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What rod and reel would you guys recommend for small creeks and streams? The two creeks I have in mind are no more 12'-15' wide, occasionally 20' or so. I would really love to give fly tackle a try on these but have no clue where to begin. I have some fly experience and a 9' 5wt rod but this just seems like overkill. I typically fish a 5'6" UL with panther martins on these creeks. I know fly tackle can get pretty pricey so I'm hoping to stay in the $300-400 range for rod and reel. Any help would be appreciated.

Last edited by ridgerunner85; 11/12/17.
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Google Tenkara. It is a Japanese form of fly fishing using a rod with no reel. I have been fly fishing conventional tackle for 40 years but Tenkara is perfect for small streams.

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LL Bean has this nifty little two-piece fly rod on sale.

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/687...;attrValue_0=Green&productId=1119692

I just bought this one about a month or so ago when it was on sale . . . 6' 6" 3wt

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/731...;attrValue_0=Brown&productId=1201779


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Look at a 7' St. Croix Avid 3 wt.. One of my favorite.. Soft enough to give smaller trout a great battle, I often use a 7 1/2 ' Fenglass, but they are antiques..


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One of my favorite small stream rods is a Cabela's TQR 2 weight, 5 foot, 2 piece, paired with a Bass Pro Shops / White River Fly Shop ultralight reel, Cabela's WF 2 weight floating line, and about 50 yards of 20 lb braided backing.

The other is a Sage TXL-F 000 weight. It's matched with a RIO line and Sage Click I reel. It, too, is a whole lot of fun.

Both are a lot of fun.

Tom



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I have a 7'9" 5wt Orvis Green River set up i bought back in the late 80's that would be ideal for a small creek like that. they were affordable entry level rods and you can find one occasionally for sale cheap.


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My preference for a small stream rod has changed over time. I have a number of 3&4 wt rods from 6'-0" to 7'-6" in both fast and medium action. If you are talking small mountain "Brookie" steams I have come to like a longer rod, say 8'-0", that is a fast action 2 or 3 wt. that I up-line to the next line weight. I find this allows me to load the rod at the short distances needed in the small stream and the fast action still has enough line speed to keep the loop tight enough to get under the tree canopy that surrounds these streams. The added length allows me to keep more to the line off of the water that is "tailing out" of each plunge pool, allowing a better/longer drift. A fast action 8'-0" 2wt with a 3 wt double tapered line is perfect for me.

Now if talking small stream and large fish where the growth around the stream allows casting then the short 6'-6" to 7'-6" rods that are 4 or 5 wt properly lined are useful, although spring creeks with weeds and varying currents still want a long rod of 8'-0" or longer for the same drift reasons as above.

Just my thoughts.

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Thank you for all your replies. I've been looking pretty hard at the St. Croix Avid rods, but I don't want to rush into anything, I wish I could try a few out. I still have till next spring to decide, maybe a trip to Cabelas will be in order this winter. I'm kinda leaning towards a 6'6" rod. These streams are tight, with lots of low overhanging branches. I couldn't imagine using an 8' rod......at least for my clumsy ass. Does the reel really matter? I was always under the assumption that the reel is just a place to store the line.

What's the advantage of weight forward line? Hows it differ than regular line.

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ridgerunner85,

If you are only using the reel and line for a dedicated small stream "brookie" outfit there is no need for a expensive reel. As you said the reel will be to hold line, I recommend a click and pawl reel and you can get a good one for $80.00 to $100.00. They are available cheaper but durability will suffer. A weight forward line is for casting distance, say over 30 feet. In small stream fishing like you have described you will many times only have a few feet of line out of the rod tip during a typical cast. 10 feet of line and a 7 1/2 ft. leader gets you a 17 1/2 foot cast which is more than you will use for the majority of the casts during the day. As you may already know a rod line weight rating is based on what it takes to properly load the rod with 30 ft. of fly line out the tip of the rod (a 4wt rod loads best with 30 feet of 4 wt line out of the rod), so as you can see with only 10 ft of line out of the rod it is hard to load the rod for a good cast (without altering your casting stroke, which takes experience). This is the reason many anglers will over load their rods with a line of 1 or 2 line weight heavier than the rating of the rod so it will cast well with little line extending out the rod tip.

Now a far as weight forward vs a double taper line, as stated above a weight forward line is for casting longer distances. Again if the outfit is to be dedicated to small stream fishing I would purchase a double taper line, the advantage of which is it can be used on either end so when the line wears you can reverse it and have a new line. Basically you get two fly lines hooked together with the double taper. which saves money. If this reel and line will be used for also casting at distances needed to fish larger streams the weight forward is the line to have.



Last edited by VaHunter; 11/14/17.
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Thank you VaHunter. This clears a lot of things up for me. This will be a dedicated "brookie" outfit so I'll probably just stick with the reels I have, albeit they are cheapies and spend a bit more on the rod. I guess this where the Tenkara rigs come lol. At this time it's doubtful I'd be using this outfit on larger streams, I still have a 9' Orvis 5wt for the bigger stuff. I just get a lot more enjoyment out of fishing the smaller streams for natives and wanted a dedicated rod for it.

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If you're already thinking 6'6", then why not get the Cabelas CGR 4wt? Right now, they're on sale for all of $60. I guarantee they'll cast just the leader all the way out to 40' no problem. No need to overline it in order to make short casts, the mass of the rod itself is enough to load itself.

If it's not your cup of tea, then you'll be able to turn it around with only small loss.

Scott



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Originally Posted by ridgerunner85
...looking pretty hard at the St. Croix Avid rods...leaning towards a 6'6" rod...


Good choice.


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I've been using an 8' 4wt Amundson rod and an older G Loomis fly reel. I only have a Rio Indicator floating fly line for it, I tie my nymphs light to really heavy so I can fish them under an indicator. The indicator fly line isn't then best choice for delicate small dry fly presentation, but in most mountain creeks the riffles seem to hide the bit of a pop the line can create if I don't cast perfect.


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I was in the same place several years back. Now, I'm old school, bamboo and silk lines. I picked up a Tufts & Batson blank for a 6'6", 2/2, 3/4 wt. rod and finished it myself. I use a #4 Terenzio DT line and a 7' silk leader. Perhaps not for everyone but I love it on our small Ozark creeks. I picked up an Orvis 3/4 reel....I think it's a Battenkill(?)....used for $50.00 and it's done everything I need to do.


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Originally Posted by Scott_Thornley
If you're already thinking 6'6", then why not get the Cabelas CGR 4wt? Right now, they're on sale for all of $60. I guarantee they'll cast just the leader all the way out to 40' no problem. No need to overline it in order to make short casts, the mass of the rod itself is enough to load itself.

If it's not your cup of tea, then you'll be able to turn it around with only small loss.

Scott


Cabelas CGR's are now on sale for $39.99.
Cabelas CGR on Sale

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+ today only 10% off and free shipping. I just back ordered a 6'2" 2wt rod.


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Originally Posted by WFR
Originally Posted by Scott_Thornley
If you're already thinking 6'6", then why not get the Cabelas CGR 4wt? Right now, they're on sale for all of $60. I guarantee they'll cast just the leader all the way out to 40' no problem. No need to overline it in order to make short casts, the mass of the rod itself is enough to load itself.

If it's not your cup of tea, then you'll be able to turn it around with only small loss.

Scott


Cabelas CGR's are now on sale for $39.99.
Cabelas CGR on Sale


I just checked because I've been wanting a 2wt., and its showing them at their regular $129.99 price. I guess the sale is over already. I missed it by a freaking day!? Ugh. The horror.


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The CGR is on sell fairly often. I have the 2 weight and it is fun. It is not for big fish by any means and is very soft but I like it.

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I remain a fan of the 5 foot 2 weight TQR. They were on sale for $65.88 this morning per Cabela's web site.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-TQR-Fly-Rods/712113.uts?displayTab=Customer%20Reviews

Tom


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Originally Posted by T_O_M
I remain a fan of the 5 foot 2 weight TQR. They were on sale for $65.88 this morning per Cabela's web site.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-TQR-Fly-Rods/712113.uts?displayTab=Customer%20Reviews

Tom


dang looks like sold out

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