My everyday rod is a 6/7 weight which is fine for lochs etc but on the occasions when I am on a stocked loch and want to to cast a heavier fly (leadheads, big sparkling jobs etc), I struggle to get a decent line out.
Struck me that I could buy a second bigger/longer rod (9wt?) to use in these situations as well as using it for estuary fishing for sea trout where I would want to use larger and heavier flies as well.
Would 9wt be about right?
Should I go for the maximum rod length possible?
Any suggestions for a budget price rod which I can use for a season before taking the plunge and looking for something with quality.
I agree with col. It sounds as if it is your casting technique with the heavier flies that you should work on. Why do you want heavier flies anyway, wild or stocked they are still fish and will take the same flies. I fished a put and take for years and never fished with a fly bigger than a size 12 dropping down to a size 18 during the Caenis hatch :)
I've got a 7/8 weight reddington that's very useful for sinking line work on Leven (what I bought it for) but is also useful on saltwater for sea trout and pollock and also for pike.
It's also come in handy in Sutherland for putting out a line against the wind on a day when no-one else could cast in anything but a straight line with the wind behind them.
So, you may not use it very often but a heavier rod can be very useful- even for wild trout.
Just my opinion!
Your 6/7 should be capable of handling a WF7 line and a #7 line should cope with heavy flies OK.
I very rarely use anything mpre powerful than a #6 rod and more often a #5 on lochs.
Gadgee, maybe a bit of work on your casting would help? I reckon it is money well spent and I'm not ashamed to say that I've had an odd casting lesson and benefitted from each.
Alex
Try sticking with your current rod for a while.
If you use the same weight of aerialised line that a DT 6 contains for casting, but concentrate that weight in a shorter length of line, you could have a 25'-30' shooting taper 7 working on your present rod.
This would get a bulky fly out, and the thin shooting backing line will get the distance for you.
You will have to try to avoid slapping the heavier line down at the tip end, or your advantage gained will fade away.