Advice On Rod For Taneycomo

[Jack Jones]

I've got my 4wt TFO back and I do love it, but sometimes I feel it is a little undersized for Taneycomo. I had originally bought that one specifically for trout parks.

I've got two reels currently spooled with 6wt line (one floating and one sinking), that I was pairing with a 9' 5wt Dogwood Canyon rod that's seen better days. I plan to replace that rod before the end of the year with a rod primarily for Taneycomo, and hopefully, next spring some flyrodding on the James for smallies.

For a rod that will fish primarily at Lake Taneycomo and the James, what are people's thoughts between a 9' 5wt or a 9' 6wt? Is the 6wt too big for Taneycomo?

[Wayne SW/MO]

9' 6 weight would be my choice. If you had given more options I would have said a 7 weight BVK would be my choice. Fall and winter Taney and any smallie fishing would be covered from woolybuggars to articulates.

My new favorite rod is a 9 1/2' 7 wt BVK. It's a great rod for the money, tight loops and good accuracy and it will handle an 8 when needed.

[MaxDrown]

I use a 9' 5-weight Hardy Zenith on Taney and it works perfect. I've caught many trout using that rig on Taney. So, I would recommend a 5-weight. A 6-weight may be too much.

[drew03cmc]

I fished Taney with a glass 6 weight. My preferred length was 7.5', especially for the outlets.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I use everything from a 2-wt to a 9-wt.

Everyday fishing is hard to say for Taney.... some days the water is off - other days it is running 4 units full blast.

( the difference is 60cfs to 14,400cfs )

I would say you need 2 rods. An 8ft 5wt and a 9ft 6wt.

[fly2fish]

I have rods from 8' 3wt to 81/2 9wt and use a Sage 8'6" 4wt 90% of the time on Taney. In the fall I use a Sage 8' 6wt just in case of hooking a bigger brown. One of the biggest rainbows I caught at Taney was a 25" on the 3wt. So use what ever you have it just depends on how much fun you want to have.

F2F

[vanven]

A decent 5wt is perfect for Taney year round.

-Jerod

[vanven]

A 6 or 7 wt is going to leave you wishing for something lighter on those clear summer days with no generation. Anything less than a 5 is going to leave you wishing for something heavy under heavy generation.

There are very few flies you can't throw with a decent 5 wt.

-Jerod