4 wt rod - no good for steelies?

[pinkygonzales]

As my profile implies, I have a lot to learn. I just moved to the Pacific Northwest but am hell bound and determined to learn to fly fish.

I bought a 4 wt fly rod this summer and am wondering if that disqualifies me from fishing for steelhead or if there are ways to work lighter tackle for bigger fish. Any links, books or personal advice for a guy just getting started?

Many thanks!

 

[halibuthitman]

if you want to fish hatchery fish in dec and january I guess you can do what ever you wish, but rivers with a lot of natives it would be considered unethical by many steelheaders... natives need to be landed quickly and let go as quickly as possible.. but I don't see you landing many steel with a 4 wt. I have a 7 wt and a reel and line you can borrow if you feel like driving 20 miles to scappoose- Brad

 

[Spydeyrch]

My opinion would be that if you are just starting out to learn fly fishing, a 4wt is not the way to go if you are going after steelies. You will need something with a little better strength in the butt section of the rod than a 4wt can offer you. A 4wt is great for trout in small streams and maybe some middle sized streams. But I would say that is a no go for steelies. You would be fine with an 8wt or a 9wt.

Just a quick disclaimer though. I have only been fly fishing since March of this year. I have a 3wt and a 5wt. I haven't don't any steelie or salmon fishing ever on a fly rod (yet!!). So I speak from what I have read and what others have stated, not from personal experience when dealing with steelies and salmon. For that I will let others chime in and correct me if I am wrong or add to what I have already stated. But I would say, based upon personal experience, that a 4wt is just fine for trout.

-Spydey

EDIT: I see that Brad beat me to the post. :lol:

 

[pinkygonzales]

Ahh - that's a great point, @halibuthitman, and one I had not considered.

Thanks very much for the offer! I have some learning to do before I would trust myself with someone else's equipment, but I sincerely appreciate it. I'll be hangin' around here for a while to get a feel for things.

Many thanks!

 

[brandon4455]

if you ever get the extra cash after you get a feel for it get an 8wt. 7wt works and is lighter,doesn't wear your arm down after a day of casting and can handle moderate weight but an 8wt can handle bigger fish and much more weight. haven't landed a steelhead on my 8 yet but fought half a dozen salmon and it holds up.

 

[pinkygonzales]

But I would say, based upon personal experience, that a 4wt is just fine for trout.:

Exactly why I bought it, @Spydeyrch, and can't wait to get back on it in the Spring.

So much to learn, so little time.

Thanks guys!

 

[PNW Sam]

Hey pinky, welcome to OFF.

Speaking from person experience, there are a lot of people here with great advice that are eager to help out newbies!

Good luck, hope to see you around more.

P.S. we like pics, so whatever you catch, be sure to post it!

 

[fredaevans]

Trout = yes. Low water summer run steelhead = yes (I actually have a 3wt spey rod I use). That said, other than very low flows .... don't go there. Even if you use a heavy leader all you'll do is grind the fish down and really reduce the odds he'll survive even if you release him. Fish, like you, build up 'lactic acid' in their system when heavily exercised/stressed ... remember how tired you feel after a heavy work-out?

Same deal going on with the fish.

 

[pinkygonzales]

Thanks @PNW Sam & @fredaevans. All great advice, and makes perfect sense. Glad I asked, and I won't be using my 4 wt for the big guys... intentionally anyway. It will be my first Winter of fishing, which is both thrilling and extremely intimidating. Glad to have this great group of fisherfolk to lean on.

Happy fishing!

 

[troutdude]

Welcome aboard Pinky (slash "super noob" LOL), we're glad you've joined our forum.

I'd echo all of the advice given above. It's all VERY good information. I would also suggest visiting your local pro shops, and fishing departments. Ask more questions, learn what others use, pick up some various rods and see how they feel, etc.

Good luck.

 

[Van]

Pinky, you can pick up a nice Redington 8wt outfit for about $100. I actually bought one this late summer on closeout at Dicks for $45. It is a very good rod for the price. Even at original retail. My personal opinion is that a 4wt is far, far too light for steelhead. As mentioned, unethical in certain circles.

Good luck.

 

[brandon4455]

Pinky, you can pick up a nice Redington 8wt outfit for about $100. I actually bought one this late summer on closeout at Dicks for $45. It is a very good rod for the price. Even at original retail. My personal opinion is that a 4wt is far, far too light for steelhead. As mentioned, unethical in certain circles.

Good luck.

crosswater im guessing? excellent rod. i had one until it broke.. :lol:

 

[fredaevans]

Van makes a very good point; with a 8wt you can handle" almost any" fish you're likely to encounter regardless of river flow/fish size. When you find same, it's GAME ON .... the fish you'll always remember.

Why?

Because he/she kicked your butt and busted that 12# leader or almost spooled you before you flat lined (pointed down stream the rod tip) and broke that hummer off.
;>)

 

[mlw]

I would suggest, when you do gear up for steelhead, that you consider a spey rod, and learning to spey cast. Most Oregon steelhead water is not backcast friendly, particularly for sinktips and weighted flies. I have donated my share of flies to the local trees and bushes, and find spey casting to pay for itself in less flies lost. (Now I leave them on the bottom ): ) Anyway, a 7-8 weight switch or spey from 11-13' with a mendable running line, a skagit head, a 10' polyleader or sink tip (summer/winter) will get you into effectively fishing more water faster, IMHO. They are also handy in a boat, despite what you might think. (watch the tree's however ). Initial higher investment and learning curve, I admit - but all worthwhile pursuits seem to require both time and money, it seems (probably why I am always short of both!). Check YouTube for "Spey casting" and "Spey fishing" and you should find plenty of video.
Michael

 

[brandon4455]

i like switch rods!! you can nymph or swing with them

 

[GungasUncle]

If cash is very tight for you - look at the Cabela's Three Forks line of rods. They're by no means top tier - but they're not crap either. Regular price on the rods is about $50, combo prices hover around $100 unless they go on sale. Don't skimp and get the plastic ("graphite") reel - at least get a Prestige Plus reel, they're all metal and won't warp. I bought an 8 weight outfit last summer on sale for $80 or so, and got to fish it a few times before selling it (not because it was a bad rod, but a month of crap pay at work forced me to sell some stuff).

If you're a bit more flush with cash - I can't sing enough praise about Echo rods. It's hard to resist pulling out my wallet when I am in a fly shop and start casting them. They won't win a lot of beauty contests, but damn if they don't cast. Echo is a local company too (Vancouver, WA) - which is nice.

That 7 or 8 weight rod you pick up will be not only a good salmon/steelhead outfit - but good if you want to get into bass fishing with big bugs and very heavy streamers. And of course, there's carp - of which even a 'baby' will make your 4 weight cry for mommy.

That 4 weight will be great though for trout fishing come spring time My go-to rod for trouting has been a 4 weight for a long time.

 

[mezzfin]

All excellent points. Don't know how long your 4WT rod is (I have a 3WT that is just 4'9"!), but I would add that the oomph of a good 9-10' 8WT rod will save the day when casting/drifting/nymphing 40+ft of line, a #4 double bead stone, and #4 CJ. Not really going to enjoy doing that with a light weight, I suspect.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

7 wt is perfect for steelhead!

 

[halibuthitman]

7 wt is perfect for steelhead!

+1

 

[fredaevans]

7 wt is perfect for steelhead!

If I was 'forced' to pick one for 24/7/365 ..... +1. Thank God I've got a garage full of the things so I don't have to go there.
;>)