Very good advice above. I'm 99% a spey rod user but I do carry a single hander for close in water work. With a 6wt you will be fine for summer runs up to 5-6 # assuming you're not fishing heavy/fast water. In those two situations your just as likely to get spooled as have the fish break off.

The other top end point above was fly size. Rod weights are built to handle a small range of line sizes and the appropriate hook/fly weights. Exampe: with a six wt rod lightly wted # 4's and smaller (wlyworms, etc) will work fine but with over a size 6 hook your probably going to need a 7wt forward because the # 6 just doesn't have enough grains (1st 30 feet of line) to move the wt/bulk of the fly. You will spend your day ducking and hoping like heck you don't nail yourself due to lack of control. (As a side bar: a 600 grain head on a 9wt rod if mis-cast will take you right off your feet if it hits you on the back of the head ... trust me on that one!).

Back to fly size for a moment. A six wt rod is set up for fly size (light) 4's, most 6's and wted/beadhead's smaller. Will work well. If you're using a heavily wted fly (barbell head, etc.) you will need at least an 8wt rod preferably at least 10 feet long (leverage lives!) With the heavier rod the Rio versitips are very good lines, cast well, etc., in any of their configurations. Just read the directions!!!! from Rio when you rig up as a floating to the heavy VI sink tip. Very popular line (as well as the windcutter which will cover 3 line wts) with the Spey Rod Crowd.

You can buy a reasonable 8wt (remember the fish doesn't know it isn't a Sage Rod) 10'footer for at/around $100. Phlug. Medalists run 30 to 50 bucks and are bullit proof. (If you want to spend more the new Plug "Supreme" is an OUTSTANDING bargin at about $10 more). Again, the fish doesn't know it's not a $300 reel; and couldn't care less. Choice between money into the rod or reel? Choose the rod; the reel is basicly a small winch to hold line. period.
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