Choosing a flyrod

[Piet vlieg]

Good day

I have an alcheapo flyrod and would like to upgrade a bit. Its a 5/6 weight rod. Do you get flyrods in 5/6 weight or just a 5 wt or just a 6 wt. In case of just a 5 or 6 weight , what weight rod should i choose with the flyline i got with the 5/6 weight combo. A 5 or a 6 weight?

[Korrie]

If you have a 5/6 fly line, it is difficult to say.
Rather take you line to the fly shop and try different fly rods in the #5 and #6 ranges.

Ask the guys in the fly shop to cast it as well, which they think works best with your flyline.
If I had to guess, I would say a #5 would be better, but only a guess.
and a #5 is a good general weight rod to have.

[Andre]

Again... the question is, "what will the rod be used for???", in other words, the primary application. Choose a rod based on what it is going to be used for. There are many different rods that are better at some things, and not as good for others.

[Paul J]

i would rather look at upgrading the line at the same time. you can have the best rod, but if you have a crappy line, you still going to battle. you dont have to break the bank on the line. rio mainstream or SA headstart will do. should be under R400. i have these as backup lines, and they cast quite well. from there you can look at the rod you want.

[Korrie]

As Paul said, with a "better" line, your rod might be just what you wanted/need.
the modern "elcheapo" are sometimes lovely rods.
I am not sure what your experience levels are, and as Andre mentioned, what you want to use the rod for.

I have a rods thru the whole spectrum from Elcheapo to expensive. Some as back ups other as my main rod for specific applications.
My midrange rod, is my favourite for midge and small nymphs, for fishing from the banks of still waters. Some of the "premium" rods are too fast/stiff for this application. Another friend of mine, he prefers an Elcheapo for still waters, as it has the right action for him.

[Scythe]

I have an alcheapo flyrod and would like to upgrade a bit. Its a 5/6 weight rod. Do you get flyrods in 5/6 weight or just a 5 wt or just a 6 wt. In case of just a 5 or 6 weight , what weight rod should i choose with the flyline i got with the 5/6 weight combo. A 5 or a 6 weight?

Ever heard that a Jack of all trades is a master of none ? In my opinion this applies perfectly to fly rods.

No 5/6 WT line is ever really suited to a 5WT (too heavy) or to a 6WT (too light) but if you already have a 5/6 line, I'd always lean towards fishing it on a 5WT rod as in my opinion a slightly heavier line allows you to load the rod more easily and therefore makes the casting easier and more forgiving, especially for novice casters. There is ofcourse a tipping point where a too heavy line becomes harder work on a lighter rod, but that is too long and technical a discussion to have here, as are all the arguments around what rod, for what purpose, what kind of fishing, etc.

For your intents and purposes, based on the assumption from your post that you are not too technically minded or an "expert" user and from your statement that you want to upgrade, that would suggest you have some money to spend therefore in my opinion your selection of rod should be based on perceived value which in the case of non technical requirements will primarily be how much you like it, in hand, the look, the feel, the cosmetics of it.

If you buy a rod you like the finish/trim/cosmetics and feel of, you invariably will love it, irrespective of whatever technical failings it may have in terms of suitability for purpose. As you learn more about rods, their application, etc then you can start to buy specialist tools.

For my money, if you already have a 5/6WT el cheapo combo and you can't really define what it wrong with it as such (from a technical point of view), then buy another rod, intended for a different kind of fishing alltogether. I see you are in the WC, therefore why don't you consider getting a lighter 2WT, 3WT rod for purposes of stream fishing, or a 7WT, 8WT for purposes of estuary fishing, light surf/saltwater work, etc.

Go with your gut, you won't buy a car because you purely like the specifications of it, you also have to like how it looks in addition to how it performs and much like a rally driver who will only buy a car based on strict technical specifications he might require, you the casual weekend rally driver will buy a car you enjoy driving while competing in the novice rally classes, irrespective of a podium finish or not. The same thing applies to a fly rod for me, buy something you like, enjoy it for what it is, something you like, then as you learn more, buy tools suited for specific purposes.

HTH.

[Andre]

Also a nice answer... but I dont know if I completely agree with you 100 pecent on the 5/6wt explanation. I think a dual rated rod might be good in this case for a 5wt DT or a 6wt WF......This always confuses me however, as in the cast, the more line out, means more weight, so the rod will slow down naturally anyway the longer the cast, so its all academic really. I do agree that a heavier line allows the caster to feel the load easier, and therefore adjust the timing better.

[Piet vlieg]

I am a bass and artlure fisherman. I bought the fly rod to have some fun with catching bass and bluegill. Thats the main purpose i want it for. But i dont want to break the bank and buy a new kit. i just want a better rod.

[Andre]

Better in what way? are you simply looking for a better quality stick, or one that actuaslly performs better? For bass and blue gill, it seems that your el cheapo might be just fine, so if you want something that performs better, lets stop and look at why your current stick isn't doing the job. If you want a higher quality rod...thats a different discussion.

I am a bass and artlure fisherman. I bought the fly rod to have some fun with catching bass and bluegill. Thats the main purpose i want it for. But i dont want to break the bank and buy a new kit. i just want a better rod.

[William Ewels]

5/6 rated rod. Bass and bluegill. Easy answer go the 6wt line as you'll be fishing short mostly :smile: and with bigger flies