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A long time ago I decided that #6 weight fly rods were the right weight of fly rod for still water fishing for trout. Since then i have used #6 weight fly rods in many trout fisheries overseas and in Australia and have never for a minute considered changing to a different rod class.

Set out below is a review of my #6 weight fly rods.

G.Loomis 10 foot GLX HLS Streamdance

This has been one of my default fly rods fly rods since 2005. It features the G.Loomis HLS (high line speed) blank technology which makes this rod very versatile and well suited to loch style fly fishing, polaroiding, lake prospecting and for use as a light estuary fly rod. It has a moderately stiff blank that features a powerful butt action that helps handle larger fish, yet it has a tip action that is soft enough to make longer casts easier yet allows delicate presentations up close. The tip is also sensitive enough to cushion hard strikes, will absorb the antics of hard fighting fish that often go ballistic when hooked using loch style tactics and of course, particularly for competition fishing, where even small fish often count, will allow you to control and stay in touch with smaller fish.

G.Loomis 9 foot GLX HLS Streamdance

Size does matter ... it's hard to believe how much difference an extra foot makes to a fly rod that is supposedly built on the same blank just a foot shorter than the 10 foot rod of the same name. This was the last 9 foot fly rod that I purchased. It's a good general purpose fly rod but the 10 foot version outshines it in almost every fishing situation.

G.Loomis GL3 9 foot

This was my first better quality 6 weight fly rod. It's a great rod for beginners and features a much softer action through the full length of the fly rod by comparison to the 9 foot GLX HLS Streamdance series. It is still a lovely rod to use but requires a much more open loop casting style and does not punch flies out well once the wind starts to come up.

Strudwick Riverstone Tournament 10 foot fly rod

I am pretty sure that the Tournament series from Strudwick was developed after the 2001 World Fly Fishing Championships that was held in Sweden/Norway. Scott Tucker from the Snowy Mountains of NSW was Fly Fish Australia's top rod at that championships and came 5th out 110 competitors (that's 5th in the World ... well done Scott). My understanding is he fished with the prototype of this rod. The production rod has a fantastic action that balances a powerful and nicely integrated butt and a beautifully sensitive tip action transferring the power of the butt action yet providing heaps of cushioning effect. Unfortunately Strudwick went out of business so you will have trouble getting one of these fly rods. If you do see one second hand it is seriously worth a look. If there is a limitation with this fly rods it would have to be that if it is really windy the sensitive tips make it harder to punch a fly or team of flies out.

G.Loomis 10 foot GLX "Classic"

I purchased this fly rod in 2005 for $1,150 as my primary loch style fishing fly rod. The blank is a very stylish black / dark grey and all the hardware is state of the art for the times. Until the G.Loomis Streamdance range became available this was my loch style fly rod of choice. It only lost that position when it was replaced in the G.Loomis line up by the Streamdance which featured a much softer tip action. It hasn't been relegated to the attic and is still a rod that I take to most boat based fishing competitions. Its appeal there is that the stiffer tip makes it an ideal rod for windier conditions. With the stiffer tip I can load the rod up and punch a team of flies out much easier than the softer tip Streamdance.

Hardy Zeneth Sintax 10 foot

One of our sponsors for the 2012 World Fly Fishing Championships was Hardy Greys. As part of that team I was encouraged to buy this state of the art "Sintax" technology fly rod which I did sight unseen. It is a lovely fly rod but for me it sits somewhere just below the G.Loomis Classic series in terms of tip action firmness and consequently didn't displace my G.Loomis Streamdance or Strudwick Tournament fly rods as my loch style default fly rods for normal conditions. It has however earned a place as a "go to" fly rod for windy conditions.

Redington Predator 6'10" 6710-4

Redington is part of the Sage stable. This fly rod is one of 5 of the Predator range of fly rods that I own. I have 2 #10 fly rods that are 8' 3" long and are my "go to" fly rods when I fish for Barra, GT's, Queenies and Jacks in Central Queensland. I also have 2 #8 weight Predators that are 7' 10" long and I use for Bass and medium estuary fly fishing . The #6 weight Redington that I have just purchased will be my "go to" fly rod when canoeing coastal estuary and river waters chasing predominantly bream. Part of the appeal that these fly rods share is that they are all relatively short which makes them ideal when your working under trees and fishing into structure. The relatively short length is also helpful because it helps you keep your casts below the wind and under overhanging trees. Each of the Redington range also features a rod tip that leans toward the firmer part of the spectrum so the rods are well suited to casting bigger flies. The tips however are not so stiff that they inhibit casting and if your not able to comfortably cast the best part of a full line with any of these fly rods that the problem is either with you or your choice of fly line, not the fly rod.

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