Why a six weight?
Whilst five weight rods may be the most popular in the World, a six weight is probably more universal. You can target anything from trout to bonefish on a six weight fly rod.
Let’s start at the basics though – people often think you need to upsize rods as the fish get bigger. That is not really the case. It is more about the size of fly you are trying to throw. It is difficult to throw a 1/0 Clouser with big eyes on a three weight. It is hard to throw it on a six, but gets easier on an eight weight. That is really because the mass of the heavier line makes is easier to tow the bigger fly. Think about it this way – if you are towing a big boat, then a big 4WD will do
it better than a small SUV. It is about mass – Mostly!
A six weight line is about 160 grains for the first 30 feet, but that can change hugely too, and is you check out a RIO Grande you will find it a full line weight heavier. A six weight RIO Grand is really a seven, but remember that is at 30 feet. At fifty feet its weight is more an eight or nine weight line. This is similar to SA’s Infinity which is half a line weight heavier, but has a long head – going way past 30 feet.
Fighting bigger fish does not necessarily require a heavier rod – in fact most fly rods will not lift a two litre carton of milk off the ground. That is two kilos. Try it sometime. Rather than lift power, good side strain or flattening the rod and pointing it more at the fish and using the reel drag will be more effective in taming a big fish.
With those things in mind, you could probably travel the world, when it opens, with a six weight. However you can’t do that at the moment. But you can catch trout, flathead, Australian salmon, estuary perch, bass, barra, mangrove jacks, whiting and many more fish in your back yard. Any estuary fish you will find is a target for your six weight – with an appropriate line. And just quickly on lines – the bigger the fly, then generally the shorter fatter heads will work best. So if you fish with
sinking flies, heavy flies or multiple flies a six weight may be the answer.
So what six weights are there around? We are only going to tell you about 9’ rods here as they are the most popular. All are four piece.
Stock of rods come and go pretty quickly, but if you can see it and buy it then it will be in stock. If you can't, just give us a call and we will get what you want.
