7 or 8 weight

[imx 0]

lookin at buying a new rod and am having a tough time deciding.. the rod will be used for summer steelhead and bass in the river throwing big fly's.

 

i'm curious if there is much differance in the two weights as far as casting, under rod or over rod for the two different fish

[BigBrownTrout 0]

I'd say its' a personal preference. I fish both a 7wt and a 8wt and I would choose the 8wt if just one rod for those species. I would also get a rod with a softer mid section versus a fast action rod for throwing the big flies. Again personal preference. Let us know what works best for YOU.

[flytyer166 0]

i use a eight and a half foot 7 wieght. the best rod a guy can have!!!

[atroutbum2 0]

i would get the 8 wt, i will be better suited to handle the bigger /wind resistant flys in bass fishin

 

remember, its the weight of the line that pulls the fly thru the air. the heavier the line, the bigger and bulkier the fly that can be cast , but if your goin after spooky fish or the flies aint all that bulky , you might want a more delicate presentation that the lighter line gives u , but a 7 wt aint all that delicate

 

 

I personally have a 7 and an 8 wt, i perfer to use my 8 , i really dont like my 7 wt all that much, but , thats me.

[salty fly 0]

Most of my bass fishing I use an 8# with a fast tip,I over line it with a 9# S.A. bass taper fly line.Thats my two cents.

 

Bryan'Salty Fly'

[imx 0]

thanks fellas... i think i leaning more towards the 8. now to decide what flavor

[2bonthewater 0]

8 weight just sounds better .......

 

I owned a loomis GL3 9 foot 8 wt once..........fished it with a Teeny mini-sink tip line.........that rod was a rocket launcher with that setup--used it for steelies and salmon in Pulaski, NY and Erie tribs

 

there are so many rod makers out there..........where do you start?? have fun finding that new rod

[imx 0]

i've got several loomis but most are in conventional gear.. i do have a 5wt imx that i love, just not sure if i want to shell out the dough for a loomis. some of the rods from cabelas and echo look pretty decent and are priced more within reason. i'm not able to fish like i use to so its getting hard to justify spending the big bucks but then again i haven't owned a loomis or sage i didn't like.

[flyderaght 0]

personally, I would go with the 8wt with a fighting butt on it. that said it is a choice that only you can make. http://www.sandpiperflyfishing.com/whos-who.html The owner I do know and have a very nice 5wt he made for me. He can do something up for you. He is also a flyfishing nut and has a blank for a bass rod I believe.

marc

[2bonthewater 0]

IMX

 

you could probably get a used Loomis on e-bay........for under 200 bucks..........the echo rods in an 8 wt will run you about 190 dollars........

St. Croix Imperial --190-- would be an economically sound good choice.....you could probably find a used St. Croix Legend Ultra for around 2 bills also

 

I don't like spending more than 200 bucks on a rod..........I don't mind a rod being used--- so long as it wasn't abused........

 

****EDIT: I just laughed hard at this, considering most of my rods cost over 200 dollars----I have had a few 700 dollar rods: Winston Switch, Loomis Whisper Creek--but I paid 325 or so each......both were used, but in great condition......Loved the Beulah switch rods too--4oo bucks or so.........so, I don't like spending more than 200 bucks on a rod, but I have been known to do so......all those rods have already been re-sold to someone else..........I will say the whisper creek was the smoothest rod I have ever put my hands on and the Winston switch was a ROCKET LAUNCHER with Beulah Elixer 6/7 line*****

 

I have not heard a bad thing about the Echo rods...........has anyone??

 

winston does produce lower end rods that are supposed to be pretty darn good---the Passport is 199 dollars and the VSL is 299

 

cabela's -- Blaach........

 

hope you pick a great one...........

 

old but good to see:

http://www.yellowsto...versionsBIG.htm

 

2011 5 wt shootout with the 199 passport being high on the list---the list is littered with rods a normal man can't afford

http://www.yellowsto...ht.shootout.htm

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

I have a 7wt and a 9wt.

 

The 7wt can do everything the 8wt can as far as fighting and just everything with casting with the added bonus of being lighter when the need arises to blind cast all day.

If the wind kicks up and I need more stick than the 7, the 9wt helps cast the larger flies in the wind better than the 8wt. Now, that is for redfish.

For bass, I ususally use a 4 or 5wt and if I need to throw larger flies, I use my 7wt.

Don't know if it is an old time economical thing or not but I always did like skipping a weight and I prefer the odd numbers in the mid sizes 5, 7, & 9wt, except I really like my 4wt. If I went even numbered, it would be 6, 8 & 10wt.

 

Kirk

[imx 0]

thanks for all the info and i never even thought about the used rods... so i got onto the local craiglist here and bought a used but never used sage launch 890-4 with case, sage reel 1680 with wf line and backing for $115. i did some quick research and seemed like a great price. i figure even though i bought before i casted i can't get hurt too bad and if it wasn't something i liked i could get my money back.

 

anyone had one of these rods?

 

please tell me i didn't make a poor choice...

[2bonthewater 0]

so, how does it cast??

 

the only one who can say if you made a mistake is you...........either it will feel right............or it won't !!!!

[imx 0]

i'm picking it up tonight after work so i'll have to see. gonna throw some flies at some steelhead this weekend so maybe i'll get a chance to give the reel a workout

[ditz2 0]

I wouldn't be too good to buy a used rod either. I usually do skip line sizes when buying. I currently have 2 5wt, a 9wt, and a 2wt. The 2wt casts better with a 4wt dt line though. I will be looking for a 7wt for flies that the 5wt won't cast well and to use as a light saltie rod so it will need to be around 9'. I really like my 5wt for bass but it does limit the fly size. Not much steelhead fishing here in TN so not help there but the 7wt would be more comfortable on a long day on a bass pond. An 8 or 9wt can get heavy after an hour or so of blind casting. Just remember....the more rods the more difficult it is to choose the tool for the day.