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Choosing a fly rod according to what and where you fish.Unlike a spin or bait cast rod that uses the weight of the lure to cast your line out, a fly cast rod does exactly the opposite. With fly casting you will be using the weight of the line to cast out the fly. You’re going to need a smooth casting rod to accomplish this. Ask a hundred people what the right fly rod is to get and you’re likely to get a number of different answers. The answer is really up to you.
These are all questions you need to ask yourself. Answer these questions and then decide what will make the best fit for your type of fishing. Most fly fisherman own more than one outfit. There’s a reason for this. As much as you may like to believe, there is no magical, all-purpose fly rod out there. What will work for one species of fish probably won’t for another… most of the time. You may get lucky and be able to find a happy medium. Start with what you fish for the majority of the time and add more equipment later. On that note let’s talk about weight rating. Weight RatingWhen I talk about the weight rating of the rod I’m talking about the weight of fly line the rod was made to effectively cast, not how much the rod actually weighs.The weight of the fly line is measured in grains (a very small measurement) of the first 30’ of line and then designated a number between 1 and 15 accordingly. It’s not real important to know the exact measurement, just know that 1 is the lightest and can cast even the smallest fly. 15 is the heaviest. So how do you decide which weight rating is right? That is decided by the 1st question you had to ask yourself. What are you planning to fish for? If you plan to mainly fish for panfish you would need a rod that can cast a light line. For largemouth bass you would want to go with a rod that can cast a heavier line. Here are my recommended guidelines for the species described on this site.
LengthNext let’s talk about the length of the rod.I took my 6 year old son to the fly shop when I first started looking for a rod and told him maybe he could learn with me. Boy was he excited. He was already hooked on fishing. I told him I was new to it also and he would probably be better than me. That just got him more excited. Then we got to the fly shop. He took one look at those rods and automatically was certain there was no way he could do it. You see most fly rods were nearly three times as long as him. Fly rods range from 7’ 6” to 10’ with 9’ being the most common. The reason for this length is so you can get the extra leverage you need to cast the line. The longer the rod, the easier it will be to cast a further distance. If you mainly fish small streams or farm ponds a shorter rod may be the ticket. Get a longer rod if you fish rivers and large lakes were you may need to get the added distance. Most fly fisherman will agree the most versatile would be a 9’ rod. ActionHow the rod bends when cast is described as the action of the rod. This is determined by the rod’s taper.The action is described as slow, medium, and fast (with actions in between, such as medium-fast). On a slow action fly rod nearly the whole rod bends when cast, a medium action about half, and a fast action just the tip of the rod. The action of the rod is mainly important for developing line speed. Line speed is exactly what it sounds like, how fast the line is moving when you’re casting. Line speed is essential for casting long distances or in windy conditions. A slow action rod is good for fishing in situations like a creek where you’re making short casts with little to no wind. Medium to medium-fast action rods are the most common type of action. They will handle most of the distance you need in most situations. Fast action rods are usually used by advanced casters and leave little room for error in your casting technique. Be honest with yourself when choosing an action. Most of us all have flaws in our cast and will find a medium-fast action rod easier to use than a fast or extra-fast action rod. Break the CodeWith this information at hand you should be able to understand the numbers that you find on most fly rods, such as the one I mentioned on the previous page. Here it is again in case you forgot.864-2 Mid 7.5 The first two numbers, 86, describe the length of the rod. 8 foot, 6 inches. The third number, 4, is the weight rating. This rod is rated to cast #4 weight line. The 2 we didn’t really go over. It describes how many sections the rod can be broken down into. Most rods break down into two or four piece sections for ease of transporting them. You will find the numbers can range from 1 (no break down at all) to 7 (a break down into seven pieces for traveling purposes). The last part of the code, Mid 7.5, describes the action. Mid being another term used for medium and 7.5 is what is called the flex index. The flex index is just another way of describing the action. The higher the numbers in the flex index the faster the rod. On different manufacturers there will be slight variations to this code. If you are in doubt, ask the clerk at the fly shop. Unlike before you, will at least understand what he is talking about when he uses terms like weight rating and action. PriceI asked other fly anglers why a rod with the same length, weight rating, and action could vary so much in price. If they are the same why is one rod less than $100 and another $600?I received two different forms of answers. The first was the one where they described how well they liked there rod and how I should go with one that was similar. The next answer was in one way or another “You’re get what you pay for…” along with how much I should expect to pay for a decent starter fly rod. I don’t know if I asked my question the wrong way, they weren’t sure how to answer it, or they just didn’t know the answer. Neither of these answers, no matter how you put it, actually answered my question. Their rod may work great for them but how can I be sure it’s what I need. And the more frustrating of the two was the vague answer “You get what you pay for…” Well that’s what I just asked, what am I paying for when I by a more expensive rod? So I sent the customer support at Orvis.com the same question along with my frustration about the other answers I’ve been hearing. This was the response I received back a few hours later.
Now that's more along the lines of what I was looking for. A more expensive rod is going to be more durable and the guides on a cheap rod will get line wear quicker from constant rubbing. This will cause your cast, no matter how good your technique is, to deteriorate. One fact they didn’t add is the warranty. This price is included in the cost of the rod and you may never know you are paying for it, but it will usually cost you around $20 to $60. Be careful to read the warranty closely because most of them are what is known as a “limited” warranty. These will only cover defects in how the rod was made. If you’re as big a klutz as I am you’ll want to find an “unconditional” warranty. This covers everything. To see what I’m talking about check out Orvis’s warranty on most of their rods. It’s near the bottom of the page under the heading “The Orvis Fly Rod 25-Year Guarantee”. Like I was saying on the previous page you want to get the most out of your fly fishing outfit you can afford. Expect to pay $100 to $200 for a good, quality starter rod. If you have to skimp on price to meet your budget you’d be better off buying a cheaper reel. Trouble Justifying the Price to Your Wife?A friend of mine at work told me his plan for getting the rod he wanted when his wife flinched at the price.
I’m not sure how well that went for him because he never brought it up again, but I thought it was a pretty funny story. Now that you’re armed with the information on a choosing a fly rod, head back to the fly fishing outfit page to learn about choosing a fly reel. Or go from the Choosing a Fly Rod page to the home page to find other fly fishing information. Sign up for our free ezine.To get updates to the site, fly fishing stories, tips and gear information feel free to sign up for our free monthly ezine – Fly Fishing Journal.
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