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How many rods do you need?

5K views 79 replies 41 participants last post by  ashleyatat 
#1 ·
The other thread surprised me at how many rods many people have. But my wife reminded me that I've only been fly fishing for a year and already have three rods!

My question is how little tackle can you get away with. Could you manage with just one rod and reel. It would involve compromises I know but could it be done.

I suppose the same goes for all the rest of the parafanalia we take to the river.

Chris
 
#3 ·
Great thread Chris! It's bound to get lots of interesting and very different responses.

I personally think I could do all of my fishing with my Epic 580. It's short enough to fish the small streams I visit, soft enough to be fun even with little trout, long enough for the medium/large rivers, casts everything from big meaty streamers to tiny dries and nymphs, has a huge power reserve in the butt section that helps subdue big fish quickly, can cast just a leader and small fly (perfect for my Stillwater stalking) and it laughs in the face of most winds! Basically it's just great fun to use!

It's only draw back would be that at 8' double nymphing is not the easiest but saying that I fished the Duo 90% of the time when using nymphs this season.

Liam
 
#6 ·
By compromise I mean using a 10ft rod on a small over grown river when that is the only one you have. I am all in favour of not spending unnecessarily. My background is in woodwork and I see exactly the same process at work there where people think they must have that extra tool to do good work.

Do you absolutely need one of those fancy little pads for drying your flies when a bit of toilet roll does the job?!

Chris
 
#5 ·
I reckon for the rivers I fish I'd need a minimum of two.. one at 9' and one at 6'..
You could in theory use the 6' everywhere but you would be definitely compromised-
6' on a bigger river isn't great for casting and useless for line mending...
the 9' foot would be wider than two of the stream I fish... which would make casting tricky:D

But I like a bit more flexibility than that... 4 rods for me, I could easily not bother with the specialist nymphing rod..
 
#14 ·
the answer is true for every possession (P) we own

P(new) = P+1

where P = current quantity

:thumbs:
That's what the marketing people would have us believe.

---------- Post added at 08:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 AM ----------

Why do you need a bit of toilet roll (or elastic band) when a two or three vigorous false casts does the job?!

Andy
You got me there Andy, I3Chris'm obviously totally over equipped! But what's the elastic band got to do with it

---------- Post added at 08:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 AM ----------

Why do you need a bit of toilet roll (or elastic band) when a two or three vigorous false casts does the job?!

Andy
You got me there Andy, I3Chris'm obviously totally over equipped! But what's the elastic band got to do with it

---------- Post added at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 AM ----------

Why do you need a bit of toilet roll (or elastic band) when a two or three vigorous false casts does the job?!

Andy
You got me there Andy, I'm obviously totally over equipped! But what's the elastic band got to do with it?

Chris
 
#8 ·
Right truth (for me)
6' 2wt for tight streams and undergrowth
7'6 3wt for rivers
9' 5wt for larger rivers and reservoirs when i'm made too
8'6 4wt glass rod because it makes me smile and that's why I fish
10' 3wt for winter grayling nymphing
so 5 is my answer and if my present wife sees this post I shall deny all knowledge and say it was an impersonator
 
#10 ·
Having fished for over sixty years I have only given three rods away. I have well over fifty rods including coarse and game fishing. I tend to use a nine foot 5# Sage mostly and could get away with using that for all still water. I'll use that and my Hardy Zenith sintrix until something better comes along. I believe you can never have enough rods it all about the fun of ownership.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Im in the late summer of my fishing life and I too have given rods away to get someone of lesser means started.

Need, well thats a simple question, as many as I like, can afford and have a reason to use.
However, I like very few rods these days, so many are overpriced and/or poorly made.
Can afford, no comment ;)
Reason to use, well having fished for everything from Blue Marlin to Dace over a sixty year period I have almost all the rods I actually need,....tho I still fancy trying a season or two with a Switch rod :eek:mg:

BUT
If the house was burning down and I could only grab one it would have to be my #5 ZXL.

:wine:
 
#23 ·
I live in London and fish free stretches of rivers in London/Surrey/Berkshire for wild brownies, London canals for pike, Walthamstow Reservoirs for stocked 'bows and the South Coast for bass. At the moment I have been saltwater fishing but will be doing the winter on the ressie and canals.

Thus I own;

1) G. Loomis GLX 9'6" 7wt for my reservoir fishing
2) Hardy Proaxis 9' 9wt for saltwater and pike fishing (replacing a Greys Predator which I still own)
3) Hends 9/10ft 4wt for Czech style (hardly used)
4) Greys Streamflex 7'6" 4wt for rivers

I would like to own an 8wt for saltwater work as the 9wt is too beefy!
 
#25 ·
I have a small but nicely formed collection:
Orvis Recon 8ft 4" 3 wt, great small river rod
Hardy Zenith 9ft 4wt, my current favourite
Greys GR50 9ft 6wt, my small to medium still water rod
Greys xf2 Streamflex 7ft 3wt, lovely brook rod
Greys xf2 Streamflex 8ft 6" 6wt, excellent rod (needs to find a new home as underused).


I need one more please. A 10ft 3wt, quality lightweight nymphing rod. Please give generously and I will send you money. :)
 
#27 ·
I have a small but nicely formed collection:
Orvis Recon 8ft 4" 3 wt, great small river rod
Hardy Zenith 9ft 4wt, my current favourite
Greys GR50 9ft 6wt, my small to medium still water rod
Greys xf2 Streamflex 7ft 3wt, lovely brook rod
Greys xf2 Streamflex 8ft 6" 6wt, excellent rod (needs to find a new home as underused).

I need one more please. A 10ft 3wt, quality lightweight nymphing rod. Please give generously and I will send you money. :)
Just as an example and no criticism intended, but do you need both the Orvis recon 8' 4" 3wt, the Greys 7ft 3wt and the Hardy. Could the Orvis 8'4" do the job of all three at a squeeze.

Chris
 
#30 ·
3 for me at the moment but I fancy pike fishing this winter.
A 6ft 3wt for my small streams
A 7ft 4wt still for the small streams
A 9ft 2wt for nyphing the small streams
And 6 bamboo rods from 6ft to 9ft for when i'm feeling melancholy !, they don't get wet much but when they do they lighten my soul.
 
#32 · (Edited)
1 x 6' 3#
1 x 7' 3#
2 x 7' 4#
1 x 7'6 3#
1 x 8' 4#
4 x 9' 5#
1 x 9' 6#
1 x 9' 7#
1 x 9' 8#
1 x 9' 9#
1 x 9'6 6#
1 x 10' 4#

All the above are home builds built on Dan Craft, TFO, Rainshadow and MHX blanks and complete but I do have about 6 blanks knocking about to be finished and have my eye on a couple of glass blanks too :eek::eek: I also have about 7 off the shelf rods that will probably get donated at some point to a worthy cause and a couple of cane rods that are gathering dust.

Do I need them all - hell yeah :)
 
#36 ·
By compromise I mean using a 10ft rod on a small over grown river when that is the only one you have. I am all in favour of not spending unnecessarily. My background is in woodwork and I see exactly the same process at work there where people think they must have that extra tool to do good work.

Do you absolutely need one of those fancy little pads for drying your flies when a bit of toilet roll does the job?!

Chris
I have 2 rods, both the 9' 5 weights, 1 reel currently, carry maybe 15/20 flies if that, thats about it, round my neck I have a pair of Doctor Slick palm scissors which are disgorgers also, tippet and....one of those fancy little amadou pads:D

The amadou doesn't need topped up and one less thing to forget, above is my entire kit and tippet and the odd line is my only replaceable consumable, some might say I'm tight but I get a strange satisfaction from replacing things only when they have worn out, and at that point the replacement cost is reflected in the expectation that it will last the next 20 years, rod, reel, shovel, they all tools, its the job you do with them that counts.
 
G
#38 ·
I have many rods all carefUlly recorded on a spreadsheet Each listed with reels and appropriate Lines the spreadsheet proved I needed all of them , I have recently booked a trip to far of shores the spreadsheet proves I need to buy more rods . I love spreadsheets but not as much as rods

Andy
 
#39 ·
It's only draw back would be that at 8' double nymphing is not the easiest but saying that I fished the Duo 90% of the time when using nymphs this season.
Apparently 10' and 11' rods, micro lines, mono french leaders, tungsten beads, jig hooks and William Jospeph 'Technical Packs' are for the gullible and mentally infirm....:whistle:

Personally, I couldn't cope with just an 8' on the Don....but you do allright ! :D

Will pick my 10' #3 Helios 2 - everything from French Leader, Czech, Dries, Duo/Trio and will cope with specimen fish yet sensitive enough with 'comp sized' fish. If I went back to Loch Style it would be fantastic for that too as it would float tubing.....but if there was an Helios 2 963 then that would be the Huckleberry.

L
 
#42 ·
Despite owning a number of rods in a variety of weights and lengths if I had to really narrow it down I could get away with around 5 rods to cover everything.

I was really impressed with Bongochs Daiwa Lexa Nymph Special 8/9ft 3# at the weekend so that would be first on the list followed by the 9/10ft 4# a 7ft 3# and that would cover the rivers.

For stillwaters I'd go for 2 x 9ft 6in models, one in a 6# and one a 7/8#

I'm not a big fan of 5# rods for still waters as I was bought up in an age when 7# rods were standard stillwater rods and for me they still have their time and place.
 
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