9'0" 6 wt rod: Prefer glass or graphite?

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docbluedevil	9'0" 6 wt rod: Prefer glass or graphite?	Lead	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 504 (06/23/09 18:37:27) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I've fished the local salmonfly hatch here in the Gunnison River Gorge last week for the first time ever. I'll be going out again tomorrow, and hopefully the females will be in the air and laying eggs on the surface. Amazing to see dry fly action with such huge flies! I've been using a Winston LT 8'9" 5 wt 5 pc to huck these #4 salmonflies, but a longer 6 wt would be ideal, especially when the wind picks up a bit in the canyon. I might sell/trade a rod for a packable 9' 6 wt, just can't decide on the material; I'm leaning more towards graphite currently for this application. Curious, when you guys are reaching for a longer 6 wt rod, do you prefer glass or graphite?
delkins.marblemental		#1	[-]
Guide Posts: 81 (06/23/09 20:09:59) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Hey Doc. Funny, but I don't honestly have any 9 foot glass rods. I have a number of 8.5 foot 6 wts, a newer Fenwick being my goto rod. However, I'm not going to argue that glass generally lacks subtlety on or over, heck, even 8 feet, for trout fishing, IMHO. Don't get me wrong, I like it that way, but you know you're holding a glass rod. My goto rod for nymphing for a long time was a 9foot 6wt first year Orvis PM-10 and I reserved my 6.5 foot to 7.5 foot glass or early Orvis Far and Fine for smaller streams or dries. Since I got the 8.5 foot 6wt Fenwick from Cabela's 7-8 years ago its been my general purpose rod. I guess my point is, 9 foot 6wt graphite is definitely less akin to a broom handle for trout than glass. However, that being said, I think you should blaze new trails, make the old, new again, and fish a 9 foot 7 or 8 weight glass rod during the salmon fly hatch. Make those guys trying to hammer nails with 4 wts stutter. LOL. What would A.J. McClane do? LOL. -Dave
rvreclus		#2	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 329 (06/23/09 20:41:02) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Doc, I fish the Salmon Fly hatch almost every year. I have no experience with 9' 6wt graphite rods, so I'll offer no opinion. However, I do fish this hatch on different waters in Oregon and Montana. I would suggest trying a glass 7wt, you can get the casts and drifts, even in the wind. Favorite rod is my Winston 8.5' 7wt, you can fish both the nymphs and the drys easily with this rod. This rod can handle large flys in wind without being to long or light, so as to minimize the effects of the wind on casts. A good progressive action 7wt can easily handle the size of fly you have been using, even in windy conditions. Respectfully rvreclus
gypsy		#3	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 534 (06/23/09 20:59:49) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I've never fished the salmon fly hatch nor do I own any 9' glass rods but if i think I'm going to need a 9' 6wt when I'm fishing i don't hesitate to reach for a 9' graphite rod. And why not? It's lighter than glass, cast further easier and is a great fishing tool, and in then end that's what it's all about for me...fishing. Ok now that I've said that I think my Steffen 8' 6" could certainly be used in a situation where I felt I needed a 9' 6wt and due to it's s-glass construction and medium action I probably wouldn't get worn out from casting big flies all day with it. And it's a helluva accurate casting rod so I might be better off fishing that instead of the graphite. One thing for sure is it's a lot funner catching fish on glass than it is graphite so that would have to play into the decision making process somehow. Gypsy Rod Works
nativebrownie		#4	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 397 (06/23/09 21:15:57) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Wish that I could fish your salmon fly hatches. I remember well that in the book Stoneflies (Leiser & Boyle), they preferred a glass 9 footer (6) over cane and graphite. And Graphite was well under way then. I enjoy a 8.5 (4-5) glass here on small streams and a 9'3"(5 weight) Winston glass on larger waters. Love both of them - far more feel for tippets and plenty of feel for my up to 50 feet fishing needs... The easy answer is that over 8 feet glass loses out. Perhaps, but great engineering wins... NB
frogmorton		#5	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 282 (06/23/09 22:04:51) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	With those big bugs and some wind out west I think I'd use my 9' 6wt Scott G. I really can't think of a better rod for that situation.
harleydeen		#6	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 408 (06/23/09 22:05:47) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I personally would love to come across a 9' for 7WT. Even if it meant getting Steffen Bros. to make me a blank and building it myself. To me any 9' glass rod will balance with a 4" reel and put the fulcrum right at your casting hand. With a progressive action blank you'll not have to move your arm very much to get the long rod to flex thru the cast and shoot some damn line out there!!!! OOhh how I miss those salmon hatches in Idaho........ Tight Lines, Harley Lk. Stevens, Wa.
majicwrench		#7	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 1163 (06/23/09 22:44:34) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I've got several 9ft glass rods, and the only one that gets a lot of use is the FF98, and it's a 10wt cannon. I don't have a 9ft 6wt glass rod, but have a bunch of 8'6" glass 6 and 7wts that can cast like rocket launchers and they work great for big hoppers and salmon flies here in MT. Graphite rods make my arms hurt just thinking about em, and for me, a glass 7wt can deal with a big fluffy fly much better than a 6wt graphite. I would love to find a 9ft 6wt Fenwick, preferebly the earlier rods. Did they make one?? One of my buddies has a 9'6" Fenwick made from a blank, I am forever trying to buy it from him! Keith
Bud		#8	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 595 (06/24/09 08:16:10) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I have a 9 foot 6 wt Hardy Jet. Of the several JETs I own it is my least favorite. It just doesn't fish that well. On the other hand, I have a 8.5 foot 6 wt. JET that fishes beautifully. In my experience, Glass really shines in the shorter rods with 6 wt lines and below. I also really like the glass rods for casting 9 wt lines and above. For the fishing you are describing....my choice would be my Powell IM6 9 foot 6 wt.
mdwwhw		#9	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 584 (06/24/09 08:48:03) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I'll certainly go with a 9 ft 6 weight graphite when there is plenty of room to swing it and its getting windy. Being able to carry a four-piece can also be a plus. That pretty much describes when I use mine. I don't hesitate to move up to a 7 wt where I might fish a 6, but all my 7's are two piece and the longest is still only 8.5. "Everything's better when wet...." Steve Miller Band
gearboy		#10	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 374 (06/24/09 11:06:53) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Any fishing situation I've ever encountered that calls for a 9' 6wt can be just as easily fished with an 8'6" 6wt.. I fish most everyday in the summer and last summer couldn't get enough of my pre-IM6 Winston 9' 6wt graphite. . So far this season all I want to fish are two favorite glass rods, my Berkley Para/Metric 8'6", fishing it with a TT6/7 and my FF806. Both of these can do everything the nine footer can. Doc, my recommendation is to have Mark Steffen build you an 8'6" four piece for a 5/6 line. I've got a two piece that should arrive soon. Jay
streamcaster		#11	[-]
Guide Posts: 190 (06/24/09 14:38:47) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	9' 6wt would seem to go graphite for me. That swing weight of the extra 6" from 8.5 just seems to make a difference. I recently got a Fenwick FF857, (8.5') and wanted to compare it to my Diamondback Western 9' 7wt. The graphite rod was lighter in the hand, but when casting, the 8 1/2 Fenwick felt lighter. I really think the extra 6" made the difference. So if I HAD to go 9', I'd go with the lighter material. But I agree with most of the previous comments, that anything a 9 footer can do, an 8 1/2 footer can do, too.
whrlpool		#12	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 872 (06/25/09 06:42:11) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Nothing significant has changed in the technical limits of 'glass. A 9' for six weight in 'glass will be a sloppy rod or a stiff rod with a soft tip. Graphite made the 9' rod in line weights 6 and down feasible. A nine foot rod has one primary advantage, which is reach in line mending capability. Other than that, if it's 6-weight time--and that is the weight I fish most often--in 'glass that's going to be an 8 1/2' rod or an 8' ( or 7 1/2'). These are both great lengths in 'glass--graphite also, for that matter. Other than that, a 7 weight as suggested above is also great in longer 'glass, although I'd still want 8 1/2' or less. The 7 is the most underutilized line weight for trout fishing--casts like an 8, handles like a 6. Put one on a 8' or 8 1/2' rod and you may wonder why you ever bothered with 9' rods. I rarely use my 9' graphites anymore, and I fish big rivers, heavy water, and large flies quite often.
Yeti		#13	[-]
Sport Posts: 75 (06/25/09 06:50:45) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I was lucky enough to hit the salmonfly hatch in Yellowstone last summer and had a ball throwing #4 foam stoneflies with my Steffen 8'6" 5/6 wt 3pc. I used a WF5 on it and enjoyed catching many cutts in the 10-16 inch range.
caddis4		#14	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 312 (06/25/09 08:55:37) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I've never fished a salmon fly hatch - I guess graphite would be a good choice for larger flies and distance....but if I want to use glass, my FF80 is my "go to guy" for larger flies and bass bugs. You'd be giving up a foot in length (mending) and going up to a 7wt line (I use a DT), but it's smooth easy casting - my favorite larger water glass rod. Think it's also avaiable in multi-piece (4) if you can find one. *"All good things are wild and free*......" Henry David Thoreau Last Edited By: caddis4 06/25/09 09:48:33. Edited 1 times.
Golfswithwolves.clarksclassicfl...		#15	[-]
Sport Posts: 21 (06/25/09 15:35:00) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I just spent my check for "financial recovery stimulus" from the gov't. on a 9' 6 wt. fiberglass Winston rod (have to do my part for the economy after all). I cast it on the lawn with a DT6 line and am impressed with it. There was lots of wind today, but the rod handled it well. It took me a minute or so to get used to the medium-slow action, but then the rod became a lot of fun to cast. I was easily reaching out to 60' and the close-in performance was sweet. I think that this rod would be great for the kind of big flies in question, and should also handle the regular run of dry flies and nymphs well. For tiny flies probably a lighter rod would be better. I own a Scott G 9' 6 wt. graphite rod also, and I think these two rods seem to be very comparable so far. Slightly slower action and more tip-heavy feel with the fiberglass rod, but the two seem like they would handle the same tasks of general trout fishing with equal competence. Last Edited By: Golfswithwolves 06/25/09 16:05:53. Edited 1 times.
nativebrownie		#16	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 400 (06/26/09 07:21:58) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Sounds very,very nice. Those rods are rare. But wait, we all know that a pleasant long lightline glass rod is impossible - it can't be! Maybe we should both offer up these pleasant Winston long glass rods to the great god of carbon technology? But before that , I agree, they are remarkable in close(ah, that more supple tip) and sweet within normal fishing ranges. Maybe I need to wait a bit before the sacrificial ritual - beetle time is approaching here and I enjoy longer, soft casts, and very light tippets... Sounds beautiful - well described...enjoy.. NB Last Edited By: nativebrownie 06/28/09 09:54:05. Edited 1 times.
paveglass		#17	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 818 (06/28/09 10:11:08) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Longer rods is where graphite outperforms glass. I have many glass rods but few are longer than 8 ft. In my opinion, that is about where weight and wobble start to detract from the joy of fishing glass. Not that it can't be done, but I find them too heavy and loose, then you need a heavy reel to make it balance well and it starts to become work. My suggestion, however, would be that you get an 8 ft, 6 wt or 7 wt glass rod and have a go with it. A Browning 222980 or 322980 8 ft, 7 wt would be great, as would a Fenwick FF807, or 806. If you need a few more inches of reach...a Fenwick 8'3", FF837 would do well too. The FF80 throws big flies well as it is very soft and you will get no "clunking" but it is not a long distance rod by any means. If what you are doing is mostly dapping on short drifts--get the graphite, but again...I'd get a 7 wt vs a 6wt. Much more versatile given that you probably have a number of lighter rods. Good luck. I hope to fish Gunnison Canyon some day, had land in Montrose for just that reason. Donny
whrlpool		#18	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 889 (07/13/09 05:23:45) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Check this discussion, especially Rvreclus' comments, very sharp. The rod discussed is exactly the type, and one of the best, for the situation you asked about. A low, compact backcast--very helpful in wind--is another advantage of some of the 8 and 8 1/2' powerhouse 'glass rods. Nowadays people want to fish light-line rods to make the catch seem more of a feat, and to amplify the fight of smaller fish. That is at the expense of sloppy casting and, more important, overstressing larger fish because they can't be landed efficiently. Big flies in big water almost certainly bring at least the expectation of larger fish, so the rod should be fit for the task. http://fiberglassflyrodders.yuku.com/topic/9686?page=2 Last Edited By: whrlpool 07/13/09 05:30:21. Edited 1 times.
wb4tjh		#19	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 347 (07/13/09 07:26:39) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I usually draw the limit on bamboo and glass rods at 8.5 feet and go to graphite. To me, they just get too heavy and unweildy when they get nine feet long. Even a nine foot, 8 weight weight graphite begins to tire me out after a few hours, much less glass. I have an 8 foot 4 weight and 8 foot, 6 weight Fisher glass rods, and I love them. My longest is a SA System 7 glass rod, that is eight feet 5 inches, and it is a pleasure to fish. A glass rod like a new, modern, light Steffen or MacFarland might be OK in 9 foot, but I have not tried one. I had an old Shakespeare 9 foot Howald process glass rod once, and it was like casting a totem pole; it was strong and powerful, but just too heavy. Bill Anderson, Sarsota, Fl. "Bamboo is the Benchmark in flyrods".
Boo		#20	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 584 (07/13/09 12:49:11) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I no longer own a 9ft rod. I sold any 9' graphite rod I owned. I discovered 8 1/2ft rods [and in fiberglass] can do anything my 9ft'ers could do. I believe 9ft'ers were most popular when float tubes and donuts were the rage 20+ years ago. The 9' rod can keep the tip from slapping the water on the back cast in a tube. But, with the pontoons that sit higher an 8'6" rod can do everything a 9' rod can do. On the stream/rivers I don't think the extra 6 inches makes a difference and an 8'6" rod is generally going to be lighter. My rods jump from 8 1/2ft to 12' spey rods.

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9'0" 6 wt rod: Prefer glass or graphite?

9'0" 6 wt rod: Prefer glass or graphite?

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