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CHOOSING FLY FISHING RODS
Choosing a fly fishing rod 

HOW DO I CHOOSE A FLY ROD?

Why are there so many different fly rods, and do I really need a collection of them?This question really opens a can of worms in the fly fishing world. There is really no one perfect fly rod for all types of fly fishing, which is why most anglers who have been fly fishing for a few years end up with such an amazing collection of rods.  We like to use the golfing analogy: You can play an entire round of golf using only a pitching wedge, but it isn't efficient nor is it much fun.

The world of fly fishing is much more diverse than all of the conditions and challenges that get thrown at you in a round of golf. Fly fishing for brook trout on a small mountain stream is a different game than fishing a big windy Montana river, and fly fishing for large mouth bass is a different world than off shore bill fish fly casting. After thrashing the rivers, lakes and oceans for many years with a lot of different fly rods we have developed some of our personal recommendations for fly rod selection. Scroll down  to read more about choosing your fly fishing rods.


WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE A FLY LINE BEFORE I CHOOSE A FLY FISHING ROD?

A fly rod is basically a tool that increases our leverage and efficiency when casting a weighted fly line that can deliver a nearly weightless fly to a precise target anywhere from 10’ to over 100’ away. Fly fishing is a widely diverse sport that can range from casting a microscopic size 22 midge pattern over selective trout on a Wyoming spring creek to casting a foot-long baitfish pattern to a blue marlin off the coast of Costa Rico.

Such a wide range of prey taking an almost endless array of artificial flies in varying weather and water conditions calls for quite a wide range of weighted lines to get the job done. Fly lines are classified by a standardized system from 1 through 14, with 14 being the heaviest. The number designation of each weight corresponds to the weight (in grains) of the first 30 feet of the line.

A well-made fly fishing rod is designed and built to properly cast a specific line size. Choosing a fly line and the rod that is designed specifically to cast it can be simplified with a few general recommendations depending on the species you will be fishing for and the types of water you will usually be on.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR MATCHING FLY LINE SIZE TO THE FISH SPECIES YOU'LL BE FLY FISHING FOR

For small to medium trout on small streams: 1, 2, 3 or 4 weight fly line.
For trout in small to medium-sized rivers: 4, 5, or 6 weight fly line
For trout in big rivers and lakes: 5, 6, or 7 weight fly line.
For bass or pike: 6, 7, 8 or 9 weight fly line
Steelhead, summer-run: 5, 6, 7, or 8 weight fly line.
Steelhead, winter-run: 9, 10, 11, or 12 weight fly line.
Bonefish/Permit: 7, 8, 9, or 10 weight fly line.
Striped bass/ Bluefish: 9, 10, or 11 weight fly line.
Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish: 12, 13, or 14 weight fly line.

These are general guidelines and you’ll always get someone to argue against or for one line choice for any specific purpose, but you can see that if you are going to be doing mostly trout fishing in mountain streams you might want to choose a shorter rod for a 3 weight fly line, but if you are going to be fishing for trout in a wide range of water-types and conditions and you can only afford one “all-purpose” rod, you might choose a longer rod in the 5 or 6 weight range.

If you want to fish for bass with big popper flies on windy lakes, you might want an 8 or 9 weight rod, but if you want to fly fish for both trout and bass (a tough balance of finesse and power types of fishing) you might get by with a 6 or 7 weight.

Our advice for beginners is to NOT try to get one “all-purpose” rod. As your skills increase, you’ll find that the “all-purpose” rod will usually be left to gather dust in the closet. Make your first rod match the type of fly fishing you’ll be learning about first, whether it be for trout, bass or tarpon. Then you’ll have a valuable rod that you’ll still appreciate as your prowess grows.

If you just want a great rod that will be a joy to learn to cast with, and that you'll treasure for many years to come, our choice would be a 8 ½’ or 9’ rod designed for a 5 or 6 weight rod. Trust us, you do not want your first casting lesson to be on a 12 weight Tarpon rod!

CHOOSING THE BEST TROUT OR STEELHEAD FLY ROD FOR YOUR TYPE OF  FISHING

TROUT: Light, small streams, mountain streams: 7 to 8 foot rod for 2, 3, 4 or 5 weight fly line, medium to fast action

TROUT: Light, for spring creeks or small ponds: 7 to 9 foot rod for 1, 2, 3 or 4 weight fly line, medium action

TROUT: Medium, small and medium sized streams, 8.5 to 9 foot rod for 4, 5, or 6 weight fly line, medium to fast action

TROUT: Heavy, medium and large rivers, large lakes with consistently wind conditions: 9 to 10 foot rod for 7 or 8 weight fly line, medium to fast action, (an excellent trout/steelhead combo rod)


STEELHEAD: 9 to 10 foot rod for 7, 8, 9 or 10 weight fly line, medium-fast to fast action, with extension butt. Two-handed Spey fly rods up to 15' long for lines 10-14 are also popular specialty steelhead and salmon rods for fishing big rivers.

BEST BEGINNER’S TROUT ROD FOR MANY CONDITIONS: 8.5 to 9 foot rod for 5 or 6 weight fly line, medium fast action





CHOOSING THE BEST BASS FLY ROD FOR YOUR TYPE OF FISHING

BASS: Light/medium, streams, ponds, small lakes (also trout/bass combo fly rod): 8.5 to 9 foot rod for 6 or 7 weight fly line, medium-fast to fast action

BASS: Heavy, large windy lakes, bayous, swamps: 9 to 9.5 foot for 8, 9 or 10 weight fly line, fast action, with extension butt





CHOOSING THE BEST SALTWATER FLY ROD FOR YOUR TYPE OF FISHING

SALTWATER: Surf, bays and tidal rivers for channel bass, striped bass, bluefish, etc.: 9 to 10 foot rod for 9 or 10 weight fly line, powerful fast action, with extension butt

SALTWATER: Bonefish, redfish, permit, sea trout, snook, small tarpon, etc: 9 to 9.5 foot rod for 7, 8 or 9 weight fly line, medium-fast action, with short extension butt

SALTWATER: Large Tarpon, Large Snook: 9 to 10 foot rod for 10, 11, or 12 weight fly line, fast saltwater action, powerful butt section for fighting, with fighting extension butt.

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