# 8 wt to 9 wt when comparing rods



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

It depends on what rods Yellowstone is trying to market and sell...


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## Sardina (Feb 16, 2019)

Lee Singleton said:


> Is a is a good fly rod as an 8 wt going to be equally as good as a 9 wt. In other words would the yellow stone 8 weight shootout turn out in the same order if it was done in 9 weights?


The short answer is maybe, but not necessarily. Rods of different weights within a series from the same manufacturer, for example Scott’s Meridian series, will have variations. Some of the tapers might excel; some might be dogs. It is frankly pretty hard to go wrong these days, as there are so many quality offerings—way more than when I got serious about this sport going on 30 years ago. But now, as then, a review might be a good way to narrow down your search, but trying rods out is key.

I hoard and swap gear, and have for years. When I sell gear I use the proceeds to acquire new/different gear. I guarantee my garage is the best outfitted saltwater fly shop in Oregon. That’s not a boast; it’s an admission of a serious disease for which I cannot find a cure. I have the Yellowstone Anglers 2018 Shootout top 1-3 finishers in 8 wt. From my perspective and for my casting stroke, their analysis is solid. Would the review hold true to other weights? Hard to say, but the other weight rods I have or have fished in each of those top three finisher’s series (Asquith, Meridian, NRX) have all been nice as well. I only have the Meridian in 9, but it is a damn fine rod.

P.S. if Yellowstone was simply pushing what they want to sell us, wouldn’t they probably not pick a rod to win from a maker that has the easiest set up to go around the “fly shop industrial complex” price protections to purchase? Hell, you can get a brand new, current model Loomis for way below MSRP, i.e., the price Yellowstone is going to charge you, any day of the week from lots of places other than Yellowstone. Pretty sure they know that too.


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

This is a loaded question with a million different answers. The Yellowstone shootout uses different rods with the same lines (and reels). Each rod and line combination is going to have a different feel with positive and negative effects. Even the weight of the reel is going to have an affect on balance and other things. If you are just wanting a different rod weight for wind or lack of wind just try going up or down a size on your line with the same rod you have and see how that works. Today's rods can easily handle that change and sometimes actually perform better with a different line size. All these lines are different and have different characteristics as do you as an individual. What you may think is important in a rod and the way it performs is probably a whole lot different than what one of those guys commenting on rod performance from Yellowstone is. I make fly rods and have a good idea of what is important to me but in the end I have to learn to work with what I got.


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## jamie (Jan 22, 2016)

would echo "maybe" I've had multiple rods is different weights that felt different. 
Love my meridian 9 weight, the 8 is nice but Love the 9.
Sage salt - loved the 9 didn't like the 8 at all. 
Scott Radian - LOVE the 5 - disappointed with the 4 and the 7 is just ok. 
Method LOVE the 6 and 7 but not a fan of the 9...
Sage one - love the 5,6 7 is ok

just my 2 cents.


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## ElHydro (May 18, 2017)

Lee Singleton said:


> Is a is a good fly rod as an 8 wt going to be equally as good as a 9 wt. In other words would the yellow stone 8 weight shootout turn out in the same order if it was done in 9 weights?


@Lee Singleton,
if you have a rod that you love and you want to buy another in a different weight, call the manufacturer and talk to a company rep. like @Sardina said, different models within a series perform differently. every series has a couple allstars that perform better than the others. for instance, i have 3 sage rods that i absolutely love. there have been a lot of mixed reviews about the salt hd, but the 9 wt is a cannon. same goes for the 7 wt igniter and 11 wt x


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

Go to your local shop and cast it. That is the only way to really tell if you are going to like a rod.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

For the 10millionith time. The Yellowstone Shootout is a very poorly designed test.


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## jamie (Jan 22, 2016)

agree on the salt HD much like the original salt I found the 8 just Ok but the 9 can really sing. 
Also can't overstate how important line pairing can be. Can radically change the rods performance.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

jamie said:


> agree on the salt HD much like the original salt I found the 8 just Ok but the 9 can really sing.
> *Also can't overstate how important line pairing can be. Can radically change the rods performance*.


Hence the flaw with the Shootout!


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## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)

ifsteve said:


> For the 10millionith time. The Yellowstone Shootout is a very poorly designed test.


Please elaborate. I get what your saying. One of my favorite rods the TFO impact in 7wt. Got dead last in the shootout. I went into the fly shop and through 5 different 7 wts in its price range and I loved it the best. I feel like each rod is unique in its optimal reel weight and line weight.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Lee Singleton said:


> Please elaborate. I get what your saying. One of my favorite rods the TFO impact in 7wt. Got dead last in the shootout. I went into the fly shop and through 5 different 7 wts in its price range and I loved it the best. I feel like each rod is unique in its optimal reel weight and line weight.


Lee,

All you need to do is look on this very forum and see the vast amount of discussion on which fly line is best for a given rod. Certainly the guys at Yellowstone Angler can't have a test with a ton of different casters. That isn't practical. But to only use one fly line for every rod is, IMO, a fatal flaw in the test. The combination of the rod, line, and the caster are what makes a fly rod sing. I believe that they should at least be using the same test methodology but with three or more different lines for each rod instead of a single line. That would be a much more valuable review.

Steve


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## Camren (Aug 1, 2016)

This is a complicated subject as many have pointed out.

Some rod designers keep rod/taper design consistent across all weight.

Other will design an 8wt to perform very different then is 9wt brother. The design change has to due with the anticipated application of different wts.


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