what rod weight?

[lakerman]

Been fishing with a 5wt for a few years now and seen a 16 inch trout caught on a 3wt, I think I'd like to get a 3wt, What are others using, opinions?

[ShortsideK]

My fave used to be a 3wt., but now I do 99% of my fishing with a 4wt.
Ya, everyone is gonna say its too hard on the fish if you catch a big one and take too long to get it to hand. I've caught 19+" trout on my 3wt. and yes, it takes awhile to get them in, but they always swam away not seeming any the worse for wear.
I hardly ever use my 5wt. (Hardy Zenith).
Best combo of rods (imho) is a 4, 6, and 8wt. These will cover pretty much everything you'll come across.
Although, when its really windy, you can pretty much give up on the 4 wt., especially with really strong cross winds.
Since you already have a 5wt. maybe you should get a 3wt. There will be a BIG difference in how it casts, but also a big difference in how much fun it is to catch fish up to about 14".

[Scott N]

I also do about 99% of my fishing with a 4wt.

[scel]

Originally Posted by lakerman

Been fishing with a 5wt for a few years now and seen a 16 inch trout caught on a 3wt, I think I'd like to get a 3wt, What are others using, opinions?

It depends where you fish and for what species.

The 5wt is a weird weight rod. It is a good trout rod, pretty good at all trout fishing, but not really exceptional. It cannot throw dries like a 4wt, nor can it throw streamers like a 6wt.

If you want to fish the Bow River, a 3wt is not a good tool. If you want to fish southern AB, it takes a very, very skilled caster to battle inevitable wind with a 4wt. On occasion, I have even broken out the 6wt to catch 8" brook trout, just to battle the wind.

Honestly, it is not ethical to use a 3wt to catch large trout on catch-n-release waters. Occasionally, it happens because, well, fishing, and that is totally awesome. If you are targetting large trout (16" or greater), a 5wt or greater is the tool to use

In Alberta, 4-6-8wt covers 100% of your fishing. In other places 3-5-7wt is the choice, but it leaves you undergunned for pike and, from my experience, underpowered to battle the wind in all the places where a 3wt would shine in ideal conditions (like the Oldman watershed or the Red Deer River watershed spring creeks).

If I were adding a second rod to my quiver, I would probably add a 6wt, to throw the streamers for those really big fish or a fast action 4wt that has enough power to punch the dry flies in a moderate wind.

[Mr Flyguy]

Originally Posted by scel

It depends where you fish and for what species.

The 5wt is a weird weight rod. It is a good trout rod, pretty good at all trout fishing, but not really exceptional. It cannot throw dries like a 4wt, nor can it throw streamers like a 6wt.

If you want to fish the Bow River, a 3wt is not a good tool. If you want to fish southern AB, it takes a very, very skilled caster to battle inevitable wind with a 4wt. On occasion, I have even broken out the 6wt to catch 8" brook trout, just to battle the wind.

Honestly, it is not ethical to use a 3wt to catch large trout on catch-n-release waters. Occasionally, it happens because, well, fishing, and that is totally awesome. If you are targetting large trout (16" or greater), a 5wt or greater is the tool to use

In Alberta, 4-6-8wt covers 100% of your fishing. In other places 3-5-7wt is the choice, but it leaves you undergunned for pike and, from my experience, underpowered to battle the wind in all the places where a 3wt would shine in ideal conditions (like the Oldman watershed or the Red Deer River watershed spring creeks).

If I were adding a second rod to my quiver, I would probably add a 6wt, to throw the streamers for those really big fish or a fast action 4wt that has enough power to punch the dry flies in a moderate wind.

Fully agree! I've been using a 10 ft 5wt (Sage VXP) in my canoe at a lake for the last few years, for suspending chiros and balanced leeches below an indicator, and it can handle the wind, the 20+ inchers and still let the 12 inchers give a good scrap. However, it's a brute when casting backswimmers, boatmen, minnows and then I go to a 5 or 6 wt 9ft.

[FlyDuke]

3 weight rod with a 4 weight line. Shoots it farther than a 3 weight line. Helps in windy conditions. Fun stuff

[ShortsideK]

Honestly, it is not ethical to use a 3wt to catch large trout on catch-n-release waters. Occasionally, it happens because, well, fishing, and that is totally awesome.
Sez who?
Another urban legend.
Who decided that catching large fish on lightweight fly rods was "unethical"? Me thinks its the old fuddy duddies that are stuck in the past.
No problem. They can carry on using their "sledge hammers" to catch fish.
Spare me...

[lannie]

Originally Posted by ShortsideK

Honestly, it is not ethical to use a 3wt to catch large trout on catch-n-release waters. Occasionally, it happens because, well, fishing, and that is totally awesome.
Sez who?
Another urban legend.
Who decided that catching large fish on lightweight fly rods was "unethical"? Me thinks its the old fuddy duddies that are stuck in the past.
No problem. They can carry on using their "sledge hammers" to catch fish.
Spare me...

x2

[MK2750]

Originally Posted by ShortsideK

Honestly, it is not ethical to use a 3wt to catch large trout on catch-n-release waters. Occasionally, it happens because, well, fishing, and that is totally awesome.
Sez who?
Another urban legend.
Who decided that catching large fish on lightweight fly rods was "unethical"? Me thinks its the old fuddy duddies that are stuck in the past.
No problem. They can carry on using their "sledge hammers" to catch fish.
Spare me...

X3

Rod weight has everything to do with the fly, the conditions, the water and type of presentation. It has little to nothing to do with size of trout unless we are talking gigantic.

My smallest rod is a 486 Sage ZXL which is a medium action light rod. It is an absolute joy to catch large fish on when in small to medium type waters. The only reason I don't have a 3 wt. is the inevitably winds one encounters most every day.

It has become obvious that the vast majority fish over sized rods using hopper/dropper, large terrestrials, streamers and thingamabobbers with chironomids. Even the lines being used makes delicate presentations impossible. Find yourselves a light action 3 or 4 wt. with a good trout taper and you will discover a whole new world of fly fishing. It is often more like hunting than fishing but very rewarding.

[Groundhogger]

Originally Posted by scel

It depends where you fish and for what species.

The 5wt is a weird weight rod. It is a good trout rod, pretty good at all trout fishing, but not really exceptional. It cannot throw dries like a 4wt, nor can it throw streamers like a 6wt.

If you want to fish the Bow River, a 3wt is not a good tool. If you want to fish southern AB, it takes a very, very skilled caster to battle inevitable wind with a 4wt. On occasion, I have even broken out the 6wt to catch 8" brook trout, just to battle the wind.

Honestly, it is not ethical to use a 3wt to catch large trout on catch-n-release waters. Occasionally, it happens because, well, fishing, and that is totally awesome. If you are targetting large trout (16" or greater), a 5wt or greater is the tool to use

In Alberta, 4-6-8wt covers 100% of your fishing. In other places 3-5-7wt is the choice, but it leaves you undergunned for pike and, from my experience, underpowered to battle the wind in all the places where a 3wt would shine in ideal conditions (like the Oldman watershed or the Red Deer River watershed spring creeks).

If I were adding a second rod to my quiver, I would probably add a 6wt, to throw the streamers for those really big fish or a fast action 4wt that has enough power to punch the dry flies in a moderate wind.

^I agree with 99% of this. I landed the biggest brown trout of my life testing a 2wt, and while I did land it and release it safely (pretty sure)..the whole time fighting it I was thinking F***! F***! F***! I don't think rod-weight-choice even IS a question of ethics, BUT, if you're going out with a 3wt. targeting big fish all the time, clearly you don't have a great deal of regard for the well-being OF the fish themselves. In my case, I was on a tiny stream expecting 10" fish, the 2wt. seemed like a good idea.

Seems like people have been parroting the 5wt as the ultimate trout rod forever, and while I think it's close to being that...I've yet to try a 5wt. that can bomb-out streamers in the wind effectively. Big streamers, OR heavy nymphs or nymph rigs/indicator rigs, etc. I've owned 2/3/4/5/7/9/10 over the years (multiple 3/4/5) and if I could start over...i'd probably get the best 4/6/8 I could afford, and be done with it unless I got into saltwater.

Naturally, not all rods are created equal...and someone's great/fast 4 may be better than someone else's lumpy/heavy 5wt., etc. So yes, it's entirely subjective. I'll add that if catching big fish on the "proper" weight fly rod has gotten boring to the point where you need to use a 3wt. to feel the thrill again, it may be time to take a break from fly fishing. lol

[goldscud]

It's really about tippet strength and the skill of the angler. Someone who knows what they are doing can put a ton of pressure on a big fish with a 3wt. Conversely, I have seen guys fight 18" rainbows in the Bow for more than 10 minutes (rarely should be over 2 minutes). If you don't know how to aggressively land a big fish in a relatively short amount of time, maybe a bigger rod is something you should consider...and then learn how put some pressure on the fish

[scel]

Originally Posted by ShortsideK

Honestly, it is not ethical to use a 3wt to catch large trout on catch-n-release waters. Occasionally, it happens because, well, fishing, and that is totally awesome.
Sez who?
Another urban legend.
Who decided that catching large fish on lightweight fly rods was "unethical"? Me thinks its the old fuddy duddies that are stuck in the past.
No problem. They can carry on using their "sledge hammers" to catch fish.
Spare me...

It is not an urban legend. It is simple science. It has been documented, tested, and published. Further to that, it only takes a little bit of research to uncover the biggest fallacy in catch-n-release fishing, which is 'the fish swam away just fine'. If a fish is going to die, it will die 2-3 hours later as its organs start shutting down. If it is going to live, for the 2 hours it takes to recover, it is a prime target for predation.

Sure, you can land a large fish on a small weight rod with sufficient tippet, applying the proper side pressure, and counter-acting the fish movements, but you can put significantly *more* pressure with a higher weight rod, because, well, physics.

It is basic, simple science: as flow rates go down and temperatures rise, there is reduced oxygen in the water. The possibility of over-exhaustion, particularly of cutthroat and bull trout, becomes very real.

We ultimately each decide what is ethical and unethical. Ethics are the unwritten laws that we personally to which we each ascribe in order to live harmoniously in our society. If you want something written down, do a simple Google search on "ethics of catch and release". While on catch and release waters, it is the angler obligation to release the fish back into the water system as quickly as possible to maximise its possibility of survival. This means quickly getting it in, and quickly releasing it. But if you are the kind of person, who catches a 20"+ cutty, *then* takes a picture for your social media, "21" cutty caught on a 3wt!! S0 much fun!", should not be surprised when the stream gets shut down to angling.

You have to remember: it is the fuddy duddies that make the rules. If something is unethical now, it only takes a bit of time for it to potentially become unlawful.

[goldscud]

Good post scel.
I personally don't have anything under a 4wt and have never felt the need

[MK2750]

Originally Posted by scel

It is not an urban legend. It is simple science. It has been documented, tested, and published. Further to that, it only takes a little bit of research to uncover the biggest fallacy in catch-n-release fishing, which is 'the fish swam away just fine'. If a fish is going to die, it will die 2-3 hours later as its organs start shutting down. If it is going to live, for the 2 hours it takes to recover, it is a prime target for predation.

Sure, you can land a large fish on a small weight rod with sufficient tippet, applying the proper side pressure, and counter-acting the fish movements, but you can put significantly *more* pressure with a higher weight rod, because, well, physics.

It is basic, simple science: as flow rates go down and temperatures rise, there is reduced oxygen in the water. The possibility of over-exhaustion, particularly of cutthroat and bull trout, becomes very real.

We ultimately each decide what is ethical and unethical. Ethics are the unwritten laws that we personally to which we each ascribe in order to live harmoniously in our society. If you want something written down, do a simple Google search on "ethics of catch and release". While on catch and release waters, it is the angler obligation to release the fish back into the water system as quickly as possible to maximise its possibility of survival. This means quickly getting it in, and quickly releasing it. But if you are the kind of person, who catches a 20"+ cutty, *then* takes a picture for your social media, "21" cutty caught on a 3wt!! S0 much fun!", should not be surprised when the stream gets shut down to angling.

You have to remember: it is the fuddy duddies that make the rules. If something is unethical now, it only takes a bit of time for it to potentially become unlawful.

The weak link is the tippet not the rod. There is no one following around trout for two hours on the river to see if one weight of rod kills more fish than another. It is more speculation from someone with too much time on their hands and very little fishing experience trying to ram their imagined ethics on to other law abiding outdoormen.

You are right about how laws are made. A few elitists determine a practice unethical from their high horse position and keep flapping their gums until they get a following of sheeple with no skin in the game and no understanding of the question.

C&R kills fish period. Some places demand a person keep their catch and end their day because of the mortality rate of C&R. I choose to C&R with light tackle and sometimes take a few pictures too. Your ethics will never be a factor in that equation.

[Mr Flyguy]

Originally Posted by scel

If you are targetting large trout (16" or greater), a 5wt or greater is the tool to use.

The key word is targetting! So if you are going after the large trout, and consistently catching them like I do (), then a light 3wt is not a suitable tool.

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

The key word is targetting! So if you are going after the large trout, and consistently catching them like I do (), then a light 3wt is not a suitable tool.

Many do not agree with your opinion.

Additionally, your definition of "large" may not be the same as the consensus.

Enjoy your sledgehammer.

[Runewolf1973]

According to research, 90% of fish caught on flies and lures survive being caught and released...but that's dependent on many factors. Personally, as much as I like playing a fish, I usually try to land it as quick as possible before I end up losing it lol. I currently use an 8wt rod when I'm fishing the Red Deer River since there is also the possibility of large pike and walleye although usually I'm just catching goldeye.

[Mr Flyguy]

Originally Posted by ShortsideK

Many do not agree with your opinion.

Additionally, your definition of "large" may not be the same as the consensus.

Enjoy your sledgehammer.

A 5wt is hardly a sledge hammer for a 20 inch trout...period.

[Mr Flyguy]

Here's my final comment on the rod weight topic.

Suppose you're on the Bow in a guided trip (>$500) with a fellow angler, he's using a 3 or 4 wt, hooking the odd >18 inch fish but taking a ridiculous amount of time to bring them to the net, while you're using a sensible 5 or or more likely 6 wt, and controlling the fish efficiently. Wouldn't you be frustrated, wouldn't the guide be frustrated?