1 or 2 rods for walk-n-wade trips

[the_grube]

I find myself doing both depending on how I feel and how I want to fish on any given trip. There are pros and cons for each.

2 rods allow you to have 2 different setups at the ready. But you have to leave one at the top of a run while you fish through with the other, then backtrack to the second rod. Some of the places I fish are hard enough to traverse through the first time. Another option is to leave one rod in the vehicle and select the rod and setup for the location -- but that's an opportunity for a break-in and stolen rod.

1 rod obviates the need to backtrack but isn't quite as convenient. There's a lot of things you can do to change things up just by changing flies. Multi-tip systems give even more flexibility. But you can waste a lot of time and tippet material changing out tips and flies.

In the big picture this isn't something that I'm gonna get too wrapped around the axle over. The answer is go fishing with one or both; whichever suits you. Just curious what others do.

 

[DerekWhipple]

For trout fishing, I've always carried one rod. Dries upstream and streamers/nymphs working your way back down. Unless I'm on someting like the Deschutes, where the car is very close by, I'll leave another rod or two in the car.

 

[SculpinSwinger]

One rod, focus on the water I am set up to fish. Wet downstream and dry upstream for trout.

 

[Brian Miller]

2 rods allow you to have 2 different setups at the ready. But you have to leave one at the top of a run while you fish through with the other, then backtrack to the second rod.

I usually carry one; sometimes two spare rigged & collapsed T-Rods strapped into a side pocket of my pack. They are quick to collapse, stow, and extend the 2nd rod. I might take a few steps into shallower water to make the switch.

 

[fatbillybob]

For a long time I carried 2 rods for exactly the OP's reasons...basically being a good boyscout prepared for anything. My vest had a big pocket in the back and a D-ring at the back of my neck for the net and a d-ring over a front left pocket. I never use a net. I fixed about a 10" lanyard on the back D-ring. lanyard had a small carabiner at the other end. I place rod 2 in the big back vest pocket, reel toward my right hip and tip sticking out to the left. I wrapped the lanyard around the rod 1 turn clipped the carabiner on the front d-ring. Rod 2 is perfectly secure and I can cast over my right shoulder as a righty with rod 1.

In the last 10 years or so I have become a minimalist fisher. I'll use one rod pick one way to fish a tippet spool a few extra flies and a pair of pliers. After 50+ years of fishing I think it comes down to commitment and knowing your game...I guess being prepared before I go out to fish.

 

[clarkman]

I used to and still do to a far lesser degree, go back and forth. Especially when fishing the Deschutes above Locked Gate where you're not near your car, I'd take two. A nymphing rod (could double as a dry rod) and a streamer rod. Lately, it's only been the euro rod since I can fish dries VERY easily with it (not to mention easily land the occasional by-catch steelhead). Streamer fishing out there is really hit and miss and you really have to just commit to doing that all day to have a lot of success, which I'll still sometimes do, but I also like to catch lots of fish & considering how many fisheries I already fish where numbers aren't part of the game, I lean towards non-streamer tactics there these days. Other trout fisheries are a completely different story.

 

[Pigs]

for me, on big rivers, I don’t want to limit myself. And what I mean by that is, I have plenty of “all around” rods that can do most things adequately. As I’ve continued my education in fly fishing, I like to have the right tool for the job. So I may want to take my 10’ 2 wt for light euro, my 9’ 5wt for a dry/dropper, and my 9ft 6wt with a type 5 sink tip for chuckin sculpins…..bases covered and I have confidence in each setup to do what I need it to do without sacrificing performance

 

[the_grube]

WRT steelheading; I fished the NU today with my 7130;short-belly and ~14' of mono leader. I was quite content not having another rig with me. Winter is where I might start thinking about having a full float/mono setup and something with a 15' of S3. I suspect that I'm moving towards having just one rod with me in winter as well. Find a good all around setup and use fly selection and technique to cover a variety of water.

But when I float in my raft on a swing trip I'll bring the whole damn quiver just because I can.

 

[SSPey]

Around 2003 or 4 or so, I carried a single hander and double hander there. The double hander was lined with DT or long belly and fished great at distance, but wasn’t great in close especially with big wakers. I also needed the single hander. As my two-handed setups got shorter and transitioned to short belly lines (55’) and then heads (45’), I was finally able to cover all the water with one rod (the two-hander). I really prefer traveling light on foot.