Striped Bass on Spey?

[Davala]

I fish for Stripers in the Tidal Potomac River right in and around D.C. (the other Washington). Those that have visited the Nation's Capital know this is a BIG river. We get Schoolie Stripers most of the year, but Spring and Fall bring the larger fish. Since the size of the fish, or whether they will be there at all is a variable, I try to choose my tackle based on non-variables. In this case, the river is always big, the flies I cast are generally big and/or weighted, and I am always casting some sort of sinking tip or sinking line. Therefore, I opt for a larger rod, and my preference is a 14' 9 weight. I also have 13' 7 weight, and I have used a 11' 7 weight switch rod, but I always come back to the 14' 9 weight because it lets me fish this big river with less effort. There really is no wrong answer, but if the flies are heavy, the river is big, and you have a shot at a decent fish in heavy/tidal current, then I think a 6 weight is a little light. That said, I always tell people to fish with what you have, and when you find its limitiations you will know better what you need.

-Dan