Hi All,

Sorry if this appears to be a completely stupid question but i'll ask it none the less!

I have just purchased a second hand Vision 3zone 9' 5# rod.

Now obviously the rod is designed (sold) as being best used with a 5# line but is that always the case? What i am trying to get at is will this rod perform 'ok' with a 6# line? Taking it further will the make of line come into play although i understand that they are meant to be 'standardised'.

The reason i ask is that in an ideal world i would have purchased a 6# but you have to grab a bargain when you see one. (mind you it's not a bargain i suppose if ultimately a 6 # is what i should of purchased )...

Anyway, just wanted to pick everyones brains before i commit to another re-mortgage to buy a couple of lines to go with it!

Appologies if it is a dumb question and basically straight forward '5# is what you need' answer but i have an inquisitive mind and don't like to take things at face value.....

Please don't take the pi@@ too vigorously it's all new to me!

Ta very much,

Mike

Generally a 5 Wt line will perform best, however overlining by 1 weight is not a problem and in some cases maybe desireable. There are so many lines on the market with numerous properties, however, my best advice would be to buy a very reasonably priced 5 WF from Barrio or Pitsford Pirate and see how you get on.

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[I]"The fish and I were both stunned and disbelieving to find ourselves connected by a line." William Humphrey in "The Armchair Angler"[/I]

Mike, I don't know the rod, but in this very favourable review Review of Vision 3 Zone three different reviewers reckon the rod is rated correctly as a #5.
Where will you be fishing: river or stillwater / how far will you be casting / what is the #6 line you already have?
Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the response. I think i have misled you as i don't already have a 6# it was just that my over set up is a 8' 6" 4# and i wated something a bit bigger as a second set up for larger waters.

My main set up is intended for small rivers and brooks and is fine for that but, probably because i am still learning the ropes where casting is concerned, i thought i would step up a line or two and increase the length of the rod in a bid to gain some more distance.

Mike

---------- Post added at 03:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:46 PM ----------

Hi Regan,

Thanks. Yes i had seen these lines advertised but wasn't sure if they were any good or not?

Mike

Hi Mike, Line weights are taken from approximately the last 10 yards of the line so that to correctly load a 5 wt rod with a 5 wt line it is expected that you are casting with approx. 10 yards of line in the air. Approx 2 yards of line equates to 1 line wt so that to correctly load a 5 wt rod with a 6 wt line you would expect to have 8 yards of line in the air. Lines and rods do vary so experiment.

Tight Lines,
gsflyfishing
GS Fly Fishing - Fly Fishing Tuition in Yorkshire

As state earlier, you may find it an advantage because you won't have to aerialise as much line to get the rod to perform.

One of our members always uses a line rated one number higher than his rods, he claims it makes casting so much easier for him.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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*****©(

Thanks for that it's another factor to take into consideration!
Fortunately, a forum member (Ennio) is loaning me a five weight so i will give that a try and go from there!
Out of interest (and i'm scared to ask this question ) How far would an 'average person' be able to cast a fly using a 9' 5# ? Assuming a still day? And how would this compare with the same average person using an 8'6" 4#?

Ok i think i'm getting it now.... so to re-cap i may need less line in the air using a 6# to get the rod to reach its ideal flex / power....
However, what happens to a rod if you have too much line in the air then? Does this mean that you are then beyond the ideal and therefore there is a drop off in rod power? mmmmmm maybe i'm not getting it

Is it therefore the case that 'one' should get to this maximim / ideal length in the air and use the rods optimum force at this stage rather than attempting to get more line airborn in attempts to get out further?? That would certainly seem to stack up with some of my casting practices! lol

Mike,
Spot on, too much line in the air is as ineffective as underloading the rod with too little line in the air.
To achieve greater distance on the cast than you have line in the air you will need to 'shoot' line. This simply is to allow line previously pulled from the reel to be pulled by the momentum of the forward cast. The left hand (for right handed casters) letting go of the line at the end of the forward casting stroke.
Plenty of clips on youtube, here's an example. Hope this helps.

Tight Lines
Graham
gsflyfishing
GS Fly Fishing - Fly Fishing Tuition in Yorkshire

Thanks very much for that Graham. (and everyonne who has helped educate me so far!) It is greatly appreciated that so many people take the time to offer their knowledge and advice and it does make a difference because all the pieces are now beginning to fit together.

I can now see why some people prefer using one size up as a line. i.e. 6 on a 5 weight rod.

So do people mark the line at the optimum length to ensure that they know they have the correct amount airborn or is it just a feel thing?
I must say that in my somewhat limited experience to date you can definately feel when you have it right!

Thanks

Mike