Light but strong Flyrod / Reel other than a Tenkara for a Thruhike

What trail are you hiking?  Appropriate tackle for the JMT is going to be different than appropriate tackle for the Florida Trail, just for an extreme example.

Walt

Thanks for the response.

Jmt south from Reds to Whitney.

I’ve been meaning to pull out my old “Lew’s Bream Buster” rod to weigh it.  Don’t think it’s nearly as light as a Tenkara but it aint too heavy if I remember correctly…..  and a whole lot cheaper

I don’t have any specific suggestions for rods and reels, but I’d think you could go with a fairly light rig (say, an 8′ 4wt) to save a bit of weight.  The fish aren’t likely to be very big, and you won’t have to cast very far.  Your reel doesn’t need a sophisticated drag for this either, and you could probably forego the fly line backing.

The main weight savings will probably come in the accessories, not the rod and reel.  High mountain trout typically aren’t picky eaters, so you won’t need a ton of fly patterns to fool them.  One box of flies should do.  Skip the waders and vest, and probably skip the landing net too.  Pare your tools down to just the essentials: nippers, forceps, and perhaps a leader straightener.  Add a couple spools of tippet, small quantities of floatant and sink compound (repackaged into the smallest containers you can find), a few split shot and a strike indicator or two, and you should be all set.

Walt