What Weight Fly Rod For Trout?
There is little more relaxing than sitting by a river or lake and casting a line far into the water. The sun beating down, the wind rustling the trees, and the water burbling are far removed from honks of traffic horns and the indifference of pedestrians.
A lot of people would disagree, but fishing can be one of the most soothing activities, in the same way, watching TV is on a Sunday afternoon. For those who have recently come into the sport and are just learning the ropes, that may seem a little off base. There are a lot of little techniques, tricks, and equipment to acquire or learn.
One of the most troubling things that newcomers deal with is the problem of weight. An important part of any angler’s arsenal, but one that can be a bit tricky to understand. The question that is always asked is ‘which weight should I use?’ And unfortunately, the answer just leads to another question from the expert ‘what fish are you aiming to catch?’
The second question is regularly met with a long-drawn-out silence followed by confusion. You see different weights have different applications, and it changes depending on the fish you want to catch. So, today we will look at the specific weights you will want to use when using a fly rod to try and catch one particular type of fish: trout.
What Is A Fly Rod And Fly Rod Weight?
For those unfamiliar with fishing, there are various kinds of rods that are used to catch fish. These rods change depending on the environmental circumstances, the type of fish you are catching, and the familiarity of the fisherman.
In the case of fly rods, they are mostly thin, flexible fishing rods that are designed to cast an artificial fly into the water. These flies are a hook with fur, feathers, foam, or synthetic material tied around and over it with the basic premise being that a fish would mistake this disguised hook as a tasty meal. Fly-fishing can be done in both fresh and saltwater, but because of the temperamental nature of the latter, it is best to consider your rod’s durability before fishing.
Fly rods are categorized by weight and the line weight near the hook is paired with the fly rod by their weight. The often thin and flexible nature of the rods makes this necessary, as bigger fish can break your lighter rod and smaller fish may not take the bait from a heavier rod.
The weight also indicates the fly line that should be used by that particular rod. The weight categories for every fly rod go from a 0 or a 1 weight to a 15 weight (the lower the number, the lighter the weight).
How To Choose A Fly Rod Weight?
The range of weight sizes should denote that each one is useful for a particular species of fish. Unfortunately, this becomes problematic when you consider that trout is one of the most diverse in size and range of the fish families. In fact, trout fill up most of the freshwater fish niches in Europe and North America and are closely related to salmon and char, meaning that they can get big.
With this in mind, selecting your fly rod should be less about what trout you are trying to catch and where you are going to fish for that trout. This will narrow down your options considerably and make it much easier to pick the right weight. The 1 to 4 weights of the rod are perfect for smaller streams or rivers, as only smaller trout will reside in these areas. The 5 to 7 weights are normally reserved for middling trout that are going to be in bigger rivers or lakes, think of a marbled trout or a large brown trout.
Finally, if you are coastal fishing or sitting on the biggest rivers, then you want to be using 8 to 10 weight rods. Only higher-end rods can handle big, struggling fish like steelhead trout.
That should give you a rough idea of what kinds of rods and weights you want to use with trout, but it’s always worth going to your local fishing shop and asking around about what other people do. Not only that, but if you have a regular fishing spot you are going to know it well and know the fish that are there.
It may be that you fish at a big lake, but there are only smaller fish there, so you will only need 1 to 4 weight rods. It is best to use your own and local knowledge for these kinds of endeavors.
The Length Of The Fly Rod
As mentioned earlier, fly rods are very flexible and thin which is wonderful for fishing, but can be disastrous for some environments. You see, when we fish we tend to cast in a wide arc with some force and vigor. If you are fishing in a heavily forested area and your rod is too long, it will get caught and could even break from the impact. Therefore, when considering weight, it is also essential to consider height.
If you are fishing in small streams with thick foliage, then the maximum length you want your rod is 7 to 8 feet. For small to normal-sized rivers, it would be 9 feet. If you fish at large rivers that are quite wide, then you can fish with a 9-to-10-foot rod.
Finally, for lakes where there is plenty of room, you can fish with a 10 foot or above rod. When you think about the weight of your rods, it is critical to think about the length, as this will impact the casting action and change how you fish.
Conclusion
Fishing is wonderful but can be difficult to get into. With all the various pieces of equipment and the considerations you have to make, it can make your head spin just thinking about starting this incredible activity. However, if you talk to your local fishing shop and do a little research, you should have no problem picking a weight that suits you and be fishing for trout in no time.
