Small Stream Tackle

Through the past two decades it seems the rod companies in America have been moving away from small streams toward a focus on the larger freshwater and saltwater fishing environments. The innovative light-line designs with rod blanks were quite the thing twenty years ago. Not so much anymore. The photo above is of a 2001 Winston WT 7' 3wt rod...a model that is about impossible to find with the new rods being offered today.

Small stream anglers, who are passionate about their fishing, need more length options from rod companies. It's getting nowadays that some manufacturers will only provide one length in each of their 2 and 3 weight rod offerings. And, to find a rod that's shorter than 7'6" for a designated line weight is getting to be rare, indeed.

We truly need more models in different lengths with light-line rods. Yeah, I would love to see the below options as we had just twenty years ago:

• 6' - 2wt, 3wt
• 6'6" - 2wt, 3wt
• 7' - 2wt, 3wt
• 7'6" - 2wt, 3wt, 4wt
• 8' - 2wt, 3wt, 4wt
• 8'6" - 3wt, 4wt
• 9' - 3wt, 4wt

Interesting note: Telluride Angler just announced they have collaborated with Scott Rods to offer a custom 8' 2wt throwback rod with the original G blank in a three-piece configuration. That news is encouraging in that the industry may be listening to the small stream anglers' voices. A throwback rod like this one is evidence that the old tech used with rod models of the past are still an effective tool for us small stream anglers...yeah, I would love to know who influenced whom with Scott Rods to build this old school rod model. I say, "good for Telluride and Scott Rods." About time someone is listening!

Click on photo for larger view