So I have fly fished off-and-on, but a reltively limited amount here in Texas. I enjoy the sport and plan to try to fish local rivers and possibly for bass locally. So far, over the years I have gathered:
Sage DS2 5wt - 2 piece
Orivs Power Matrix 8wt - 4piece (used for bone fish in Belieze last year)
Fenwick 6 wt 2-piece (not so great)
Bass Pro Shops 7 wt (not so great)
I just got invited to tag along with a friend to fish in Butte Montana in late April, so now I have the bug and I am trying to make a decision on which rod to go with. I know I want to go with a 4 piece, and the next decision is 5wt or 6wt. Based on what I have read, most rivers in that area may be suited for a 6wt. Futher, many have suggested offsetting your rods by two (e.g., 4, 6, 8, 10) as you purchase more. Based on having an 8wt already, my initial thought is a 6 wt, but in the furture, I am sure I will be fishing other places besides Monatana - e.g., New Mexico, Colorado, etc. The 5 wt I have is ok, but I really am looking to have a 5 or 6 wt travel rod. I can use the 5wt 2 piece I already have here in texas (car travel), but I would be more likley to need a 4 piece for travel to CO, NM, etc.
From what I can tell, the 5wt is the most universal, but may be a bit difficult in the wind (e.g., Montana). That being said, would I be better off getting a 6wt, or will a 5wt get the job done and be more versital in the end - I think I can alwyas overload the 5wt (e.g., Rio Grand Line) to beat the wind in Montana if need be.
In the end, I guess the real questions is whether or not there is enough of difference between the 5wt and 6wt that I should really be concerned, and if there is, is there a strong preference for one over the other. If I got a 6, I could always get a 4wt down the road for other trips.
Also, I am looking at the sage vt2 6 or 5 wt as a starting point (~$260 closeout). Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
I believe either the five or six weight will be plenty of rod. It kind of depends on how good you are with a rod. I've fished the big rivers in Id and Wy with two and tree weights, but I've been doing it a long time.
If I were going on a trip like that, I'd always have two rods: a five wt for casting flies and streamers and a six or seven wt rigged with a strike detector and a nymph.
April is early so you may be fishing a lot of streamers. Six and seven wt rods work great for streamers. I'd also consider multiple spools for the heavier rod; one with a floating wt. fwd line, the other spool with a sink tip.
I like the every-other-wt guide. Going from a 5 to a 6 isn't a huge difference. Going from a 5 to a 7 is.
I love my 3wt power matrix, but if the wind gets heavy, I have a 5wt Sage that drives through wind better. Really, with new graphite rods the weight is not longer the factor it once was. 5 or 6 wt will be more rod than you need through most of the Rockies.
Montana....definitely a 6 wt. That covers allot. 5wt. is a good standard, but seriously, a 6 can handle bigger flies, and the wind. Both you will wanna try in Butte. You are so gonna love it!
I have a couple of 5 wts myself and a 6 wt and to tell you the truth the 5 wts are good for nymphing, but I prefer my 4 wt for dries and 6 wt for streamers. Personally I like fishing streamers for fish. You get the more aggressive fish, and I think its more fun. The 6 wt rod might not be the greatest rod for dry flies, but its all preference. For what you want to do I would recommend a 6 wt that way you can fish it for bass back home and have a ton of fun in montana. Good luck with the decision.
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