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 Post subject: Would you.
PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:59 pm • # 1 
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Fish with 6' #2 fly rod on a river where there is a strong chance of hooking a sea trout or salmon.
I have in 29 trips to my local river caught 344 brown trout, usually quite small but some 10 to 14 inches.
The other day as the river had been up with the rain and the water was a lovely dark colour it looked like a nice weak black tea.
I hooked a sea trout or a salmon I don't know for certain, but it jumped four times then it went into some boulders and snapped my tippet which was a 5X.
The flies, size 14s on the point was a pheasant tail nymph and on the dropper was an Endrick spider.
I know that it was the Endrick spider that the fish took.
But on this day I was using a #6 rod because I am trying to learn how to swing wet flies, which I am managing well and catching fish.
If I had been using my 6' #2 I think it would have been far too much for it, hooking a large fish.
Am I wrong in thinking this or should I stop using it on rivers with large fish?


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 Post subject: Re: Would you.
PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2020 4:25 pm • # 2 
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Location: southern Brazil
Let’s consider the worst-case scenario. If you did hook a sea-run brown or a salmon, how big would it actually be on average? Would a 2-weight rod offer you better protection for a 5X tippet?

In the 70s through the 80s I lived and fished the rivers of the upper Great Lakes, where I spent a fair amount of time after lake-run rainbows (generally called steelhead) as well as occasional (sometimes lake-run) browns and Pacific salmon. Most of the time my go-to rig was based on a 7.5 foot 4- or 5-weight rod. That did remarkably well on fish up to 11 pounds. Many fishermen used longer and lighter rods, which for some reasons I didn’t like, but did very well. For smaller fish of the same species I sometimes used a 3-weight. Occasionally a fish would be just too much to handle and get deliberately broken off.

If landing every fish you hook is important, a 2-weight would probably not be enough. If your aim is to have as much fun as possible with more fish, a 2-weight might be fine. What is more important to you and what do you consider the worst-case scenario?


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 Post subject: Re: Would you.
PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:06 pm • # 3 
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Location: Idaho
Well, you won't know until you try and catch a few :)

If you break some off (accidentally or intentionally) a small fly on a barbless hook is unlikely to cause the fish any major problems and isn't a big loss for you. Plus, you can pull really hard on 5X mono tippet with good knots and it will hold so long as you keep some bend in the rod and set your drag right.


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 Post subject: Re: Would you.
PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2020 7:49 pm • # 4 
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Joined: 04/02/17
Posts: 221
Location: Colorado
Oldbones wrote:
Fish with 6' #2 fly rod on a river where there is a strong chance of hooking a sea trout or salmon.
I have in 29 trips to my local river caught 344 brown trout, usually quite small but some 10 to 14 inches.
The other day as the river had been up with the rain and the water was a lovely dark colour it looked like a nice weak black tea.
I hooked a sea trout or a salmon I don't know for certain, but it jumped four times then it went into some boulders and snapped my tippet which was a 5X.
The flies, size 14s on the point was a pheasant tail nymph and on the dropper was an Endrick spider.
I know that it was the Endrick spider that the fish took.
But on this day I was using a #6 rod because I am trying to learn how to swing wet flies, which I am managing well and catching fish.
If I had been using my 6' #2 I think it would have been far too much for it, hooking a large fish.
Am I wrong in thinking this or should I stop using it on rivers with large fish?



One more thing to think about is, will a #2 rod bring in a large fish quick enough so the fish doesn't fight too long and end up dying. I have seen that happen too many times with ultralight rods. Yes you will lose a fish at times, but it's the ones that put up a big battle that lasts too long, and no matter what you do to revive the fish, it's already too late because your rod didn't have the testosterone to get it in quickly enough.

Don't be daft, use the proper tool for the job. Then that way you and the fish are winners.


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 Post subject: Re: Would you.
PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:16 am • # 5 
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I went to the same fishing spot again yesterday, in the early morning and later during the mid evening. I was using a #6 9' rod equipped with 5X tippet and set up with a size 12 Blae and Black on the point and Woodcock and Red on the dropper. On each session I caught brown trout up to 12/13 OZ, quite a fight even on the #6 rod, especially the trout in the evening session.
I think my 2 weight would be sufficient, if I bullied the fish out of the flow and into the margins but I would have to increase the tippet strengths for what I want to do.
I have caught plenty of fish on my #2 rod and feel any trout of 2 1/2 pounds or under would be manageable. I have heard of larger trout on the rive but very few and far between.
If a Sea Trout rams the hook! Well I did not panic but I should have remained more calm that what I did do.
The trout I caught yesterday, well they were nice and good sport even on the #6 but I should go back to the #2.
Will report back soon.


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 Post subject: Re: Would you.
PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 3:04 pm • # 6 
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Location: Tucson , Hellazonia
Yes I would .


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 Post subject: Re: Would you.
PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 4:46 pm • # 7 
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Posts: 101
It depends on the chance. If it is a 1 in100 chance I probably do it as I fish barbless anyway and if it breaks off it probably will get rid of it.

However if there is a good chance to hook such a big fish I wouldn't do it.

It also depends on the current. In Stillwater or slow flowing you can control a pretty big fish but strong current will make a fish twice as strong as you not only fight the fish but also the current.


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 Post subject: Re: Would you.
PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 12:37 pm • # 8 
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Location: Manitoba
I’d absolutely fish the 2 wt unless your goal is to land a salmon. In my home river, if I used a rod suitable for the largest fish living in it, I’d never hit the river with anything lighter than an 8 wt. The river is home to big channel cats, carp and pike but 99% or more of my fish are easily handled with a 2 wt.

Harry


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 Post subject: Re: Would you.
PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 9:01 pm • # 9 
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Joined: 05/21/17
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Location: Cedarville, Michigan
Resurrected older thread. I fished for years with an Orvis Superfine 3wt for half pound steelhead with plenty of hookups on some much larger fish as well as salmon. The salmon I just pointed the rod at the fish and broke them off. I landed very few of the bigger steelhead, but they weren't what I was after.

Prior to the Orvis I used a Fenwick 12' noodle rod and diawa 500c with 2lb test for both salmon and steelhead. Nothing landed over 12 lbs but I kinda figured as much before the first cast. Running up and down the river after a 30lb king was kind of entertaining in its own way though. Yes I have been spooled.

If I upped my rod size to match the largest possible fish on a trip, everything else I managed to hook into would be a bit of a let down.


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