I have pulled it off its just so so much easier with an 8wt.

Yeah -- but it's well worth it when that monster brown smashes that mouse..

Got that right! derik d knows about that dream stream....

Just gotta adjust and make due with the tools you got on hand some times(or be prepared I guess that works too).

So, If I understand you guys correctly, A bigger #wt set up would be more versatile from Panfish to Reds...right?

Pretty much. Another problem you will run into on the coast is wind. Bigger rods (7-9 wt) will make it easier to punch it into the wind.

I think one of your problems is your kinda on 2 ends of the spectrum. From reds to pan fish, Its hard to get one rod for both without being being poorly equipped for one of the two species.

I hear ya MINESflyguy..I pretty much figured there would be no good middle ground, but thought I'd ask. Prob. should stick to the pond while learning anyway, lol. If it works out - get a bigger one for the coast at a later time.

The pond will be good for learning to cast and all the other stuff that comes with fly fishing. It seems like when your on the flats your mistakes are multiplied by 10.

I would stick to the 4/5 which ever you choose and practice (a lot!) ,and attend a class.

I love my 5wt, it's a great middle ground rod that lets you still feel a smallish bream, while still giving you a fighting chance against a decent sized bass (who isn't in heavy cover).

4WT! I always fish one and ya can get a pretty decent one for not much money.

A 4/5 wt? dude, you'll be hating life...you'll never feel the rod load, you'll walk into a shop and but a 2/0 clouser and a dalhberg and wonder why they won't go more than 10 feet, say this sport is BS, and never pick up a rod again.

You live in Texas, not New England, the flies alone will mean a rod with some cajones...Get an 8 wt. Take a lesson, learn what they rod feels like when you cast it. Whedn you can feel the rod load, then casting becomes easier. An 8 weight line weighs 210 grains, this translates into a rod bending and you feeling the load...an 8 wt rod will also cast any bass and redfish fly you find...It will help defeat the wind, and let's get serious here, you live close to salt...eventualy you'll get tired of dinky 'gils and want a fish with some muscle...take that 8 you spent money on (not the one you have to go buy because some trout weenie said a 4/5 is all you need and now your out x amount of dollars on a rod that will end up in a garage sale) and hit the flats or surf, and get totally hooked on this sport.

GT -out

Point taken, GT. I'll keep that in mind.

Im not sure what fly fisherman cant feel a 5/6 wt rod load? If you really want to feel these rods load, line it with a heavier line to get started

There is only so much versatility available unfortunately (or fortunately for those of us who are gear hounds) A really nice setup for redfish would be boring as all get out for bream, basically would be a bream winch. A really fun bream rod would be hair raising if one were to get into a nice red. And casting flies big enough would be on the order of slinging a rock around on the end of a string; not quite fly casting at all.

If you really want to cover both ends, get a little Cabelas Three Forks three weight or some other entry level two or three weight and get a six or seven weight set up for largemouth, stripers and reds. That is my advice at any rate.

Well, if nothing else, this has stirred a little conversation; which I think is good!

rj....If you follow some of the advice here (lessons)(don't try to learn by your lonesome) then you will surely end up with more than one outfit. I have at least 8 myself (gathered over a 4 decade span, btw). And I use different outfits for different targets. Some at one piece lights and some are 5 piece for travel. Others are saltwater oriented. In my original post I suggested finding a "dual purpose" outfit but I'm going to retract that.

In short, buy something that looks good, feels good and doesn't break the bank. Learn from someone that knows what they are doing and then add to your collection. That is the way it usually happens. One is never enough.

And I hope it all works out for you......