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8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? #12368894 08/02/17 05:46 AM
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Naggler Offline OP
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I am going to finally get my first fly fishing outfit and have decided on the TFO NXT combo. I know the line is suspect based on reviews, but I imagine it will suffice while I learn for a while. There is a decent price difference between the two and I was wondering if the size while have a significant impact? Targeting gills/bass/whites/crappie in the Llano and Colorado and for my stock tank. Thanks! Also, any tips on what flies to buy first are appreciated!! fish


"Ahhh, yes yes...who has time? Then again, if we never take time, then how can we ever have time?"
Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12369050 08/02/17 01:05 PM
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As to length, I don't think you'll notice 6 inches either way. For weight, me personally I would go the 5/6 route which would allow room to grow in case you move into bigger water like a lake or dam outlet. Lures: anything buggy looking, clousers, and small streamers that look like blue gills or shad. I caught a nice bass this spring on a tarpon fly. Big Y Fly has a large selection and good prices.

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12369058 08/02/17 01:11 PM
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For flys you will want a few Llano bugs. They look like June bugs. I have had more luck with them than any other fly. As for the rod between those two it's more of a personal preference. I like to have a shorter rod when I wade fish a river.

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12369136 08/02/17 01:46 PM
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Naggler, I fish the creeks and rivers for mainly panfish. I usually carry a 7'6 inch 4 weight with a small subsurface fly setup on fluorocarbon and a 8 ft 5 weight set up with a topwater fly on mono. I would choose the 4/5 wt as I get much better feel on subsurface sunfish and crappie bites. Then later on when you want to target bigger lmb, hybrids,etc you can add an 8 weight to throw those huge, heavy flies.

Right now the sunfish and lmb are really keying in on all those brown grasshoppers in my area. I've been catching all species of sunfish and LMB up to 3 lbs. on a size 10 hopper. For bluegill and small sunfish, that's about as big as you want to fish with. Subsurface flies in black or brown, with silly legs are working well because of the abundance of spiders, hoppers, etc. I usually fish briminators and rubber legged dragons for subsurface. Carp crack flies have been working well too.

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12370024 08/02/17 10:50 PM
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I have an 8' 5wt Allstar rod that I bought years ago when Academy marked them down to $33. It's the only size I have and it's perfect for small perch to fairly good size bass. Once I was lucky enough to go on a guided trip in Yellowstone and the rod the fly shop provided was an 8'6" 5 wt. It seemed to cast a little farther than my 8', but it also wore out my arm sooner. No experience with a 9'.


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Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12370348 08/03/17 02:17 AM
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Thanks for the input fellas...I ended up getting the TFO NTX 8'6" 4/5 wt for $119...figured I wasnt gonna be able to beat that price. Should get it on Monday and hopefully wet the line next weekend! Super excited! banana fish


"Ahhh, yes yes...who has time? Then again, if we never take time, then how can we ever have time?"
Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12370470 08/03/17 03:59 AM
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I am sure the rod will work great. Start off chasing sunfish. They are almost always hungry, will usually hit any fly they can fit in their mouth and are not easily spooked by a bad cast that lands right on their head or a fly that makes too much splash hitting the water.

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12370993 08/03/17 04:29 PM
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at some point you may be able to get together with someone else fly fishing and borrow their 6wt line and reel for a few casts and see how hat would work on your rod for bigger flies. I am not sure if you need to consider an 8wt unless you decide to go saltwater fishing. Come on down to The Valley and we will hit the south end of the Luguna Madre (Boca Chica / Brazos Island / Clark Island) and you can try all the stuff I have. Not sure you would want to go back to bream but I loved hitting them with an ultra-light rig.
Tio Pick in Paradise on the Rio

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12371980 08/04/17 04:58 AM
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A good buddy of mine just got his guide license out of Port OConnor and after I get the hang of this it will be time to get an 8 wt and chase reds. We already have a good pattern on the Jack Crevalle down there and man I bet that would be a blast on the fly! For this year and through spring though I will be chasing panfish, bass, and whites. Careful Tio...I might take you up on that!!

Last edited by Naggler; 08/04/17 05:33 PM.

"Ahhh, yes yes...who has time? Then again, if we never take time, then how can we ever have time?"
Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12372065 08/04/17 12:06 PM
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I also own the TFO NXT in 4/5

It's a good beginner combo for sure. The line is just fine. I think once you get pretty good at casting, and you want to upgrade, I would drop the light weight to a 4wt.
The rod is pretty slow, and the up-weighted line is unnecessary once you are proficient at casting.

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12372443 08/04/17 05:32 PM
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Good info...thx Kurt thumb


"Ahhh, yes yes...who has time? Then again, if we never take time, then how can we ever have time?"
Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12372499 08/04/17 06:24 PM
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Naggler, nothing wrong with giving your buddy some business but mine is free... you could buy some food / beer perhaps. I do have a selection or equipment. Apparently I know the area better than I thought. I took a friend out with me and then later shared the story with a Blacksmith buddy in SD. He has a son that works for the US Fish & Wildlife and when he was assigned down here in the Valley, Dad came to visit and son took him fishing in the exact same spot I had gone to.

I have been a fly fishing purist in the Mountains, and lakes and rivers but here if the wind is too high I have been known to use spinning gear or live bait on a heavier rod with level wind. I am there to relax and fly casting is relaxing to me.... until the wind is 20+. Oh, favorite is to camp on the shore and fish over night as the tide is coming in and until it goes out enough to get back to civilization. Actually may not be the ultimate in Paradise but Paradise on the Rio is where we are.

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12372761 08/04/17 10:02 PM
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Naggler (and any others interested), I have a 2001 Chevy (Suzuki) Tracker 4X4. I prefer going up the beach when the tide is not at its highest because it will hit the dunes in places and I like to be able to see the sand to look for driftwood etc.
http://www.ezfshn.com/tides/usa/texas/port%20isabel/August/2017
I prefer the times when there is 1 high and 1 low in the 24 hours as the rise / fall is greater than when we have 2 highs & 2 lows. One of these days I am also going to drag my little Jon boat out there so it would be easier to fish the ship channel. The statement that the Luguna Madre is either 12" or 12' is actually mostly true though I know of areas it is 24"+ I am careful about wading but still have inflatable suspenders because the transition from 12" to 12' is rapid. Mostly I try to work flounder because it is my favorite eating. We do see small schools of Reds or Specs cruise by but usually when I am changing gear instead of being able to throw something out in front of them. Some days are better than others. Mostly on the flats but sometimes get ambitious and throw into the deep (ship channel) water as one can get lucky along the edge.

Typical camp fare is split open Boudin, heat and scramble with egg for breakfast Taco type meal. Camp is plywood picnic table, tent, air mattresses, bird feeder hangers to hang Coleman lights from, stove and cooler... Facilities are "primitive" but I do take a shovel. Cell coverage is excellent as SPI is only a mile or so across the water. Jetty or surf fishing is also an option without the boat but the boat would be good if things are calm. One of these days I will have a bigger boat.

So as they say, come on down. I do not often have scheduling conflicts with the VA but could usually go out after the VA or come back in before. It is pretty darn peaceful. One of these days I am also going to add some crab traps as well.
Do not be bashful,
Tio Pick

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: lws6772] #12372851 08/04/17 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted By: lws6772
I have an 8' 5wt Allstar rod that I bought years ago when Academy marked them down to $33. It's the only size I have and it's perfect for small perch to fairly good size bass. Once I was lucky enough to go on a guided trip in Yellowstone and the rod the fly shop provided was an 8'6" 5 wt. It seemed to cast a little farther than my 8', but it also wore out my arm sooner. No experience with a 9'.

I have that same Allstar rod and have used it for years. I recently got a TFO 8wt so I use the Allstar a little less now but it is still my go to fly rod for river fishing.

Re: 8'6" 4/5 wt or 9' 5/6wt? [Re: Naggler] #12373744 08/05/17 06:14 PM
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I have absolutely no basis to be able to comment on rod length. Everything I have had in my hands is long or longer. I once emailed Orvis for the history on my bamboo and found that it is a 9-1/2' 6wt. I had assumed it was a 9'. Also the original owner fished the flats in FL with it and had marked 7,8wt on the cap of the case. I had always used it with a 6wt line but am going to try some heavier ones. My thinking is that a shorter rod might be easier #1 when there are trees and brush involved and perhaps #2 when you are trying to save an ounce or fraction there of.

My book learning says to always use the lightest line you can so as to not spook fish when the line hits the water. The other side of the coin is to have a heavy enough line to turn over the fly and tippet and fight the wind when it is a factor. That being said, I can't stop buying fly fishing gear and have 1 of everything from 5 through 10. I am attaching a couple of pictures of a steelhead trip on the Trinity in N CA with my son. I gave him my Orvis Green Mountain 5 wt as I thought it would be the easiest for him to learn to cast on... he never had fished with anything before. So that steelhead was taken with a 5 wt. Sorry about poor picture quality, these were the only ones I could lay my hands on.



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