Druce 0 Report post Posted November 13, 2011 okay all, I want a rod that is slightly more stiff than my 6 weight, im a student and im cheep as it gets. would an 8 or 7 weight rod be reasonable with a 6 weight line and reel? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluegill576 0 Report post Posted November 14, 2011 I think that it depends on the rod. Different rods can handle different ranges of line, but generally speaking I think you would be ok with 7 wt line with a 6 wt rod. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NJ All Day 0 Report post Posted November 14, 2011 I think that it depends on the rod. Different rods can handle different ranges of line, but generally speaking I think you would be ok with 7 wt line with a 6 wt rod. I think you got the whole question wrong. He doesn't want to over size his line to his reel. He wants to put a smaller line and reel to a heavier rod. Its interesting, I'm no professional at this kind of stuff, but wouldn't a lighter line make it harder to load the rod and get a long cast. But i have no idea towards it i'm just shooting in the dark. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluegill576 0 Report post Posted November 14, 2011 I think that it depends on the rod. Different rods can handle different ranges of line, but generally speaking I think you would be ok with 7 wt line with a 6 wt rod. I think you got the whole question wrong. He doesn't want to over size his line to his reel. He wants to put a smaller line and reel to a heavier rod. Its interesting, I'm no professional at this kind of stuff, but wouldn't a lighter line make it harder to load the rod and get a long cast. But i have no idea towards it i'm just shooting in the dark. Sorry, that's what I meant i just jumbled it up as I was writing it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
H.Champagne 0 Report post Posted November 14, 2011 I dont think it will work, but who knows. I agree with NJ all day, using a larger weight rod will not be the same as a more expensive high modulus rod, i dont think it will load well at all. Maybe ask your local fly shop owner what he/she has lying around, and give it a try. Though, the opposite of this idea can be great, I have a 9' 4wt that has 5 wt. line on it and it loads fast as hell and shoots line like a cannon. But its also a very stiff rod so it handles the heavier line well. If you are on a budget, Diamondback Flawless is a great budget - high modulus rod, i think they are around 250 and they blow TFO out of the water. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluegill576 0 Report post Posted November 14, 2011 I just remembered last year when I first got my 5 wt rod and was itching to try it out I put on my 7 wt line and reel and it was useable but it had aweful presentation and such. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Druce 0 Report post Posted November 15, 2011 maaan why do i continue to enjoy this damn sport so much... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted November 15, 2011 It all depends on exactly what rod you have because different manufactures rods will cast/handle different wt lines differently. Let me ask you this...why are you wanting a "stiffer" rod? let me know exactly what the reason (i.e-what your trying to achieve) and I'm sure I/we can offer some suggestions to try. Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted November 15, 2011 Most rods on the market today will handle a line size smaller and one line size heavier than the rated size... That doesn't mean they'll do it very well, though. There are specific circumstances where a lighter or heavier line is just the ticket but all of that depends as much on the caster as the situation so "some experimenting" is probably in order. Nothing like time on the rod, along with time on the water, to tell you very clearly whether it was a good idea. If it was me, I'd want to borrow the gear if possible instead of purchasing until I knew I could get the results needed. Since I'm a saltwater guy my needs (and those of my anglers) are a lot different than what freshwater anglers typically encounter. The one instance when I specifically recommend my anglers over-line their rods by one line size is when we're fishing at night around bridges. In that situation you can't see your fly line well at all, the casting distances are almost pointblank (we're sightfishing tarpon so close that you rarely have even thirty feet of line and leader to work with) so it's very hard to load the rod properly. With one line size heavier you're able to load the rod for the quick and accurate shots that are our bread and butter. When we leave the bridge shadows and hit nearby docklights the situation is dramatically different and we're needing long casts and only get one or two shots before those docklight fish are wise to us. In that instance the over-lined rod is something of a handi-cap since it's tough to get an 70 to 80 foot cast with it.... As always no such thing as an advantage in one area that isn't a handi-cap somewhere else. Tight Lines Bob LeMay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rocco 0 Report post Posted November 15, 2011 You will get a tip heavy rod that you must carry all day w/o a comfortable balance point. And you will have to overpower with muscles to get line speed to compensate for the lack of line weight needed to work the rod. Forget casting any large or weighted flies with such a rig. A day of casting that system will send you to a tackle store fast for a balanced rig. There are scads of perfectly good used reels that will match your new rod and not cost an arm and a leg. You can start by trying an older Scientific Anglers reel in the 789 series, Good luck, Rocco Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldtrout58 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2011 I would try a 5 weight line on your rod, perhaps a 4 weight. Stiff rods are great for casting, but not so great for most of the fishing I do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kodiaksalmon 0 Report post Posted December 18, 2011 As has been said, you'll have to experiment some. Just underlining won't make a rod stiffer or faster; it just loads it less. There is a difference. If you're on a budget, check ebay. There's actually used and discontinued lines on there quite a bit; both from sellers and stores. I've bought new in the box lines for $20 because they were "old" models and used lines for less than $10 from the typical rich guy who went on one trip and never used it again and is now selling it. If you've got the rod, drop the extra $30-$40 for an affordable line somewhere and let the rod cast like it's supposed to. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Perry Poke 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2011 1321228724[/url]' post='482960']okay all, I want a rod that is slightly more stiff than my 6 weight, im a student and im cheep as it gets. would an 8 or 7 weight rod be reasonable with a 6 weight line and reel? 7 maybe, but 8 might be pushing it.... Then again depends on the rod.... My friend has a 6wgt that is fairly firm for a 6 wgt rod and I have one that is more full flex but soft .... My guess is the 8 line may over load my rod..... Hmmmmm I'll have try it to be sure Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JSzymczyk 0 Report post Posted December 23, 2011 I have a 9' 4wt that has 5 wt. line on it and it loads fast as hell and shoots line like a cannon. so then if it works like IT IS SUPPOSED TO with a 5 wt line, isn't it really a 5 weight? I have a nice rod with a sticker that says 7 weight, but it does very well with an 8 weight line with bigger flies, and also does well with a 7 weight line as long as I don't try to cast a half-ounce "fly" with it. Most modern rods do well with one or even two sizes overlined, but no bueno underlined. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites