Choosing a Fly Rod

An article by Derek McKenzie Outdoors

The questions about this subject come up often and are ones that just strike fear into our hearts every time.  You see, the best way to decide on what is the best fly rod for you is to ask someone who has a fair bit of experience to help make a call and most often it will be very subjective.  Oh and don’t forget that the answer may just be strongly influenced by the price of the rod and who is selling it to you!  As you will most likely find out, the only gear that is worth owning is the kind they own and if you ask 10 people and you get 10 different opinions.  And in the main, none are terribly wrong.  You see, serious fly anglers are very opinionated about their fly rods and in some ways, have a true romance with them!  Just ask me!  I could tell you about moving here to Australia from the states and having my fishing collection arrive in a box with the word “FRAGILE!” written twice on all sides and in the four common languages of the region.  But having said that, there are some common truths about the fly rod industry and from there we can help with ideas for you to make your selection, your perfect partner if you will, with which to share the passion of fly fishing.

Match the rod to it’s use

This may sound pretty simple but when selecting a fly rod it is quite critical and really the most important question.  Unlike other types of fishing, a mismatch can just ruin the whole experience, so make your choice based on the most often intended use for your fly rod.  And of course you will want to have a fair bit of versatility so that you don’t necessarily have to buy two or three rods to get started.  First, consider the size of the fish you intend to catch allowing, of course, for that occasional record-setter that is lurking about!  Then think about the “size of the water” you are going to fish most often and of course the size of the fly you intend to cast. This should help you get an idea as to the proper rod, and remember that the size of the rod will effect your casting, how effectively you fish your chosen water and of course the landing of the fish. 

However, don’t overlook that you can "cross over" a bit depending upon the size of the fish that you are after.  For example, you might want a “trout size” rod that takes nice stream rainbows or a “brown trout size” that is for the bigger brown trout.  Now then with one rod, you might not get “the ultimate” for either, but depending on your budget you can get a very nice choice for a variety of fish and conditions that is reasonably suitable for both.

If you are, however, one of the chosen few who will be casting for tarpon in one part of the world and giant river run chinooks in another and small trout in the wilderness in yet another…well, we will show no sympathy and just tell you to consider yourself fortunate and plan on owning several fly rods! 

Doing the Numbers

Fly rod sizes are categorized by numbers, or weights, and simply put the smaller the number the lighter the rod and it’s intended use and conversely, the larger the number the heavier the rod and it’s intended use.  So with that, we would expect a pure small water small trout fly fisherman to use a say, 2 or 3 weight rod, a pure steelhead or brown trout fisherman to use a 7 or 8 or so, and someone chasing tarpon or stripers to use a 12 weight.  Of course then just to confuse it all we can add in the spey rods and the two hand rods and so on but for this purpose let’s just keep it simple and stick to the basics! 

The most popular all-around rods are in the 5 / 6 / 7 category for our purposes here in Australia and with these, you can cover the whole range of trout fishing and in the main, many of the larger and/or lighter salt species as well.  Rods are available in multiple weights and some are quite really well designed to handle up or down a bit depending upon your needs and where you are going to use the rod.  While there is a bit more to the "split weight" rod than this simple overview, they can be quite versatile with the right fly line.  The selection process should make sure that your rod is suited to
what you will do the most and give you just that extra bit of flexibility for the other things you may
do occasionally. 

The other number in the mix is length.  In general, the 9’ is by far the most popular and equally the most effective length that we use right now.  Once again the simple rule of thumb is the shorter the rod the less distance.  Of course there are lots of variables like line weights and so on but that will either come later or in other text.

You can cast a good 9’ rod long distances without much fatigue and have good control of the drift.  This length is also well suited to most lake applications as well.

If fishing smaller streams or in more confined areas of the bush, this same 9’ rod will frustrate you as there isn’t enough room.  So for this, go down to, say, 7’ (and even shorter ones can be found!) if this is your main haunt.

Beyond that, we won’t go into any long detail about the rod length selection.  Just put simple principles and common sense to work.  Now then, if you are standing on a boat in the salt and trying to hook up with a sea monster, using a fly that will knock you unconscious if you miss a cast seriously, then grab a cannon size and length rod and go for it!  If not, match your rod size and length to your quarry and have some fun!  

Get into Action

Well here we go and unfortunately it gets a bit complicated from here as different manufacturers call the action of their rods many different things and have devised clever marketing labels for rods that really come back to basics but so be it. We have to laugh a bit at the analogy that we heard some time back about rod action and barbequing a steak.  It really only comes three ways…rare, medium and well done with any of the rest more a concoction of the person at the grill!  Fly rods are a bit like that and with manufacturers often replacing common sense with marketing hype it will only get worse we are sure! 

So let’s try to stick to basics here and basically fly rod actions can be broken down into three groups.  These are fast (or super fast!), medium (or medium-fast to moderate!) and slow (medium slow to extra soft!).  Now just for fun I have put just a few of the extra ways to serve these up in parenthesis but remember they come basically three ways….fast, medium and slow.  Thankfully the principal behind the names have not changed and that is how much of the rod will bend when casting and where the bend occurs in the rod.  Period.

First let’s state a couple of simple truths…. 

First, none of us stand there and deliver the perfect cast or use perfect technique every time.  And don’t forget the “other side” of casting is hooking up with a fish and landing it with your enjoyment of the sport being paramount! 

Next, when we talk about a rod being “fast, medium or slow” we are not talking about the owner or his/her skill levels but rather the characteristics of the rod, what it is capable of and how it feels when you are casting it.

That being said we can move on and talk about rod actions.

A “fast” rod will have only the tip flex (or flex pattern) that works from about a quarter to a third of the rod length.  On the upside and in the hands of an experienced caster, these rods offer the longest casting distances and are great if you are fishing in the wind. This flex pattern in the rod is also suited to tighter casting loops, double haul casting techniques and so on.  On the downside, these rods can be less accurate than others and are certainly less forgiving than other flex patterns.  The reality of these rods too is that they are harder to learn on and therefore we would not recommend one of these for your first (or only for that matter!) fly rod.

The next choice is “medium” flex pattern in its various guises and this is by far the most popular action being sold today.  The flex pattern in these rods comes back to about midway through the rod.  Not only are these generally the choice for very experienced casters (yes, in the medium-fast range with a higher modulus graphite count for my fellow rod technophiles) who in particular do not own a stable of rods, they are also a great choice for those new to the sport.  On the upside, these rods are more forgiving than the fast  flex patterns and provide more accuracy as well.  They are also a little more gentle on the tippets when setting a hook.  On the downside, they don’t cast as far and you will battle the wind more with this type of rod flex pattern.

The final flex pattern to talk about is referred to as a “slow” or full bend flex pattern.  In this type of rod, the entire length of the rod comes into play and often, will show bend all the way to the grip. It is unfortunate that these rods are disappearing somewhat but not due to lack of interest.  It is more so a marketing concept that no one wants a “slow” rod (kind of like the theory that no one wants a “slow” car?) but nothing is further from the truth.  My favourite slow action rod is the bamboo rod I was given by my great grandfather.  It will belong to my sons someday and hopefully theirs.  On the upside, these are perfect for smaller streams and tight areas and wonderfully suited to shorter lengths and lighter weights.  And you can fish a tippet that is nearly invisible.  On the downside, these rods won’t cast very far and are not suited to high winds at all.  And they are harder to find unless you enter the realm of bamboo but that is a whole other story unto itself!

One last little issue that we will put here with the action choices is a quick note on what is called “dampening”.  This is how quickly the fly rod tip stops vibrating after a quick movement with inertia, bend, and rod flex pattern all part of this equation. “Damping” has been a goal of rod engineers ever since they realized that the longer it takes for the rod tip “wiggle” to stop, the more of this is passed to the line and this results in lost casting efficiency.  At this point it would be fair to say that there is a lot of talk around the industry about this factor and most are on par with each other in bringing a reasonable solution to the table.  We just bring this up because in the past we have only too often observed people giving the rod a good shake, watching the tip and commenting on the great flex it has because the tip is still flopping around several seconds after the hand has stopped moving! 

Thus know and understand your flex pattern and what you are really after in a rod and most of all enjoy your choice! 

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