Small Creek Rods

[swampdonky75]

I'm looking at buying a 2wt rod for fishing small creeks. But I'm not sure on the length of the rod. Ive looked at everything from 5ft to 9ft. What do some of you like to use?

[darrinhurst]

I have a 7.5' 3wt for the mountain streams.

 

Love it.

[Ricinus]

7 1/2' 4wt Bamboo

 

Regards Mike

[DonAndersen]

A 6'0" 2 wt. bamboo.

 

Don

[theboy]

7'1" 1 wt , 8' 2 wt and a 8'9" 3 wt

[Jayhad]

2wt 7'10" and awesome

[Heimdallr]

I mostly use a 7.5' 3 wt Scott A3 for my small stream fishing and I only have positive things to say about it.

[birchy]

I mostly use a 7.5' 3 wt Scott A3 for my small stream fishing and I only have positive things to say about it.

 

Same for me, except replace A3 with A2. Awesome rod!

 

[fishpro]

If you're talking really small creeks that involve only short casts you can get by with a 6'-7' rod, however if you're talking midsize creeks that involve 30'+ casts, I would go 7.5'-8.5' as it gives you a greater ability to meand and control your line.

[CDone]

5'6" to 6'6" 2/3wt bamboo rods are my fave for Cataract, Quirk and other small stream in this end of the province. Upper Livingston and Oldman and similar, I like to use a 7'6" 3wt graphite rod to punch out longer casts as well as deal with the afternoon winds.

 

Colin

[admin]

6.5 2wt. perfect for overgrown water. I'll probably go smaller for the next one.

[swampdonky75]

Is it worth buying a high end 2wt rod or do you think a cheaper one is just as good like a TFO?

Thanks for the help.

[ladystrange]

if you are buying a 'high end rod' for the name, then for me, no it isnt worth it but if it is more important for you to be running around with a stick with 'name' just for the sake of having a stick with a 'name', then that is up to you and your choice.

 

every rod is different, every caster is different and every application is different.

 

if you (generally speaking in third person) suck as a caster then running around with an $500 sage or $900 Winston isnt going to change the fact that you general third person) suck. you just have a whiz stick in your hand that you cant operate and look like a poser

 

i know some beautiful casters who make my $80 cortland 5/6 wt look like a $1000 rod, why, because they can cast and they can adjust their cast to rod they are casting.

 

why did i buy a cheapy cortland rod? because i was getting back into the sport 10 years ago and wasnt sure if i was going to stick with it and didnt want to waste the money. did i look any different with a sage than i did with the cortland??? yeah of course i did, i looked like a newbee with a bad, bad cast running around with $500 rod.

 

do i own a sage now?? yes. did i pay the retail $469.00 for it... hell no!! and i wouldnt pay just for the name. it has a specific application - 4pc, 4wt 7ft 9 fast action and it cost me $220 on a clear out sale brand new. (shop still made money on it too)

 

i also have an Amundson Midge that comes with 3 & 4 wt tips 4pc with a moderate/slowish action and it retails for less than $200 and a custom 4pc 3wt 8.5 ft that was built for me and my cast, priceless to me, no value to anyone else

 

all of which i will be using in the high mountain streams this summer

 

i also have a Loop AEG that i bought brand new and discounted in a 5wt to replace my Orivs on the Bow and will use the Orvis on lakes because it is longer than the Loop. i also have a 15ft 10wt Loop Yellow spey and an Amundson 11ft 3/4wt spey/switch. yes the Loop works just fine on the Bow but is way over kill. where as the 1134 is perfect for this application but the 1134 would not be the stick i use if i fished the Fraser

 

i have an Amundson Wind Warrior in an 8wt for Pike which retails for approx $250 and has a life time warranty, they are located in Burnaby, BC. I cast it all day long and caught pike on it, without any wrist pain or arm fatigue.

 

i dont own rods for the names, i own rods for the specific purposes i need them for and what works for me. personally i have never liked TFO or Reddington because they dont feel natural to me when i cast them but i'm sure they have rods that would fit my applications. i just dont like them. just like i am not a big fan of my cortland rods anymore. they had a specific purpose 10 years ago and they have a specific purpose now - now i use them as teaching rods. but they caught their fair share of fish when i used them

 

 

basically they are all sticks with differences in the mechanics but they all are meant to do the same thing, get your line and your fly out to where the fish are

 

so in answer to your question if a TFO feels good to you and you can cast it to fish and then catch a fish with it then why not use it? if you want a 'brand name' because it feels good and you want to spend $500 on it, then go for it, or if you find a heck of a deal on one and it suits your purpose, then go for it.

 

but dont buy one because you think it will make you a better caster or will work better just because it is a name brand and you spent a significant amount of money on it because it wont do diddly for you

[chiasson]

2wt 7'10" and awesome

 

I'm so wanting a TXL.

[Jayhad]

I'm so wanting a TXL.

If you want to try it out let me now we can hook up on the water.

 

I think going for a slightly longer rod is the ticket. Some rods over 7 have enough back bone to turn over small nymph rigs and an indy. As well as you may want to be able to roll cast and mend with ease, there may be times that a longer rod is desired. I have fished the TFO 2wt 6'6" or 7' side by side with a Sage TXL 2710. The TFO was an effort to get out past 30' where as the TXL can bust out 60'+ casts. There are some large beaver ponds out there.

If you are leaning towards the Sage I don't think you'll be disappointed, you may feel it's to much rod for you and others have said a great rod won't make you a better caster. I disagree a high end rod *MAY* show you abilities in presentation and line control that you never thought possible with lower end sticks.

 

Above all else get out there and cast them and again if you'd like let me know we can get together and let you fish a Sage TXL.

[AlpineJames]

A few years ago I picked up a Snowbee Jr Classic, 5 wt 7ft for fishing the cutty streams. It seemed like a good idea at the time as I could still use my 5 wt reel and line. It turns out it handles very much like a 3 wt, 7.5 ft TFO setup that I was given a couple years later. I now use it a lot, even on the Bow. The shorter lenght produces far less torque on the wrist and arm, and having suffered a badly broken wrist a long time ago it really makes a difference on how long I can keep on casting.

 

James

[jack]

7'6" 3wt 2pc custom build, moderate action for the "close in" overgrown creeks with 10" cutts in the pools. If you are confident with your casting for accuracy, stay away from "fast action" and go with a moderate action for use with DT lines. You will want slow/moderate action for accuracy within 30'.

j

[Whistler]

tough to beat a 8'2" #2 Loop opti creek-probably my favourite Loop single hander, this rod rocks

[headscan]

tough to beat a 8'2" #2 Loop opti creek-probably my favourite Loop single hander, this rod rocks

Used this rod last summer on the Oldman, Liv, Highwood, etc. and it was a blast for cutties.