Which Fly rod?

[kzimmerman]

I have owned everything from a 2 weight up to a 12 weight. For freshwater fishing, I invariably go with the 2 wt, and I catch nearly everything that swims with it. It's harder to cast those size 2 or bigger bass bugs, but it can be done if you modify your casting stroke to match the extra air resistance. For saltwater, I generally use a 9 weight, but I do take the 12 out for shark and tuna. Or the spey for beach fishing.
The point is, if you can handle the modifications to casting, you will be able to handle any fly that you want, within reason, on a 6 weight. If you get a double taper line for it, you'll be able to handle the daintiest dry's in small creeks. It's all about how you approach it. A good quality 6 wt will serve you better than a 4 and a 8 low quality rod. Just get something pretty stiff, with a good backbone to handle the larger fish, and you'll be golden.
By the way, I've landed plenty of 30-40lb stripers on a 4 weight. It was alot of fun, but only for experienced anglers.

 

[oscarcrazy]

By the way, I've landed plenty of 30-40lb stripers on a 4 weight. It was alot of fun, but only for experienced anglers.

And I have landed many a king, silver, and others on 4-6 pound test, and have had hundreds of clients do the same. But this is done from a boat or beach, like stripers, not a river where snags are inevitable. Been striper fishing once. One of the guides that worked with runs Fishing Fever out there. One of his clients currently holds the Virginia record for striper at 60 some odd pounds (don't know exact, but a replica is hanging in the lodge in Alaska). Might have been broken over the last couple of years, don't know. Those stripers make some good grilling!!!

 

[ae2359]

Thanks

Idk how big the kings will average this year but last year they averaged 20 pounds when fresh. But I would say your right and in general most other years they averaged 15 pounds.

The kings were really big this year. I didn't touch any in the 20 lb. range but I heard of plenty of boats hitting upper 20's fish, and even a few in the low 30's. This was a good year we can only hope that 2010 turns out as good or better.

If it does I might be taking back that thing I said about no one using anything bigger then a 9, and might be in the market for a new stick

 

[kzimmerman]

A nine weight, as long as it's stiff, will have plenty of backbone to handle those. I've caught football bluefin tuna in the 30 lb range on a nine weight plenty of times.
Most of the stripers I've caught on a 4 weight were in a river, from a dock or shoreline. Whey were really accidental catches will fishing for bass, a couple when fishing for crappie. In the winter we get em up in the rivers that size sometimes, but not often enough to really fish for them, especially since they are protected in the bay and tributaries.