2wt capabilities

[williamhj 0]

While my preference in those conditions would still be the 2wt, you would more than likely be adequately pleased with the 3wt.My wife's go to rod in those conditions is a 7'6" 3wt. In the pic of her that I posted she had her 3wt with her, but was fishing with my 2wt while I was tying on a different fly for her. Also keep in mind that I am a custom rod builder and have everything from a owt to a 14wt in my arsenal, and I do like to play. I was generally answering as to the capabilities of a 2wt.

Overall consensus for you if you came to me requesting a build, I would most likely recommend a 3 wt for you. I also have a 8' 7pc 3wt that stays in my truck with me all the time just in case an occasion happened to present itself to me while venturing around and not really going specifically on a fishing expedition. (Pond, canal, creek, stream, mud puddle, large aquarium, etc)

 

Large aquarium huh... Steve better watch out!

[Goduster 0]

Exactly, I see you caught it. I will probably get a call from him over that for sure.

[Charlie43 0]

Fish for Life,

 

You are asking for incompatible things:

 

‘Tight casting conditions’ mandates selecting a short rod, and line weight is irrelevant.

‘Throwing nymphs using 9-ft. leaders’ mandates a long rod, and line weight is irrelevant.

‘Light feel’ mandates selecting a rod built for lightness (paired with a light reel), and both rod length and line weight are irrelevant.

 

Do you want ‘short’ and/or ‘light’? (But you can’t have both ‘short’ and ‘long’.)

 

I refuse to build commercially. But I do build rods, and I make use of the following chart when I’m designing rods for family members:

 

Viable Hack? Original If built as Gives

 

Yes 7pc 8'0" 4pc 4'8"

Yes 7pc 8'0" 5pc 5'9"

Yes 7pc 8'0" 6pc 6'10"

 

Yes 7pc 9'0" 4pc 5'2"

No 7pc 9'0" 5pc 6'5" Instead, build a 4pc, 6'6" *unless* really do need a backpack rod.

No 7pc 9'0" 6pc 7'9" Instead, build a 4pc, 7'6" or 8'0" *unless* really do need a backpack rod.

 

Yes 4pc 6'6" 3pc 4'11"

Yes 4pc 7'6" 3pc 5'8"

Yes 4pc 8'0" 3pc 6'0"

 

NOTE: 5pc & 6pc blanks are rare, as are 7'0" blanks.

 

I'd suggest you continue nymphing those streams with the rod you already have, but build a truly short, backpack rod, lined with a 3wt, and paired with a 2.2 oz reel, for throwing dries in tight quarters. Plan on carrying both setups when you work your mountain streams.

 

E.g., my much-used 4'8" 3wt weighs 32 grams. It can thow 40 feet of line. But my average cast with a #10 Madam X on a small creek is 10'-15', and the rod can handle any fish I'm likely to encounter, i.e., cutthroats to 10" and rainbows/browns to 12". If I'm fishing slightly biggers waters (and fish), I'd use a 7'6". For lakes, especially bluegills and smallmouths, nothing but a 9'0".

 

Suggestion: If you don't build your own rods, stop by an Orvis shop and look at their Superfine series. Not cheap, but really sweet rods with a feather-light feel.

 

Charlie

[Li'lDave 0]

Love trying to break my 2 wt.... this one was Monday. .. 6 lb tippet... about a 15 inch snapper...

[trez 0]

Goduster,
That kinda looks like a butterfly Koi your wife caught instead of your average carp. If so, you might want to be careful fishing there (it's probably off limits) as they are a prized domesticated fish of considerable value, in particular in the bigger sizes like that. I don't know where you are at however so it may be common fish there or if they are your fish in your pond then ignore the comment entirely.

 

I'm sure there are also places where the domestic fish have been released into the wild and have become an invasive species as well.

 

I would love to have one like that in my Koi pond. One like that would cost $200+ where I live with rare varieties costing thousands of dollars. I don't have any of that value but suffice it to say they are spendy.

 

Off topic....

sorry

[retrocarp 0]

Love trying to break my 2 wt.... this one was Monday. .. 6 lb tippet... about a 15 inch snapper...20141229_112618.jpg

Looks like a Mangrove Jack.

Maybe your bream are different to ours on the mid north coast of NSW

[Goduster 0]

It is a grouping of 21 ponds ranging to over a mile in perimeter, with all versions of carp(of which that is a member of) grass, common etc. Also has bass, Talapia,cats, bluebill, etc in them. Perfectly legal to fish there, but strictly barbless, catch and release, and no bait, artificials only.It does require a state fishing license, or a community fishing license. Here in Arizona, there are many of these type communities, some of which you must be a resident of to fish, but that one is part of the City of Avondale water reclamation project, and less than a mile from my house. I will also add that it is routinely patrolled by cities park rangers and people are check regularly

[trez 0]

Goduster,

Thanks for the explanation. Good looking fish. Glad to hear that you have access to such a unique fishing experience. Still would enjoy having one like that in my pond.... Maybe someday.