So what's your go-to fly rod and gear?

[Rob G]

Now I realize that many of you might have several fly rods, reels and lines that you use to chase smallies but just curious what your go-to rod, reel, and line or leader system is day in and day out? I'll bet even just the selection of rod weights will be surprising. As always, thanks for your input.

[tjtroester]

my goto rod has been a 6wt 8ft and since i build bamboo it is a bamboo rod. my preference is a 7wt but since i like double tapered lines and almost no one make a double taper 7wt line any more i opt for the 6dt. the rod i use was built on a waara taper if anyone cares. i have some of the old lamson reels that i like very much. timothy troester

[Guest rich mc]

now i'm using the 8wt bvk with a rio outbound line. i stick with minnow pattern flies this time of year.i put the worms away till spring. rich

[Colt Johnson]

I have to answer this questions in two parts. My "go to" rod as defined as the rod I use the most would certainly have to be my Sage SPL 1wt. fly rod. I catch bluegill, bass, and crappie year around on that rod.

 

 

However, if I go out ONLY to fish for smallies, then my go to rod is usually my McFarland Yellow Glass 7'2" 5wt. parabolic 3pc. This rod amazingly casts medium sized flies in small stream environments both in close and out to about 45 to 50'. I use a DT 5wt. line on it which also quietly presents a fly in intimate waters. The glass parabolic action has a fantastic "fish on" feel and even an 8" smallie puts a bend in the rod. A larger fish bends the rod deep into the butt section LITERALLY.

 

 

I opt for my Sage SP 8wt. for big water situations, but in central Illinois, most of my smallie endeavors are on small streams.

[mannym]

I certainly do not have the money invested most of you folks do. I have the lower end equipment. For small streams, I have 4wt, 7'6" traditions rod with a Redington Surge reel spooled with basic float line. I do well with it in close quarters that I often encounter. It doubles as my trout rig too. The bigger rivers, I.E. the Fox, big V or K3, I have a 5wt, 9' Redington Crosswater, again with basic float line. I am hoping Santa is good to me this year and brings me a couple higher quality 6wt and 8wt's. The 6wt for bigger smallie flies and the 8wt for steelhead and pike flies. I do not have use for sinking line with these waters but would like to have a setup for that so I can check out the Big Pond and some of the lakes in the BWCA. My next trip up will be my first fly rod only trip.

[John Gillio]

I have also fished a less expensive rod the ten years or so that I have been fly fishing. Until this year my go to smallie rod has been a 9 ft. 7 wt. Cabela's Three Forks Rod teamed with a Prestige 2 reel and line. This year I upgraded to a 9 ft. 7 wt. Echo Ion with the same reel and line as mentioned above, only newer. I throw mostly larger clouser type flies and poppers on a wt. forward floating line. I do like the Echo.

[Rob G]

Hey Colt,

that almost looks like an old Fenwick style cork grip with the down locking reel seat on your yellow glass. Did you modify that grip yourself?

[Mike G]

My "goto" for bass is an 9 ft 8-9 wt fished with an 8 or 9 wt line.

 

I use an old 7.5 ft Wonderod for panfish, HDH. I use a 6 wt level line.

 

BTW I just bought an SA DT 9 F. They are out there.

[asherman]

My go to rod for smallmouth is a nine foot seven weight St. Croix Legend Elite. I use either a RIO Clouser seven weight line or an eight weight bass bug taper line. I used to fish a six weight but I've found that the seven weight handles heavier flies better. I use sinking leaders quite a bit.

[Mike G]

my goto rod has been a 6wt 8ft and since i build bamboo it is a bamboo rod. my preference is a 7wt but since i like double tapered lines and almost no one make a double taper 7wt line any more i opt for the 6dt. the rod i use was built on a waara taper if anyone cares. i have some of the old lamson reels that i like very much. timothy troester

 

Here you go. SA Air Cell DT 5, 6, 7, or 8.

SOURCE

[ronk]

Panfish= 6.5' Orvis 2wt Superfine rod,Orvis CFO 111 reel,Wulff Triangle Taper 4-5wt line.

Trout= 7'9" Powell "Featherlight"IM6 4wt rod,Triangle Taper 5wt line,Marryat reel or newly purchased TFO 8'9" Finesse 3wt rod,5wt Triangle Taper line,Orvis CFO111 reel

Smallmouth=Powell 9' LGA 6wt rod,Marryat reel,7wt Aiflo Distance Taper line or Powell LGA 9' 4wt,Airflo Distance 5wt line,Pfleuger Trion reel.

Largemouth,Steelhead,Light Saltwater=9' Powell LGA 8wt,Marryat reel,9wt.Airflo Distance line,Marryat reel.As a backup I have a Cortland 8wt 9' Blue Sapphire rod.

Except for the Pfleuger purchased 3yrs ago the Orvis reel & the various Marryat reels are all about 20yrs old as are all the rods save the TFO.While my favorite casting line is the TT I use the Airflo for warmwater ,saltwater hardmouth species because being the only flyline that doesn't stretch presumably results in better hardmouth hookups although more than I'd like especially the biggies still come unglued nonetheless.For panfish I use 7.5' 4x tapered leaders,9-12'4-6x for trout & 9'1-3x for the other applications.I have a cupl sinking lines which I seldom use because I typically alternate between sinking & floating flies, the latter requiring a floater.With a weighted fly & or splitshot you can usually get as deep as needed in most streams.You can also mend line & lengthen the leader for added depth. I actually don't like getting right on bottom usually.Too many frustrating spot ruining hangups from weeds,algae.rocks etc.

[Rob G]

Here you go. SA Air Cell DT 5, 6, 7, or 8.

SOURCE

 

Timothy, here are at least 3 more 7 wt dt lines out there besides the Air Cell, that is if the flyfishing snob within you must spend more

 

 

http://www.edgeangling.com/Orvis-94GR-Olive-Dun-DT-7-94GR2107.html

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cortland-Classic-Floating-Line-Weight/dp/B00030A1MO

 

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=743308&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleBaseUSA&WT.z_mc_id1=743308&rid=40&mr:trackingCode=D3849052-F5D2-DF11-82EF-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA#productChart

[Guest airbornemike]

7wt 8wt 9wt and I really need a 10wt.

[Mike G]

7wt 8wt 9wt and I really need a 10wt.

 

Two thumbs up!

 

My motto,"I don't want to catch an 8 inch trout on a rod that makes it feel like a whale; I want to catch the whale."

[ronk]

TJF

Why do you prefer dt lines especially in the heavier 6+ line weights? The few who still do typically fish lighter lines feeling that dt = stealthier presenation.

[tjtroester]

TJF

Why do you prefer dt lines especially in the heavier 6+ line weights? The few who still do typically fish lighter lines feeling that dt = stealthier presenation.

why do i like them? the belly of almost all weight forward taper lines is too short. i just find them incomvenient for roll casting and other line meneuvering. just me. timothy

[John Loebach]

Mostly 2 seven weights this season. A new Echo Edge 84 - 8" 4" 7wt.(Pat Ehlers designed) & a used Sage RPL 9' 7wt.(new to me)Both medium to medium fast graphite, handle big flies well but still bend when you cast or fight fish. A fair amount of time testing old glass mixed in from 3wt to 8wt. - a personal vice at present, ask me about it sometime.

[ronk]

why do i like them? the belly of almost all weight forward taper lines is too short. i just find them incomvenient for roll casting and other line meneuvering. just me. timothy

If you get a chance try the Wulff Triangle Taper.Not only is it a great distance line with its head configuration & thin running line which has only found its way onto other lines in recent years but its also noted for its rollcasting & mending abilities as well.

[Gavin]

I fish a 9' 7wt most of the time...sometimes a 6wt...both with floating lines.I opt for an 8 or 9wt if I need to cast bigger flies at distance, or use a sinking line. You might want to try some of the long belly distance casting lines instead of a double taper...The SA XXD taper is a good one...cast well overhead, and the longer taper helps with roll casting. Triangle Tapers arent bad either...used to fish them allot till I tried the XXD lines. Cheers.

[Rob G]

Interesting, I was always told by some supposedly knowledgeable fly shop personnel and guides that the Wulff's Triangular taper was great for casting dries and small flies and roll casting but didn't hold up well with larger heavier bass flies.

[ronk]

Interesting, I was always told by some supposedly knowledgeable fly shop personnel and guides that the Wulff's Triangular taper was great for casting dries and small flies and roll casting but didn't hold up well with larger heavier bass flies.

TT casts typical smb flies of around 3" fine.If necessary(never been for me) the tip end can be shortened a bit for turnover purposes w/o affecting its superior rollcasting/mending abilities.A little delicacy on the laydown will be all that's compromised which wouldn't be an issue in smb fishing.

[Jonn Graham]

Sage VT2, 9 foot 7 weight with Rio's 7 weight smallmouth fly line. Paired with Sage's 2080 fly reel. While this is my favorite, I do enjoy using my 8 weight Redington CPX and my Sage Smallmouth rod. All three can do the job.

[Steve S.]

Sage VT2, 9 foot 7 weight with Rio's 7 weight smallmouth fly line. Paired with Sage's 2080 fly reel. While this is my favorite, I do enjoy using my 8 weight Redington CPX and my Sage Smallmouth rod. All three can do the job.

 

Jonn

 

Nice setup. I bought my VT2 7 weight in the Fall of 2010 and loved it until I got my 6 wt Z-Axis! It's a shame you can't fish them all every time out.

[Rob G]

Well it’s neat to see all the variety in rods and set ups. My own personal go-to rod (at least for the time being) is a faster taper, custom TFO TiCr 9’ 5 wt. 4 pc rod. Coupled with an Orvis large arbor reel and a SA Mastery Headstart heavy weight forward 6 wt. line. Leaders are generally 10 ft hand tied and almost always end with an 8lb fluorocarbon tippet. I have heavier rods but this is my most enjoyable to cast all day long and still enjoy the all too common less than trophy fish. It does limit the weight of some of my flies to be tossed easily but I don’t enjoy fishing wet socks all day anyway and the rivers I frequent, unlike the KKK, are generally not that deep ……always compromises.

 

[Guest airbornemike]

Ticr is an awsome taper, the slower or less stifff of TFO's axiom and ticrx. Rob you should really try the Bvk if you like that taper, its simular but more accurate and smoother.