3 Reasons Why You Need a 3wt

There’s no denying that a 9’ 5wt fly rod can do just about anything. It can throw tiny dry flies, hopper-droppers, nymph rigs, light streamers, and anything in between. A lot of us use a 5wt as our daily carry, including myself. But it’s quite clear that the more you use the “jack of all trades” rod, that it really isn’t perfect at doing everything. I can throw dry flies much more efficiently on a 4wt, I can throw nymph rigs easier on a 10’ 4 or 5wt, streamers are easier handled with a 7wt, etc. 

Outside of these few rods mentioned, there’s one trout rod that we feel that doesn't get enough recognition, particularly in the Front Range. That rod would be a 3wt. Although this weight is very commonly used amongst euro nymphers, the 3wt they use is a very specialized tool that really shouldn’t be classified as a real 3wt. True 3wts are so underutilized in our area, but Golden Fly Shop firmly believes that a 3wt should be one of the first rods you purchase after getting a 5wt. Here’s three reasons why we believe you need to get a 3wt in your rod quiver.

Although some of our close to home fisheries, such as the South Platte and Blue, really require a 5wt, our other fisheries close to home that are just utilized really require a lighter rod. Fishing a 5wt on waters such as Clear Creek, Bear Creek, and South Boulder Creek is just absolute overkill. Majority of the fish caught will hardly put a bend into a 5wt. Furthermore, the casting distances required on these waters is very minimal that most casts made never really load the rod. That’s where a 3wt would come in handy. The lighter rod allows for proper loading and casting in tighter/shorter environments, as well as provides a much more sporty day for the fish that average much smaller than their tailwater counterparts. 

For those of us who fish the alpine environment on a consistent basis, we know that a 5wt is not necessary at all. Almost every casting scenario is under 30 feet, and the vast majority of fish never grow over 12 inches. Obviously there’s exceptions to both of these, but day in-day out this holds true. Like mentioned above, these conditions really call for a lighter weight rod. One big advantage the 3wt has in the alpine is its delicacy in delivering flies to spooky fish. Fish that live in both alpine lakes and creeks are incredibly weary and will spook at the slightest movement. The water they live in is gin-clear, so they’re very in tune to their surroundings. A 3wt rod can gently lay a fly down to a rising cutthroat without the fish ever knowing what happened. 

Most of the time during runoff, anglers focus on fishing for carp, low-elevation stillwater trout, and/or bass. Believe me when I say that all three of these options are incredibly fun and I do my fair share of chasing these three. But one group of fish is more overlooked than any other species in Colorado. 

Bluegill and other sunfish species are incredibly enjoyable to pursue on a fly rod. It’s predominantly a sight fishing game, they’re very aggressive to small dry flies and nymphs, and most of all, they live within minutes of everyone in the Front Range. Don’t get me wrong, spending a full 8 hours pursuing bluegill isn’t on the top of everyone’s list. But, when you have a couple hours to kill and want to fish, fish locally! 

Just like trout that reside in creeks and alpine lakes, bluegill do not require a beefy butt section to get them to the net. In fact, conventional anglers who target bluegill will only use ultralight setups. Translate that to the fly fishing world and that means a 3wt is the perfect rod for pursuing these backyards bulldogs. 

Although a 9’ 5wt is the perfect, do-it-all fly fishing setup for Front Range anglers, there are few other rods that are equally as important to the same anglers than a 3wt. Picking the right 3wt is a very personal choice, but here’s a few pointers on picking the right one:

• Fishing small creeks in higher elevation, it’s best to use a 7-7.5’ rod

• Local creeks, such as Clear and Bear, as well as meadow streams it’s best to use a 7.5-8.5’ rod

• Alpine lakes it’s best to use a rod that’s 8-9’

This is a very brief guideline to picking a 3wt as there’s many more factors to consider including budget, brand preference, and aesthetic. That said, most anglers would consider a 7.5’ rod to be the best all-around 3wt. Personally, I’m a big fan of my 8.5’ 3wt Winston Air 2 as I find it to be very versatile for my 3wt fishing needs which primarily includes alpine fisheries, our local creeks, and high country meadow streams!

We hope you found this article useful or at the very least entertaining.