Anybody Else Fishing a 6 Footer?

fadeaway263

fadeaway263

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I have been fishing my Cabelas 6ft "Tight Quarters" a lot this year especially in the narrower and overgrown sections of Valley. It took a while to get into a good casting rythym but I think I am almost there. It is no good for throwing big buggers but small to midsize flies are just fine. Just wondering who else fishes with this size rod.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-TQR-Fly-Rods/712113.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DTight%2BQuarters%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26x%3D14%26y%3D10&Ntt=Tight+Quarters&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products
 
My Brookie/small stream rods are both 7'0 and both 4 wts, but they're very different rods. One (BPS Dogwood Canyon) has a butt section that is almost twice as thick and is much better for throwing small, weighted Buggers or weighted nymphs. I use that one almost exclusively in the colder months on Brookie streams. The other one (LLBean Streamlight Ultra) has a thinner butt section, and a less aggressive taper. IIRC, this is similar to the TQR correct? Anyway, that one throws dries much better, and is in general more enjoyable to fish IMO...I use that one in the warmer months.

Edit: Good call mentioning the line weight Fox. I fish both of the above rods with 5wt line.
 
I'm right in the middle of both of you. I have a 6.6 2wt (but I use a 3 wt line) that I had made for me. Throws both dries and streamers pretty well. I have thrown a dry almost 40 ft with it and can get a streamer out there (not 40 ft though) too.
 
For dry flies, I love both the 6' orvis superfine trout bum - older model with cork cigar grip and no reel seat - and the 6'9" tfo finesse 1 weight (really a 2 wt). You can make surprisingly long casts with either one..

 
I have a 6' 3 weight St. Croix Avid rod that I use on the smallest, brushiest streams.
Don't use it very often - in fact i don't think I broke it out at all this year.
Most of my small stream fishing can be handled nicely with my 7'9" 2 weight
 
The shortest flyrod I own is an old G Loomis GL3 6'6" 3 weight. It works great on smaller streams. I don't use it much anymore because I also have a Sage TXL 7' 4 weight that I like. Either rod will cast any fly(including small streamers) that I want to fish. IMO short rods are the only way to go on small streams.
 
I used a 6' rod this year, but it was a 6wt so, kind of different scenario haha! Had no problem chucking big streamers w/ that thing!
 
yep, nothing like a nice little cane rod for fishing small streams...have a pair of one piecers, a 5'/3wt and 5' 4"/4wt, then a 6'/3wt that also sees time on the Letort if I'm not figuring to stalk any bigger fish. Also have a 6'8"/3wt that'll also handle a 4wt for more versatility. Love the little rods, so much fun to cast.
 
Fox- I'm loving the setup. My 6'6 I can launch my flies, once you get the rhythm down and learn to cast it there's nothing keeping you from getting out there if need be. But the type of stream we are fishing with these rods/how we are fishing doesn't need a large cast. I find 20-30 feet in most cases. I tend to fish my 6'6 in tandem with my other rods on bigger streams.
 
6'6" custom mile creek rod from skip hughes , for brookie. For bigger water 8'6" an 9' are my goto
 
I fish a 6' 3wt. diamondglass. I'm using it tomorrow and it will be interesting since I was fishing a 10' 7 wt. this past Tuesday for steelies. Needless to say, a little adjustment time will be needed.....
 
I routinely fish with fly rods that are in the 6' range and actually do much of my trout fishing with rods even shorter.
However, as I've often opined...extremely short rods are an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone or every fishing situation.
 
A 6' rod is my preference on brookie streams. I bought a couple of lamiglas blem blanks a few years ago in an 8' 5wt configuration. Requested one with blems on the butt section. Tossed out the butt sections and make two 6' rods. Gave one to my brother. I greatly prefer a 5wt for mountain streams because it is much easier to load a rod. Also, throw in an unexpected breeze and the light lines become a hassle to me.
 
yep, got a few glass and a couple bamboo rods ranging from 5'5" to 6'5", they each have their purpose and certain creeks where I enjoy the hell out of em.
 
yep, got a few glass and a couple bamboo rods ranging from 5'5" to 6'5", they each have their purpose and certain creeks where I enjoy the hell out of em.
 
Lot of great comments on this thread. Forgot to say the obvious though...catching a nice sized fish on a six footer is a bit more of a rush than catching fish on a bigger rod.
 
Should be easier to land,fade>that's why big game rods are short.
just kidding-
 
Some of the glass rods bend the whole way down to the handle. I, for some dumb reason, decided to take my 6' Philipson out for smallies once. I think it was an issue of, "look at that bass water! Crap the only rod I have is my Philipson!" This is when I learned that that little 6 footer can handle big streamers just fine (up to a limit, of course).

I then proceeded to land a 17" SMB on that rod, and man I felt the rod bending hard! Love it.
 
I have a 4wt bamboo 6,3"
5wt glass Conolon 6'0" (throws a 4wt line)
2wt graphite 6'6" ( I use a 3wt line)
Those are my 3 favorite rods to fish.
I can cast the boo farther and curve cast better than the other two rods.
I can throw really tight loops under branches with the graphite.
I use the Conlon for subsurface fishing.
 
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