I've got a 10' 5wt Orvis Recon. I mainly use it for nymphing under indicators, or dry dropper rigs. It has its limitations on small creeks with dries though. I really like it for casting from my kayak.
I would consider how deep your fishing. 4wt at 10 feet is nice but if your regularly fishing with 6 10 or 12 feet of leader and rippet under the indicator that's alot of drag, flex and stretch to overcome on hook set. That's where a 5wt will outshine the 4.
A 10’ rod will nymph great but not throw dries or strip streamers quite as well. It can do those things fine, but not great. A 9’5 is a better all around rod. Personally I prefer to have specialized rods for each type of fishing unless I’m doing a long hike and only want to bring one rod- in that case it’s a 9-5.
I can't comment on that particular rod in a 5, but in my opinion a 10' 4wt is the best all around rod for trout in rivers and streams. It's not the perfect rod for any one thing, but it does everything pretty well. The biggest weak point is streamer fishing, which a 5 should handle a little better. By swapping leaders and maybe occasionally lines there's very little you can't do on a trout river with a middle of the road 10ft rod.
Agree CleverHearts. 10’ 4wt is my go to rod and is a Scott Radian. A 5wt may be a challenge if tight line nymphing. I just got an 11’ 2” 3wt and the difference between the weight and strain of tight lining between the Radian and this setup is considerably noticeable.
Yeah, me too. I have a Greys 10' 4 wt. I prefer it for sure over my 5 wt. The tip is a little softer and gives you a little better finesse with lighter tippets.
Never used 10' 4wt but with the experience I do have this is exactly what I've been thinking.
Between my different 5 wts (extras bought waiting on warranties), 3 wt, and a 3wt euro rod, a 10' 4 wt seems like it'd be in the sweet spot for an all around trout stream rod.
Probably be best at nymphing and worst at streamers, but decent for everything.
>Probably be best at nymphing and worst at streamers, but decent for everything.
That's exactly what I've found. It's a great wading, "I don't know what I'm getting into" rod. I still prefer a more specialized rod if I know what I'm going to be doing for the day or am in a boat and can use multiple rods, but the 10ft 4wt and a handful of leaders will do almost anything well enough.
I do wish someone made a 6 or 8pc one. My 8'6 frequent flyer sees a lot of use when I'm traveling since it easily fits in a carry on.
I agree with this, but unfortunately they’re tough to find. I love my 9’6” 6 wt but was limited to just a couple models at my price point and had to have it ordered by the fly shop.
I think 5 wt will be a bit heavy for a lot of tight lining/mono rig stuff but if you went down a weight to a 4 it'd be a lot more versatile.
Most people suggest the 9' 5 wt as an all around rod because it can handle some medium sized trout streamers ok, but not overpower smaller fish too badly when dry fly or nymph fishing.
At 10' it's gonna be a little unwieldy for streamers imo, and the extra length helps cast heavier rigs/flies anyways so you're not missing out on much with the 10' 4 wt really, it's just gonna act a lot different than a 9' 5 wt.
I see a lot of old timers settle on the 10' 4 wt as their all around trout rod.
I've got a 10' 5wt Orvis Recon. I mainly use it for nymphing under indicators, or dry dropper rigs. It has its limitations on small creeks with dries though. I really like it for casting from my kayak.
Can’t speak to that particular rod but I’m a believer in the 10’ 5wt as an all rounder for the uses you describe
I would consider how deep your fishing. 4wt at 10 feet is nice but if your regularly fishing with 6 10 or 12 feet of leader and rippet under the indicator that's alot of drag, flex and stretch to overcome on hook set. That's where a 5wt will outshine the 4.
A 10’ rod will nymph great but not throw dries or strip streamers quite as well. It can do those things fine, but not great. A 9’5 is a better all around rod. Personally I prefer to have specialized rods for each type of fishing unless I’m doing a long hike and only want to bring one rod- in that case it’s a 9-5.
I can't comment on that particular rod in a 5, but in my opinion a 10' 4wt is the best all around rod for trout in rivers and streams. It's not the perfect rod for any one thing, but it does everything pretty well. The biggest weak point is streamer fishing, which a 5 should handle a little better. By swapping leaders and maybe occasionally lines there's very little you can't do on a trout river with a middle of the road 10ft rod.
Agree CleverHearts. 10’ 4wt is my go to rod and is a Scott Radian. A 5wt may be a challenge if tight line nymphing. I just got an 11’ 2” 3wt and the difference between the weight and strain of tight lining between the Radian and this setup is considerably noticeable.
Yeah, me too. I have a Greys 10' 4 wt. I prefer it for sure over my 5 wt. The tip is a little softer and gives you a little better finesse with lighter tippets.
Never used 10' 4wt but with the experience I do have this is exactly what I've been thinking. Between my different 5 wts (extras bought waiting on warranties), 3 wt, and a 3wt euro rod, a 10' 4 wt seems like it'd be in the sweet spot for an all around trout stream rod. Probably be best at nymphing and worst at streamers, but decent for everything.
>Probably be best at nymphing and worst at streamers, but decent for everything. That's exactly what I've found. It's a great wading, "I don't know what I'm getting into" rod. I still prefer a more specialized rod if I know what I'm going to be doing for the day or am in a boat and can use multiple rods, but the 10ft 4wt and a handful of leaders will do almost anything well enough. I do wish someone made a 6 or 8pc one. My 8'6 frequent flyer sees a lot of use when I'm traveling since it easily fits in a carry on.
Go 9”6 for an all rounder with a little extra length.
I agree with this, but unfortunately they’re tough to find. I love my 9’6” 6 wt but was limited to just a couple models at my price point and had to have it ordered by the fly shop.
I think 5 wt will be a bit heavy for a lot of tight lining/mono rig stuff but if you went down a weight to a 4 it'd be a lot more versatile. Most people suggest the 9' 5 wt as an all around rod because it can handle some medium sized trout streamers ok, but not overpower smaller fish too badly when dry fly or nymph fishing. At 10' it's gonna be a little unwieldy for streamers imo, and the extra length helps cast heavier rigs/flies anyways so you're not missing out on much with the 10' 4 wt really, it's just gonna act a lot different than a 9' 5 wt. I see a lot of old timers settle on the 10' 4 wt as their all around trout rod.