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[flyingfisherman]

Hi everyone, im new to this forum and i was wondering if a 4 or 5 weight fly rod would be better for me. I plan to fish for rainbow trout, cutthroat and grayling in lakes, streams. I would automatically go for the 4 weight but some of the lakes I visit have rather big rainbows(2-10lb). Thanks

[typhoon]

How far do you need to cast?
What size and weight of flies are you casting?
Are you casting into serious wind?

Either a 4 or 5wt rod will be fine for those fighting and landing those fish. The bigger issue is casting.

[flyingfisherman]

I dont think I would need to cast very far and mostly around size 10-20 flies.

[typhoon]

Then either would work. I use 5wt rods for trout and have landed Rainbows over 10lbs from lakes.

[flyingfisherman]

Do you think I could land a 10 pound rainbow trout with a 4 weight?

[joshhowat]

Yes u can. But I would go with a 5wt just for better casting.

[skaha]

-4 wt is starting to get into specialty rod but still quite versitile... so think about what your next rod purchase will be... I went with 4 wt then next rod a 6wt for a bit more punch.
- I like a 5 wt  then for lighter rod go to 3 wt.
--Lighter rod can be an issue playing larger fish in a river especially... in a lake not so much.

-Different line design can help for casting in wind.

--Flex, lenght and power all as important as the wt. A good way to choose is to go to one of the stores that has a demo day so you can try various combinations and get what feels right for you.

[flyingfisherman]

Thanks everyone and what are the main pros and cons of 4 and 5 weights?

[HOOK]

honestly the feel when fighting a fish between a 4 or 5 weight is minimal or nothing at all. Casting is where you will notice a difference. I fish a 4 and 5 wt Sage side by side and the 5wt can punch a lot further and makes longer leader bobber casting easier than my 4wt. I do notice a little difference when fighting fish but that's only because there is a 10yr gap between the two technology wise and even then the difference is still very minimal.

The other thing is if your comparing 4 & 5wt rods from seperate companies you'll notice differences. Best way is to compare rods from the same manufacturer

example - comparing a Sage to an Echo, G.Loomis to a Winston, Scott to a T&T..........etc.

[flyingfisherman]

Can you fish dry flies well with a 5 wt?

[colin6101]

You can most definitely fish dries well with a 5 weight. A lot of the success for dry fly fishing comes into using a proper leader, and making sure you let the fly land gently instead of just trying to bomb out as much line as possible. Personally I find this easier with a slower rod regardless of the weight.

[flyingfisherman]

One of the lakes I plan to visit has 20+ inch rainbows, is a 4 weight strong enough for that?

[nickredway]

You could use a 4wt but its not ideal. As a beginner I would get a 5 weight as a better all rounder. Get a few books out from the library and do a bit of reading up too, lots of good flyfishing books in Vancouver central library!

[Sandman]

You can most definitely fish dries well with a 5 weight. A lot of the success for dry fly fishing comes into using a proper leader, and making sure you let the fly land gently instead of just trying to bomb out as much line as possible. Personally I find this easier with a slower rod regardless of the weight.

Agreed. Stiffer action rods are much better for delicate presentation of dries in still water. Like others have said, the difference in fighting fish between a 4 or 5 wt is negligible.  If you get into a 10 pound fish on a 4wt, having a 5wt isn't going to make much of a difference but it is going to be more versatile.

[ajransom]

If your thinking that this is a fun hobby to do once in a while I would get a 5 weight as your only trout rod. A five will give you delicacy to fish dry flies and small nymphs etc. It also has enough backbone to cast bigger streamers and fish bigger waters for bugger fish like in the interior.

However, like most of us you will probably end up wanting more than one rod. In this case I would buy a 4 weight and a large reel with a spare spool. Then get a 6 weight as your next rod. That will cover pretty much every situation for trout fishing. If you buy a reel that can work for both line sizes you will be set. A 4 weight is perfect for all the lower mainland lakes and some smaller trout in the interior. The 6 is great for bigger fish as well as pinks, bull trout and coho.

I wouldn't spend much on a reel either, maybe $100 to $150 for something basic and reliable.

Enjoy.