Over the years, a number of fly fishing magazine have asked superior fly anglers what they would get if they could have only one rod for the rest of their lives.
Interestingly, several of the replies I remember all selected a 9’ 9-wt. rod with Intermediate line (a slow sinking line). Wow. What a good choice.
I expect to hear from others of you about your choice. So, let me pave the way by giving you my choice and why it is my choice.
After some thought and reflection over which of my rods I use the most, I am torn between selecting an 8-wt. rod and a 9-wt. But I am going to go with the 9-wt. since I find myself using a 9-wt. rod more and more.
The reasons why are pretty straight forward:
1. A 9-wt. rod can cast a whole lot of flies in a whole lot of water. Saltwater is assumed. 9-wt. rods are made for saltwater. They tend to work a bit better in the wind (we have wind at the ocean) than even 8-wt. rods and aren’t as heavy as 10-wt. rods.
2. Thus they can handle a whole batch of flies from small shrimp to large flies.
3. They can be used in fresh water, too. Put on a tippet small enough to tie on a small fresh water fly, you can go after trout or panfish with them. Some of us use an 8-wt. for bluegills in case we run into a nice largemouth bass.
4. The point is you can use a heavy rod in fresh water but it is hard to use a small fresh water rod in saltwater.
5. Likely I would select Weight Forward line instead of Intermediate for the simple reason that I find it a bit easier to cast and there are more variations in WF line. If you use a weighted fly, it can descend down to up to 9’ deep (or the length of your leader and tippet).
6. Right now, my choice would be between my Sage Xi2 and my Orvis Hydros (the original Orvis Helios blank with cheaper real seat, cork, and line guides). No doubt there are other choices. I have a couple of 9-wt. TFO rods that do well. And my Redington Predator is no slouch I have an old 2-piece Sage Graphite II that can cast like a rocket. But I think my Sage Xi2 or Orvis Hydros would be my rods of choice. With WF line and a good reel. I currently use Orvis Battenkill Large Arbor V reels and several Lamson Guru 3.5 reels for 9-wt. work. But the drag dial on the Lamson Gurus is hard to use with cold fingers. (the one Lamson model where this is true). But I may stick with Orvis on the reels.
7. For a freshwater outfit, it is likely I would go with my Scott 9’ 6-wt. It casts incredibly well. But I have a 5-wt. 9’ Elkhorn I bought second hand that is incredible with nymph rigs (I use 6-wt. redfish taper line with it). And then there is my 9’ 4-wt. Powell I made from a blank that puts a dry fly where I want it without even thinking. But it is a 4-wt. I also have a 9’ 5- wt. TFO and a 9’ 6-wt. TFO-BVK that are wonderful. But I think I’ll go with my 9’ 6-wt. Scott. All of these rods have Battenkill Mid-Arbor reels. The latest rendition is the Battenkill Disc Reel which replaces the Access Mid-Arbor which replaced the Battenkill Mid-Arbor and wasn’t as convenient a reel, in my opinion. The Scott rod does many things well and is a pleasure to cast. It is very special since I bought it the same day Scott announced a replacement for it- so I got it for a really good discount. Being in the right place and the right time got me a former top line rod for a mid-range rod price. I am grateful. But this is why it pays to go to fly shops on a regular basis. I picked up a great Sage Salt rod the same way- I was in the store the day Sage introduced the Salt HD so I saved 40-45%. I have a batch of Orvis rods and reels I bought during a change-over and saved big bucks. New and improved is always new and sometimes improved. But you’re still getting good stuff at a more reasonable price and sometimes you’re getting a better product than the replacement.
OK, let the discussion begin. What would you pick? Hit Reply All and share what you like. I hope someone mentions the new Orvis Clearwater rods. From all I hear, they are incredible. I have a batch of them from 10-15 years ago that are still among my favorites. They are inexpensive and seem very capable and have a 25 year warranty.
So, let’s hear from some of you.
Note well that your choices do not have to be outfits you currently own. Of course, how do you know that is the one rod you would like if you don’t have one and know how it works for your style of casting? Details, details. It doesn’t cost anything to dream. So, go after that G. Loomis Asquith and a Tibor reel with extra spools or that Helios III (but a D or an F?). Hmmm.
Don’t forget to check out the resources of Fly Fishers International at www.flyfishersinternational.org.
Also, Google this and other topics of interest and go to YouTube for seemingly endless videos.
