The 8 1/2' - #5 weight is one of the favorite sizes of trout rods for most of the world, especially where trout average 1 - 4 pounds. This model of BVK is no exception. The easy-loading, fast-recovery, tip -action is a dream for dry fly casting on medium size rivers. This would be a good purchase for a beginner, who only wants to buy one trout rod to last a lifetime.