the fly rod (for gramps)

[nyflyfishingfewl]

recently i have bought myself around 2 thousand of $$$$ in flies etc ... i have all my setups .... i was interested in getting my grandfather (as you guys know im young still)(no offense) a 6 wt ll bean rod for steelies and trout... he is new to fly fishing ... u think this would be a good setup for him? Quest II 2-Piece Fly Rod Outfits, 3-7 Wt.: L.L. Bean Fly Rod and Reel Outfits at L.L.Bean=

 

[Pete]

I can't comment on the LL Bean brand (never had one), but a 6 wt might be a bit light for a beginner to use for steelhead.

Some might say it's a bit heavy for trout, but for a beginner with only one trout rod, it will cover most situations.

At those prices it's not out of the question to get two rods. Perhaps a 4 or 5 weight for trout and a 7 or 8 weight for steelhead. The reel for the steelhead rod should have a good drag and room for plenty of backing.

Having said that....
If I were limited to only one freshwater rod, it would be an 8-1/2 foot, 6 weight.
Again, for steelhead a better reel may be in order.

 

[laxpro14]

I have had two bean rods, the first one was broken in a truck door. I returned it without question. I currently have a 6wt Streamlight which I love it's got a medium action which makes it easier to load while casting and more forgiving. I use it mostly for trout/panfish/bass and it's served me well. I'd buy the same rod again for price.

Rick

 

[nyflyfishingfewl]

thanks because i go with a 4 wt diamondback rod with an okuma sierra reel so ive kept buying them for trout and ive bought st croix for steelies (6wt) w/ nice reels i like all reel brands

 

[JeffK]

I had a Bean Stream Lite 7 1/2' 4 wt and I loved. I busted it, so I didn't ask Bean to replace it. It was an excellent rod for the money.

The 6 wt might be OK for steelhead most of the time, but if you hooked the fish of a lifetime it would be toast and the savings would be not worth so much.

 

[AKSkim]

a 6 wt ll bean rod for steelies and trout... he is new to fly fishing ... u think this would be a good setup for him?

I hope this question was directed at ME !!!

LL Bean .. you say...

Seriously, you can't go wrong with anything LL Bean. My brother fishes with an LL Bean rod. There was a time when I comtemplated stealing it from him... but it would have been a long walk home from the Kennebec River. Which by the way as of yesterday afternoon, in Watertown, ME it was ice free ! Ice out last year real early.. late April, this year maybe the same.

 

[NJpatbee]

The 8 1/2' 6 wt seems like a good choice. Some rods can handle +/- 1 weight line reasonably well, so you may also be able to use a WF5 up to a DT7 or even a sink tip 7 wt on the rod. I would check with the manufacturer and I am not familiar with the exact rod itself.

As for LLBean, I have never purchased anything that was not of the highest quality. I have not hunted in 10 years or so and now use my LL Bean hunting boots for the snow, but they are 28+ years old and never a leak.

Good Luck.