Pretentious Snobby Bastard Fly Fishing!

This Ain't Necessarily Fly Fishing => For Sale / Wanted => Topic started by: itieuglyflies on May 29, 2021, 18:28:15 PM

Title: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: itieuglyflies on May 29, 2021, 18:28:15 PM
Looking for decent rod for dry flies. Recommendations?
( for my brief departures from the dark side)
Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: Al on May 29, 2021, 20:36:00 PM
I'm not a big user of dry flies but when I want to do just dry flies it is a 4wt. IMHO 3wt and smaller are for folks who like to brag about the light weight
 rod they caught him on - if it is a decent size fish they fail to mention how they played the hell out of it and it likely sunk to the bottom once released.
Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: streamereater_101691 on May 30, 2021, 06:00:29 AM
Fred, are you stuck on 10ft? Honestly, the longer rods handle dries fine, but accuracy suffers in close. A 10ft 3wt acts more like a 4wt in most cases unless you are willing to spend 850-1k.  Soft tip, but a stiff butt section. Most require lining up a size.

I'd personally go with a fast action 9ft 4wt or more moderate 5wt.
Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: Woolly Bugger on May 30, 2021, 06:09:15 AM
9' 5wt —  d:b


Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on May 30, 2021, 08:28:21 AM
I had a 10' 4wt Scott years ago.  I used it on the South Holston tailwater long before it became a zoo, and well before the labyrinth dam was built on Osceola Island.  I purchased it for making long casts and long downstream drifts with PT nymphs, targeting the fish that were commonly cruising the deeper crevasses.    I traded it for an athletic parking pass to VT sporting events.  I now wish I still owned the rod. 

Not sure if Scott still makes it, but it was also a decent rod for dries, mending, and long downstream drifts.

Al is not completely correct on his assessment of the light lines.  The biggest brown I ever caught was behind the upper South Holston fish hatchery, a 32" with 19" girth beast, on an 8'9" 3wt light line Sage.  The tippet was the key to landing that fish quickly which I did.  The fly line size was a nonfactor.  Never broadcasted much about that fish, because I drifted a f*cking egg fly into its gaping mouth.   It never felt right, much like that dirty feel one gets when using a green weenie.   

Now I will say it was always harder for me to land the bigger fish on a longer rod than a shorter one.  Never deep sea fished but always thought those rods were short for a reason.

The best longer dry fly rods I have ever owned/fished where that old 8'9" LL Sage and an old 8 1/2' 4wt Scott Eclipse.

Happy hunting for the new weapon. 
Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: Fishbug on May 30, 2021, 15:03:42 PM
Ive considered the same and looked into it a bit.

If its dry or die: 4wt

No budget: 8'6" Scott Radian or Hardy zephrus

Nice but not diehard: Fenwick Aetos

Cheap ass: Maxcatch Blackstar IM10
Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: Yallerhammer on June 02, 2021, 18:15:39 PM
I bought a Wetfly Element SE 10' 3 wt for cheaps a few years ago. I love it for nymphing, but it also works good for dries. You can keep some line off the water, for sure. Not Orvis-virtue-signalling range, but I've caught several thousand fish on it.
Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: driver on June 03, 2021, 13:54:14 PM
Fred just wants it to be 10ft so if he can't catch em on dries he can switch to euro.


Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: Dougfish on June 03, 2021, 19:03:09 PM
Quote from: driver on June 03, 2021, 13:54:14 PMFred just wants it to be 10ft so if he can't catch em on dries he can switch to euro.

I can relate.
Title: Re: 10ft 3 or 4wt
Post by: Phil on June 10, 2021, 14:53:35 PM
You still looking, Fred? I gotta 10' 5 weight Fenwick Aetos that's only been used 3 or 4 times.  Nice rod....