they sell a setup at sweenys for about 200 but thats a little out of my range any got anything else that might be a little cheaper ? im thinking not but what hell . nothing ventured nothing gained . from what im hearing my 5 wt is too small for steelhead fishing any suggestions
People might give me crap for this, but I use a 5 wt for steelhead... The only place I had a hard time using it was at the American, because I was using two big fly's with a bunch of weight.
I have a 6 weight redington cpx for sale. its brand new. I'll let er go for $160. the rod retails for $300, and in my opinion stiff enough to be more of a seven weight.
I will even toss in a line, either a 6 or 7, it your choice. I think it would be a great stick for steelies especially on the yuba, feather, trinity, klamath, lower sac, and a few smaller coastal streams.
hey lil whip, i brought my 5 and 3 wt out on the AR this year and landed steelhead on them. but in no way will i do it on a regular basis it was a one time thing, just to try it out, had to spontaneous one day, mostly when i knew the bigger fish were out of the system, and it was mostly fish from 18-26.
anyways as far as a good steelhead rod on the american, 10ft 6 or 7 wt, i have a 10ft scott sts 6wt for nymphing and a 10ft redington red fly 2 7wt for swinging. u could get away with a 5 wt but it would have to be a fast action rod and a 10fter.
redington cpx is a really nice rod step up from the red flys, fast action but if its a 10fter i would be all over that for 160, if i didnt already have 2 10ft 6wts i would pic it up in a heartbeat.
BUY IT U WILL LOVE THAT ROD.
due to the fast action u will want the 7wt line.
-- Edited by brian clemens on Wednesday 23rd of September 2009 12:19:37 PM
__________________
Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Brian, you used the 3 wt at the chute? If so, remember the first time I went with you to the A? I had a hard time casting far enough with a 5wt to fish the seam. Must've been a helluva fight.
I just got back today from the american river around nimbus dam and below . and I don't know what's the problem my guess is my 9.5 ft 5 wt is either too short or I need a 6 or 7 wt because I can only wade so far out. And to cast to the seam or the faster moving water my rod just isn't doing the trick! and I think that's where many of the steel head are hanging out plus I''m trying to teach myself . which is like trying to teach myself calculus . then we went to another spot and I found a fork in the river and I was fishing the smaller water and I could hit the current but wasn't sure weather to swing or to use an indo i'm sure there was fish in there. I think ? . I might need instruction. and it would be cool to try out a couple of different rods before I spend money on this rod or that rod and not find that it's exactly right ether. does anybody have a rod I could try . or is that asking too much? some of the rods that you guys posted sound decent . have any of you received any instruction without the cost of hiring a guide. I just don't know. It's frustrating sometimes.( mx what should I doooo ) just kidding. See what I mean fn calculus .
-- Edited by rgloft on Wednesday 23rd of September 2009 07:46:03 PM
mr ... jvento.....boasting i think not..iv been maken my own rods for close to 14 years now and i can and will say U CAN MAKE A ROD for close to a100.00 or less...i know cuz iv done it....
there is a very big step up in size from a 6wt to a 7wt rod. As well as the size of the reel.Go back to sweeneys and look at a 5wt then a 6wt and then look at a 7wt.You will notice the 5wt and 6wt are very close in size and the 7wt is a lot thicker and more beefy.
Get a 7wt rod and reel and Put a heavier 8wt line on it .Remember , you are using bigger , heavier flies, larger shot, thicker tippet(leader) and chasing bigger fish with bad attitudes.remember how fast that small adult ripped out your line and said bye bye to you on the feather...
If you want me to meet you down at sweeneys and help you learn about the different rods and reels just give me ring.
Landing a hot steelhead on a 5wt rod is certainly possible. However, landing a steelhead on a rod like that certainly would lead to a long fight, and more fish fatalities. Do the fish a favor and upgrade to a bigger rod (as you are planning on doing). Quicker catch and release means more steel in the water for us all. Not trying to gripe or anything, just think people get too involved with thinking about the size of the rod in relation to how heavy of flies you are throwing and not enough about the speediness of the catch and release.
Deffinately go with a 7 wt. Its a universal rod for my small coastal tribs and the valley rivers. As for tippit, Leave the 4 and 5x at home, 2x down to 3x, or even 1x down to 2x for rivers like the feather or Yuba. You can even go heavier on the smaller coastal rivers.
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all of a man's addictions end and begin when he learns to fly fish
ok just so everyone knows, i only did the 3wt one time. caught one or 2 fish on it and put it away. i had a great steelhead season and i wanted to give it a go.
my go to rods for the american are a 6wt for nymphing and a 7wt for swinging both 10fters. as far as the yuba, this time of yr ill bring my 6wt, but when the salmon and steelhead are out of the river i will throw my 5wt all day.
its up to you. but if u are not going to be fishing the coastal rivers, just sticking to the feather, yuba and american for steelhead a 10ft 6wt will do you just fine. now if u start going to places like the klamath and the trinity and coastal rivers get a 7wt.
all depends on what u want to spend as well. there are several 10ft 7wts out there that feel just as light as a 6wt but they are not, sage makes a great light weight 7wt but to costly for my pocket. its up to you where u wanna go. many suggestions here. its up to you.
__________________
Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Just a side note... My 5 wt is fast action and feels more like a 6 wt.
Action has nothing to do with how strong a rod is. Action is all about how the rod flexes and how it will load the line. I think there are a lot of people that make this mistake because I hear it all the time. A 5wt is a 5wt no matter what the action is.
I know, but it's stiffer... To me, a stiffer rod is a stronger rod. If it's a fast action, then it will bend closer to the tip of the rod, which means there is more backbone.
