Is a 3wt too small...?

[bonneville54]

Is a 3wt too small for Davis or Frenchman...or lake fishing in general?

I've a lovely 3wt (Winston) an old Orvis 5/6wt (stripped reel seat) and a Sage 8wt.

Do I buy a new 5/6? I've used that at Davis/Frenchman but the reel seat is shot. Or should I use the 8wt on the lakes and the 3wt on small streams (L. Truckee/Truckee types)

There are little or no "sinking" lines for the 3wt....so just a long leader and the floating line?

I guess I'm asking is a 3wt and an 8wt a good combo? Need I buy another rod?

[Jeff F.]

Personally, if I could only have two rods, I'd go with a 4wt and a 7wt.

I use my 4wt for all trout fishing.....rivers, smaller streams, and lakes. My 4wt is on the stiffer/faster side of the action scale, so it can handle big fish no problem. And by big, I'm talking trout up to 20" or so. I'll even use it sometimes for 1/2 pounders. It's small and light enough to fish smaller trib-type 2-3wt streams. The only drawback I've encountered with a 4wt is that it doesn't cut through the wind on really blustery days like a 5wt would. But those days are few and far between. And if the wind does come up big time, a simple solution is to switch over to another reel or spool with a heavier floating line on it. It's a little sluggish, but does the trick in the wind.

And one last thing about the 4wt, and actually all fly rods in general......don't be afraid to put a bend in your rod when you're into a nice fish. Lots of people take way too much time fighting a big fish with a smaller rod. It's just not good for the fish. Believe me.....it's very very difficult to snap a modern rod on a fish. Yeah, if you accidentally hook a salmon or something, sure. But a trout is not going to snap your rod. Up your tippet one size, tighten up your drag a bit, and put some pressure on that fish. No reason to baby it. There are lots of techniques for turning a fish, etc. that work well, so you can land the fish, revive it, and release it in a relatively short time.

My "big" rod is a 7wt which I use primarily for steelies on the American. Again, it's a faster/stiffer rod, and can tackle any steelhead that swims up the American. I don't fish for salmon, but if I did, I'd definitely go with a bigger rod. Stripers? Yep.....as long as they're not the 25-50lb type.

I do have a 6wt also that I use mostly for the fall and spring steelies. Once the winter adults move in, I'll switch over to the 7wt.

Sure, in a perfect world I'd have a whole closet full of rods. But frankly, I'm a cheap bastard and am very very hard on my gear, so I will never buy a really expensive rod because I know it's gonna get thrashed....nor can I afford to buy a rod for every situation. But I make do, very well, with what I've got.

[Hewie]

You can also consider repairing the Orivs if it is worthy. Slicing off and replacing a reel seat and cork grip is really not too tough. I'm sure someone at Bill's can recommend someone to do the repairs as well.
Dave

[Darian]

Personally, a 4 wt. rod is the lightest rod I would use for any fish. I don't share the view that a large Trout or Shad may be landed/released in a reasonable period of time on a 3 wt rod. I do, however, agree/believe that we need to use pressure to put "the hurt" on fish to reduce the amount of stress involved for fish.

If I were you, my choice would be to replace you 5/6 wt. rod with a newer 6 wt. That way you have the range of rods you're comforable with.

[Dustin Revel]

the lightest I own is a 5wt that is probably because i fish the lower sac most often. I agree with Darian. my thoughts are that using a light rod for big fish puts unnescesary stress on the fish. I even use a 5 wt. for bluegill and other small panfish; partly because long casts are easier to make.
Dusty Revel

[bonneville54]

Thanks for the kind replies....turns out I have a correction to make.

The rod tube was mismarked and when I opened it I found a 4wt rather than a 3wt. Make any difference? LTX 9' 4wt...Haven't casted it yet

I've inherited this and some other rods/reels, etc and I wonder if anyone has heard of these..

1) Fenwick Royale 9' 8wt 2pc. There is marking IIIXC. The rod looks almost translucent -brown. Graphite? Fiberglass? Took a few casts out the lawn this eve and was impressed, although my modest experience make me a less than stellar judge.

2) A Eddie Bauer Special Edition Custom Sage Graphite III 840-4 RPL 9' 8wt. This, to me, casts like a dream. The cork on both rods is barely stained....seems like a keeper.

3) Orvis Battenkill Reel with 4 spools of unidentified lines. The kind folks at Kiene's have asked that I bring them in for a possible ID...nary a scratch on the reel or spools.

Any opinions? (as if flyfishers might not)

TIA, John

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would cast a WF4F and a WF5F at the shop on that Winston LTX 9' #4 rod.

I think you are going to be in good shape with that rod.

[Adam Grace]

I used to fish a 5wt all the time...that was before I discovered my Scott G-series 8'8" 3pc 4wt rod....I love that rod! Now I fish the 4wt on small to medium sized waters. For large water like the Lower Sac, Lower American and occasionally on the Lower Yuba, I use my 9' 4pc 6wt Sage XP, one of the best fast action rods on the market. The 4 & 6wt rods cover all my trout fishing needs. If I had to do it all over again I would have purchased a 9'6" 6wt with a fighting butt for larger more powerful fish like like a lighter steelhead and better for indicator fishing those larger waters, perfect for roll casting and single-handed spey casting. the 6wt is also nice for larger bass and light steelhead like half-pounders

I also own a 3wt that I love for bluegill, small creek trout (great for bush-whacking) and small bass. A 3wt is much more specialized but very fun.

I recommend a 4wt AND a 6wt for a great all-around freshwater gear selection.

[Terry Imai]

You should take a few factors when picking out the correct rod for each situation like casting distance and required tippet strength for each fishing spot. The problems with Frenchman and Davis is attempting to cast to the working fish and having a rod that allows an extra 15' can make a difference on certain days along with having to put up with the constant wind on those lakes. I usually setup a 6 weight Sage XP with a slime or sinking line with a nymph and a 5 weight with a dry or emerger fly. You could catch a few fish with a 3 weight but a 5 or 6 weight can hit more "working" fish.

The other item most fly fisherman do not take in account is the tippet strength required to hook fish. On a location like Davis or Frenchman, the water clarity is just okay and a 4X or 5X tippet will work. If you're fishing a place with educated fish and good water clarity where 6x or 7x is required, you can actually land a fish faster with a soft 3 weight than a stiff 5 or 6 weight. Bringing in a decent size trout shouldn't take longer than a few minutes and using a soft 3 weight works better with lighter tippet because of increased sensitivity. You can actually lean on the fish more. Most guys don't put enough pressure on their fish when fighting them.

Good luck and tight lines...

[DonCooksey]

3) Orvis Battenkill Reel with 4 spools of unidentified lines. The kind folks at Kiene's have asked that I bring them in for a possible ID...nary a scratch on the reel or spools.

Nothing wrong with the original Orvis Battenkill reels. I still use a 5/6 with my 5-wt and a 7/8 with my 8-wt. The 5/6 has had a reel () work out over the years in both fresh and salt water. I know it is not intended for salt water, but I just clean it up well afterward and re-lube. The drag still works really well after several years of such abuse. Extra spools are cheap, so I keep several on hand with different lines. The newer Orvis Mid-Arbor reel that I use with my 6-wt sounds a lot nicer and has an even smoother drag, but I fish just as well with the old Battenkills.