Nope, I fish with a 8 1/2' 3/4# which is my standard river rod and fish streamers with it when the need arises or the fancy takes me, only thing don't expect to cast your whole flyline, also slow the cast down, waait for the fly to tug on the back and try not to use an overly leaded pattern. Hope it helps.

 

Spider,

In short - no, streamers are perfectly possible on a 5wt. Faster action rods might have a problem - my Z Axis did with streamers, though my casting probably won't have helped. I just found the action too unforgiving and 'spiky' for it to ever find casting streamers pleasurable. Used to get a real thud at the end of the back cast, and it was hard work to smooth it out.

No such issues with a Loop Multi, or especially, the Loop AEG 9ft 5wt. This could have been made for streamers, but it does everything else too. Guidelines are Scandinavian too and 'fast' Scandi rods generally have more 'fast-progressive' actions than faster US rods, that is, they flex further down the blank but with high tip recovery speed, which helps them cope with heavy flies far better. Though I haven't tried the LPXe or Le Cie in those sizes I would think they'll be OK, but I understand some Guidelines can be fast - not sure how this compares to Loop. If you move quick Diarmid (rs2ford) has an AEG for sale in classifieds. These really are special rods and are no longer made.

Cheers,

Ben

 

Hi Spider;

You should have no problems at all casting streamers with a 5 weight although you might not want to start chucking around large weighted pike or salt water streamers at the risk of snapping your rod tip. If you're talking standard trout streamers up to a maximum size 8 or 6 hook you'll be fine although you will probably have to slow your casting stroke a bit. I've been fly fishing for over 20 years and have never fished with anything but a 5 weight or a 4 weight and I've cast quite a few streamers with both over the years.

Take care

Terry

 

Thats good news, was watching an Ollie Edwards DVD last night and he uses a 9ft 6 wt and this seems more commonly used for streamers but i have my beady eye (still! ) on an lpxe and one shop have offered it for £210 so might be time to act.

I wonder if the same rod would fish Spiders or perhaps not delicate enough ?

 

This one is getting like the mythical search for the one club for all golf .

So go and buy a bagful and use the one that's easiest ( most appropriate for the conditions ) and don't push wee rods too hard - they can break because of it .

I know a bloke in Belgium who remortgaged his house ( and got divorced because of it ) so he could have a full set of Sages one year - and he may have got things right - tho I never met his wife !

Best wishes

Steve P

 

ive fished for pike on my TCR 5# on canals with no problem at all, so some streamers will be fine.

 

No, it's not asking too much. I chuck a two streamer rig with one beadhead woolly ****** and a classic streamer + shot all the time with a 5 weight. I've even thrown huge bass flies with a 5 wt, you just have to adjust your casting to the added weight and wind resistance of the flies.

To Steve's point, I think anglers have become a bit obsessive/compulsive lately and there seems to be a feeling that rods are now hyper-specialized so there's a need to fish with a native porter trailing behind you with a stack of 10 or so rods at the ready. "Situation's changed, Pabu, hand me my beadhead streamer rod. . ."

In fact, I have no issues with throwing a steamer or a beadhead WB with a 4 weight, it's not optimal if there's wind, but it works fine. When you're a couple of miles from the truck, switching rods isn't an option so you run what you brung.

Grouse

 

Thats good news, was watching an Ollie Edwards DVD last night and he uses a 9ft 6 wt and this seems more commonly used for streamers but i have my beady eye (still! ) on an lpxe and one shop have offered it for £210 so might be time to act.

I wonder if the same rod would fish Spiders or perhaps not delicate enough ?

Ollie is using quite big flies which are deep sunk in fast water and can probably afford a different rod for each task! Having said that there are some 5wts I would and some I wouldn't - the action is more important and I agree with the comments about slowing the casting stroke . I would not use a G-Tec which is a fast action rod. I do use a 5/6 with a w/f 6 line. I'd be interested to know what line folk are using - if I needed to get deep down with a sinker I'd go up a weight or two!
GD

 

Hi GD, In recently got a Snowbee Diamond 10ft from Garry Evans for French Nymphing as i couldnt resist a bargain ......they do a 5/6 weight rod which might also sort me out. Beautiful blank on that rod - almost sage like in tippings etc, if not the handle....

 

I use a 9ft 5wt Sage xp with a Barrio outcast Wf6 and it handles big flies with ease

 

If you want to fish streamers of all sizes and weights all day (rather than once in a while alongside other river patterns) a#5 would not be the place I'd start. Yes a lighter rod can be made to make do by good casting technique, compromising on distance and size/weight of fly, but a heavier line and thus a heavier rod will cast bigger flies more comfortably (and further) with less effort, period.

 

Yes it can be done but I wouldn't fish a 5 weight line with streamers by choice.

The heavier or more windresistant flies are the more you want a heavy line behind them, especially on breezy day. As always try it out. Wait for a breezy day then fish a big dahlberg diver or a weighted woolly ****** with a 5 weight and then an 8 weight.

 

streamers on 5wt

hi spider,9" 6wt more suitable for streamers .
i have one for sale in the classifieds it's a powell lga 9"for a 6wt line this is a quote from fly fish america in a review "whether you are dropping an emerger on the nose of a big henry fork rainbow or heaving streamers into the wind you'll benfit from Powells high line speed and exilirating line control.in short.the Powell LGA wil make your valuable time on the water more productive and enjoyable.and all this could be yours for only £140 ono
regards Tam.

 

hi spider,9" 6wt more suitable for streamers .
i have one for sale in the classifieds it's a powell lga 9"for a 6wt line this is a quote from fly fish america in a review "whether you are dropping an emerger on the nose of a big henry fork rainbow or heaving streamers into the wind you'll benfit from Powells high line speed and exilirating line control.in short.the Powell LGA wil make your valuable time on the water more productive and enjoyable.and all this could be yours for only £140 ono
regards Tam.

No thanks Tam, am either going to try my luck with the lpxa as soon as funds permit, or buy a cheaper 6 wt from Snowbee or Redington etc

 

5 weight no problem up to about size 2.

Just shorten up your leader, drift a bit on the back cast to reduce the 'bump' and give a little haul on both ends and you'll be fine.

I don't think you could break a rod by casting a streamer, unless you crash it into the blank.

 

If you want a rod to specialise in streamers I definitely wouldn't go below a 6#. A 6# I feel is about right, remember in fishing streamers you need to put the tip of the rod down in the water, right down to the bed of the stream so something a bit stronger that can handle sunken lines.

Bert

 

A fair mixed bag of replies. I think i'm going to try the streamers on 9ft 5 wt assuming i can get my finances together , or bribe wifey for my birthday in June.

Bert, I watched Ollie Edwards fishing them but he never had the rod underwater ?

 

Bert, I watched Ollie Edwards fishing them but he never had the rod underwater ?

Spider,

Many competiton anglers actually use AFTM 6-8 rods with Di-3, Di-5 & Di-7's in very strong currents and very deep rivers, with the rod tip jammed and jabbed down hard underneath the surface so that the tip grazes the bottom of the river. It sinks the line, leader and fly with phenomenal speed, and, importantly, maintains close contact with the lower levels of the stream through the entire duration of the cast. You could get away with a 5# but you would really need smaller and lighter streamers on these rods, but when fishing heavier streamers in bigger rivers a heavier fishing rod is required, AFTM 6-7.

Streamers are tied up on 4, 6 & 8 long shank hooks with tungsten beads and lead depending on the weight required. A dropper may be used with a smaller streamer on a 10 or 12 long-shank hook. The materials used in the streamers should be light in weight even after getting wet such as Nylon Blend, Marabou, Fine Hair and other synethic materials. If using zonker type streamers and to be able to cast them far enough I would at least use an AFTM6 rod. This can be pretty brutal fishing and I wouldn't chance using an AFTM 5 rod on this method as I'd be afraid to break it, but ok for smaller streamers but if you want to specialise in streamers then a heavier rod is essential.

I first fished streamers over in the Czech Rep. and believe me the rod tip is jammed down to the bed of the river. These are very fast rivers and the only way to get the streamers down to the trout. I watched some Czech guys going down the Vltava River and they were mopping up trout on streamers, awesome to see.

Check out the link below:

CzechNymphs

 

Cheers Bert, I think the lpxe 9ft 5 wt would be a very good all round purchase, so will start with only smaller streamers on that, as soon as i can sort the funds, soon i hope.

If i start with a few Woolly Buggers, does anyone know what size hook and bead I shoulkd be using - ie what constitutes a light ( but sinking ) streamer ?

 

Cheers Bert, I think the lpxe 9ft 5 wt would be a very good all round purchase, so will start with only smaller streamers on that, as soon as i can sort the funds, soon i hope.

If i start with a few Woolly Buggers, does anyone know what size hook and bead I shoulkd be using - ie what constitutes a light ( but sinking ) streamer ?

Spider,

IMHO a wise choice for starters. I do not fish competitions but fish wooly b u g g e r s often, and my 9ft 5wt Loop AEG flings a size 8 fulling mill long shank streamer hook dressed with lead wire and a large tungsten head, and the usual topping of palmered hackle, chenile and a big chunk of marabou in the tail. Never had any problems. The good thing is that I can use the rod for more delicate stuff too, no problems. A 6 or 7 wt would be too much for anything other than chucking massive zonkers on the rivers where I fish, so would be overgunning me the entire time. The AEG does the job with streamers when I need it to and can do nymphs, dries etc. I have also never used anything other than a WF5F line and a 9ft tapered mono leader.

 

If I could only tie one WB, I would tie a golden olive on either sz 6 or 8 with a gold cone head. Don't be afraid to go bigger to a 6. The fish will hit it, and you will be able to cast it no problem. I don't like 'light olive' (too 'lime coloured') or dark olive (too turquoise) as much, but these are also good fish catchers. If 'golden olive' is not listed, and you have a choice of just 'olive' then that's usually the right one.

Make sure you get longshank hooks. I like the daiichi 1750's. And some gold cone head beads. 4.5-5mm will fit 6-8 LS hooks. You shouldn't need a lead underbelly with a cone head on a 6-8. I like fine chenille for the body, but that's just me. Some people use cactus fritz or disco fritz or really bushy chenille. I use 3 strands 'midge' crystal flash each side in the tail (midge flash is more flexible). For size 6-8 I like 2 marabou plumes in the tail. (I think a bushy tail is key to this fly).

Its worth spending some extra money on decent marabou - it will hold up longer and be more uniform when you tie it in - hareline or wapsi perhaps. Same goes for the hackle feathers. You need surprisingly long feathers to properly palmer hackle a WB. At least 7 inches for a size 6. If you buy the cheap stuff, you will get a lot of worthless webby feathers. I've had good luck with the Hareline bog standard strung chinese saddle hackles in olive (5-7 inches). I've had BAD experience with their 'grizzly variant' strung saddle hackle, which was very webby. I rib my WB's with a bit of wire to keep the hackle in place - you'll need it when you start getting into those cannibalistic browns with big enough teeth to cut your thumbs and fingertips up! That's a lot of stuff to tie in at the tail of the fly, so you might need to build up the rest of the body a bit before you wrap the chenille. I find the leftover marabou works great for this - just dub it on and wrap forward like dubbing fur.

If you want to have the best shot at catching the biggest fish, then you do indeed need to get a sinking line and fish on the bottom, but sometimes even the biggest fish will come up a bit if the fly is fished right. Guys who fish WB's on floating lines do really well too. And its a heck of lot more fun than casting a DT line! The trick is to give it time to sink - cast upstream and throw a big upstream mend and then let it tumble down to your target area on a slack line before you let it swing. Tighten up the line and let it swing when it gets where you think the fish are. In this way, you trigger that strike response of a fleeing baitfish, which I think can be more effective than imitating a fish muddling around on the bottom.

And of course, if you are feeling lazy, you can try just casting straight downstream and retrieving with a stop and start figure of 8. This works surprisingly well, even if it does get a bit boring.

Good luck.

 

Try a teeny t130 line (22' 5"/sec hi D head) and you can dispense with weight on the fly so the 5wt rod will be easier. Personally I use a t200 on a #7 glass rod with a short leader - softer action to really work the fly and cushion a smash take. Shallower water I use a teeny minitip (5' hi d), but the t200 is much easier to cast, like an integrated shooting head

 

I use an orvis streamline 9ft 6wt with a snowbee sink tip line and have had no main problems but tbh i dont fish streamers that often only as a last resort(I hope to change that this season)
I must also mention i use for short leaders of no longer than 5ft.
I dont tend to use streamers on long cast downstream but rather cast them upstream into pockets of water and quickly retrieve them with a figure of eight retrieve and most streamers i use are are small by manys standards but i have used bigger flies too
But they have served me well on a long line aswell
I would suggest a 9ft 6 or even a 7wt with maybe a 6wt line
Greys does a streamflex specifically designed for fishing streamers on rivers which is 9ft6in 6wt with a full wells handle. Could be worth a look