So will my 5wt hold up to steelhead?

Started by rjs123, November 18, 2009, 22:23:25 PM

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rjs123

I cant afford another rod right now.  Ill be in Ohio next week and want to fish for steelhead.  The heaviest rod I have is a 5wt.  It looks like the largest fish are around 10lbs  28 inches.  Not that Ill get any that big, if I get any, but I can only hope.

Here is a link to a guide service with some recent pictures of the fish they have been catching. They have been fishing the Grand River and thats where I planned to go.  I hope they get some rain up there. If not I may not go and wait for another time.

http://steelheadalleyoutfitters.blogspot.com/

Get Bent

Yo,

It will be fine... I have landed many of steelies on a 5wt... As long as you have a good reel with an adjustable drag all is good...

Good luck my friend, give em hell....

R
Konichiwa Bitches!

Woolly Bugger

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me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Get Bent

Quote from: Woolly Bugger on November 18, 2009, 23:16:09 PM
I'd take an eight weight...

jis sayin'

jis sayin' a 5 wt will work ;).... A 7 or 8 wt is probably what you want in the future, but a 5 will do if its all you have. Don't let anyone tell you different, I have been down this road more than once. I just got back from a NY Brown and Steel trip. After the tip to my 7 wt was broke during a fight with a huge brown, I had to use my 5wt, since my six weight was sent off for repair. I landed a huge steelie on it no problem... Plus the fight was better....

I see alot of spey casters using 5wts as well..

If anything, buy a 6wt line and over weight your 5.... That will help when casting streamers. If you are like most chasing Great lakes Steel, you will be nymphing....

Konichiwa Bitches!

flatlander

By the looks of those fish you will be outgunned with a 5 wt.  Sure, you could do it (I know a guy who once caught a 50 lb king on a 2 wt just to see if he could do it), but it won't be any fun and it won't be good for the fish either. I could lend you a 7 or 8 if you need one.

phg

I've handled 16" to 20" Montana bows on a 5wt with ease.  Not sure how much more it would take, but the answer actually depends on how much backbone your 5wt has, and how skilled you are at managing the fish.  If you can land the fish by beaching them, then you might be OK. 

From the pictures Thelow has been posting on another site, though, I'd say you'll but under-gunned.  Find a friend that you can borrow 7wt or an 8wt from.  You'll have a better experience.

flatlander

#6
Quote from: phg on November 19, 2009, 09:18:46 AM
I've handled 16" to 20" Montana bows on a 5wt with ease.  Not sure how much more it would take, but the answer actually depends on how much backbone your 5wt has, and how skilled you are at managing the fish.  If you can land the fish by beaching them, then you might be OK. 

From the pictures Thelow has been posting on another site, though, I'd say you'll but under-gunned.  Find a friend that you can borrow 7wt or an 8wt from.  You'll have a better experience.

16" -20" fish on a 5 wt!?!? :o...you are an amazing angler >:D

Beetle

Agree with Flats and phg.

You are welcome to borrow my 7 wt if you have a decent reel (mine sucks).  I'm just down the road on 68 (work)

Silver Creek

How long is the 5 wt? What is the taper?

I think rod length is critical. I took two GLoomis GLX classics to Alaska's Copper River years ago for large rainbows. Both were 10 footers and I only used the 5 wt. I never had to go to the 7 wt. I was fishing thunder creek streamers since the bows were feeding on young salmon fry/smolts. I was using 2X tippet and one bow broke the tippet on the take without breaking the 5 wt rod.

I asked Gary Borger why I was able to handle the big bows with only the 5 wt. Gary said that the longer the fly rod, the thicker the butt section. A 10 ft 5 wt would have the strength of the butt section of a 9 ft 7 wt rod. Since the GLX is a fast taper rod, it has a thicker butt section to begin with and with the extra length, it is a powerful rod that is able to stand up to larger fish.

Large fish are fought with the butt section of the rod and not the tip. So if the butt section is strong enough to hold up to the steelhead, no problem. So consider the length of your fly rod and the taper in your decision.
Regards,

Silver

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rjs123

Well my 5wt is not a very good one. It was my first fly rod, a reel and rod combo from Bass Pro.  Looks like my best bet would be to borrow a 7 or 8 wt and spend a few bucks on a reel with a decent drag.

I know cheap almost never means good but Im going to ask anyway.  Is there a cheap reel out there that would have a decent drag and capacity for 7 or 8 wt line?

Steelheader

#10
When I go up to fish steelhead I either use my 10 ft 7wt or my 9 ft 8 wt. Depending on the stream I fish.

AT BPS in Concord they are selling Sage launch series rods on clearance ......for just under $200 you could buy a 9ft 8 wt rod. I believe Sage is discontinuing the rod. Other retailers are doing the same from what I can tell.

I have one for steelie fishing and it handles them quite well.

flatlander

Quote from: rjs123 on November 19, 2009, 12:56:05 PM
Well my 5wt is not a very good one. It was my first fly rod, a reel and rod combo from Bass Pro.  Looks like my best bet would be to borrow a 7 or 8 wt and spend a few bucks on a reel with a decent drag.

I know cheap almost never means good but Im going to ask anyway.  Is there a cheap reel out there that would have a decent drag and capacity for 7 or 8 wt line?

Robert,
I'm serious about lending the 7 or 8 weight.  Reel too.  I could give them to Beetle and you could pick them up over there.  You might have to pick up a line. All my lines in those weights are warm water saltwater lines.  Hell, I figure anybody who carries a 5D around in the Smith probably will take care of a borrowed outfit. 0--0

flatlander

Check your PM Robert...reply sent.

Beetle...are you going to work tomorrow (Friday)?

rjs123

Thanks for the offers to borrow a rod and reel Flatlander and Beetle!

Problem solved.   BJ has offered an 8wt and he lives really close.

Hope to meet you guys sometime.  Thanks again!

Ill be in Ohio on Monday or Tuesday and be there through the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Hoping for a little rain to get the fish moving.  I'll post some reports next week.

flatlander

Take some pictures of that trip.  I hope you catch one the size of those fish on that Steelhead Alley web site that you linked to--