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Recommended line - tight creeks, small flies

6K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  Galong 
#1 ·
I've got a Crystal River 8 1/2 foot graphite rod that is recommended for 6 - 7 wt line.

I'm looking for recommendations for fly line that is suitable for tight creeks (lots of trees and vines everywhere) where I'll be doing a lot of roll casting using very small flies.

What line weight do you recommend? Can I go one size smaller than what is recommended on the rod or should I stick to their 6 - 7 wt recommendation?

Is weighted forward the only way to go or is double tapered also acceptable for roll casting small flies?

Any brand recommendations would also be appreciated. Price is sort of important, but quality is more important.

Thanks,
Dave
 
#4 ·
Hi Teflon Jones,

Thanks for your reply... sorry it's taken me so long to reply. I've been a very busy boy with work.

My problem with the creek that I'm targeting is that there is heavy cover, complete with tarzan-ish vines, wild limestone rock formations and lots of trees.

I'm already assuming that I'll be doing a lot of roll casting... which I am not very proficient at, but want to learn. :wink:

I am targeting barbs mainly. They seem to range from 1/2 a pound up to 2 pounds.

I recently bought a bunch of #16 and #18 size flies. I also bought some 4X (6 lb. test) tapered leaders. I'm fairly new to this so I hope I bought the right stuff. I honestly didn't realize the flies were going to be that tiny! :whoa:

Anywho, I'm thinking about buying a 4 wt or possibly a 3wt outfit with a rod that's around 8' 6".

Any advice, comments, ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

From sunny Phuket, Thailand
 
#5 ·
Based on the description of the water you are going to be fishing and knowing that price in important to you, I'd recommend you go with a wt double taper (DT6) line. There are several brands selling with DT lines priced about $25.00 that would suit you. The lines targeted at beginner fly fishers, as long as they are the DT lines, would fit your needs well.
 
#6 ·
Hi flytyer,

Thanks buddy... I think that given your advice perhaps I should try the rod and line that I already have before rushing out to buy a lighter outfit. I've got Scientific Angler WF6F line on one of my outfits.

I guess I should try that first and assume that if it doesn't work quite as well as I wish, I could assume that it could be my casting skill instead of the gear.

The next step if it truly doesn't work out might be to get so DT line and try that.

Thanks again,
Dave
 
#7 ·
If the creeks have heavy cover, then that rod is much too long. Look for a 7 foot rod. Also, with flies that small, that leader may be too heavy. I'd suggest a 5X or 6X leader for flies that size.
 
#8 ·
teflon_jones said:
If the creeks have heavy cover, then that rod is much too long. Look for a 7 foot rod. Also, with flies that small, that leader may be too heavy. I'd suggest a 5X or 6X leader for flies that size.
Hi Teflon Jones,

Thanks. That's sort of what I was thinking, but I've read some other threads on a different forum that proposed a longer rod even for small creeks and that a 7 foot rod would really only be good in a very, very specific situation... I guess like you're suggestion here. I'm a bit baffled, which is not too unusual for me :eek:

Maybe I'll see about a shorter rod. Money is important, but having fun is high on my priority list too... and getting my flies stuck in trees doesn't sound very appealing.

You can see a photo of the creek I have in mind at http://thailand-adventure.com/khao-sok-pictures.htm. Scroll down to the "creek leading to Nam Thalu Cave" near the bottom of the page.

I've been a fly fisherman for a very long time, but not seriously... mostly sponge spiders for Bluegill and the odd bass that likes small food. :wink: Now that I'm in Thailand and want to catch a wide variety of fish, I see the need to expand my knowledge a good bit more.

Thanks again,
Dave
 
#9 ·
Galong said:
Thanks. That's sort of what I was thinking, but I've read some other threads on a different forum that proposed a longer rod even for small creeks and that a 7 foot rod would really only be good in a very, very specific situation... I guess like you're suggestion here. I'm a bit baffled, which is not too unusual for me :eek:

Maybe I'll see about a shorter rod. Money is important, but having fun is high on my priority list too... and getting my flies stuck in trees doesn't sound very appealing.

You can see a photo of the creek I have in mind at http://thailand-adventure.com/khao-sok-pictures.htm. Scroll down to the "creek leading to Nam Thalu Cave" near the bottom of the page.
Hey Dave. I missed your reply back when you posted it, but I just noticed it now! Thanks for the picture, that makes things very clear. You want a short rod on water that small unless you constantly like to pull your fly out of trees. A 7 foot rod is not a rod for very specific situations, so I don't know what those other people are talking abou. Most 3 weight rods are going to be less than 8 feet long, and a lot of 4 weight rods are also going to be short too.

For background, streams like that are where I started fly fishing and I've logged hundreds of days and thousands of hours on water like that in my 20 years of fly fishing. You could stretch up to an 8 foot rod if you wanted, but if I were you, I'd go with a 3 weight in 7' or 7'6.

Scott
 
#10 ·
Hey Scott,

Thanks for the info. It sure seems like I'm gonna need a short rod. I was at that creek over the holiday season and I saw some additional pools that had fairly nice-sized fish. There was almost no casting room though, so a short rod seems like a must.

If I ever actually get the time to FISH in that creek, I'll let you know how it turns out. Right now I'm running tours to that area on a regular basis, but not fishing tours. I need a break. :cool:

Cheerio,
Dave
 
#11 ·
4wt

Hey Galong. ! Just picked up a nice little 4wt from www.Cabelas.com today. It's only around 7' too. I bought for the same reason you need it. I got it in the clearance section for 39.99. Regular price is 99.00
It's not their top of the line. But I could get a lot worse for 40.00. Don't think the blue gills or perch will break it. lol
And yes this is a late post. lol
 
#12 ·
flier said:
Hey Galong. ! Just picked up a nice little 4wt from www.Cabelas.com today. It's only around 7' too. I bought for the same reason you need it. I got it in the clearance section for 39.99. Regular price is 99.00
It's not their top of the line. But I could get a lot worse for 40.00. Don't think the blue gills or perch will break it. lol
And yes this is a late post. lol
Hiya Tom,

That sounds awesome. I don't really want to put a lot of money into a rod that I'm only realistically going to use a few times per year.

What model is it? Do you know how long it'll be on clearance? Um, I'm guessing until they run out :D

Thanks,
Dave
 
#13 ·
gone

Hi Dave, sry didn't get back to ya earlier. Went on a ski trip this past weekend.
I just looked and they are sold out of the model I bought.
I did notice however they have a 5wt for 20 bucks!
Here is the link.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&parentType=index&indexId=cat21430&hasJS=true

lol long link.
They are cheapies but hey for 20 bucks once or twice a year.....

I still catch largemouth bass on a 7wt ebay special. lol. Most of my money is in saltwater stuff.
 
#14 ·
Hey Tom,

Wow, now that's what I call a deal! Thanks for the lead. My sister-in-law is looking to get into fly fishing and this might just be the rod for her to start with too. She's not sure if she'll like it or if she'll have time to go fishing much, but hey, for $20... :smokin:

I'll convince her to buy one for herself... and one for me while she's at it. :eek:

Sorry for the slight delay in thanking you. I had to slip down to Singapore for a couple days. In spite of being a city-state, Singapore is really green. The planning is obvious and unlike Thailand, there is no trash lying around. One thing they don't have though is a fly fishing shop. :)

Ciao,
Dave
 
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