You want a -4 or -5 629 Classic (full underlug) in 5”. 4” a little short, 6.5” is a little long unless it’s a pure hunter. 5” is the absolute sweet spot. Probably also the hardest to find. Forget Pinned & Recessed unless you just want to admire it. If you intend to shoot it, you want the endurance package and the -4 or -5 gen. And you can admire it too. If you find one, prepare to open your wallet wide.
I like them all, but if your application is fishing, or as a backup for hunting, say in a chest rig, I like the shorter length like 3-4". This is for pure defense. Lighter, more compact, and more of a "get off me" belly gun. There is a reason the Ruger Alaskan and others have a snubby barrel.
For this application as soon as I get to a 6" barrel, its too big and heavy. And in the way of job 1, which is the task at hand (fishing/hunting), saving the .44 for last ditch defense.
And frankly Ill take whatever variant I can get so long as its a Smith. They are all a quality piece of machinery that you can rely on.
