What are your preferences and why?

Hmm, I have a couple 3 wts & a couple 5 weights, no 4 weights, but I have a definite preference for shorter rods as far as my 5 weight goes I prefer the 8'6" model to the 9 footer, not sure if thats good or bad, but seems to work..although I rarely fish anywhere but out of a boat.

I have an 8' 4 wt and it works great for every type of fishing I do. The only drawback on shorter rods is their reach. They’re hardier to mend and make normal nymphing techniques difficult but still possible.

Depends. If you are fishing in situations that give you the room (like an open pond) to cast a longer 4wt. then go for it. If you are in small, tight spots that have lots of trees and other interference, how about the TFO Finesse 7'9" 4wt.?

I like the TFO Signature series 4wt. It is simple, cost effective and durable enough. I broke one this year (my fault), but that story has been told and the warranty worked out great.

Shorter 4 piece rods make for easier travel....

Longer 4 wt rods tend to be slower, but money talks....

If you want to try a decent mid range (price) 4wt, Elkhorn makes a decent one.

TFO still has my business, and offers plenty of price ranges to pick from. Can't really go wrong.

BHR

I have several four weights. Here in texas its sometimes too windy to fish fr lake brim with a 2 or 3 weight; the 4 will punch thru the wind but is light enough for some good action brim fighting. I have several in 71/2 foot to 9 foot but my favorite is the 8 foot-p-

I've got a TFO Signature 8' 4 wt and a Pearow Custom Tadpole 7'3" that throw a 4 wt really well. I like the TFO but it is not one of my "go to" rods. I love the Tadpole and use it for pond fishing and those aggressive stocker trout.

My favorite is my Winston 5LT 4 wt. 8'9". It is smooth specially for dry flies and good as well for nymphing. Its just a delightful rod for spring creek. The best part is that its a gift from my wife. We first saw it on display at Austin Angler inside a glass case and I mentioned to her that it would be a dream come true to own one someday. She gave it to me as a gift 2 yrs later. This one and my Sage XP 5 wt are the ones I use the most up here in Montana. Down in Texas, its the Sage XP 6wt and 8wt.

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I have a four weight, and an eight weight. Eventually I would like to get a six weight. For most casting I like shorter rods, but if I have plenty of space, I like a longer rod. My last most used rod was very short, so going to a four weight, nine ft rod was kind of strange. I haven't used other people's rods enough to know what I prefer to tell ya the truth.

I fish four 4 weights regularly. TFO Signature is my favorite warmwater rod for floating the Llano, San Marcos, etc.

I picked up a used 8.5' Sage SLT custom rod off Ebay for under 2 bills that was spectacular in Montana.

For brushy coldwater work I have an old Sage DS2 7.5' I picked up used that is great for Appalachian work.

I won a custom 4 piece 8' that I think might be a PacBay or Rainshadow built by one of our club members that travels and fishes great.

I kinda like 4 weights. ;-)
Dale

I appreciate the interesting and varied responses to my question about 4wt fly rods.

The reason I asked, and my concern has pretty much has been discussed, too whippy UL fly rods to handle wind and longer casts.
Another is my penchant for raising hybrid striped bass strictly for pond sport fishing.
In warm water they will fight to their death unless landed quickly.

With colder water temps arriving I wanted to experiment with a 4wt in order to get the most fight from the fish without mortality. I usually fish for hybrids with 6 wt or larger.

I have a confession to make – I have never held a fly rod in my hands smaller than a 5wt before, and very rarely a 5wt …. BUT ….. you UL guys have so much fun I thought I would check out 4 wts ….. on fish …. not on grass.
Since water temps have lowered to mid 50’s this week I thought it would be a good time to test 4 wts on hybrid stripers.

Due to my preference for medium fast/fast action fly rods, I selected TFO TiCrX and Axiom 9ft 4wt fly rods. Both fly rods are noted for improved distance casting and both passed this test, but any real test for a fly rod is how they handle a fish.

Both rods were fun with screaming drags with the ability to control the hybrids – most in the three pound + range.
They are a dream to fish and I would not hesitate to recommend either.
However I am biased toward TFO Axiom due to my favorite 6 wt, so Axiom gets my nod - FWIW.

Both rods will shoot line in windy conditions like a cannon, which was a big surprise to me.

George, I haven't cast a 4 wt Axiom, so I don't know how it compared. But the 4 wt Teeny is a strong contender for the type of fishing you described.

Rex

Rex, I haven't tried the Teeny - stop by and we'll cast in my back yard.
Knowing your skills, you'll like the Axiom 4wt.
George

George if you really want to try a UL rod TFO's 6'2wt is awesome. . . on grass and fish.

X2, the 6' 2wt TFO is great fun around the ponds, and still casts well enough in the breeze.

JMO

BHR

Will it handle a 5 lb hybrid striper for live release?

Dont know but sure would like to find out!

I landed a 8-10 lb Buffalo last winter on TFO Pro Series 8' 2wt. I was drifting a nymph for trout. It pulled pretty well but didn't give me a blazing run. The rod did its job quite well.

i have used my 4wt axiom with a konic reel at denison dam cought mostly dink stripers (10-15")but had no problems landing them. it is a fun rod to cast and land fish with. you cant go wrong with tfo rods. also landed a 5lb buff on a 3wt finese tfo rod a couple of weeks ago in village creek in arlington. tfo rods are all solid.

I think the 4 weight is not enough rod for a 4-5 pound hybrid; not for live release; just my opinion; I would ask ccabel-p-

I would not recommend the 2wt for those 3 - 5 lb hybrids or stripers, I was actually recommending it for ponds (I think that's what my post said) and small creeks for bream, crappie and other smaller species.

Anyone that hasn't casted a really lightweight flyrod (2wt or smaller) should try it. Every fish you catch is a blast. If you get a chance, try a 000 wt (Sage makes the TXL 000 wt). A friend of mine has one. After trying it I bought the 2wt TFO cause I couldn't dump the $560 for the Sage, but I wanted to

BHR

a 2 weight is a death sentence for a hybrid

Photo below is ~3 lb hybrid caught this week on a TiCrX 4wt.
Will try for a larger one on Monday - sweet rod.
I don't expect any problem with TiCrX or Axiom 4wt for live release of 4-5 pounder in this cool water.
Would be DOA in summertime water temp.

George... YOU DA MAN! Sweet!