Fly fishing for local trout on a small stream in the back local can lead to one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime. Getting off the usual way to find finicky fish in untapped waters is what the pioneers of the sport truly intended. On the other hand, some small channels are just off the roadway but are just as willing, or not willing, to give up their occupants to the skilled fisherman. The proper clothing, jigs and equipment can help you make the absolute most of your adventure. The fly rod may be the most important area of your small stream set up.
One question that we often hear is, “what is the perfect small stream fly rod”. Well, permit me to clear this reddit streams up right now… there is no perfect small stream fly rod. There, now you have it. I will stop here and leave it at that, but you know that I won’t.
Be careful, there are many self proclaimed fly fishing experts that are all too eager to give their opinion on the ideal fly fishing line for the smaller channels. Don’t be too rash to simply accept their feedback as gospel and come to an end and get a fly fishing line simply base on their opinions. I wish I could give you a cut and dried, etching in stone, answer and identify the particular fly fishing line that has to be perfect for any small stream you may encounter in your fly fishing lifetime… but I can’t do that. Neither can anyone else.
Most folks simply don’t realize the factors involved in making a small stream fly fishing line selection. There are several things to carefully consider before dropping the bucks for a new fly fishing line. That’s exactly what we are going to do here. We’ll discuss several important fly fishing line and stream factors that govern a small stream fly fishing line selection. After arming yourself with the proper information, it is you who can become making the ultimate decision as to which fly fishing line is best for you.
What’s a small Stream?
First things first… we probably need to identify exactly what constitutes a small stream. So, what type of water are you gonna be fishing? Is it a small stream, a spring creek or a narrow river? Are all three of these really the same principle? All fly fishers are not for a passing fancy page here.
OK, look up “small stream” in the book. What do you find? Nothing, right? There is no formal definition of this term. I know spinning program so well when i say “small stream”. But do you see in your head the same principle that we see? Maybe, maybe not.
The Cimarron River in, New Mexico is no doubt a narrow river but don’t allow the word “river” fool you. It consists mostly of small stream attributes. Most of the public water is repleat with willows, cottonwoods and alders and fisherman with undercut banks, riffles, runs, bend costly and pocket water. I fish this river as a small stream. The Saint. Vrain River in Colorado is another great example. There is no place on its banks where you can’t comfortably roll cast to the other side. When the water is clear, there is no place where you can’t see the bottom. On the other hand, Young’s Creek in Montana is a comparable size and in some areas it is much broader than many stretches of the Cimarron and Saint. Vrain Waters. I fish all three this is the in an identical way.
Let’s just say that a small stream is one that you can cast across easily almost anyplace on it, that you can wade, often cross in cool boots, that is excessively small for boats, and has most of its structure come across view. Also, most importantly, we’ll assume it has trout in it.
Back to the The fishing rod
So now, think about the fly fishing line and stream factors? I will break things down by discussing each factor. As you study these items of information, you should set out to create a picture, in your head, of what type of small stream fishing you’ll be doing and what fly fishing line you’ll be needing. You may find that, for you, one fly fishing line simply won’t get the job done. You may discover that you need two or more the fishing rod to meet up with your small stream desires. How bad could that be? You have now given yourself an excuse, and hopefully permission, to buy more the fishing rod.
Our fly fishing line selection factors include weight, length, action, material, sections, color and several stream characteristics. We must also spend some time on fly lines because this may also impact our fly fishing line choice. Also, there is no need to get fancy with a small stream fly fishing line. Terms such as modulus, I’M whatever, titanium, and other high-tech appearing terms frequently make their way into the fly rod shopping process. The good news is that these are things that should not worry you during you selection process. You don’t need the X15 Super Modulated Ballistic Fly rod designed to cast a quarter kilometer on any small stream. Let’s just keep it simple.
Fly fishing line Weight
Anything from a 0wt to 5wt will work well depending on the situation. The ultimate choice of the fly fishing line weight has a lot regarding the size fish you’ll be after. Many small channels only support small trout. Some channels, of course, have larger fish. I’ve caught some healthy 16 inchers in channels, like Bear Creek in Free airline Colorado, which you can almost jump across. Generally though, you’re probably looking at catching fish from 6 to 10 in .. You’ll get an occasional 12 incher and several Jack Fish. Also… what’s a Jack Fish you ask? These are the fish, generally called fry, that are so small anytime you set the hook you jack them up out of the water and they travel back over your head.
So, the fight of a small fish feels preferable to the fisherman if they’re using a lightweight fly rod such as a 2 wt. The 16 inchers will feel great on a 2 wt fly fishing line also but there are some distinct disadvantages with this scenario. One is that by the time you get the big fish landed, it may be exhausted to the point of no return and may soon die after its release. If you’re going to eat it then that is really silence point. Secondly, you run the risk of breaking your fly fishing line from the strain. If you’re deep in the forests fishing an enjoyable little stream, the last thing you need is for your stick to break.
Another factor is hook set. The lighter weight flimsy fly the fishing rod offer you little assist in setting the hook. I have a 1wt fly fishing line that is a joy to use. The problem is that we lose adequate fish within two seconds of the hook set (or lack there of). If you’re using this type of fly fishing line you possessed best make sure your fly hooks are debarbed and perfected hook sharp. I can use my 2wt with little problems of getting the hook set properly.
