Rod Weight

[scel]

I often hear people calling a rod weight 'overkill'.

 

I understand that using a light rod for big fish is potentially harmful to the fish.

 

Are there any harmful effects using a heavy rod on a small fish?

[Kutney]

Good point,

 

I was fishing my streamer rod for a small rising cuttie last weekend, only rod I had on me, and after being used to chucking streamers all day long, I switch to 5x and I set the hook so hard I snapped the fly off in his jaw, I think if I had 3x that fish would have been flying at me. Although I realized a soft hook set works just fine with a heavier line. I have landed a 20" cuttie on my 0wt TXL-F and had no issues at all, depends on how you play the fish in my mind, I kind of think its a myth, so lets see were this goes here.

[Muffin]

Great question scel.

 

I sort of agree having a heavier weight rod will allow you to land a bigger fish more quickly. As Kutney points out though I am sure lots of people on this forum have landed big fish on small/low weight rods.

 

I know I have been fishing a 6wt on some smaller creeks and caught some pretty teeny fish. I just try not to set the hook really hard.

 

I know currently I only have one rod so one weight that I can use so I do the best I can. I will of course be adding to the collection when funds become available. Also like Kutney said sometimes you are out and you use the rod you have even if not ideal for the situation.

 

Curious to see this discussion... hopefully civil and respectful discussion.

[Flyfisher]

A heavy rod on small fish? No harm to fish. It just wouldn't be as much fun as an appropriately sized rod. Way more fun catching cutty's on my 8 1/2 ft. 4wt. than on one of my 6 wts.

[Hawgstoppah]

My opinion is that if you are using a light rod and 5x tippet, or a heavy rod and 5x tippet, either will land a fish in the same amount of time. In fact you may land your 5x fish more quickly with the lighter rod simply because you CAN put more pressure on the fish without fearing the tippet breaking. The heavier rod most likely snaps off more fish during the hookset and fight than the lighter one, resulting in more flies left in a fish's face. I think the "light rod vs heavy rod" should actually come down to and be in reference to "heavier line vs lighter line". It really has nothing to do with the rod itself, and everything to do with the skill level of the angler, and the stregth of tippet / line being used.

 

Cheers,

[reevesr1]

People often confuse selecting the size of the rod to the fish instead of selecting the size of the rod based on what you are presenting, and how. IMHO, in most of the flowing water I've fished, there really are not that many fish that will over power a smaller rod. If you are fishing delicate/small dries to selective fish and are using light tippet, I like smaller rods (my smallest is a 3 wt.) because I think they present better. I also think that if you are not afraid of breaking off the odd fish, if you put a lot of pressure on the fish with smaller rods, you can land them just about as quickly. Like anything, there are limits. A 28" brown on a 3 wt wit 5x tippet would be tough. But you know what, they are tough on a 5 wt with 3x also, and if they are being spooky in clear water, good luck hooking him on 3x. Sometimes you may be overpowered, but really, not very often. The majority of my fishing on the Bow is with a 4 and 5wt. I'll use a 6 if it's really windy, and maybe my 3 if I'm fishing small dries. Cutty streams are almost exclusively 3 and 4 wt. I watched BigBowTrout land a 28 or so bull with his 3 (only rod he had with him) in about 2 minutes once. I think it was harder on him to cast that big ass streamer than it was to fight and land the fish!

 

I remember a fish I caught with Brian--a 22" rocket of a rainbow on 5x with a 3 wt. Landed quickly (or at least as quickly as I would have with a 5) and released. I in no way felt under gunned. Breathless after the fight, but not undergunned.

[cheeler]

I had a situation once where I didn't notice that a 4" trout had taken a 3" bugger on my 6 wt spey until after a couple of casts. He swam away fine but I don't think he appreciated being unintentionally used as live bait!

[FraserN]

I find a big rod to be not entirely appropriate for presenting small flies to small trout, especially on the Bow. I had a lot of trouble with heavier rods because I kept losing fish, especially in the fall on tiny BWOs. The rod is too stiff at 7wt. and larger, and the hook set is too hard. Sometimes, the little guys did get yanked right out of the water. Definitely overkill, although it lands small fish quickly, even on light tippets down to 6X.