Trout fishing with a light Spey Rod has become extremely popular. As interest grew in the last few years, the tackle became increasingly more specialized. This has led to endless possibilities for swinging flies, but has also created a bit of confusion among anglers looking for the appropriate outfit. The following information is a very basic guide to Trout Spey rod weights and their ideal fishing applications.
1 weight-
Yes, there are 1 weight Trout Spey Rods! These are rather specialized tools best suited for swinging wet flies on a Scandi head. They do not handle heavily weighted flies well, but can still cast a light sinking leader and a small streamer. A 1 weight is a very fun "second" Trout Spey to own. Think of this as the "ultralite" of the Spey world.
2 weight-
2's are still great rods for delicately presenting unweighted wet flies, but are much more capable with smaller weighted streamers and sinking leaders. The jump up in grain weight packs quite a bit more punch in the wind compared to a 1.
3 weight-
This is the Trout Spey everyone needs to own. The jump from a 2 to a 3 is substantial. 3's can cast most weighted flies well (within reason). They handle 10' sinking leaders and some heavier sink tips, like 10 feet of T-8, with ease. 3 weights have plenty of fish fighting power to handle large trout, but they don't feel like too much rod for average sized fish. If you're going to pick up your first or only Trout Spey, make it a 3 weight.
4 and 5 weight-
4's and 5's are on the heavy end of the Trout Spey scale. Understandably so, many anglers getting into the game assume that either of these sizes would be the most versatile, but that isn't the case. If you're specifically targeting big fish with large, heavy streamers and sink tips, look to a 4 or 5.
