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pmag wrote:

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A fish killer. They don't belong on a trout river.

This is a myth, those who believe it have not actually done it or thought it out before they type it. Light rods protect light tippets (if you use good reels that reduce start up inertia) better than heavy rods with light tippets. You can land fish much faster when you have a larger window of "knowing when the tippet will break" that light line rods offer. Big fish in big rivers are not meant for light line weight rods but it won't kill a fish in an angler's hands who knows how to give the tippet and the fish the stick. Keep things in perspective. When you have fished light lines to double digit line weights, and have years of experience, you will understand.

There are stages of fly fishing that nearly everyone goes through. I happened on light lines and one weights very early on in my fly fishing, I'm writing about graphite rods. The Orvis One-Weight being the rod I cut my teeth on. About the same time, I was also collecting Sage LL's in different lengths and line weights and, I was sponsored by Loop fly reels. Their Traditional series, the Midge and Dry Fly being about two of the best choices for technical 7x and lighter reels money can buy. So I matched these reels with some of the best light line fly rods you could get and some you couldn't. I think at one time, I owned and operated 5 different one-weights and was writing about them, sharing my knowledge of them too. I was fishing for little trout in mountain streams and every once in a while, a huge brown (up to 20") under a root ball or something. Then Sage came out with the zero weight and I bought one of the first blanks, built it up and went to town. Fantastic rod. On a whim, I carried that thing with me up the Colorado River on many trips and caught spawning river rainbows in 20,000cfs one after another, up to 24". I've probably caught in the neighborhood of at least 50 trout in the 20" range in strong river current on that zero weight with a Loop "Midge" reel and 6x. Same shit at online forums, even my own, your killing fish, NOT EVEN. I timed the fish fight, less time with the zero weight, my favorite rod being a seven weight with a Loop Hi-Tec for the same river. I would land fish faster than my buddies fishing 4 to 6 weights, no problem. But I couldn't manage line as far as mending and casting long with the business end set up for nymphing. Now I would say that someone who didn't know how to press into a rod, pressuring a tippet on a strong fish would have the tendency to tire a fish to hand where as I can feel when the tippet is going to let go BETTER with a light line fly rod, not any rod, ones of my choice as in any Sage or T&T those being my favorites. Anyway. This is my experience, surely it is different than yours and it has nothing to do with ego, zilch, it has to do with my experience. The thing of it is, I no longer fish graphite, could care less about it, as a matter of fact, I wish they would all go out of business after charging us so much for pop-out rods. Bamboo rods and silk lines are stealthy, already built in. A bamboo fly rod, say a 3-weight with a silk line is like a zero weight rod already. A one-weight bamboo fly rod with a silk line is like the ULTIMATE in tiny water, tiny fish set up. The silk line is finer, read thinner in diameter, it is heavier in comparison in that it has more inertia and is more aerodynamic (more efficient in penetrating air) and has better attributes (pardon my opinion) in handling on the water and in casting than say, plastic. I do not need anyone to agree with my opinion, as a matter of fact, I'll only learn if you disagree, that will make me think and keep my mind open to what you have to say but the "fish killer light line blah blah blah" is a myth probably based in inexperience. I've learned that over the years. For a newcomer to bamboo, I would say that three and four weights are your best bet in learning. One day, I'll have a one-weight bamboo rod that I will build (make) for myself. It will be a novelty rod because someone here already said it, a five weight properly presented will do it. A 6x tippet is a 6x tippet, when it's on a light line rod, you can feel the breaking point better because of the sensitivity, on a 6-weight rod, you will break off more due to the rod's insensitivity. ...and then you straighten out a hook on a 7x tippet with a 6-weight rod and it makes you think, WTF? *grinning* I had fun writing this, no need to write about light lines at my own gig, it's already common knowledge.