If You Could Only Have One Fly Rod

[eric1978]

I guess I'm committing to finally getting my first fly rod, but I have no idea what to look for. I'd like to get something to chase bows and browns with, but versatile enough to be able to sling bigger flies for smallmouth with it, too. What length and weight would you guys recommend for a good all-around fly rod and what reel to go with it? Thanks all.

[MaxDrown]

9' 5wt, weight forward fly line, Temple Fork

[Gavin]

I usually fish a 9' 5wt for trout and a 9' 7wt for smallmouth. A fast 9' 6wt would be a good compromise for both species...A bit heavy for 6x tippet and small dry fly work, and a bit underpowered for 50'+ casts with large air resistant bass bugs. There are lots of good rods and reels out there and it depends on how much you have to spend. Figure $250 for a mid-range rod...$100 for a decent reel, some flies, etc........figure youll spend $500-600 before you ever get to the river. I've never messed with the TFO's much, but its really hard to go wrong with a Sage fly rod. Cheers.

[trout fanatic]

TFO Pro X2 I have 2 of them and like them. I have also grown quite fond of a Orvis Clearwater Classic (10 ft 6 wt) this is the older model that I have really just started to break in and I like it well enough that I have decided to buy it a brand new reel (probably another Konic). Neither rod will break the bank and will perform admirably.

[Danoinark]

Eric

I think your best bang for the buck is the TFO like trout fanatic said. The lower end in price models are excellent starter rods.

I would opt for the 9ft. 5wt for trout and the 9ft 7wt for any bass, carp and other warm water species you would encounter around these parts.

Dano

[Flysmallie]

Hmmmmmm............Just one?

I do things a little bit differently I guess. For the past couple of years I've only used a 5wt and a 3wt. I did have a TFO 7wt but the Eleven Point river ate it. Long story. But I never really liked it. It wasn't the rod, but it didn't match my casting style.

Is a heavier weight rod better for casting larger flies for bass? Maybe. Oh ok it probably is. But I have a really nice 5wt with a really good line and I seldom feel the need for anything more. However I will probably add a heavier weight rod in the spring....maybe.

Truth is, I like my 3wt so much that I spend a lot of time smallmouth fishing with it. Have I lost some nice fish because of that, oh yeah, but it was probably more of a result of the specific moment than that rod not being able to handle the fish.

Starting out fly fishing I would go with a 5wt. It will give you more options in the fish you catch. You can have a lot of fun getting started just dinking with bluegill. It's a lot of fun. Now if you try that with a 7wt it's going to be laike dragging them in on a broom stick.

I have a buddy that started fly fishing for smallmouth about the same time I did. I bought a nice 5wt, he bought a 7wt. Now several years later I still enjoy my 5wt and he doesn't fly fish anymore. From the conversations that we've had, if he had a different rod he would probably still be doing it.

You don't have to throw a big heavy wind resistant fly to catch smallmouth.

[Al Agnew]

I'd agree with the 9 ft. 5 wt. as a decent compromise. I've fished a lot of good sized streamers on my 5 wt. St. Croix Legend Ultra, but it's my usual go-to nymph rod for trout. It'll also handle dry flies. It's probably least able to cast big bass bugs, but I think it's still doable.

[eric1978]

Okay, this is a great start gentlemen...thanks for all the advice. Looks like I'll be looking for a 9' 5wt. I can't bring myself to buy junk...if I don't like it I'll just sell it. So, Sage, TFO, St. Croix...obviously Loomis is an option...any other brands to suggest?

Also, you guys got any tips on reels?

[Wayne SW/MO]

One of my Oregon buddies caught a 32" Clearwater strain Steelhead on a 9', 5wt Loomis.

[drew03cmc]

Eric, this link is a great place to start the search for a 5wt.

http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/FlyRodCom...nrodtesting.asp

Bear in mind, that Yellowstone Angler have a strong Loomis bias. Albright has made a strong showing in all of these shootouts that Yellowstone have done. The A/5 rods are on sale right now for $122.50 and while the 9'5wt is out of stock, the 8'6" 5wt is in stock, ready to ship from www.albrightflyfish.com. For line, I like Cortland, however, many on here will recommend Rio or SA. You can actually get a nice line from Orvis for $30. That is the Clearwater, and is approximately the same taper as the SA Headstart which will help you learn your loading and unloading. Another line to consider is the Northern Sport Aquanova 99. It can be had for less than $15 from ebay. Here is a link to one. They have a forward WF taper that is similar to the Headstart or the Clearwater. On a faster action rod, it can be beneficial to overline the rod, thus slowing it down. Cast both the rated WF line and try the WF+1wt line on it and get whichever one that you are most comfortable casting.

http://cgi.ebay.com/WF5F-AQUANOVA-FLY-FISH...=item5636e01fd4

Reels, for the species you specified, can be economy models. I like my Albright Topwater reel that I have on my 4wt, and they are also on sale for $20 right now. Bass Pro has a nice reel in the Hobbs Creek Large Arbor and many "cheap" reels from companies such as Ross, Lamson, etc are either OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive or very heavy (see Ross Flystart). That is not to say that the cheap Ross is a bad reel, but it is VERY heavy without the necessary capacity IMO.

I have one 8'6" 5wt fly rod (Redington Crosswater) and it was my first. I have caught many bass as well as trout and myriad other sunfish species. On a Cabela's LST 8'6" 5wt (sweet rod BTW), I landed a 25" freshwater drum along with countless crappie and largemouth. I am actually thinking that my next rod will be an 8'6" 5wt and it will be used for bigger waters for bass.