5wt length recommendation

[Nedak]

Looking at adding a new 5wt.  Choices as pass down from brother-in-law are 8ft St. Croix Triumph or 8.5 ft Sage FLI.

I know I am supposed to try before but these are being shipped so I just want to get one. 

Use case mostly Potomac for bass and standard fare flies, bugs, poppers.

Coming off a 5/6wt 9ft. 

Will the length affect casting distance? 

Any thoughts appreciated.

[Steve F]

Depending on the species, I prefer heavier longer rods to cast big bass flies.  I use a fast 9' 6wt for smallmouth and typically a 9' 8wt for largemouth to cast the larger poppers and such. An 8' or 8.5' rod may be a better fit for wade fishing tight banks or on the C&O, but in most cases on the Potomac I would want the 9 footers.

[TurbineBlade]

Ditto to everything Steve said.  

Gene

For bass, to me, a 5/6 weight is too light to throw some of the huge flies I may want to bust out if I notice some good fish hanging around.  Or it at least makes it "unfun" to cast anyway.  A 9' 8-weight is a great all around rod for this purpose.  Some folks find an 8-weight kind of uncomfortable to cast for a long time, but I get more irritated at casting #2-1/0 foam bugs and #4 poppers on a 5/6 weight.  

[Brendan]

go w/ the 8'6'' or 9' only reason to go less is on 1-4wt small stream rods. also, not sure why you'd ditch the 5/6 to go lighter, if anything i'd bump up to a 6-7 wt for the potomac.  for what it's worth, the 8' 5wt i have just sits at home except occasionally taken along as a backup for spring creek trout. 

On Monday, May 20, 2013 9:46:36 AM UTC-4, Steve F wrote:

[Nedak]

I should have noted that I have an 8wt that I like.  I was looking for a smaller rod to serve Potomac and the bimonthly trips to ID and CO where the 5/6 is a little too stout.

[Carl Z.]

If you are out west twice a month, I would go with a 9' 4wt, but that's me.

You have to decide why you want a shorter rod.  If you are only dry fly fishing on east coast trout streams, an 8 rod is nice.  If you want to nymph, a 9' rod is nice. 

What is the drive for a shorter rod?

I would say a 9' 6wt and 9' 8wt have the Potomac covered.

Buy the 4 or 5wt for the other fishing you are doing.

Carl

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[namfos]

I have a nearly 20 year old Sage Discovery Series 4-pc 5 wt that's 8'3" that I use often on the upper Potomac.  I've no complaints about length.

Mark