For "creek" smallies it is hard to beat a Fenwick FF806 overlined with a WF7F line.

I use a Steffen 5/6 in 8' with a Rio 200gr Outbound line. works great, unless I'm throwing large flies, then I'll just use my FF807 with the same line.

7.5ft South Bend White Knight (6wt)

My go to for the smallies is an FF807. My second choice is a 7 1/2 foot Cabela cgr 7/8. A year or two ago, there were threads on eagle claw models issued in 2010. There were posters that liked the 8' 5/6 eagle claw with 6wf line for smallies.

Steffen 8'3" 5/6

Another vote for the FF806.

I had a 7'3" 5wt I built on a James Green blank that I loved for small water smallie action. I ended up selling it for some reason but I'll have another one again soon enough. Or I might steal Jason's Orvis when he's not looking. That thing is amazing. I love it and would like to find one of those some day.

For good sized clousers and other weighted flies I like using an Fenwick FF858. For smaller clousers or anything lighter, I also use a FF807.

Recently have started using a yellow FF102-6 which really seems to handle lots of flies and lines well, probably pretty comparable to a FF806.

I also just picked up a few Voyageurs an 858-5 and a 706-4 which will hopefully get some good use this season for big streamers and wooly buggers respectively. No idea yet how they will actually feel on the water. Anyone have experience with these rods?

It really seems like any Fenwick in the 6-8WT range will work nicely for those swimming bulldogs.

-Zeph

I have a 6'6" 4wt glass rod now, and I really like it. Would be looking for 6'9" up to an 8 footer..I know that leaves a big variety of rod selection( WHICH IS GREAT) It sure looks as though alot of you use Fenwicks..must really be a nice rod for Smallies

don't look at Fenwicks in shorter rods - they won't roll cast, which is where the short Phillipsons excel.

Some of the LL Bean glass was made by Phillipson. The Phillipson source rods have identical hardware and cork. Only the labeling and colors are changed. Much of the mid-60s to mid-70s Orvis glass was made by Phillipson too. On some of the rods Orvis specified a higher grade of reelseat and perhaps a different rod grip shape. Again, the labeling and colors are different than standard Phillipson rods.

I have a couple of Orvis rods and Phillipson rods of the same length and line weight. I have not noticed much rod feel/action difference between them.

Tom

Hi, Mikee. First, welcome to the board! Here in Indiana and formerly in central KY, my fish of choice is smallmouth, too. In rods, the first consideration is the FLIES you'lll use. You need at least a 7 weight for heavy (1/24 and up) Clousers, crawfish lures, and bunny body streamers. You'll just work too hard with a 6 weight or lighter. BUT if you want to cast 1/36 oz or lighter streamers and Clousers and such, the 6 weight will be fine. Six weight is my choice for sneaky petes and deer hair poppers (in smallie sizes, of course). Also, a 6 weight would be fine for sink tips (I use Rio Streamer Tips) with weightless or floating streamers. (A floating streamer pulled down by a sink tip line will swim above the rocks and such. It's GOOD!)

So, my rods of choice are (#1)Fenwick FF857 and (#2) FF856. You'll notice I like 8 1/2 footers. . for medium and smallish water, incidentally. If you're wading, you'll be waist to chest deep, and the extra 6 inches is VERY helpful. For 8 footers, I personally like my Hardy JET 8' 6 wt. . . probably equivalent to the Fenwick FF806. And I do like the relatively quick Fenwick 3-number rods or the Hardy JET, because slower rods (like that FL 102-6 or the Orvis Fulflex) won't keep your backcast up out of the water behind you when you're using heavy streamers. Poppers, sneaky petes, and unweighted flies are another story completely. For those I really liked my FL102-6.

My line weight choice is important, but the length does change with the particular stream. There's a nice aesthetic to be on a small, closed-in stream with a 7 12' or 8' rod but the 8 1/2 rods seem to go with more open, medium-sized water.

I love the glass rods for smallies, too. Good luck in your conntinued quest for THE ONE.

The best to you each morning!
Peter