Salomone: Getting lost on three weight water

Hidden streams trickle along shadowed valleys up high. Some flow in plain sight. These are small water places filled with little fish. Pockets, riffles and runs beg for dry flies in the summer months. Sometimes you have to get a little lost with your fly rod in skinny water. Water that is made for three weights.

Three weights are on the transition edge in terms of weight class. A four weight is an ideal dry fly rod. Soft, accurate and forgiving in the fights. Four weights keeps 6X taught not torn. And they present teeny flies with precision. Five weight rods are the hammers every fly fisher needs. Five weights are do-it-all rods. But when you choose a three weight you have embraced the lightweights, the one, two and three weights, where it is more about the feel than the fish.

Three weights begin to break out of what’s ordinarily found in most fly rods in terms of length and flex. All of my three weights are unusually short in length when compared to most rods offered by rod makers. Two of them are only six feet six inches long. A three weight stands beside you like an old friend when leaned up against a vanilla-scented ponderosa tree trunk.

These little rods are highly maneuverable in tight quarters. I can weave down riverside game trail paths with the precision of a fencing swordfighter. Presenting the fly by casting under branches, around bushes, and through holes in the canopy is an attractive challenge. I have fiberglass and graphite represented in my quiver of three weights. The flex is very different. Both types allow me to feel the rod load, make controlled loops and punch my strike above open water. There are big adjustments in casting when switching from glass to graphite.

Three weight water is the kind of place where getting lost leads to waterfall discoveries, enticing beaver ponds and vistas you won’t find easily. You work for your opportunities on three weight water.

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Fish in the high country are earned. That is where the natives live. Lightweight rods let you feel the power in the tail of a cutthroat. Three weight water is where you go to hold natives in your hands.

Vail Valley Anglers fly shop keeps a few specialty three weights on hand for purchase. Fly fishers can aim high with the Sage Dart, a top-end, graphite quick stick. Fast-action graphite rods whip flies with speed and agility.

If you are looking for a fun, economical three weight the Echo Riverglass retails less than $300.00. This is a slow action, fiberglass rod that enhances the fun factor found in three weight water. Riverglass rods have a slow, precise casting stroke and are able to lay down dry flies with a soft touch that wouldn’t put a ripple on glass smooth water. This is the rod that delivers more enjoyment for the dollar than most other fly rods.

It is a little early but conditions are changing fast. What would normally be snowbound will be flowing soon. Here are three places for three weights.

Gore Creek is perfect water for three weights. Fly fishing through Vail is a dream come true for most fly fishers. Piney Creek possesses the kind of water where three weights excel. The creek above the lake is pristine, meandering water with tall grass banks where brook trout ambush dry flies. Homestake Creek beckons for the angler to get lost for a few hours. A short, lightweight three weight is a perfect prospecting rod to test pools, riffles and plunges.

Fly reels for three weights are smaller in diameter than normal. You are not relying on drag to battle fish. There is no need for much backing. Some may debate the necessity for a reel. I feel a reel is a critical component to fly fishing. It is a tool fly fishers need to learn to manage.

Click-N-Pawl reels do what you need. They are simplistic in their design but also in their application. Three weight water is simple fly fishing. So is the gear. Simple flies, rods and reels work in unison to create perfection.

Water could be scarce this summer. Start planning ahead for some three weight water to explore. Elevate your enjoyment with a fun to cast tool that lays down dry flies with a feathery touch. Make getting lost on your own three weight water a good idea.

Michael Salomone has lived in the Eagle River valley since 1992. He started his professional guiding career in 2002 and currently guides for Vail Valley Anglers. He lives on the bank of the Eagle River with his wife, Lori, his youngest daughter, Ella and a yellow Labrador named Poppy. His published writing has appeared in Southwest Fly Fishing, Fly Rod & Reel, Eastern Fly Fishing, On the Fly, FlyLords, the Pointing Dog Journal, Upland Almanac, TROUT, American Fly Fishing, USA Today Hunt & Fish and Fly Fisherman magazines.