slugging giant streamers on big trout water.
 
Routinely throwing big flies (streamers and such) for trout with a 5 wt. is a good way to break your rod. The problem isn't being able to cast big flies, its that most trout rods just aren't designed to throw them and the lifetime of the rod is significantly reduced if you do. If throwing big streamers is something you do often, you should spend $200 on an appropriate 7 wt and spare your other trout rods. Otherwise, you really don't need a different rod.
 
I would consider a 6 weight to be a rod that is OK for beginners, who want a single rod that can be used for fishing for just about any kind of fish
But it's not really great for anything IMO
 
Tend to agree.
For some reason it just seems that its a very rare day when a 6wt is the preferred rod to use.
 
midnightangler wrote:
Routinely throwing big flies (streamers and such) for trout with a 5 wt. is a good way to break your rod. The problem isn't being able to cast big flies, its that most trout rods just aren't designed to throw them and the lifetime of the rod is significantly reduced if you do. If throwing big streamers is something you do often, you should spend $200 on an appropriate 7 wt and spare your other trout rods. Otherwise, you really don't need a different rod.
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Since in FFing, you are casting the weight of the line, using a 5 wt line on a 5 wt rod is not going to overtax the rod. If a fly is large and wind resistant, the weight of the line may be inadequate to carry the fly to the target. In that case, a heavier rod/line would be needed.

Also, for all practical purposes, graphite rods really don't wear out by using them / flexing them.
 
IMHO, it really depends where and what conditions you are under.Out west on the reservoirs they catch really big football shaped trout....S O P is a 10 foot rod usualy a 6 wt sometimes 7.They fish mostly underneath with Chironomids that coincidentally are the same order as midge flies ,and we all know how fish here in Pa have certain fondness for small flies ,midge larva,pupas ect.Well in these Reservoirs they are highly dependant on them as well as snails,scuds,crayfish,minnows and mayfly,caddis flies all stages too.
I remember Fishing the Delaware about 13 years ago and was outgunned with a 5wt rod , breeze was killin my casts, a pod of 20 inch rainbows were suckin down BWO size 18.I had the fly i had the right spot to cast from, alas i hadn't the line.
I was fishing with Mike Bachosky and Believe it or not Rod Rohrbach {yea i can see you rolling yer eyes}any how Mike had the stick a GLoomis GLX 10' 6 wt , i tried it and missed several fish.He took over caught an landed 4 fish in a row and i helped land each one,what a show what a leasson.I also got my love for longer rods from Dave "Ol Lefty" Rothrock out on Spring Creek nymphing, i now own three Lamiglas 10' 6wts,a Redington 11'6/7 ,GLoomis Streamdance Metolius 13'4" 5/6 Trout Spey.
If you are headed west get yerself a good stick, winds are big time cast hinderers ,also streamers will get to their target out there much easier.
Its like the ol saying goes.
If you have great tools for the job life is so much easier,wrong tools and you might as well stay home!
another way to look at life is get a extra spool and put a 6 wt on it one size line up or down will not hurt your rod, the designated #rating isnt set in stone its sometimes hindes performance.
some guys buy the fast rods thing life is easier before they learn to cast really well, then they get hung up on set in stone rules,Best casters i know will adjust their equipment for conditions ..same as for your fishing .if you don't change up you don't suceed or evolve.
Tight Wraps & Tight Lines
Rick Wallace
Get fast stick go long and use a 6 wt out west when the wind is there.
 
Hmmmm....... I have a Sage 6wt, and it's a fine rod for tossing bigger stuff in stiff winds. I also have a 5wt Sage rod that will toss bigger stuff better than the 6wt, so it depends on the rod. I ran into a guy fishing Ridley Creek, and he swore by his 6wt for trout. He said that he needed it to turn the fish. Having caught several large (16+ inches) trout and smallmouth on a 4wt, he has a point. I've caught a few 16 and 17 inch smallmouth on my 4wt, and for the most part it was fine. One 16 incher was caught while fishing for trout last year. I was armed with the 4wt and a #18 BWO on 5X tippet. I saw smallmouth tearing through a school of minnows not long after arriving at the stream's edge, and switched over to a 3X leader with a Black Nose Dace. It only took two casts to hook into a beast of a smallmouth, and the fight was on! This section of the stream is wide, and has a featureless bottom. All I had to do was hang on for the ride, and was able to land the smallmouth in less than 5 minutes. He took a wild run downstream when first hooked, however: I left the drag set for the lighter 5X tippet!

I was fishing another section of the same stream a day before the last hurricane hit SE PA. I was armed with my 4wt, and a #12 Wooly Bugger. This section is at least 100 feet wide, and funnels into a stretch that's 20-25 feet wide. The bottom is strewn with a zillion large rocks and boulders, and fish tend to dive deep and look for cover. I hadn't expected to catch anything too big that day, and just needed to get my fix in before the stream flooded.
I was wading close to the narrow section of the stream, casting
up toward the much wider section. After only a few casts, my Bugger stopped and it was on! I should have moved away from the faster current, but I didn't. After many ferocious runs and dives for the bottom of a deep channel, I was able to get the fish in close enough to see that this was the biggest smallmouth I might ever catch in my life! That's when he saw the current, and made its move. I tried to turn the fish, but it was just too much weight on the rod. With the fish just a few feet from the raging current, I decided to slam the brakes on the reel. He leaped like a tarpon, and revealed himself to be at least 20 inches and FAT!
When he slammed down, the hook popped out, and he was off.
If I had a heavier rod, I could have turned that beast, but the fight was worth being there that day. I don't think my heart has ever pounded so hard while fishing!

I hooked a 16" brown a couple years ago with the same 4wt rod, and he just dove for the bottom (more like a smallmouth than a trout). Fortunately, the stream bed offered him little to wrap around, and it just took time. I've lately been thinking that fishing bigger waters are fine for lighter rods, while water like the stream with the large smallmouth might be better suited for something with a little backbone, especially of you don't know whether you'll hook a trout or smallmouth, and whether it might be the fish of sa lifetime. I certainly don't see any disadvatange to using a 6wt rod for trout. I can slapthe water just as hard with a 4wt line as a 6wt, and land a 6wt line almost as delicately as a 4wt. ;-)
 
Rich great post, good points too, i think that alot of times though an have seen this on the local limestoners alot, guys get into the light line thing way too much, wind up playina fish forever and then killing the same fish,yea it looks ok when ya let it go , half hour later its struggilin for life and dies.A fish is too valuable to be caught only once ,Lee Wulff.
I remeber the East Branch one weight the orvis one weight sage multittude of zero weights.
I think Pcray has a cool idea with that shorter 5 or 6 weight rod he has .
 
I use m 6 wt for steelhead some, but I have landed 2 24" browns on my 4wt in the last year and never felt I was in danger of loosing fish. Your 5wt is perfect, but I agree....if you need amo to justify a 6wt to the bride, just let us know :)
 
I say yes for a 6 wt, if you ever fish the Delaware on a windy day, you'll know why. I sometimes use a 6 wt on Penns, Pine the Lehigh, Schuylkill, when it's windy, and definitely the Susquehanna anytime. I've used lighter weight rods for many big rivers, but not for bass,and when it isn't windy.
You'll definitely need it out west on the big rivers. I don't have a five weight, so since you do, you may find you'll be ok with that. I've used my 4 weight everywhere I've used the 6 wt. but like I said the wind gets you.
 
I live out west 6 months of the year In Idaho fishing the south fork of the snake and henrys fork. Never feel under-gunned with my 5 wt. half the time i am throwing my 8' 4wt cause its a little lighter. if you WANT a 6 wt buy it if you feel you need a 6wt you really dont.
 
IMO the advantage goes to the 6 weight on windy days and on big water. I use my 6 weights for streamers also. Other than those conditions I rely more on the 3 thru 5 weights.
 
Personally i wouldn't feel comfortable casting sinking lines on anything less than a 6wt. I only use mine on big rivers or when I know im cuckin meat. (big streamers) Anyway given the choice id rather be over gunned than out gunned. For the record my next rod is going to be a 7wt.
 
fish a fast rx8+ 6 for small dries down to big streamers.. muscles chrome just fine as well. I use it more than my 5 wt. the 2 wt. prob. gets the most use haha.
 
i use a six weight often,because most affordable vintage glass and bamboo is in six.it is rarely too much rod.
 
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