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How to choose a fly rod.

Fly rod "Action"

With more people coming into the sport of fly fishing, we get many questions concerning a need for information in regards to the purchase of fly rods. It can be a confusing step with so many varieties and new technology, not to mention the terminology. This page is designed to give you some help in knowing more about fly rods, their "actions" and their purpose.

If there is any part of a fly rod and the terminology that goes with it, that would be safe to say is confusing, it would have to be the term "action". Now, unless you already know about fly rods, knowing what the action of a fly rod is doesn't really help you much. So, before you invest in this piece of equipment it is necessary to understand the term action. It is also just as important to decide what type of fishing you will be doing with a specific rod. For example, if you are going to fish steelhead on a large river then a fast action may be perfect for you. If your time is going to be spent chasing browns on a smaller stream, then a fast action may not be the best choice. The action of a fly rod refers to how flexible the fly rod is.

There are three main actions of a fly rod. Generally they are "fast", "medium" and "slow". 

A fast action rod is not, what you would call a very flexible rod. The fact is, a fast action fly rod is somewhat stiff throughout  the entire length of the rod, with only the upper portion of the rod, near the tip, having flexibility. What this means to you is that in the casting process, only the rod area near the tip will bend in any appreciable manner. The rest of the rod, for the most part, will stay straight. This in turn relates to power or to a term "line speed". A fast action fly rod has more power. This allows for longer casts, with one reason being the stiffness of the rod allows more fly line to be held up, and the second reason is more line speed to allow you to shoot more fly line out. Another advantage of a fast action rod is that you have the ability to fight and land much larger fish. So, with this information let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of a fast action rod.

Advantages of a Fast Action fly rod:

1) Excellent for the angler who wants and needs to make consistently longer casts.  

2) A fast action fly rod makes it much easier and quicker to land larger fish.

3) Because of high line speed, casting in windy conditions is much easier and more effective.

4) Quick casts - this is a feature that you will appreciate as you become more advanced.

5) The ability to cast larger and more wind resistant flies, such as bass fisherman.

6) Roll casting larger flies.

Disadvantages of a Fast Action fly rod:

1) Fishing on small streams. Requires shorter casts and a soft presentation.

2) Light tippets. Fast action rods put more strain on a lighter tippet.

3) A steeper learning curve. A beginner will find it more difficult when it comes to control and accuracy.

A medium action fly rod is just that, in the middle. A medium action fly rod will bend moderately for about half of the overall length. This make this action the most versatile of fly rods. They can make long casts, with experience but, they function quite well for smaller water conditions. A medium action is quite forgiving as well, especially when it comes to the beginner. Beginners can pick up casting much more quickly and have good control in a relatively short time. The slower line speed of a medium action rod gives the beginner more control over where the fly line and the fly ends up.

Advantages of a Medium Action fly rod:

1) Maximum versatility. If you only want or can afford only one rod.

2) Perfect for the first time beginner. Easy to learn, with control and accuracy. 

3) Small stream fishing and softer presentations.

Disadvantages of a Medium Action fly rod:

1) Long, consistent casts are tougher on the angler.

2) Hard to handle in windy conditions. 

3) Less rod "backbone" to handle bigger fish.

4) Less power to handle bigger flies.

A slow action rod is a very flexible rod, and bends significantly for most of it's full length. They do not generate high line speeds and are designed for anglers that fish smaller fish on smaller waters, such as spring creeks and small tributaries, where tight quarters dictate short and accurate casts.

Advantages of a Slow Action fly rod:

1) When tight quarters require short and accurate casts.

2) Soft presentations, especially related to dry flies.

3) Fun for smaller fish, meaning that a 8" fish feels much larger.

4) The ability to fish very light line and small flies.

Disadvantages of a Slow Action fly rod:

1) Slow line speed, so the ability to make long casts are difficult.

2) Fishing in windy conditions turns into real work. 

3) Inability to throw flies with any size.

4) Overall versatility very low. Slow action rods are restricted to very specific conditions.  

Fly rod "weight"

Your next factor in deciding on a fly rod is what "weight". This matter is really quite simple when you understand what the term "weight" refers to. "Weight" is a numbering system devised by the industry to keep all things equal. Fly lines are measured by grams. Grams are not the easiest way to measure things, so the industry came up with a numbering system. The numbering system covers a range from 1 thru 14, 1 being the lightest and 14 the heaviest. To determine your fly line weight is the easy part, it goes by the species of fish or the size of fish that you are fishing for and the conditions of use. Below you will see a summary of line weights for fishing various species:

Weight  1-3:  Small Trout Panfish and other small fish. Small flies and short casts.

Weight  4:  Panfish and small to medium sized trout. Small to medium size flies and short to medium casts.

Weight  5-6:  Medium to medium large trout and smaller bass. Medium to medium large flies. Longer casts.

Weight  7-8:  Large trout, large bass, steelhead, small salmon. Large streamers and large flies. Long casts.

Weight  9-14:  Large salmon and saltwater. Big flies.

These are general recommendations by the manufacturers. Once you know the species and determine your line weight, you match the rod by weight also. The match is important because a rod labeled 5wt. is designed for optimum performance with a 5wt. line. This also applies to your reel selection as well.

Fly rod "length"

When choosing the length of your fly rod it is best to consider where and how you will be fishing. 7', 8' and 9' are the basic lengths. If you are going to fish small streams with abundant brush, then a 7' rod is your best bet. With short rods you lose power. So, 7' rods would be for short casts and tight quarters, 8' rods are best for small to medium rives and 9' rods would work the best for large rivers and lakes. Keep in mind that longer rods allow for longer casts and improve your ability to mend line easily.

Hopefully this information will be helpful to you and the decisions that you need to make when acquiring your next fly rod. It is important that you decide prior to your purchase, what you will be fishing for and where. Fly fishing can be a world of fun, especially when you have the right equipment.