5 Wt Or 6 Wt?

[jimvel]

I'm looking at new rod and not sure I should get a 5 or 6 wt. Fish the Bow, Highwood, etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[monger]

I think a 6wt will allow you an easier way to fish some big streamers and a triple fly rig when nymphing the Bow.

[brownonbow]

Is it just me or do the fish never touch your middle fly??? I'd go for the 5wt myself unless your targeting the huge Bulls.

[troutlover]

if your going to pick just one rod...... If your new to flyfishing a 6wt will be easier to cast and land fish for the Boow River. You have to decide where your going to do the majority of your fishing. For the Bow River i wouldn't get anything but a 6wt (if your new) also newer fly fishermen tend to nymph a lot its easier and very effetive. A 6wt will work well for you for other midsized rivers aswell. As you get into flyfishing more you will probably find different purposes for different wt of rods. Your 6 wt will become your streamer nymphing stick. You will want to buy a slower action softer 5wt for dry flys on the bow. You will want to get a 3 wt for smaller creeks and the mountains. You will also find yourself carrying 2 rods around to most places that you fish. Then one day your wil have 20 different rods in our garge and you will realize its time to get some help for your problem. But for now i would start out with a 6wt no question.

[darrinhurst]

if your going to pick just one rod...... If your new to flyfishing a 6wt will be easier to cast and land fish for the Boow River. You have to decide where your going to do the majority of your fishing. For the Bow River i wouldn't get anything but a 6wt (if your new) also newer fly fishermen tend to nymph a lot its easier and very effetive. A 6wt will work well for you for other midsized rivers aswell. As you get into flyfishing more you will probably find different purposes for different wt of rods. Your 6 wt will become your streamer nymphing stick. You will want to buy a slower action softer 5wt for dry flys on the bow. You will want to get a 3 wt for smaller creeks and the mountains. You will also find yourself carrying 2 rods around to most places that you fish. Then one day your wil have 20 different rods in our garge and you will realize its time to get some help for your problem. But for now i would start out with a 6wt no question.

 

X2

[kentan]

x3

[reevesr1]

I would lean toward a 6 as well. I have a 10 ft, 5 wt that has sort of become my go to on the Bow. But really, it fishes more like a 6. When I'm not using it, I find myself using my 9 foot 6 wt. And when it is dry fly season, I seem to go to my 4 wt more than anything.

 

But either way, you'll be good. Unless it is howling wind, or you are throwing big streamers, a 5 will get you by as well. Just find something you like to cast and go from there.

[Tungsten]

6 wts are for people that can't cast.3-5 wt is what us pro's use.

 

 

[duanec]

[Guest Grinr]

Take into consideration what style of fishing you plan to do most often,along with size of the fish and habitat.Personally,I'd prefer a 5wt as an all around/do it all rod if I could only have one......thankfully that's not the case,lol.I'd only recommend a 6wt if the vast majority of it's intended use will be nymphing the Bow,otherwise I think you'll find it to be overkill for most smaller streams and smaller fish especially.

 

[jimvel]

Thanks for your comments. Very helpful.

[maxwell]

if you plan to spend half your time or more not on teh bow or chucking streamers go 5! i like my 6 but use my 5 way more for nymphs n smaller streamers on teh bow only go 6 or bigger when i need big rigs heavy winds or extremely large flies! if it were a go to bow rod nymph streamner i would say 6 but the 5 will be a little nicer on the crow highwood lakes etc...

[Eelpout]

As a 6wt is one of the most suggestions (I would too), I will suggest (without knowing budget or how you like rods to feel) the Redington CT. I really enjoy my six for all around stream fishing. Light enough to handle average dries, but with enough guts deep down to chuck n' duck and haul browns out of logjams.

[ironfly]

Just my humble opinion, but there's really not that much difference between a 5 and a 6. Or to put another way, as rickr alluded to, there's a lot of different rods out there, and some 5wt's are actually more powerful than some 6wt's. If you're in Calgary, you have the luxury of trying out a rod before you buy it, but then there's also lines to consider; it's amazing how many options there are, and they'll all cast a bit different on the same rod.

 

Clearly I'm an odd man out; unlike Tungsten and most others, who go to lighter rods for the same application as they gain experience, if I had only one rod for the Bow, it'd be a 7.

[Guest Grinr]

Just my humble opinion, but there's really not that much difference between a 5 and a 6. Or to put another way, as rickr alluded to, there's a lot of different rods out there, and some 5wt's are actually more powerful than some 6wt's. If you're in Calgary, you have the luxury of trying out a rod before you buy it, but then there's also lines to consider; it's amazing how many options there are, and they'll all cast a bit different on the same rod.

 

Clearly I'm an odd man out; unlike Tungsten and most others, who go to lighter rods for the same application as they gain experience, if I had only one rod for the Bow, it'd be a 7.

Not to be argumentative....well ok,maybe......but sorry,I disagree with....well...pretty much your entire post?

I've found there to be an incredibly (surprisingly)noticeable difference between a 5&6wt,at least in my limited opportunities to do side by side field test comparisons of the same make/model rods under actual fishing conditions.(not on a store lawn?)For instance,my brother and I both had Sage FLIs,mine in 5 and his in a 6,both spooled with SA GPX,and I was really quite shocked at how much of a heavier feel his 6wt had by comparison....it actually felt more comparable to my 8wt FLI than my 5??

Another example,years ago my Dad and I both had Fenwick Eagles in 9 and 8wts respectively.....fair bit of difference between the two?

......and a 7wt for the Bow??Really??A bit much overkill dontcha think?I can't imagine a fish(trout) that inhabits the eastern slopes that actually warrants the muscle of a 7wt,with the possible exception of if you were targeting monster bullies only....and even then,I'm sure I can land any bullie that swims on my 5wt without any excessive amount of playing it to exhaustion.

[chiasson]

This is a difficult if not impossible question to answer. I personally went through the exact dilemma myself when I made the decision to shell out for my first high end rod. I ended up going with a 6 but wondered for a good while afterwards whether or not I should have gone with a 5, I still do at times.

 

Some thoughts.

I find that newer rods are built stronger than older rods of the same line weight. For example, a new Sage whatever, whether it be a 3 weight or 6 weight can both land big trout efficiently, especially when the rest of the rig is up to par (proper tippet, a reel with decent drag, etc). However, compared to a 3, even a 5, the 6 will make it much more pleasurable to chuck big and or heavy stuff. Given all of the above, and secondly that the more years I fish the more I don't mind being over gunned on smaller fish, I've come to personally prefer to fish a rod that compliments the size and weight of the fly I'm casting more so than the size or weight of the trout I'm hoping to catch. I hope that makes sense.

 

Weather is also a factor for me. It's really nice to have a 6 when the wind is up. Lastly, I definitely choose the 6 for any kind of weighted streamers or when I need to make long casts all day.

 

When ever asked by new fly fishers what to buy I always say a medium to medium fast 9' #6. I think it makes a great all around rod on medium to large waters. However, if you take streamers out of the equation I say 5 all the way. For smaller waters, smaller flies, etc I say 5, or lighter, for average sized trout.

 

For nymphs I'm all about the roll cast and have grown to like lighter and longer rather than heavier rods.

[micCAL]

I'm looking at new rod and not sure I should get a 5 or 6 wt. Fish the Bow, Highwood, etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

One thing to consider is that a heavier rod will bring the fish in faster. If you’re fishing mostly catch and release, you could argue it’s less exhausting on the fish than a light rod that will play the fish for a longer time. Less stress on the fish, lower mortality.

 

It’s interesting to read the varied personal experience everyone has had with a #5 vs. #6. One common thread seems to be that the manufacturers and models would likely have a greater impact.

 

[SilverDoctor]

if you plan to spend half your time or more not on teh bow or chucking streamers go 5! i like my 6 but use my 5 way more for nymphs n smaller streamers on teh bow only go 6 or bigger when i need big rigs heavy winds or extremely large flies! if it were a go to bow rod nymph streamner i would say 6 but the 5 will be a little nicer on the crow highwood lakes etc...

 

x2

[ironfly]

Not to be argumentative....well ok,maybe......but sorry,I disagree with....well...pretty much your entire post?

I've found there to be an incredibly (surprisingly)noticeable difference between a 5&6wt,at least in my limited opportunities to do side by side field test comparisons of the same make/model rods under actual fishing conditions.(not on a store lawn?)For instance,my brother and I both had Sage FLIs,mine in 5 and his in a 6,both spooled with SA GPX,and I was really quite shocked at how much of a heavier feel his 6wt had by comparison....it actually felt more comparable to my 8wt FLI than my 5??

Another example,years ago my Dad and I both had Fenwick Eagles in 9 and 8wts respectively.....fair bit of difference between the two?

......and a 7wt for the Bow??Really??A bit much overkill dontcha think?I can't imagine a fish(trout) that inhabits the eastern slopes that actually warrants the muscle of a 7wt,with the possible exception of if you were targeting monster bullies only....and even then,I'm sure I can land any bullie that swims on my 5wt without any excessive amount of playing it to exhaustion.

No, I don't think a 7wt is overkill, or I wouldn't have suggested it. To me, there are 2 legitimate ways of basing a rod choice; the flies you're casting, or the fish you're catching.

 

Flies- Basic casting mechanics; Your arm casts the rod, the rod casts the line, the line casts the fly. Let's say the Mythbusters built a casting robot, and dialed it in to drop a #10 Stimi at 20 yards, then cut off the fly and tied on #2 Tungsten conehead articulated streamer, but changed no settings on the robot. The mass of the fly is now too great for the momemtum of the fly line to carry it. Yeah, you can still get the streamer out there, but the casting mechanics have changed, and it's now somewhat more of a throw than it is a cast. The fly requires extra momemtum to arrive at its target, and that energy comes from your arm. Fishing all day entails anywhere from 500 to 1000 casts, and the extra effort needed to cast 3-nymph rigs and/or large streamers on a 5wt can, and sometimes does, result in tennis elbow or some other aggravated injury. When I mentally list the things about fly fishing that I most love, casting is in the top three. At the end of a day of casting the heavy stuff, the guy using a 5, or even a 6, will probably be sore, tired, and casting poorly. Using a 7 means that after 1000 casts I'm still comfortable, energetic, and able to make my gear do what I intended.

 

Fish- I'll provide an example of my own. A couple years back I was fortunate enough to catch a banner dry fly day on the Bow. I had my 7 in the boat, but was using a 5. Nicer for dries, right? I hooked into one of the Bow's Best, played it for a few minutes, and started bringing it in. A foot from the net, the fish put on the brakes. I leaned on the rod, but it simply had no more backbone. The fish went for a run, and got away. I was fishing with a group of guys who had over 50 years of collective Bow River experience, they all saw the whole thing, and they all said "there's nothing you could've done." But there is; if I'd been using my 7 I would've landed that fish, I know it in my bones.

 

Choose your rod based on the heaviest flies you're going to cast, or the largest fish you might catch. Someday, you'll thank me. If a 7 is totally out of the question get a fast-action 6.

[Guest ArtVandelay]

No, I don't think a 7wt is overkill, or I wouldn't have suggested it. To me, there are 2 legitimate ways of basing a rod choice; the flies you're casting, or the fish you're catching.

 

Choose your rod based on the heaviest flies you're going to cast, or the largest fish you might catch. Someday, you'll thank me. If a 7 is totally out of the question get a fast-action 6.

 

This! If landing fish were the only thing that mattered, a 2 or 3wt would do. It's probably because my casting sucks but I can chuck big streamers and heavy nymph rigs a helluva lot better with my 7wt than my 5, and that's important to me. It just comes down to personal preference really. A buddy fishes the Bow with a 4wt - dries, nymphs and streamers. A seasoned angler I know streamer fishes the Bow exclusively with a 9wt. There's no right or wrong answer to this.

[simbirsw]

Your question is a bit open ended. If you were to recommend a vehicle to drive sometimes in the city and sometimes on the highway what size engine would you recommend?

 

You should also consider the length of rod, how many pieces, what sort of action you like to have (slow, medium, fast)?

 

You say you are buying a new rod. Does this mean you currently have a rod and, if so, what have you got? What is it that you like or dislike with the current rod? Are you planning on a new reel and line or using what you currently have and retiring the current rod? Do you have any physical issues when casting all day (sore shoulders or elbows)? Have you got a preference for any particular brand? Do you have a preference for dry flies or streamers? What sort of budget are you looking at?

 

If you currently have a rod that you are reasonably happy with then I would go with something different for the new rod for variety and use the older rod when the situation calls for it. If you aren't satisfied with the old rod then why not (e.g. is it too heavy or too fast? then look at the lighter rod). If you have physical issues such as joint pain then go with a lighter and shorter rod. If you like to throw distance then go with the 6 wt but pick a longer rod.

 

I know this is confusing but what works for someone else on this board may not work for you.

 

The best advice I can give you is to make sure you try several rods before you make a decision. Either try them at a shop or borrow them. And don't be afraid to try several times. You should be picking the rod to match your casting style, not changing your casting style to match the rod. What often happens is that a salesperson will sell you a rod based on their personal preferences rather than what feels good to you or will talk about casting mechanics that just confuse the issue.