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Any one have/use one? Looking at the 4 wt for small stream trout and panfish between trout trips.

GreggH

Got a 9' 9wt that I use on Salmon and Steelhead in Michigan on the Manistee and Pere Marquette. Good rod, good value or bang for the buck. Have not tried a 4 wt from TFO. Go to a Fly Fishing Show or an Outfitter that sells thems and try casting.

GreggH - I own the 7'9" Finesse 4wt and think that it's an excellent small stream dry fly rod- (IMHO)better than some others costing a good deal more . It's a four piece pack rod that I carried in Wyoming, catching loads of small Brook trout on the west side of the Winds- fun times for a flatlander . I've since loaded it w/ wf6 line and used it successfully for smallmouth and 'gills . Great rod with a decent warranty .
MJ

TFO and Allen are two really good brands of fly gear. Much more quality for the dollar than you'd guess; both also have excellent customer service. You won't go wrong with either.

Here's a link for ALLEN

Thanks Guys. Would this rod work for nymphs?

GreggH

It's not always the rod but also the line weight that determines whether or not a set up is suitable for a particular style of fishing.

Casting small nymphs on 4 weight is doable but when you add an indicator, a split shot and/or fish larger heavier weighted nymphs a 4 wt will struggle with turning over the leader and with longer casts. A 4wt is not ideal for indicator fishing but if you fish in close it will work. It will also do fine for high sticking with just a weighted nymph.

Generally speaking a 4wt is most suitable for dries and nymphs tied on small hooks when a delicate presentation is an advantage.

A 5wt is more versatile and a better all around choice if you're not just fishing dries or small flies.

fish head
Looking to use the rod in the small streams of the Great Smokey Mtns. Am new to all of these and am trying to make decision. Local stores here do not carry much at all as far as fly rods go.

GreggH

I think you'll be fine as long as you don't overload the rod with big, weighted nymphs or split shot and an indicator. A bead-head nymph up to perhaps a #14 and a small foam indicator ought to be fine, even with a tiny unweighted dropper. That's probably the "heaviest" rig you'd want or need for mountain streams, anyway.

I fish a 3-wt with just a bead-head nymph on small streams and it does fine as long as there's little to no wind.

I'm late to the discussion, but Santa left one of these under the tree three weeks ago. My shoulder is way too FUBAR to even lawn cast right now, but hopefully I'll bet up and running by the trout opener. I have a very good feeling about this rod.

Cookie, my wife, has a 9 ft Orvis 4 wt and it's my rod of choice for trout on streams measuring 20 to 40 ft wide. It isn't something though that I'd use to nymph heavy pocket water in say the Yellowstone. For your purposes, I think it will be fine.

On big and potentially windy water, or in rivers where I might hook up with 7+ lb by catch (steelhead), I'd be inclined to go with at least a heavy spined 5 wt.

Truth be known, I've never owned a fly rod I didn't care for and still have some old glass 6 and 7 wt Fennwicks from the 70's.