# How to match up a fly to the proper weight?



## Addskewed (Jun 19, 2017)

I have an 8/9 wt which is great but I feel it is over kill in smaller creeks and bayous so I recently purchased a 5 wt. I will use this mainly for spec and I tie my own flies if that helps. 

Thank you


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## shadowwalker (Sep 9, 2010)

If you can throw it as far as you need to with relative comfort, its not too big.


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## Chumbuster (Oct 17, 2017)

A 5wt will be a little tough in the wind...but a great choice for smaller waters...the line or head style and your form is more important to casting than rod weight...I'd put a bass taper on it and if its a super fast action maybe over line it with a 6wt line. practice practice practice.


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

*This isn't as easy as it sounds.*

Some days, when there is wind, you will work harder casting a 5 wt than a 9wt. I mean casting far enough and accurately too. I generally use a 8/9 for all saltwater inshore stuff because, down here, the area I fish is full of 10-40# Snook. In the summer, I hook them every day and they won't come to the boat on a 5-wt. unless you are incredibly lucky.

For Trout, a 5-wt is fine for them, no matter how large they are because any Hardtail fights harder than a Trout. 

If you persist in fishing the 5-wt, choose sparsely tied and compact flies. Unless you are a good flycaster, stay away from Clousers on the light rod. 

About a month ago I caught a Tarpon on my 5-wt. while fishing for Crappie. The Tarpon weighed about 6# tops. I was fishing in very swift water below the dam on Lake Rousseau. That little fish got at least 50 yards into my backing. Early on in the fight, I figured I was going to lose another fly line. Luckily he stayed away from any obstructions.


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

captken said:


> For Trout, a 5-wt is fine for them, no matter how large they are because any Hardtail fights harder than a Trout.


100% accurate. Thank you for being honest about this. I love catching trout, but I can't stand when people act as though they are some crazy fighting fish. Pound for pound, they don't pull half as hard as any other fish, regardless of species.


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## Addskewed (Jun 19, 2017)

Thanks for the replies; makes me feel better about my purchase. This will strictly be for trout in small water, making blind casts. Plan on giving it a shot this weekend in a few trout holes.


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## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

My go-to rod for wade fishing the grass around here is a 7 wt, but I also have a 4 wt that I like to use in mid/late summer when most of the trout are small, and it's my favorite fresh water North Carolina stream rod. No doubt I can get more distance on the 7 wt, but that's probably more my (bad) technique than the rod itself. Light tackle fly fishing is a whole lot of fun.


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## Dunt (Aug 14, 2015)

ThaFish said:


> 100% accurate. Thank you for being honest about this. I love catching trout, but I can't stand when people act as though they are some crazy fighting fish. Pound for pound, they don't pull half as hard as any other fish, regardless of species.


Then why even pursue specks on the fly? I'll take a 5 lb. trout over 50 surf hardtails any day.


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