Is a 6wt overkill for the Smoky’s?
- This topic has 13 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated Sep 20, 2008 at 6:06 pm by
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Hey guys,
I’m considering a new rod for the IA conclave next month, but living in Florida means i don’t have much use for a light trout rod.
I have a TFO 7wt… AWESOME rod.
I can throw scud and cracklebacks.. hoppers and beetles..
and at Night I can throw big sculpins and streamers..
I think a 6wt would do just fine.. but a 7wt would be awesome for reds ( and big trout)!!
It is definitely overkill for the smokies unless it rains and muddies up the water that way you can throw giant streamers.
Honestly, i would say my ideal rod for the smokies is a 9′ 4wt, however i know many people that love 5wts.
Deep creek has some extremely large browns even up close to brookie water, there are some 20″+ browns out there that would give any rod, even a 6wt., a heck of a fight. You could definitely use one but the majority of the fish you catch will be under 12″ so it may be a bit much. That is my opinion for what it is worth.
If you get a hold of one of those “long as your arm” trout then you may want your 6wt.
I fish a 6wt in the smokies with high water and big heavy nymphs, sometimes 5′ below a big indicator.
The graybeards that fish small streams in the Smokies say that a 6-7′ 5 or 6 wt rod is perfect for this kind of fishing.
Deep creek is a fairly large stream, even miles up from the campground. I would definitely bring a longer rod if you have one. A 7′ or smaller rod would be way too short for this stream, at least in its lower portions. When i get home i will attach some pics of the stream to give you an idea of what it looks like.
Isn’t that the creek that’s not far from Bryson City, with a fairly large park enterance or am I thinking of something else?
Yes sir that is it. It is one of the better streams in the park and a good choice for a get together. Here are some pictures of the stream i took in may up at the second campsite up the trailhead.
This is from a different trip, but nice fish nonetheless.
The only time I use anything close to a 6wt is when I am high stickin through rough water, or streamer fishing the lower areas. The rod I high stick with is a 8′ Heddon bamboo that is rated a 5 or 6 wt. I load it with 5wt and do quite well. Having said that, a rod of that size would be considered overkill on most of the good trout water of the park.
Marc
It is always good to have a new rod, but I would not consider buying a 6 wt for this trip. My choices:
7 ft, 5 wt bamboo.
8 ft, 4wt glass.These fish will rate on beauty but rarely on size.
In college I bought a 7’6″ 4wt for the Smokies. It’s a fun little rod, but I really liked fishing my 9′ 5wt there too. Sometimes you need the longer rod to get a better drift in the pocket water. The 5wt did seem a bit heavy sometimes and makes the small fish not as fun as they are on a light rod, but there are some nice fish in the streams there too.
Where are the details of the conclave? My brother lives in Knoxville, I’ll pass the info along to him.
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