What is the most versatile double line rating as i am going to get a rod fits all. Due to me wanting a rod that I can leave in the boot of the car and will do all my situations, river, or still water.


Thanks in advance

Flyinghigh

Sorry mate but there is no one rod fits all.

What size rivers do you fish and what do you target?

What size stillwaters do you fish, boat or bank and are they exposed to stiff breezes?

As for dual rated rods, a rod's rating is down to personal opinion of those who tested the blank, so a #5/6 for example could be either or, depends how it feels to you, however over the years, I have found the upper rating to be more accurate most often, whereby the lower rating a bit of a struggle to load the line stated, so my rule of thumb has been to almost always ignore the lower rating.

Don't get sucked in by the urban myth of DT line for lower rating and WF for upper rating, load of hogwash.

All down to personal opinion, technique and ability I suppose though.

The Pirate.

__________________
Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates - No pressure, just pleasure! Pip pip!

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/trade-cla...e-bonanza.html

http://www.soniksports.com/

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-lines...unkistbob.html

got to agree with the pirate, nearest thing though for the size of fish i catch(up to 2lb or so on the odd occasion) is a powerfull 9' 5 weight that i can stick a 6 line on when its windy(i use a 9' 5 weight for everything) not ideal but more convenient that having half a dozen to choose from and wondering if its the right one...i tend to switch lines rather than rods if thats what you ment.

On a whim, and for very small money, I bought a 9'6" 7/8 seven piece traveller by the German D.A.M. company.

It does the usual sort of job with either a 7 or 8 weight line - good choice for an intermediate caster on a windy day at a small stillwater.

But it's got another trick up it's sleeve - you can leave out the second bottom section - giving a rod about 8' 3" which will chuck a 5 weight on small rivers and is a deal more "wieldy" in tighter places.

I first heard the idea mentioned for a Shakespeare Expedition - and it may well not work with all seven piece rods - but it's an interesting gamble for one cheapish rod to cover most situations....

__________________
Plusnet/Madasafish > Liars to the internet community

Surely the tester gives an Educated opinion based on trying many rods as presumably that is his/her job Pirate. Don't you think?


Brian

Brian, The testers have many remits including making the rod marketable a few years ago entrance priced rods would often be rated 5/6/7 I have one I like but I would't try and cast a 5wt with it and it does load well with a 8 wt although I wouldn't think it would stand the work for long. I'm sure it wasn't just for sales ,as company's realy did believe in the new graded carbon fibre as a cure all. But it didn't help the beginer casting and might have been counterproductive by putting people of fishing, if you could believe such a thing possible. Regards John

I have to agree with the majority here. The choice of rod is first dictated by the choice of line weight and that is generally dictated by the size of fly to be used.

Heavy lures need a heavier line/leader combination to turn them over and usually require a #7 or 8 line, large mayflies and heavy nymphs may need a #6, standard dries and nymphs might need a #5 and small flies a #3 or 4. The distance to be cast and the wind conditions will also have an impact and may cause an change up or down of at least one size in weight.

After you have settled on line weight then rod length becomes the decisive factor and this will be dictated by the nature of the water and the style of fishing. Small streams may require a 7' (or even less) and high sticking on rivers or short lining on lakes requires rods of at least 10' irrespective of line weight.

Sure it is possible to restrict the range to maybe two or three rods, but at some point you will be compromising the best combination in the name of limiting the number of rods that you have.

For my river trout fishing I'll generally use a #4 or #5 line and a rod of between 8' and 9' depending on where I'm fishing. I use a rod of 11' 3" #6 for shortlining and 10' #4 or 5# for high sticking.

I use a 9' 6" or 10' #7 for most of my sea trout fishing or reservoir trouting with bigger flies.

If pushed I could use just these rods with no significant detriment to the number of fish I catch but I also have others that fill in the gaps but may only get one or two outings each year. The one thing that I have changed is that I don't have expensive rods for most of my fishing although in the past I have owned and loved most of the top brands. My only indulgences now are a Thomas & Thomas in 8' #4 and a Winston in 8' 9" #5 as these are the rods I use most and my 11' 3" is a Sage RPL that I've had for years and modified with a small extension butt and has still to be beaten as a "loch style" boat rod.

__________________
“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

Thanks

Have now thought about a size 5/6 10ft rod as the river I would be fishing has no over head or back obstactles and this should do me better for a stillwatter or ressivoir rod.

Flyinghigh

Sorry, what exactly was it I said that generated your question Brian, as am not sure how it relates to my post mate.

The Pirate.

__________________
Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates - No pressure, just pleasure! Pip pip!

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/trade-cla...e-bonanza.html

http://www.soniksports.com/

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-lines...unkistbob.html

If it's any use FH............ the grey's xd 10ft 6 # may be of interest.

It'll manage up to an 8 wt floater { i never said that }, and down to a 5........ so you may be somewhere near....... also if you can get one from somewhere , you'll get a good price

Fred.

__________________
www.te-ff.org/
Trout Fisherman Magazine.
Hardy/Greys. Fulling Mill.