Selecting a Fly Rod
Author: Chris Jackson
If you are new to the sport of fly fishing, then the first thing for you to do will be selecting a fly rod. Selecting a fly rod is not difficult, but is very important as there are many different sizes, lengths, and tapers to choose from. Many people think that all you need is a fly rod and that will cover all of your fly fishing needs, but that is not true.
There are several factors that will determine what fly rod you will want to buy, but to keep it simple we will focus on the three main factors: size, action, quality. To help you in selecting a rod, let’s take a look at these factors and narrow you search down a bit so you can be confident that you are selecting the right fly rod so you can enjoy the sport and learn the fastest. If you are already familiar with what you are looking for, then go straight to our gear guide by clicking on the link at the end of the article.
Size
There are many different sizes of fish, so there are many different sizes of fly rods to choose from. The same rod that you use for trout will not be ideal for salmon, or vice versa. Fly rod size uses a scale from 1 – 15 and higher, and is denoted by weight (wt) where a 1wt is very light and for small fish and a 15wt is heavy and made for huge fish like Marlin and Sharks. Here is a generic list of fish and the rod size you will need for each. Most fish species vary in size, so your situation might be a little different but this will get you close.
2wt small trout, pan fish
4wt trout, pan fish
6wt bass, trout,
8wt steelhead, bass, saltwater
10wt salmon, steelhead, tuna, saltwater
12wt saltwater, dorado, sail fish
14wt saltwater, sail fish, marlin, shark
The most common rod size for a first fly rod is a 6wt, as it is light enough to cast dry flies to trout with delicacy, as well as cast bigger flies to bass and even steelhead, and has enough backbone to fight larger fish.
Action
Fly rods are designed with different Actions. This means they bend at different areas throughout the rod and make the line behave differently as a result. When selecting a fly rod, you will want to pay special attention to action because some are much easier to cast than others. Here is a list of the types of action you will choose from.
a¢ Slow Action: whole rod bends when casting. Made for small streams and short casts.
a¢ Medium Action: rod bends in the mid section of the rod. This is the easiest rod to cast but will lack the distance and accuracy of faster action rods.
a¢ Fast Action: rod bends mostly at the tip. These rods are best suited for experienced casters and are built for high line speed good for long casts, accuracy, wind conditions, and casting large flies.
a¢ There are also actions in between these actions such as medium slow, medium fast, and even very fast action (or whatever the fly rod manufacture wants to call it)
For a beginner, a medium action rod will be the easiest to cast, but will limit you once casting becomes comfortable. The solution is a rod between medium and fast, and is known as a medium fast action. This will give anybody the benefits of both and is my recommendation for a first fly rod. If you are selecting a fly rod designed for saltwater, then you will want to stick with a fast action rod as most likely you will be casting big flies and doing so in the wind.
Quality
When selecting a fly rod, a good thing to remember is that you get what you pay for. Sure, you can go to Wal-Mart and pick up a cheap combo set for under , but once you hold a quality rod in your hand you will probably end up with your own sooner than later. Fly Rods vary in price exponentially with quality. In other words, as quality goes up, price goes up even faster. Here are my two recommendations: Go with the best fly rod you can afford and buy a rod with a lifetime warranty. Any rod with a lifetime warranty is going to be of good quality and one that you will own for life. At some point you will break a rod and the warranty will come in handy. At my website, all rods that I recommend come with a lifetime warranty and the manufactures are very good about honoring them. To buy a rod with such a warranty you will need to spend around 0 or more, which is quite cheap considering a graphite rod can run up to 00 + and a Bamboo Fly Rod can be over 00.
Here is a list of the Benefits that you will have if you select a quality fly rod:
1. Easier casting
2. Light weight
3. Great feel
4. Lifetime warranty
5. Stronger than cheap rod
6. Long and accurate casting
7. Proud
8. Quicker learning curve
Selecting a Fly Rod
Now that you have an idea of size, action and quality of the fly fishing rod that you need to buy, it is time to narrow your search down to specific brands and models, which is another daunting task. For help picking out the exact rod you will be happy with for a lifetime, go to www.OnlineFlyFishingGuide.comwhere there is a complete gear guide designed to help you with selecting a fly rod, reel, line, and other fly fishing necessities. If you are considering purchasing your first fly rod, then good luck to you. You have many new experiences to come. I wish I had never caught a fish on a fly rod, just so I could do it for the first time all over again, although it is sure nice to be over the learning curve and soon, with the right gear and a little practice, you will be too.
Can someone recommend a good fly fishing line?
I am a beginner at fly fishing and am going to be using a 5 wt. rod and fish for mainly bass and bluegill. I think I have found a good line but it is a 6 wt. bass bug line and I am wondering if this would work alright and if there is anything better. Also I am wondering what the heaviest fly a X4 leader could use before it starts to make casting hard. Thanks.
(Line:http://www.fishwest.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=flyshop&Product_Code=RI30BASS&Category_Code=rio)
If you are looking to cast heavier flies, than a 6 wt line will help. The answer to your question really is subjective and depends on your skill level. Once you get your timing down casting heavier flies gets a lot easier. Practice a lot and you will be able to cast heavier and heavier flies.
What type of line should I buy for this rod reel combo?
I do not know anything about fishing, but went to a Bass Pro Shop and got hooked up with this combo:
Bass Pro Rod XTR66MLS-2, 6 foot-6 inches length, Lure wt: 1/16-3/8 oz, Line wt: 4-10lb, Power:Med Lite, Action Fast.
Reel is: Pflueger President Spinning Reel, Line Capacity: yrd./lbs. 180/2 115/4 80/6, gear ratio: 5.2:1, weight: 7.7 oz, 9 ball bearings.
This is for my dad. He will go fishing in Yosemite, fishing brown, brook and rainbow trout.
I am confused with the type of line to get, especially the 2 lb, 4 lb, 6lb and 8 lb difference. Is a 4 lb monofilament Maxima Ultragreen okay? This one I saw at Sports Chalet. Forgot to ask the Bass Pro Shop guys
Thanks.
What does a 4 lb test or a 20 lb test mean? If it says 4 lb on the box, does that mean a 4 lb test too, because I don’t see anything about “test”? I am sorry, I really don’t know anything about fishing lines. Just trying to get something thoughtful for my dad’s birthday. Thanks again
You are a great daughter to get your dad a fishing outfit for his trip to Yosemite. Line rated for 4 lbs. will handle virtually any fish he encounters in Yosemite. It will also cast far and easy.. Actually; the 2 lb line will handle all the trout in Yosemite, but 4 lb test is easier to handle when tying clinch knots. I have taken 4 lb Brown trout on 2 lb test tapered leaders (Fly Rod) in Yellowstone Park and all that I needed to safely land them is a fly fisherman’s small net. You should go with him and fish with him. I taught my granddaughter to fly fish and to spin fish for trout at age 8 when we lived in Breckenridge, CO.
Now she has asked me to teach her son about fishing and outdoor life.
Is this a good fly fishing set up for a beginner?
I have looked into different equipment for fly fishing and have been recommended some things. I live in Houston and am going for bluegills and small to medium size bass. I think I found all the things I need but I would like some opinions. I am thinking about getting a 6 wt. 8 foot rod but am wondering if I should get the 5 wt. 7’6″ foot rod, same for the line and am worried that the flies will either be too small or big. I was thinking about getting a bass bug line but the smallest is 6 wt. and i am not sure if this is the correct type of line for the fish and reel. I am sure about the backing and leader though. Thanks.
I fished all last summer for Bluegill and Bass. This works really well.
5wt 8’6″
The 5wt line can handle most any bass bug and streamer you want to throw. It you start wanting to throw really big stuff that makes the rod go wild then switch to 6wt line. My best lure is a #10 Black Woolly Bugger. The only freshwater fish I haven’t caught on that is a Catfish. People have been telling me that in the Spring the Catfish will hit on a Woolly Bugger.
I like to use a 4x leader and 4x tippet. All of last summer only one Bass broke the line. Everything else was landed just fine.
Note on Bluegill. There fun as heck to catch on a Fly Rod. But think SMALL! They have small mouths and need a small lure to inhale. Here is something I learned this past December. The State Conservation Department stocked a small lake with Trout for Education. I was teaching about 5 kids how to Fly Fish. So I had them tie on a Beadhead Prince Nymph under a strike indicator. To our surprise we couldn’t keep the Bluegill off long enough to catch a Trout.
Heck, After fishing warm water fish with a Fly Rod last summer I was thing about getting a 4wt 9′ combo from Cabela’s just to make it a little more interesting and prolong the fight.
Recommendation for fly line used for bluegill and bass?
I am a beginner at fly fishing and need a good fly line that can be used for bass and bluegill and handle flies that are small enough for bluegills mouths but large enough for bass to take it. I will be using a 5 wt. fly rod and a X4 leader. Also I need a floating line. Any recommendations and advice would be appreciated, thanks.
5 wt line and 4 x tippet…..try Scientific Angler Lefty Kreh – Weight Forward 5 floating- made for beginners, easy to cast and at under $45 won’t break the bank