Ultra-light Rods: 1 weight and below?

[k-bob]

I think it is much more fun to catch small fish on dry flies in small streams on a 2 weight. They arent good for big fish, big wind, weighted flies, or really big flies. A great 2 weight for tiny streams is the tfo finesse 6'9" one weight. Yes they call it a one weight but its a great two weight. Fishing to me is about having fun, and brookie fishing with even a 3 weight seems like overkill.

Ultralights definitely arent versatile. And another issue is that they can be expensive. But you can get the tfo mentioned above or an echo carbon 2 weight for $170 and put on a forbes magnesium reel for another $80 on ebay.
I overline most of my two weights by one line weight.

I have the st croix avid 2 wght mentioned by anothet poster and like it very much.

Why use an ultralight? Same reason and issues as Why fly fish? Yes it takes more expensive gear, you dont always catch more fish, but to me its more fun to do specialized small stream fishing with a two weight.

 

[roosters977]

http://www.jaustinforbes.com/micro.html

 

[k-bob]

Dunno bout that micro. I like casting 2 weights 6'9" and over. Do like forbes magnesium reels.

On small streams, when you fish dry flies, you often catch fish at 35 or less... A two weight is great for this. Chances of running into a big brown trout fishing on small pa brookie stream can be pretty low.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I think its more common acourance than guys think. My freind I fish with has run into atleast 2 really big browns on brooky streams. Useally if ya fish a good piece of water and skunk out. Put a streamer on and strip it thought. There might be a dominant brown that pushed out the smaller brookies. I learned this the hard way.

 

[wetnet]

Match the fish to the rod. If you want to go zero catch goldfish. Oh I caught my goldfish on a zero weight....best day of my life! A healthy brookie will survive a 3 weight, quick to the release. If you don't get enough pleasure watching a fish run back and forth beating themselves against rocks to escape and want to extend you pleasure..buy a zero.

 

[stevehalupka]

i've actually landed some of my biggest wild browns on mixed wild stretches... not by surprise either.

love my rx7 6'6 two wt. it's unbeatable, and if built right, will throw 40 feet of line with ease.

I def. agree that a 3 wt is overkill on some wild freestoners, but I also use a 6 wt. on medium sized streams like Oil and a few other tailwaters, especially the Yough.

 

[k-bob]

We just arent fishing the same streams... In another thread, I posted a bio report on three tiny brookie tribs to the east side of the lehigh, over 600 brookies were caught with no browns. None of the brookies over nine inches. You could dry flies there for a long time and not catch any big fish.

You dont need to fish a five weight in places like that.

As for not exhausting fish, that is only a problem when the fish is too big for the gear. Doesnt happen fishing a 2 weight for brookies in small pa streams like the ones I mentioned above. By fishing for smaller fish without barbs and being fast and careful about letting them go, a 2 weight is no problem at all.

I do sometimes notice those holes with too few brookies in streams that have a brown or two. I dont really target big fish, and if Im carrying a two weight and dries I just move on.

 

[gfen]

I dunno, I drag fish in the same way regardless of rod size. The tippet is still the same regardless, and a flexy rod'll take the hurt more than thicker, heavier model.

Maybe if I fished in places where fish routinely broke 14" I'd care. I don't. So, I'll continue to pleasure myself with my 1wt, and wetnet can continue to pleasure herself with her 5.

 

[k-bob]

"A healthy brookie will survive a 3 weight, quick to the release."

Sorry but this is misleading. You can fish for brookies in many small tannic PA freestones with dry flies and a one weight.
Chances of catching a fish too big for the gear are very very low.

The difference between fishing a three weight and a one weight is that you can feel the fish more on the one weight .... when you retrieve a small fish in the same amount of time and on the same tippet.

Do you really think that a fly fisherman moving from a 4 wt to a 2 wt will bring small stream brookies in so slowly that the fish "run back and forth beating themselves against rocks?" :roll:

I don't mind people disagreeing, but the comments above are just snippy and, to be kind, poorly informed.