01-22-2012, 09:38 PM
I would think mostly about where you will take him fishing most of the time. If that's mainly small streams probable a 7 ft ( or even 6 ft), larger rivers in Utah about 8ft, still water or big rivers in the region 9 ft. If you get a 9 ft rod and try to fish places he can wade that won't likely have all that much casting room, it is going to be real discouraging to a beginner. I'm not sure why everybody likes a 5 wt. That is the absolute largest wt I use in Utah. Come to think of it I never got above a 4 wt all of last year in Utah. A 2 -4 wt will be lighter and more importantly more fun for him. Now if your planning on him fishing the Green in Wyoming, the Snake River and other big water by all means go with the 5 wt. Just my 2 cents worth as I realize others don't look at it the same way.
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