Fly Rods : Summary & Recommendations

The Stillwater River in Montana

Summing Things Up

Well, if you've actually read through all the previous eight pages of our Fly Rod Buyers Guide, you should have a fairly good idea about what kind of fly rod you should have and how to go about shopping for it. But, just to be thorough, let's do a quick review of key things to look for when fishing around for a fly rod.

Importance of the Fly Rod : Fly rods are immensely important since they control your casts and the line when on the water. For best casting and control, the fly rod should match in weight, exactly, to both the fly reel and fly line used.

Fly Rod Action : Fly Rod Action is simply a fancy way of saying how flexible, or inflexible, a fly rod is. A fast action rod will only bend at the tip of the fly rod (as measured on the backcast), a medium action fly rod will bend in its upper half while a slow action fly rod will bend for most over most of it's length.

Fly Rod Weight : The weight of the fly rod (which is printed on the fly rod) will be determined by what you fish for. Note - the term "fly rod weight" does NOT mean how much the fly rod weighs! Once you figure out what kind of fish you go after and where you do it, you just get the right weight fly rod to go with it. The smaller the fish, the lighter the weight - generally.

Fly Rod Types : There are three basic types of fly rods : graphite, bamboo and fiberglass (glass). Each have their pro's and con's, but graphite fly rods are the most versatile and lightest fly rods available.

Fly Rod Length : Just means how long (in feet) the fly rod is once fully assembled. Generally, 8 - 9ft is standard fly rod length for most fly fishing situations.

Fly Rod Recommendations

Well, after everything, most anglers should have a pretty good idea of what they want. But, just in case you don't, I'll venture out on a limb and make a recommendation or two on what type of fly rod to get.

For beginner anglers or anglers who will be fly fishing on a wide variety of waters (various sized rivers, some lakes and ponds), then a Graphite, Medium Action Fly Rod, with a weight of 4-6 (depending on types of fish you go after) with a length of 8 - 9 feet is recommended. This fly rod configuration will perform capably in a wide range of conditions and is also a good configuration for beginners to learn with.

For intermediate to advanced anglers who will be fly fishing in larger waters, in windy conditions or just plain go after larger fish (very large trout, bass, steelhead, salmon, saltwater), then a Graphite, Fast Action Fly Rod, with a Weight of 6-9+ (depending on the types of fish you chase) with a length of 9 feet is recommended.

For anglers who end up fishing for fish that require light tackle (brown trout), who will be making shorter casts, or primarily fish for smaller fish (smaller trout, panfish), then a Graphite, Slow Action Fly Rod, with a Weight of 3-4 (depending on types of fish you go after) with a length of 8 to 8.5 feet is recommended. This configuration also will work well for beginner anglers, too, who know they will be going after smaller trout or will be fishing in these types of conditions.

Browse Listings of Quality Fly Rods

Orvis Fly Rods
Cabela's Fly Rods
L.L. Bean Fly Rods
G. Loomis Fly Rods
Fenwick Fly Rods
Sage Fly Rods
St. Croix Fly Rods
Scott Fly Rods
Redington Fly Rods

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