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Post 27 Aug 2021, 07:13 • #26 
Guide
Joined: 12/16/15
Posts: 135
Location: MSP
I have a few sub-6'6" sticks: Sage 363 SPL (the favorite thus far, it fishes way above its size), Ben's 5'7" #0 (probably the most novel of the set), Olde English orange 1-2wt (blank to be built), Fenwick 605 already mentioned, Diamondback Meeker 6'6" #2, my original ultralight (Berkley Cherrywood from the 90s) that I couldn't bear to discard so I turned it in to a 5'6" 6wt... I think that's it.

Where do I use them? Tight spots, or where I know things are going to end up shallow or in close. Waving a 9 foot stick over fish 20 feet away in a foot of water doesn't often work well - a lot of my carping is done like that, so short rods are nice in the right place.


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Post 27 Aug 2021, 08:03 • #27 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Very apples and oranges rods here, but the two best I've ever used are Para/Metric 6'3" and hen's tooth Lami 605.
A close 3rd is Conolon Lee Wulff 1-pc.


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Post 28 Aug 2021, 21:59 • #28 
Guide
Joined: 10/14/19
Posts: 128
Location: Tauranga, New Zealand
BrookieBoy - The kahawai are an Arripid and there are four species with two found in New Zealand waters. Three species including our kahawai (Arripis trutta) are found in Australian waters. The name kahawai is Maori, with kaha meaning strong and wai meaning water. They are very strong and spectacular fighters, and are the basis for saltwater fly fishing in New Zealand.

For fishing with my #2 and #3 outfits, I tend to use hometied #8 flies and for the #0 and #1 weights, I tend to use #10 and #12 sparsely tied flies. Krill flies and small larval fish patterns are the most successful.

Cheers


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Post 29 Aug 2021, 13:26 • #29 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
I’m in the school of “as long as generally useful on the stream I’m fishing.” The sub-6’6” specification works nicely to match one of my favorite rods, period, a 64p. So sweet on small covered streams, it’s put a couple of nice 6.5’ 3-5wts on the bench. Shorter, a Diamondglass 605 is nice, a Fenglass 535-2 is the shortest I have and a fun rod in general, and there’s a 5’6” that a member here built on a spinning blank. Those three are all 5wts; I have a CGR 359-3, but generally prefer a 12 dry (or even 10) that I can see quickly, and the CGR seems happier with a 16 or less. Big flies also help me from impaling too many 3-4 inchers.
What GA brookie streams do I use these on? None yer beeswax. :)
The one you’ve shown (which looks a little familiar) is pretty open and I’d be happy with a 7’ rod.
This favorite stream sees most of the above rods, but this is one of the more open pools and some of the tighter spots can be best with the Fenglass; since one such spot once produced a 9” brookie, it’s always a longer/shorter trade off.

A recent (first) trip to this other stream was with the Diamondglass; if I go back, it’ll be with the Fenglass. Open spot:
Productive spot:

This isn’t brook trout water, but a friend wanted to get introduced to it and I took the Fenglass
on the theory that I’d let him mostly fish the open spots and I’d concentrate on the rhododendron choked corners.

Open such as this:

There is another sub-6’6” glass rod, a Curt Gowdy 6’3” 6wt, but it doesn’t see tight trout water.


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Post 29 Aug 2021, 21:53 • #30 
Sport
Joined: 04/18/20
Posts: 28
Location: Central Texas
Bought the Scott 6'2" Fiberglass 2 weight thinking it was going to be the perfect high country cutthroat stick, but the Scott 8'4" G series 3 weight has become my "Go To" rod. The longer length pays off when trying to get that perfect drift and it allows you to stay farther back from the bank when dapping for those spooky fish.


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Post 30 Aug 2021, 08:20 • #31 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
Upstreeam wrote:
What GA brookie streams do I use these on? None yer beeswax.


GAH! you uncovered my secret motive.. No, its much better that those things not be written online. If you ever want to go, Ill take you to my spots not that you seem to need them. I was wondering if youd chime in, I had seen you discuss shorter rods before. sometimes you find them (Brookies) in the most unexpected places, other times it seems to be just as youd think. At this point, if I was headed to north Ga to search out brookies and I could only have one rod - it would be the FF70-4 in the summer and either my douglas 733-4 or SFG2 in the winter when smaller flies are more appropriate. I fish both of those rods as 3 wts. luckily its never just one rod.

SanGabe - if I was out west I suspect I would Gravitate towards 8'-8'6" rods my self.


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Post 30 Aug 2021, 13:14 • #32 
Guide
Joined: 02/06/16
Posts: 328
Location: US
Brookie, that is a nice stream you fish and good on you for teaching the trade to little sis. Your SFG 2wt is a nice rod. I haven't cast one but it has generally been well received by those who have it and Orvis does make a nice glass rod they stand by.

My personal favorite rod for chasing brookies is a Yomogi 7" 3wt. I usually don't find myself in situations where I need a rod shorter than that. For me its a solely a dry fly rod, but true small stream fly rod should be more capable, to wit: the Kabuto 662-3. As with many others, I think Kab underestimated his rod weight designations. I fish my 662 with a true 3wt WF line and it is a point and shoot laser. Dries, streamers, nymphs, it handles whatever a small stream up to even a medium size river might require, and is a very lively stick when playing fish. I think a few others here are big fans of the Kabuto 662 as well.

A more recent addition, and more or less a "boutique" rod that I have added is Ben's S-glass 5'7" 0wt. I wouldn't say that rod is appropriate in all small stream situations, but when it is, it is a blast to fish.

The "do it all" would be the Kab 662-3.


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Post 31 Aug 2021, 09:28 • #33 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 251
Toothy bugs do you have pics of that small sage rod?


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Post 31 Aug 2021, 10:52 • #34 
Guide
Joined: 12/16/15
Posts: 135
Location: MSP
Not currently but I can get them. I built it from a blank so it's not going to look like any SPL you're going to see.


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Post 11 Sep 2021, 11:40 • #35 
Guide
Joined: 05/04/14
Posts: 118
Location: US-WA
I picked up a Fenglass 6’6” 3wt on close out earlier this year at my local fly shop. I got out for some small stream fishing last month and had a blast with this rod. It’s my new favorite. Sorry CGR and Butterstick, you’ll be collecting dust at the back of the closet.


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Post 11 Sep 2021, 12:03 • #36 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
Most of the discussion and pics here focus on casting in tight conditions, but moving around in the surrounding terrain is also a consideration. This pic shows the best “path” to a run that always holds good trout; basically, in the center, sunlit section, a knee-walk/crawl combo.

When you get there, an 8’ rod would work but getting there with one is another issue. I do have 5 pc 8’ 4wt, but I may not be patient enough to regularly break it down and re-rig when I get to the water, then break back down to exit, and it’s easy to get an 8’ rigged rod tangled up. Fairly easy approach on the other side of the creek, but you end up coming down in a way spooks the run; for that matter, putting a rod back together stream side might have the same effect.
I was reminded of this spot yesterday when I was doing a belly crawl with an 8’ rod, but that was just dealing with boulders and logs, not line snagging rhododendron, at least just then. Still, a sub-seven footer would have been welcome just then.


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Post 11 Sep 2021, 13:49 • #37 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/06/17
Posts: 2498
Location: South of Joplin
6'6" is my shortest and while it's fun to use, it's not a first choice anywhere, it's more like a "why not use this" rod.
On getting there, the 6'6" is just as much hassle in really tight stuff if assembled as a 11' would be broken down. And if the 6'6" two piece is taken down it still packs like a 9' three piece.
In truly tight willow runs on New England step across brooks, I used to fish all day with the top section of a 9' fiberglass rod. My takeaway from dozens of days (so many that I fixed a dowel as a grip and reel seat) doing this is that if you aren't really casting (and you won't in a tight spot) the various fine qualities of the rod just don't matter. If you need less than 7', you can hand cast a the line directly from the reel.


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Post 13 Sep 2021, 15:48 • #38 
New Member
Joined: 02/17/21
Posts: 15
Location: Montana
I use a 6 foot 2wt loaded with DT3 to fish the small headwaters in Western Montana. These are built from imported S glass blanks. I liked it so much that I built a second one to share. I have enjoyed fishing and catching with these when the big rivers were under "hoot owl" this summer.


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Post 13 Sep 2021, 16:24 • #39 
Master Guide
Joined: 01/03/06
Posts: 687
Location: US-VA
Upstreeam wrote:
Most of the discussion and pics here focus on casting in tight conditions, but moving around in the surrounding terrain is also a consideration. This pic shows the best “path” to a run that always holds good trout; basically, in the center, sunlit section, a knee-walk/crawl combo.

When you get there, an 8’ rod would work but getting there with one is another issue. I do have 5 pc 8’ 4wt, but I may not be patient enough to regularly break it down and re-rig when I get to the water, then break back down to exit, and it’s easy to get an 8’ rigged rod tangled up. Fairly easy approach on the other side of the creek, but you end up coming down in a way spooks the run; for that matter, putting a rod back together stream side might have the same effect.
I was reminded of this spot yesterday when I was doing a belly crawl with an 8’ rod, but that was just dealing with boulders and logs, not line snagging rhododendron, at least just then. Still, a sub-seven footer would have been welcome just then.

Hmmm... here, we need to worry about ticks and possibly venomous snakes ( mostly those ticks). Are those a concern with belly crawling in GA?


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Post 13 Sep 2021, 17:05 • #40 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
Well, yeah, they are. Snakes, just keep looking where you’re going; only rattlers I’ve encountered on (or off) trails have been hiking, and have only seen copperheads a couple of times streamside, although water snakes have caused a few more instances of pause.
I’ve only had one known tick bite, no disease associated. That’s all in 35 years. Of course, that picture doesn’t show the majority of fishing access, just what has to happen sometimes.


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Post 13 Sep 2021, 22:16 • #41 
Guide
Joined: 02/23/11
Posts: 238
Location: Tulsa, OK
F2 653 I bought off Aurelio last year. Perfect for the blue lines I fish in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico:





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