What do you usually take to your home waters or home region? Just the workhorses since I'm sure we all try to use everything a bit.
Savage River
(a) The Starters: Maurer 8' 4wt Queen of the Waters or my Carlin 8'2" 5wt SH-825-3 both can handle all that is required on the Savage from size 20 midge emergers to nymphs and hoppers. I tend to choose based on what I expect---if hopper/ dropper I may go with the 5 wt if smaller stuff on 6x and 7x then the 4wt.
(b) If I think I'll probably be covering a lot of the pocket water and zinging size 16 cinnamon foam ants under the bankside rhodos then I use my Maurer 7'6" 4wt Starlight Creek Special . This rod, based on a Payne 198, throws tight loops with pinpoint accuracy. My enthusiasm outstrips my skill (I'm probably of very average skill level) and with this rod I've tried some tough casts, ie, to a pocket slightly larger than a basketball hoop where I have to drape the line over two intervening boulders to get a one second drift. I found myself muttering "holy sh-t" when I put the fly there and hooked a fish with this rod. Maybe its just a lucky rod
.
Savage Small Tribs
My Carlin 7' 5wt Garrison 201 gets the call. I like this rod so much I often just fish the Savage with it and to hell with the experts who think 7' is too short.
Heavy Artillery in Reserve
I usually bring along a Payne 400 A & F 8' 6" 8wt just in case. So far, no one has scrambled Homeland Security.
I use it to chuck mouse patterns, big sculpins and buggers, and
various foam monstrosities as pictured below. It also works for big buggers etc on the nearby North Branch of the Potomac.
Savage River
(a) The Starters: Maurer 8' 4wt Queen of the Waters or my Carlin 8'2" 5wt SH-825-3 both can handle all that is required on the Savage from size 20 midge emergers to nymphs and hoppers. I tend to choose based on what I expect---if hopper/ dropper I may go with the 5 wt if smaller stuff on 6x and 7x then the 4wt.
(b) If I think I'll probably be covering a lot of the pocket water and zinging size 16 cinnamon foam ants under the bankside rhodos then I use my Maurer 7'6" 4wt Starlight Creek Special . This rod, based on a Payne 198, throws tight loops with pinpoint accuracy. My enthusiasm outstrips my skill (I'm probably of very average skill level) and with this rod I've tried some tough casts, ie, to a pocket slightly larger than a basketball hoop where I have to drape the line over two intervening boulders to get a one second drift. I found myself muttering "holy sh-t" when I put the fly there and hooked a fish with this rod. Maybe its just a lucky rod
.
Savage Small Tribs
My Carlin 7' 5wt Garrison 201 gets the call. I like this rod so much I often just fish the Savage with it and to hell with the experts who think 7' is too short.
Heavy Artillery in Reserve
I usually bring along a Payne 400 A & F 8' 6" 8wt just in case. So far, no one has scrambled Homeland Security.
I use it to chuck mouse patterns, big sculpins and buggers, and
various foam monstrosities as pictured below. It also works for big buggers etc on the nearby North Branch of the Potomac.
