Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York

Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

Stream photos

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Skwala (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph Skwala (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Skwala (Perlodidae) (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

This Skwala nymph still has a couple months left to go before hatching, but it's still a good representative of its species, which was extremely abundant in my sample for a stonefly of this size. It's obvious why the Yakima is known for its Skwala hatch.

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27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.

Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

A good rod for small stream fishing (Tenkara?)

Music321
Posts: 1

Music321 on Jun 3, 2013June 3rd, 2013, 7:12 pm EDT

I'm new to fly fishing, and can cast a fly rod. I have 30 years experience spin fishing, however. I'm wondering what type of outfit to get. As it happens, I have an expensive 4wt 9ft orvis graphite rod, but no other equipment.

I think that this rod might be less than ideal, while being "too much" rod for me.

I can't imagine that I'll be casting much, as I'll be fishing (where I live) streams surrounded by hardwoods, though there are streams in softwood forests up north.

I don't want to go shorter, because then I would have to do much more casting. I'm interested in the Tenkara rods. They're simple and easy to use. The ONLY downsides I can see is that:

1. If I happen to be in the rare situation where I need to make a cast over 22 ft, I'm out of luck.

2. The rod, though it collapses to 22in, is 12 ft long!

Any ideas? thanks.