Fly Rig For Small Stream Smallies

[FishinCricket]

If you ever mention golf and fishing together I'll never help again. Just sayin'.

X 2, golf has no upside...

[Danimal]

I use a 6# Launch for all my smallie flyfishing. I personally find it to be the best compromise; light enough to keep things fun on the smaller fish, but just heavy enough that I can throw anything on it (though it ain't always pretty). It even handles a 12 ft. sink-tip pretty well. Oh, and it handled this 19 incher caught on a Hada creek crawler in late October just fine. Dan-o

[Al Agnew]

I decided awhile back not to enter into "best rod/reel/line" type debates but I guess I just can't help myself....

Being able to cast somewhat oversized flies with a 5 wt. is one thing, that's a skill that can be learned. But having enough backbone to stab a #2-#4 hook into a fishes mouth gets harder the smaller the fish is. If the fish doesn't have enough size/weight anchoring it's position then it is pulled towards you during the hookset, and a 5wt. trout rod doesn't get the job done as well. Just something to think about. Most of the smallies you're gonna catch are going to be 10-13" and while you certainly do not need a fast 7wt. to win a tug of war with a 12 incher, it sure does help with the hookset, and the 7wt. is a better match for 8lb. tippet. A well balanced 7wt. shouldn't wear you out, and you'll appreciate the extra muscle and increased line speed if you start flinging 1/40oz. clousers and 4" strips of wet rabbit fur that cast like a wet dish rag on a 5wt , and you'll REALLY appreciate it when you start throwing sink-tip lines.

Just some food for thought.

Wrench, can't say that I disagree with anything you just said. If I was going to have just one all around smallmouth rod for ALL smallmouth waters, it would probably be a 7 wt. I was going more on the original post saying that he was looking for a small stream smallmouth rod, and maybe I was assuming that he was looking for a good all around small stream (trout and smallmouth) rod.

One other thought...I don't think all 5 wt. (or any other weight) rods are alike. My five weight is a St. Croix Legend Ultra, had it longer without having to get a piece of it replaced than any rod I own. I find St. Croix blanks to have more backbone than a lot of other rods, whether fly rods or casting rods. So maybe it's the particular brand, but I have little trouble setting the hook with big streamers with mine.

But you're right that a 7 wt. is probably the optimum rod for generic smallmouth waters, especially if you plan on fishing big streamers and bugs. I should have thought a little more about that before recommending a five weight.

[fishinwrench]

I actually have a self-serving agenda in defending and recommending a 7wt.

Most companys only carry a single model (within each line) of a 7wt. rod. No choices, just always the old 9' for 7

While 4, 5 and 6wt rods can be bought in 2pc or 4pc, and in 7.5'... 8'... 8.5'... 9.0'... 9.5'... ect. Complete with grip, guide, and reel seat choices and with or without fghting butts

I guess I just love 7wt's, and I know if they fade from popularity any more than they already have the choices will become even more slim. I actually wouldn't mind having a 8'6" for 7 SC Legend Ultra (or equiv.) as the perfect stream smallie rod for myself, but they don't exist.

If it weren't for steelheaders alot of companys would have probably already jumped the gap from 6 to 8 and eliminated 7wt's altogether.

[Greg]

I use a 6# Launch for all my smallie flyfishing. I personally find it to be the best compromise; light enough to keep things fun on the smaller fish, but just heavy enough that I can throw anything on it (though it ain't always pretty). It even handles a 12 ft. sink-tip pretty well. Oh, and it handled this 19 incher caught on a Hada creek crawler in late October just fine. Dan-o

Nice fish!! I'll bet that SM gave quite a tussle on your flyrod. I have a 5 wt Launch. Hands down the best rod I've ever used. I agree that not all 5 wts are created equal. My Launch as enough backbone to handle the bigger flies needed for SM but still works very well for trout - even #20 dry flies over spooky wild trout.

Greg

[Buzz]

I am sort of new to fly fishing for smallmouth too, although I have caught several fish in the 14 to 15" range, I haven't noticed any problem with my 5 Wt in setting the hook, fighting, and landing the average size for our neighborhood. If I were to start targeting the largemouth that frequent our streams I would have to go with a 7 wt. most likely. The only difference that I can speak to is the ability to throw the bigger heavier bugs. That can and is a challenge with a 5 wt., to say the least.

[Mitch f]

X 2, golf has no upside...

You guys are thinking about this all wrong, all golf courses have lakes full of big fish. My 15th club is a 2 piece spinning rod.

Course if your throwing frisbees that ain't gonna help ya

[flytyer57]

You guys are thinking about this all wrong, all golf courses have lakes full of big fish. My 15th club is a 2 piece spinning rod.

Course if your throwing frisbees that ain't gonna help ya

Too bad the driving ranges don't have water holes. You could get out ol' #15 and dodge golf balls all day.

[eric1978]

You guys are thinking about this all wrong, all golf courses have lakes full of big fish. My 15th club is a 2 piece spinning rod.

Course if your throwing frisbees that ain't gonna help ya

Not only that, but I read in someone's signature that golf is a great way to keep a whole mess of would-be fishermen away from our streams.

Nice meeting you today, Mitch.

[Mitch f]

Not only that, but I read in someone's signature that golf is a great way to keep a whole mess of would-be fishermen away from our streams.

Nice meeting you today, Mitch.

Yea, lets go fishing sometime in 2011