# Question for the trout aficionados



## Troutset (Aug 23, 2015)

Danny Moody said:


> Each year I river, stream, and lake trout fish SW Colorado. I own a Sage One 590-4 and keep an old Loomis GL3 5 wt for backup. I am considering adding a 4wt variation. Will I find myself in situations where I'll say... "I wish I had a 4wt right now?" In the past I have used guides 4 wts and had lots of fun. From now on, I plan to fish mostly without a guide.
> 
> I have rods of each wt from 5-10 but, being a saltwater guy, I am having a mental block justifying adding a 4 wt.


I have fished summers around Durango for many years. I've never been with a guide before and most of my fishing is done while scouting the high country for elk, but I always come back to the same heavy old fiberglass 5wt. Never have I thought I needed less rod, maybe a 7wt for streamers in bigger rivers. Maybe for the more technical nymphing it may help but I don't have that much patience and always catch plenty on dries or streamers.


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## IdontknowwhatImdoing (May 20, 2016)

Danny Moody said:


> Each year I river, stream, and lake trout fish SW Colorado. I own a Sage One 590-4 and keep an old Loomis GL3 5 wt for backup. I am considering adding a 4wt variation. Will I find myself in situations where I'll say... "I wish I had a 4wt right now?" In the past I have used guides 4 wts and had lots of fun. From now on, I plan to fish mostly without a guide.
> 
> I have rods of each wt from 5-10 but, being a saltwater guy, I am having a mental block justifying adding a 4 wt.


Granted our trout are much smaller in North Georgia, I use a 3wt and 4wt. I have never wished I had a 5wt and landed some 20+ inch trout on both rods.


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## Danny Moody (Jan 22, 2016)

I picked up a Sage One 486-4 today with the closeout sale going on. Matching it up with a Sage Click 3/4/5. Should be a fun little rod.


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## tibor25 (Apr 17, 2016)

Where in SW Colorado? Guided the South Platte, Ark those sorta waters


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

I have been fishing central Idaho since I was a kid. My usual haunts have been the upper Salmon, Big Wood and Silver Creek and i have always used a 5wt which has been the best all round rod. With more and more people fishing the area, as an escape my go-to stream is in the back country at around 8000 ft. The fish there and in the high alpine lakes tend to be smaller natives; so now the 5wt is a bit overkill, so I'm going to add a 3wt.

I would suggest going to a 3wt instead of a 4wt to cover a wider range to add to your 5wt. I'm not familiar with your area, but mine has some twisty, narrow canyons where roll casting is a must so I won't go for the trendy shorter stick.

Edit: just saw your last post, so disregard my 3wt advice.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I'm heading to N GA for thanksgiving and have my 5wt, it's a 9'0". I use it for bass mainly but will end up bringing it for trout. I also picked up a short 7'6" 4wt to have for tighter streams.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Day in and day out for my stream trout fishing a 4wt is the go to rod. Its mostly about the size of flies and tippets I need to throw. I can get a much better presentation with a 4wt compared to a 5 wt. And yes even more so with a 3 wt but in my book a 3 is too small. Biggest reason being the breeze. A 4 is hard enough but can still take a fair breeze where a 3 really is too light.


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## tibor25 (Apr 17, 2016)

The best all around rod for Colorado is a 9' 5wt, you can do anything with that. Can throw nymph rigs with split shot and under an indicator, dries, can throw some streamers if you want. For hopper droppers, which I hope you throw in the summertime in Colorado, the 5 cant be beat. If you fish the ark I like a 6 or 7wt to throw streamers when I float and the water is high. If you tight line nymph, Czeck style a 10' 4wt would be nice, can reach out fish pocket water and you will have great control. When I fish smaller water like Tomahawk I'll use an 8'6 4wt and I have a 3wt butterstick which is a blast. If you PM me ill send you some diagrams on the way I nymph(dropshot) and a hopper dropper rig that is pretty awesome.


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## Danny Moody (Jan 22, 2016)

Thank you to everyone for the great info. I think the Sage One 486 and the 590 will be great rods for a variety of scenarios.

On another note, what are some opinions about click reels. I have never owned one but did make an impulse buy when I picked up the 486 and bought a Sage Click 3/4/5 and a 4/5/6. I currently have a Nautilus FWX 5/6 on the One 590 but plan to move that to a new One 691 and use the click on the One 590.

The click reels apeal to me b/c of the super light weight and the purity of palm dragging a fish.


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

Orvis CFO. They are now made in the USA; previously they were made by Hardy.


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## jonrconner (May 20, 2015)

There are now quite a few quality click drag reels on the market, there's really nothing to them so just buy the one that you like the looks of. Orvis, Hardy, Sage, Lelands Fly shop, Beans, etc, you can get large arbor or retro, just get one with a palming rim. I use old Hardy Marquis/ Sci Angler System reels, I like the look and they're not expensive on eBay.
JC


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2016)

jonrconner said:


> There are now quite a few quality click drag reels on the market, there's really nothing to them so just buy the one that you like the looks of. Orvis, Hardy, Sage, Lelands Fly shop, Beans, etc, you can get large arbor or retro, just get one with a palming rim. I use old Hardy Marquis/ Sci Angler System reels, I like the look and they're not expensive on eBay.
> JC


For a truly classic reel, take a look at the Plueger


jonrconner said:


> There are now quite a few quality click drag reels on the market, there's really nothing to them so just buy the one that you like the looks of. Orvis, Hardy, Sage, Lelands Fly shop, Beans, etc, you can get large arbor or retro, just get one with a palming rim. I use old Hardy Marquis/ Sci Angler System reels, I like the look and they're not expensive on eBay.
> JC


For a truly classic reel, take a close look at the new Pflueger Medalist. I think that anyone that's been in this sport for any length of time has owned one. Why is it that I'm sure that I misspelled Pflueger?


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## mcraft173 (Apr 21, 2014)

Click reels are fine in those weights, particularly if you are wade fishing. The only time I ever had trout get on a reel was drift boat fishing on bigger water with bigger fish. Even then, click reels are fun, palming them for drag. Unless you have a really good drag system, adjusted perfectly, you stand a pretty good chance of breaking a fish off on 6x and 7x tippet if you do get a fish on the reel. Click reels in this situation can be a little more forgiving, but also require a little more skill, but a lot more feel.

Unless you are you are doing something extreme, reels on 3, 4, and 5 weights are best viewed as line holders.


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## Capt. Martin (Jan 18, 2016)

Danny Moody said:


> Thank you to everyone for the great info. I think the Sage One 486 and the 590 will be great rods for a variety of scenarios.
> 
> On another note, what are some opinions about click reels. I have never owned one but did make an impulse buy when I picked up the 486 and bought a Sage Click 3/4/5 and a 4/5/6. I currently have a Nautilus FWX 5/6 on the One 590 but plan to move that to a new One 691 and use the click on the One 590.
> 
> The click reels apeal to me b/c of the super light weight and the purity of palm dragging a fish.



691 Is a great option for a 200 grain line and streamers anywhere in the world. Been guiding and fishing for trout in Patagonia for more than 30 years and for ANY size trout you are fine with any click drag, and I caught 20lb + sea run trout with old Hardy's, Pflueger's and the like.

If you are ever near Aspen, check the Frying Pan anglers, great guys.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Danny Moody said:


> Each year I river, stream, and lake trout fish SW Colorado. I own a Sage One 590-4 and keep an old Loomis GL3 5 wt for backup. I am considering adding a 4wt variation. Will I find myself in situations where I'll say... "I wish I had a 4wt right now?" In the past I have used guides 4 wts and had lots of fun. From now on, I plan to fish mostly without a guide.
> 
> I have rods of each wt from 5-10 but, being a saltwater guy, I am having a mental block justifying adding a 4 wt.


You mentioned something key there - river, lake, stream. It all depends on how big the water is, how much the flow is on the rivers, and if the fish are rising. Just like the salt, variety is the key. A 4 wt can be undergunned on big water, or if you want to throw bigger streamers. Or if you have to throw bigger nymph rigs.

A 5 is a good all around rod, 4 is fun to throw if the conditions are right.

Are we talking about trout fishing? Isn't it tarpon season? Oh yeah, that's in the 87 threads post....


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

coconutgroves said:


> You mentioned something key there - river, lake, stream. It all depends on how big the water is, how much the flow is on the rivers, and if the fish are rising. Just like the salt, variety is the key. A 4 wt can be undergunned on big water, or if you want to throw bigger streamers. Or if you have to throw bigger nymph rigs.
> 
> A 5 is a good all around rod, 4 is fun to throw if the conditions are right.
> 
> Are we talking about trout fishing? Isn't it tarpon season? Oh yeah, that's in the 87 threads post....


That was good Coconut


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

mike_parker said:


> For a truly classic reel, take a look at the Plueger
> 
> For a truly classic reel, take a close look at the new Pflueger Medalist. I think that anyone that's been in this sport for any length of time has owned one. Why is it that I'm sure that I misspelled Pflueger?


I've had one. What I never liked about them is the spool is not exposed so you can't palm them.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I picked up a douglass dhf 4wt. For the money it's a well built little rod. Already lawn cast it and while trout fishing is different than the salt I was able to cast it about 80ft with a 5wt rio gold that resides on a different rod. In short distances it loaded well in the 30 - 50 ft range, very accurate. Next stop is to figure out how to roll cast. Can't justify the cost of the Sage One on a rod that won't see heavy use.


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## jonrconner (May 20, 2015)

Backwater said:


> I've had one. What I never liked about them is the spool is not exposed so you can't palm them.


Frankly, Pfluegers are crap, heavy, clunky, poorly made, badly designed and the old ones had a foot that fitted no reel seat ever made. They were good when there was nothing else available!
JC


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## Danny Moody (Jan 22, 2016)

I put the Sage Click 3/4/5 on the One 486 and the 4/5/6 on the One 590. Wow, what a light setup. First thoughts casting the 486 with Rio Grand 4 is that is needs a heavier line to load the rod. A bit of a different action than the other Ones.

I did cast a new One 691 with SA Saltwater and wow, what a butter smooth rod. My wife and daughter came out and casted it and quickly claimed it for the girl arsenal.


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## Danny Moody (Jan 22, 2016)

Thank you all for your great advice from this thread. We spent 3 incredible weeks in SW Colorado and really enjoyed the fishing. I primarily fished the Sage One 486 with Sage Click and my daughter the Sage One 590 and Sage Click. the 486 was outgunned on a few occasions by some big browns and cutthroats but still a great performer. I really love the click reels. What a great way to bring in the purist element. Here is pre-release shot of a cutthroat double header.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Very nice. Glad you had such a great time!


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## JamesMB (Sep 4, 2016)

4 wt rods are ideal for trout. I've fished trout all of my life and guided for a few years; the 4 was probably the most versatile with the exception of the 6 on big water. Scott 8'8" 4wt G2 is probably the best all around trout rod that has ever been made. Light tippets, dry flies, nymphing (unless you're throwing double rigs with bobbers and shot, then you're in 5/6 wt territory). The thing that always amazed me with people getting trout rods is they wind up with a rod that is too stiff in the tip making close casts, mending, and fighting a fish on anything below 4x dang hard.


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## Wolffie (Nov 4, 2015)

That sounds like an awesome trip! Congrats!

Thought I'd throw this out there. I've been fishing Winston trout rods for a long time and last spring I picked up a cheap TFO pro special 2 4 wt, 8'6" and paired it with a SA GPX line on a FWX 5/6 reel. My goal was to put together an inexpensive kit to leave in the car for those random stops on me way home from work. 

It turns out to be the best casting trout rod I've ever thrown... And at the price it can't be beat! Seriously worth a look.


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

Danny Moody said:


> Each year I river, stream, and lake trout fish SW Colorado. I own a Sage One 590-4 and keep an old Loomis GL3 5 wt for backup. I am considering adding a 4wt variation. Will I find myself in situations where I'll say... "I wish I had a 4wt right now?" In the past I have used guides 4 wts and had lots of fun. From now on, I plan to fish mostly without a guide.
> 
> I have rods of each wt from 5-10 but, being a saltwater guy, I am having a mental block justifying adding a 4 wt.


You can never have to many rods, I spent 2 months out west fly fishing and used a 4wt the whole time, looking to buy a 3wt for the next trip. I pretty much just fish dry. Great cutthroat setup, easily land fish up to 22inches. Just my two cents.


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## CrappieFisherman (Mar 15, 2015)

I have two trout rods. The first is a 8'6" BPS 270° 4wt. This is actually a decent beginner's rod, that was very inexpensive. Since I primarily trout fish for native Brook trout in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I switched my primary rod over to a 7'2" TFO LK Finesse 2wt. This is a sweet rod that I've paired with Rio Trout 3wt WF line and an Okuma SLV reel. I can cast into the wind easily, and with decent conditions, I can reach out to 50-60'...not that I need that much when Ninja fishing in the mountain streams.

If going for cutties, I'd recommend a TFO finesse.


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