[Rapala Boy]

Today I was using my 7.5 foot 5wt flyrod for salmon and steelhead which is not recommended because an 8wt will give you more line control, easier casts and a stronger fight against fish.

Heres a pic of the 5wt rod and reel.



I believe fly fishing can be an excellent tool to add to your arsenal because in some waters the current is too weak and water too shallow and clear for float fishing.

In those conditions I have seen salmon and trout only take small egg flies and nymphs like this.



To be able to see strikes more effectively some people add lil corkys as a fly indicator some where on their line like this. I like adding mine to the end of the fly line.



From the end of the fly line you can add a thick 4 inch monofiliment section for a loop to loop connection so you dont have to cut off from your fly line each time. To get a good fly turnover at the end of the cast you would want a leader that tapers down, but since Im cheap I just add an 8 foot Seagar fluorocarbon leader.

For inland trout my favorite fly is a size 16 bead head Prince Nymph.

For migratories I have had the most success on small egg imitations in clear water fished right in front of the fish.

A pic of me after watching the fly guy own me at spot 22!
He was using two single eggs on his leader. One half way and one at the end!

[efka]

5wt is gonna break!! don't do it.

[Rapala Boy]

I'll have to be careful cause my 8wt broke when I was using it as a trolling rod a few weeks ago (boat ran over line).

[efka]

being careful won't help when you are using weak rod for strong fish.

either:
your rod will break
you will run out of line and backing and it will break your rod or leader, line will get tangled in the tree branches
or you will be spending some time re-tyeing leaders and hooks after every break off

[Rapala Boy]

True efka, I'm gonna try returning a reel I bought so I can replace the 8wt I broke with the money.

[Graham Bristow]

I've caught hundreds of steelhead on 5wt rods. One of my new favorites is a 11' 5wt rod.

Do yourself a favor, don't get an 8wt unless you mostly swing flies for steelhead. Get a 6 or 7wt in 9 or 10' for nymphing on most ontario rivers. 10 foot is best if its primarily a steelhead nymphing rod.

Here's why. I hear it all the time, steelhead are big and strong, you need the backbone to control and land the fish... In my opinion if you want to catch a steelhead on the fly with any consitancy you"re going to need to run lighter tippets in 6 and 8lb test. If you run 10lb or 12lb you will get far less hookups. With 6lb and 8lb test you can't use all the backbone of an 8wt rod or you'll be breaking fish off.

10 foot helps you manage and mend lines for better drifts. It also gives you a bit more flex for shock absorbtion so you break off less. A 6wt or 7wt weight is a lot lighter and therefore easier on the body at the end of a long day.

Just my opinion.

Graham

www.anglerspro.ca

[koneeleven]

thank graham, just planning on going out to get a new rod as my own Christmas present! this helps out, still little new on the fly

[Graham Bristow]

koneeleven, on 09 December 2010 - 05:00 PM, said:

thank graham, just planning on going out to get a new rod as my own Christmas present! this helps out, still little new on the fly

cool, you gotta treat yourself sometimes to.

Merry Chrsitmas

Graham