My sister just moved in to a house that is a few hundred yards from the Roaring Forks River in Colorado. She wants me to come out and go fly fishing. Will a 4 weight rod be sufficient for most fishing there?
Originally Posted By chainshaw:
My sister just moved in to a house that is a few hundred yards from the Roaring Forks River in Colorado. She wants me to come out and go fly fishing. Will a 4 weight rod be sufficient for most fishing there?
Lucky you. Roaring Fork and Frying Pan are big destinations. Be really nice to your sister because the fishing is top notch. As a hatchling in the early 80's, I fished a part of the Roaring Fork. Back then I used a fat 7' spinning rod that did double-duty as a trolling rod and I really liked the Pautzke's Balls o' Fire on a #10 egg hook. Being 30 years ago, even if I could remember where, the specific location information would be useless.
In general for western freestone fishing, a four should be fine for smaller tributaries and for windless days after runoff fishing small dries. You'll probably need a bigger rod for fighting wind, casting streamers or for big terrestrial patterns. Probably a five for dries and a six for streamers. It won't be like small Appalachian trout streams. Try it with what you've got, though. The area will have lots of fly shops, so you'll be able to get a bigger rod in short order if you feel undergunned.
Have fun.
