Lightweight fishing gear yields heavyweight action

    When I was just a young pup learning how to fish, it was all about how many trout I could catch.
Playing a fish consisted mostly of stiff-heeling it through the air onto the bank or dragging it across the surface, thrashing wildly, into a net. Several years later, the size of the fish entered the equation as well. On outings it seems every angler desires the distinction of catching the first, the most and the largest finned quarry.
Thankfully for most of us, especially fly fishermen, somewhere during mid-life sportsmanship, finesse, technique and pure enjoyment begin to overshadow size and numbers. As with many before me, my true fishing rewards switched to fooling trout, salmon or bass into striking a fly I’d tied with my own hands. I took pleasure in catching fish when others could not, or weather and water conditions proved less than conducive.
I reveled in each acrobatic leap, every long, line-tugging run and the determined dives, head-shakes and wild twisting to break free. Oddly if a fish slipped the hook I was able to grin and offer a congratulatory nod rather than fume and curse. Perhaps my true graduation from novice fisherman to ardent angler occured when I began carefully reviving and releasing most of my fish to be caught again. Fooling a big, smart fish into striking a fly, reveling in the fight, win or lose, and being happy to have just thrilled in the experience is the frosting on my cake.
What I’ve done, and urge others to do as well, to truly heighten the thrill of fly casting is to up the challenge and even out the battlefield by using smaller, lighter equipment. I’ve found that during warm weather, fish become finicky and feed less, as well as far more selectively. Casting smaller fly patterns and using lighter leaders raise the odds of fooling fish into eating. Also visiting your favorite small ponds or pools along the river at dusk and dawn increase your chances of a strike, but the dim light increases the degree of difficulty of seeing your diminutive floating fly and any strike that occurs.
A short, light and flexible rod allows precision fly presentation on even the smallest pools along narrow brush-bound streams, but it takes patience and practice. With a well balanced rod, reel, line and leader, even an 8-inch brookie yields a fun fight and a foot-long trout makes the outing memorable. Outfits like this are perfect for Whitney Brook in Bridgewater, Three Brooks in Blaine, Rocky Brook in Mars Hill, B Stream in Houlton and Hockenhull Stream in Fort Fairfield to name a few. I know, I fish all of them.
Over five decades ago my tools of the trade were either fiberglass or bamboo rods, level fly lines and fairly cumbersome reels with heavy drag systems. For the most part outfits were either stiff as a broom handle or limber as a buggy whip. Don’t get me wrong, they worked, but surely weren’t optimal for truly sporty fly fishing. My favorite fly rod, and I still own the sorely mistreated model, was a seven-foot Fenwick wound fiberglass rod that was truly ahead of its time.
With the advent of graphite and boron, flexible guides, titanium and aircraft aluminum reels and synthetic, slick line coatings, fly casting changed forever. For any species of Aroostook fish, even musky and togue, I never use a rod heavier than a seven weight, and usually stick with a six weight. For casting floating poppers and deer-hair bugs for large or smallmouth bass my go-to rod is a five weight. My stream rod for freshwater trout and salmon was a four weight up until last year and then I found a three-weight, four-piece Orvis Hydros rod that literally doubled my cast and catch challenge and excitement!
There are dozens of top-notch rod makers with reasonably priced products on the market in four, three, and even diminutive two-weight rods. I recommend at least a seven-foot pole, and use an eight-foot model myself so not only can I cast along brooks, but it trolls well on small lakes and ponds early in the season. Bit fish are a blast to battle, but patience is a must due to the light leader and rod combo.
Matching a line of the same weight as your rod assures casting distance and precision with dry flies, wet flies, and streamers. It’s helpful to bump up one line size for casting large terrestrials or weighted flies, or if a sinking tip fly line for nymphs will be used. A weight-forward style fly line offers extra length on casts that would otherwise be difficult with such a light rod, especially in windy conditions.
You might feel your current fly casting outfit is satisfactory, and it may well be. But, believe me when I tell you there’s a better, more exciting and more satisfying lightweight rod in your future. Fly fishing outfitters such as L.L. Bean, Orvis, and Cabelas often have fully rigged rods on hand so shoppers may try out several to compare and contrast. A few times a year these companies even have casting lessons on stocked ponds run by qualified instructors, what a great chance to check out a three- or four-weight rod.
Perhaps a friend who owns a light rod might let you try it out or you can just bite the bullet and purchase your own. I’m betting you won’t be disappointed, nor will you be returning it! I did a lot of fishing as a youngster, and all through my formative years as well, but let me tell you truthfully I’ve gotten more thrills and fun out of the last few seasons using lighter gear than I ever would have imagined. Give it a try and I’ll bet you’ll agree.