WHY FIVES: The Best Fly Rod for Western Fly Fishing

Words by Greg Thomas

I saw proof—the bear’s eyes are open, ears pinned back, ivory-white canines exposed. Overall, it doesn’t look too happy with the new roommate.

This is the same daring guy who thought he could catch every fish on the planet with a 5-weight fly rod. He made it out of that bear den unscathed, but he wasn’t as successful fighting a big Florida Keys tarpon on a 5-weight. He’d cruised out of Key West one morning, 5-weight in hand, and watched his rod splinter after a hundred-pounder peeled off 40 yards of backing in, like, 1.5 seconds. My friend said the breakage sounded like a gun going off and spewed rapid-fire expletives to describe the chaos. Immediately after, he acknowledged the 5-weight’s limitations and invested in proper tarpon rods of the 10, 11 and 12-weight persuasions. Alaska power lawyer, ya know. He can afford that.

I too fished the Florida Keys totally undergunned . . . not because I had something to prove but, instead, because I didn’t own a rod any heavier than an 8-weight. Having just started my career as a freelance fishing writer I wasn’t about to spill 500 dollars on a new one. I caught my first tarpon on that 8-weight, a 40-some pounder, but quickly realized I was overmatched when, a couple hours later, a giant tarpon sucked in a Cockroach and totally blew me away. I was relieved when that fish threw the fly—while my rod was intact. If that tarpon, maybe a 120-pounder, had any time to dance, that 8-weight would have turned into kindling. I turned to my dad—who was bent over at the waist laughing—and said, “I know what I want for my birthday.”

A year later I returned to the Key’s with a new 12-weight rod in hand, and never looked back. I still take an 8-weight to the salt for bonefish, and also pack a 5-weight. That 5 is a blast to fish around the docks and jetties, casting to those little snooks and snappers and anything else that eats a Clouser Minnow.

However, the truth is this: a 5-weight’s natural habitat is freshwater streams and stillwaters. Many people say a 9-foot 5-weight is the ideal western trout rod and I can’t disagree; it serves equally well for bass, yellow perch bluegill and crappie. I consider it to be the most versatile stick a fledgling western flyfisher could own.

I own more 9-foot 5-weights than any other rod. It’s my go-to whether hiking into remote cutthroat streams or floating any number of big-name rivers, such as the Missouri, Clark Fork, Madison, Snake, Yakima, Bow and Beaverhead. It’s also a great stillwater stick, versatile enough to handle high mountain lakes, lowland ponds, and the big-name waters, such as Clark Canyon, Georgetown, Duck, Dry Falls, Henry’s Lake, and others.

A 9-foot 5-weight provides enough power to turn almost any trout away from danger (i.e., downed logs, undercut banks, etc.) and land it in an efficient fashion. It also offers enough power to throw large dries and droppers, double nymph rigs, and even streamers. In most cases, the five also performs well when using light tippets and small dries—such as PMDs, late summer Callibaetis, micro caddis, and Tricos.

But, not every 9-foot 5-weight carries the same DNA. All fly rods have an “action”, which describes how far down the rod an angler feels the rod flex. Fast-action rods, i.e., tip flex, create massive line speed and allow for long casts, even when fishing large flies. Medium and medium/fast-action rods, i.e., mid flex, are a little easier to cast, allow slightly more delicate presentations, and provide enough power to handle large trout. Slow-action rods, i.e., soft, allow anglers to feel the rod flexing all the way to the cork handle and afford super subtle presentations.

Subtle presentations are key when targeting picky fish on flat-surfaced waters where you need to lay down the tippet and flies gently. A soft-action rod allows just that, preserving light tippets, such as 5X, 6X and 7X, during the hook set. Try setting the hook with a fast-action rod and 7X tippet and you’ll hear the dreaded sound—ping—as your fish heads the other direction . . . with your fly in its mouth.

But soft-action rods are a liability. They may not provide the power needed while casting heavy flies, including streamers. In addition, they are not a premiere choice when fighting large trout in the 20-plus inch range. I did watch a friend skillfully land a 26-inch rainbow on a slow-action Sage Circa rod one spring day, but that fish gave him a run for his money and wasn’t looking too healthy after a prolonged fight. And that is key—if you fish trout during summer, when water temperatures run high, that slow-action and an extended fight could jeopardize the life of your fish.

 Also this: on tailwater rivers and stillwaters trout are masters at diving into the weeds. It can be challenging to pull them out of the grass if you’re using a slow-action rod. Medium, medium/fast, and fast-action rods offer way more lifting power and the ability to leverage large trout out of that moss and those weeds.

Slow-action rods are also a liability in challenging weather, especially in the wind. They simply don’t have the power to afford long casts. If you choose a slow-action rod be sure—even in ideal conditions—you won’t reach all the fish you see.

Slow-action rods are fun to throw, and they make every fish feel like a giant, but they aren’t great all-around rods. If you decide to own a slow-action rod you probably do so only because you have other options, meaning a faster action rod to use in most of your fishing situations.

Medium-action 9-foot 5-weight rods, on the other hand, are relatively versatile, offering a degree of power that slow-action rods lack. Medium actions are a good choice whether fishing on rivers or stillwaters because they harbor enough power to throw largish flies and excel at preserving your tippet. Most flyfishers, I believe, prefer moving water over lakes and reservoirs, but more money fish per capita live in those stillwaters than anywhere else. If chasing those fish is your game a medium-action 5-weight will protect 3X, 4X and 5X tippets. In contrast, if you use a fast-action rod on stillwaters you’ll run a solid risk of breaking fish off during the strike, especially when quickly stripping flies off a sinking line or when trolling at a fast clip. That can be maddening on trophy stillwaters where you may only get one or two chances a day.

A medium-action rod is a solid choice for rivers and streams, especially spring creeks. That medium action allows you to gently present flies and protects light tippet during the hookset. Medium actions are pretty good at throwing large flies, too—they cast a relatively open loop, which limits the number of times your rig tangles, especially when using dry/dropper and/or bobbers and double nymph rigs. A medium action, however, may limit your casting distance, especially if you switch over to heavy nymphs or streamers for part of the day. The limitations become more pronounced when the wind blows.

Medium-action rods are pretty nice when a situation calls for roll casts—that pronounced bend acts as a lever and affords easy casts of 15 to 30 feet. Medium action rods also mend line effectively, that action allowing anglers to lift line off the water and reposition upstream or down.

However, the only times I might opt for the medium-action rod is when fishing stillwaters and when fishing sections of challenging rivers with silky smooth surfaces, such as the middle and lower Clark Fork, the Henry’s Fork, and the Missouri. Also, spring creeks. In fact, I always chose a medium-action 4-weight when I lived near Idaho’s Silver Creek and fished that stream more than anywhere else for about three years of my life. I chose the same stick when fishing the Henry’s Fork’s Railroad Ranch, the Paradise Valley spring creeks, and on some of those sneaky good and under-the-radar meadow streams in Yellowstone National Park. Fighting large trout was sometimes an issue but I wouldn’t have stood a chance if fishing fast action rod and light tippet in most situations.

Still, medium/fast and fast-action 5-weights are my top choices because they throw incredibly tight loops and offer superb accuracy . . . for accomplished fly casters. That’s important when you’re after one-cast fish that spook with anything but the perfect presentation. I would choose one of these actions when fishing on any large western river where long casts are often necessary. These rods don’t roll cast as easily as a true medium-action rod might, but I’ll take distance casting, even in the wind, over a few extra feet on my roll cast . . . any day.

Medium/fast and fast-action rods also shine when fishing heavy nymphs or streamers. I like that versatility. Fish eating dries through the early afternoon hours? Got them covered with a long cast on that fast action. Hatch dies about the time the clouds roll in? Just swap out those dries for a streamer and you are good to go. You’ll also appreciate a medium-fast action rod on lakes and reservoirs. You can fish a bobber and little chironomid patterns under an indicator, then switch to a sinking or sink-tip line when the hatch wanes. That rod will throw those sinking lines, along with heavy flies, like Balanced Leeches and crayfish patterns. A fast action 9-foot 5-weight also is the ticket in challenging weather conditions. Soft and medium-action rods fail miserably when a summer squall blows in and you have to punch 60-foot casts into the wind.

Fact is, I’ve caught more large trout on a fast-action 5-weight than any other stick. There are people, however, who would rather fish a fast-action 6-weight when pitching streamers from a boat, or while fishing stillwaters. Can’t really argue with that—a 6-weight provides a little more power when throwing heavy flies and offers lifting power galore. A 6, however, can feel heavy in the hand and clunky when fishing small dries to wary trout.

There are times when I would choose a 4-weight, a medium-action 5-weight or a 6-weight over a medium/fast or fast-action 5. But, you know, in the end I’m a guy who likes quality over quantity, headhunts whether fishing rivers or stillwaters, and I’ll take the compromise of power over finesse even if it means I break off a few fish that overmatch my tippet. And, I fish in any weather. Rain? Do you think it burns? Heavy downpours? Do you think you’ll drown? Sleet and hail? Those hands will warm up at some point! Thunder and lightning? Ok, I’m with ya—stash that rod and head for cover. The point is this: that medium/fast to fast-action 5 serves well in nearly ever situation and I rarely feel compromised when fishing one.

A final consideration: length. Seven and eight foot rods are great when fishing in tight quarters, meaning small, brushy streams and along spring creeks where long casts are rarely necessary. A nine-foot rod, however, is the most versatile choice, shining on large rivers and medium-size streams. A nine-footer will get serve well on stillwaters, too. However, if you are lake and reservoir guy, a 10-foot rod is a great choice—that extra length keeps your line and flies above the water. This is especially advantageous when fishing from a pontoon, a small pram or a float tube. A 10-footer also gives you a little more casting distance and keeps the line and flies high when floating rivers. If that’s where the majority of your fishing occurs, you might opt for extra length. If you hike into far-off waters, fish small, brushy streams and narrow spring creeks, don’t hamstring yourself. Stick with an 8-footer.

If you’re a western flyfisher and limited to one stick, go with the 9-foot 5-weight in a medium/fast action. It may not be the perfect rod for every situation, but it gives you a good chance everywhere you might throw a fly. When you add to your quiver, get a 4 and a 6 and you have almost every situation covered . . . until the steelhead and salmon bug bites you. But that’s a whole different conversation.

Nine-foot 5-weight The Fly Project Cree Series fly rod which is one of our favorites.