All my flyrods are 9', except for two: I have the Sage Largemouth and Sage Smallmouth rods that are both 7'11". Turns out, they are the two rods I use the most. They are GREAT for fishing in tight quarters and making quick short casts.
I'm not clear on why you found triangle taper unsatisfactory...unless it is because it was too light to help you load.??
My experience with rods shorter than 8' a matter of difficulty loading. Short rods cause more work in my opinion, and work is what the rod is supposed to be doing for you. Starting with the knowledge you are not going to get the distance you will with a longer rod, and that they are hard to load...the supposed accuracy gain becomes moot. True, they are good for close quarters and they take some "getting used to" but my recommendation would be to avoid a short "fast" rod in favor of one with more whip action.
BB
Win blow pelkin way he wanna go. -Belizian proverb--
I like my 7 footer for small streams, especially when roll casting isn't practical due to overhead brush. On those waters, it's surprising how many more opportunities open up without the extra foot or foot and a half. I probably wouldn't use them when I thought I was likely to cast more than 20 feet.
I have short 2 and 3 weight rods and rarely use them lately. I'm hankering for a short rod that will handle a 5 or 6 weight line for throwing larger flies, hopper/dropper rigs and that can still be used when the wind pipes up to 3 MPH and over! ;)
Since those aren't 'in' these days with the major manufacturers, I'm being forced to build the rod I want from a blank.
Re the short rod -- they rock. The right short rod on a small stream is heaven. First, it must load. The fiberglass -- or better -- the bamboo rod excels here. Bamboo has the mass to flex itself, something Tupperware lacks. Some carbon monsters can be overlined by two line sizes for short word.
Case in point, I got a Three Forks 7'6 for a three line for newbies and girls. I put a WF5 on it. It worked fine. There are, to be fair, many new rods that are great for small streaming -- ones, 00s, 000, who would have thought.
But again, firing accurate casts on a small stream is the most fun I can imagine.
Short for some isn't that short. I am tall and I can tell quite a difference between 7 ft. and a 7 1/2 ft rod when there is dense overhead vegetation. But I agree with Kuni that a shorter bamboo rod works very well on small streams.
I was here but was lost in the shuffle - now I am found
Happy Trails!
Here in the East I like short (5'5" to 7') rods for mountain creek fishing where the bushes and trees will not allow you to cast with a 9' rod, and 7'6" or 8' rods for most opf the rest of my trout fishing. I also like short rods for hickory shad when a blitz is on. Shad are much quicker to hand (for release) with a short rod.
Out West I fish mostly 8'9" and 9' rods except on very small streams.
All my trout rods are between 7 1/2' and 8 1/2' . I don't consider them short at all. Yuppies like to use 9' or longer rods for high-stick nymphing. That is mostly because yuppies just love to say "high-stick nymphing".
I've used my Orvis 7'11" (4wt.) on those small streams and I think it's great! I'm heading to central PA this Sunday for a few days and I'm already thinking about that 13" brownie that's swimming around right now that I'm going to catch.....all thanks to my beloved 7'11".
I have a 7'9" 4 weight I use on the few small brush tunnel type streams with larger (14-17" in some cases) fish in them that we have around here. The 8' 2 weight is for similar creeks that DON'T have bigger fish. I also fish the 4 almost exclusively when I go back to Missouri in the winter. I'd love a 7'6"-8' 5 weight (Far & Fine, basically) for the same purposes, because I do occasionally fish streamers when I go home.
For me there is a point when short gets too short. I had a 6' 2 weight before the current rod, and it was just too much of a one-trick pony. Any wind or any distance over 20 feet and it severely impacted my fishing, because it was a lot harder to control at those ranges than the longer rod.
Incidentally, both of these rods are TFO, the 7'9" a Finesse series and the 8' a Professional.
Yellowstone Trip Planner: hatch charts, river descriptions, tackle suggestions, and more.
~~~Head Guide, Parks' Fly Shop, Gardiner, MT
~~~Freelance Writer
Real difference. And I guess I am a little contrary. I don't like short rods much. I have severl nice 7' glass and graphite rods, and always reach for one longer. 8' is a nice "short rod" for me. I will do 7.5 feet in bamboo sometimes since I have a couple and 8' bamboo is heavy.
Lee Wulff spearheaded a trend towards smaller rods many years ago. There was an arguement against them back then and he proved that anyone with flyfishing skills can land big fish (atlantic salmon etc.) on small rods (5-6 foot bamboo). He went a step further and showed that no rod was needed at all. He flyfished atlantic salmon on film with no rod, just casting line with his arm. He hooked, played and landed an atlantic salmon this way. Anyone know a source to access some of his old films?
I agree with him (Wulff) but still prefer to use the right (ideal) tool for the job. I have flyrods in the 5-6 foot range and use them on brushy, canopied streams. I catch big fish in big water on them too but it's more for something different and fun than a regular occurrance. My suggestion is to learn on 8-9 foot rods and then try the longer or shorter rods once you have intermediate to pro skills.
Larry Tullis [url=http://www.northforkoutdoors.comFlyfishing Consultant/Writer/Photographer/Guide/Designerflyfishxprt@aol.com
Copyright © 2009 Intermedia Outdoors
I have a 6' 3wt that I use on some smaller streams in the mountains.
I love it.... I do use a DT line rather than a WF.
Same here. The casting stroke takes some getting used to when I switch to it. Unfortunately I put a Triangle Taper on it. I will NEVER do that again.
All my flyrods are 9', except for two: I have the Sage Largemouth and Sage Smallmouth rods that are both 7'11". Turns out, they are the two rods I use the most. They are GREAT for fishing in tight quarters and making quick short casts.
Swamp,
I'm not clear on why you found triangle taper unsatisfactory...unless it is because it was too light to help you load.??
My experience with rods shorter than 8' a matter of difficulty loading. Short rods cause more work in my opinion, and work is what the rod is supposed to be doing for you. Starting with the knowledge you are not going to get the distance you will with a longer rod, and that they are hard to load...the supposed accuracy gain becomes moot. True, they are good for close quarters and they take some "getting used to" but my recommendation would be to avoid a short "fast" rod in favor of one with more whip action.
BB
Win blow pelkin way he wanna go. -Belizian proverb--
Real difference but it depends on the conditions. You need the correct rod for the job. Did you have any particular situation in mind?
Jim LoweCane Rodsmith - High Country Fly Fisher Practitioner of the Short Rod
I like my 7 footer for small streams, especially when roll casting isn't practical due to overhead brush. On those waters, it's surprising how many more opportunities open up without the extra foot or foot and a half. I probably wouldn't use them when I thought I was likely to cast more than 20 feet.
I have short 2 and 3 weight rods and rarely use them lately. I'm hankering for a short rod that will handle a 5 or 6 weight line for throwing larger flies, hopper/dropper rigs and that can still be used when the wind pipes up to 3 MPH and over! ;)
Since those aren't 'in' these days with the major manufacturers, I'm being forced to build the rod I want from a blank.
Short rod = small feet. Just ask swizz.
Thas funny.
Re the short rod -- they rock. The right short rod on a small stream is heaven. First, it must load. The fiberglass -- or better -- the bamboo rod excels here. Bamboo has the mass to flex itself, something Tupperware lacks. Some carbon monsters can be overlined by two line sizes for short word.
Case in point, I got a Three Forks 7'6 for a three line for newbies and girls. I put a WF5 on it. It worked fine. There are, to be fair, many new rods that are great for small streaming -- ones, 00s, 000, who would have thought.
But again, firing accurate casts on a small stream is the most fun I can imagine.
Short for some isn't that short. I am tall and I can tell quite a difference between 7 ft. and a 7 1/2 ft rod when there is dense overhead vegetation. But I agree with Kuni that a shorter bamboo rod works very well on small streams.
I was here but was lost in the shuffle - now I am found
Happy Trails!
Here in the East I like short (5'5" to 7') rods for mountain creek fishing where the bushes and trees will not allow you to cast with a 9' rod, and 7'6" or 8' rods for most opf the rest of my trout fishing. I also like short rods for hickory shad when a blitz is on. Shad are much quicker to hand (for release) with a short rod.
Out West I fish mostly 8'9" and 9' rods except on very small streams.
I guess the Far and Fine at 7' 9" is a short rod. Its the best rod I've ever fished for those small, brushy, 5-10' wide cricks.
I am 6 feet 3 and my 7 foot 10inch seems short to me.I tend to do a lot of roll casting with it in tight quarters.
Terry Lee Lightle
The Far and Fine is one of my favorite rods, but you might be surprised at how much easier it is to use a 6'6" or 7' rod on those creeks.
All my trout rods are between 7 1/2' and 8 1/2' . I don't consider them short at all. Yuppies like to use 9' or longer rods for high-stick nymphing. That is mostly because yuppies just love to say "high-stick nymphing".
I've used my Orvis 7'11" (4wt.) on those small streams and I think it's great! I'm heading to central PA this Sunday for a few days and I'm already thinking about that 13" brownie that's swimming around right now that I'm going to catch.....all thanks to my beloved 7'11".
Indecision is the key to flexibility
+1 on this. I really miss my 6' 3wt, it should be repaired soon. Close quarters fishing it's hard to beat.
Jim
I have a 7'9" 4 weight I use on the few small brush tunnel type streams with larger (14-17" in some cases) fish in them that we have around here. The 8' 2 weight is for similar creeks that DON'T have bigger fish. I also fish the 4 almost exclusively when I go back to Missouri in the winter. I'd love a 7'6"-8' 5 weight (Far & Fine, basically) for the same purposes, because I do occasionally fish streamers when I go home.
For me there is a point when short gets too short. I had a 6' 2 weight before the current rod, and it was just too much of a one-trick pony. Any wind or any distance over 20 feet and it severely impacted my fishing, because it was a lot harder to control at those ranges than the longer rod.
Incidentally, both of these rods are TFO, the 7'9" a Finesse series and the 8' a Professional.
Yellowstone Trip Planner: hatch charts, river descriptions, tackle suggestions, and more.
~~~Head Guide, Parks' Fly Shop, Gardiner, MT
~~~Freelance Writer
Real difference. And I guess I am a little contrary. I don't like short rods much. I have severl nice 7' glass and graphite rods, and always reach for one longer. 8' is a nice "short rod" for me. I will do 7.5 feet in bamboo sometimes since I have a couple and 8' bamboo is heavy.
Lee Wulff spearheaded a trend towards smaller rods many years ago. There was an arguement against them back then and he proved that anyone with flyfishing skills can land big fish (atlantic salmon etc.) on small rods (5-6 foot bamboo). He went a step further and showed that no rod was needed at all. He flyfished atlantic salmon on film with no rod, just casting line with his arm. He hooked, played and landed an atlantic salmon this way. Anyone know a source to access some of his old films?
I agree with him (Wulff) but still prefer to use the right (ideal) tool for the job. I have flyrods in the 5-6 foot range and use them on brushy, canopied streams. I catch big fish in big water on them too but it's more for something different and fun than a regular occurrance. My suggestion is to learn on 8-9 foot rods and then try the longer or shorter rods once you have intermediate to pro skills.
Larry Tullis [url=http://www.northforkoutdoors.comFlyfishing Consultant/Writer/Photographer/Guide/Designerflyfishxprt@aol.com
How do I delete an accidentaly doubled post?
Larry Tullis [url=http://www.northforkoutdoors.comFlyfishing Consultant/Writer/Photographer/Guide/Designerflyfishxprt@aol.com