4wt Fly Rods - Four Brands

If I could only own one fly rod, it would be a 4wt model. The 4wt fly rod can cover more streams in different environments than any weight fly rod there is...for my New Mexico streams, that is. Through the last twenty (ish) years, I have accumulated a few. And, while I haven't found the perfect 4wt fly rod, I have come to find my favorite among each of the major rod companies that I have acquired along the way.

Winston TMF (WT) 8' 4wt rod - without doubt, the favorite of all my 4wt fly rods. What follows is how Tom Morgan describes this legacy rod: "This rod is a light 4-weight, perhaps a 3 1/2 or 3 3/4. Not an all purpose rod or a distance rod, but a rod for those delicate close to mid-range distances where delicacy, finesse, and accuracy are what matter. Because it is so much fun to use it has become my favorite" - Tom Morgan.

Sage Little ONE 8'2" 4wt rod - a light rod that can handle a good size trout, but plays fabulously with the little fellers also. This rod casts a dry fly with accuracy and has a bit of strength too. When I'm on a mid to small size stream where casting with distance is helpful, or where the wind tends to blow, I can't go wrong rigging up this rod for the day. The only Sage rod that rivals this one, is my neighbor's LL 490 rod...it too is impressive, indeed.

The action on this Little ONE rod is so very spot on for small stream fishing. I'll go out on a limb and say it may be Sage's best design (ever) for small stream fly fishing.

Orvis Seven-Four 7' 4wt rod - this bamboo rod is one of those rods that bamboo fans seek to own...it's that good. The rod can handle a good size trout and is a joy when I'm fishing it on pocket water streams. It has a medium firm action that can shoot a line with accuracy and is pure fun when handling trout on a tight line. I like that it's a three piece rod for when I travel up to southern Colorado or down south to Gila country...fits in my duffle bag to simplify travel.

Russ Peak Zenith 8'6" rod - a vintage graphite rod that is as much fun to fish today as it was in its heyday. It's a medium action rod that is not fly line picky at all. I usually rig it up with a Rio Gold WF4F line and have fished it that way for many years. This rod has brought a few 20" plus trout to the net over the years. For trout that size, locals will know which stream I'm talking about.