Well after the best part of 3 years away from fly fishingi have returned though trout and salmon are the quarry this time opposed to bass pollock mullet ect at the forfront. Currently re stocking the arsenal, and have a g-tec 8wt with matching reel and orvis shooting heads to try out (always got on with s/h in the past so why not).
Snowbee prestige and geo in 10ft 7wt, a bloke switch 7/8 with hard swift reel and switch line to match so i have the heavier stuff covered though want a single rod for river work? thinking along the lines of a 5wt for dry and chezch nympth as all rounder i will be targeting brownies though sea torut keep on cropping up in the same pools last year so wanted osmething with a little more backbone than a 3/4 for when this happens. Any suggestions welcome thanks chaps.

4 # 8ft for me

It depends on size of river, size of fish in said river, type of fishing, ie
Trout, Grayling, Sea Trout Salmon
So beef up your info.
But on what you have said a 7'6" or 8' 4/5#may be the sort of thing.
Mike

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

Medium to tip action rod between 8ft 6in and 9ft that throws a #5 line is a very versatile tool for river work.

Light enough to make delicate casts.

Long enough to poke round bankside vegetation.

Throws a line heavy enough to let you fish accurately in even the most blustery of wind conditions.

Get that to start with and leave the specialist rods until later on.

richard

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Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."

I couldnt have put it better myself , only to add if you are fishing smaller streams a 8ft 4wt is a lovely rod.

Andy

No good for 90% of the rivers i would fish.

I agree that more info is needed on the size of river you are fishing.
Will you be wading on fishing from the bank?

I tend to favour longer rods then many for the rivers i fish because i like the line control they offer but many would think them to long for the small streams i fish.

More info is needed on the types of river you plan to fish before anyone can offer proper recommendation.

I do agree that you want i mid actioned rod for the rivers.

T

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Forgive me but I believe it is time to contradict this often spoken theory that small streams necessitate the use of small rods. They do not. In fact if you want stay out of the water as much as possible and so be really stealthy, a longer rod is more useful as you can poke it out around the bushes and trees to make your casts.

For years I had one rod only and that was 8ft 8ins long and it would cast a #5 line. The streams I fished included the Amber, Barlow Brook, Noe, Bradwell Brook, Peakshole water, Snake, Manifold, the upper reaches of the Dove and many other even smaller sitches, cloughs, dykes, becks and suchlike. The rod was never found to be too long and fishing from the bank meant that Sport was easier to find as the fish were not being scared away from me as I worked my way upstream.

Now I have all sorts of rod lengths, but the rods I use the most are still those between 8ft 6ins and 9ft long and the line weight is nearly always a #5. Sport is still easy to find with this set up. I can't see it suddenly ceasing to be successful.

richard

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Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."

I'm thinking much depends on the river, and the fish, for example 18' double hander 12 weights are used on rivers

9' 4 or 5 weight for moi.

Youv'e been spending to much time with James and Andy

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Hi', Richard and Coasty are right. An 8 to 9ft 5-wt does a lot of what you need to do on most rivers. I have homemade 'tiddler' rods of 4ft9in and 5ft 6in. Great for fishing in really tight spots, as they cope with tree canopies and with side-casting in narrow places; BUT, we now have so many stretches of exclusion zone on some of our local waters that it is difficult clearing the growth on the river banks on the back cast; if the banks are high, the problem is even more of a pain. It means that one sometimes has to take two rods, or opt to leave the 'tiddler' at home, depending upon the time of year. From June onwards, some of us are fishing in greenery that matches some of that seen in 'The African Queen' on the smaller, deep-cut little becks. Start with a typical 5-wt rod, and add only as absolutely necessary. Don't make excuses for spending hard-earned cash. All the best, on your return to rivers. Jada