There are few things more confusing to new anglers than shopping around for a fly rod. For better or for worse, high technology has struck the fly fishing rod market. And with it has come a wild assortment of high-tech sounding names, none of which make much sense to new anglers.
So, in an effort to break free of this confusion, I've prepared this buyers guide to fly rods. Hopefully, after reading this article, you'll walk away with a better idea of what kind of fly fishing rod to get, and why.
And just as importantly, you won't have "buyer’s remorse" three months after purchasing the fly rod.
I've listed some quick recommendations below on features most beginner anglers will want to look for when shopping for a fly rod.
Recommended Fly Rod Features for Beginner Anglers
- For new anglers, get a medium-action fly fishing rod. They are the most versatile of fly rods and are pretty forgiving to learn on.
- Rod length, for trout fishing, should be 8.5 to 9 feet in length. Beginners will not want to go any longer, and only should go shorter if the majority of their fishing will be for smaller fish.
- The weight of the fly rod (which means what weight fly line you plan on using) will vary depending on what you fish for. But for trout fishing, generally a 4-weight, 5-weight or 6-weight rod is best. I personally prefer a 4-weight, but that's just me. A 5-weight rod is probably the most versatile, though.
- Make absolutely sure that the weight of the fly fishing rod matches the line weight you plan on using. And likewise, make sure the weight of the fly rod matches the weight of the fly reel you plan on using. If tip #4 is confusing, then remember this formula: fly rod weight = fly line weight = fly reel weight.
- New anglers don't need a $700 rod. However, cheap fly rods perform poorly and will quickly prove frustrating to new anglers. Beginners should look at fly fishing rods in the "mid-range" in terms of price. This way, you'll have use of this rod for many years with no worries of quickly "outgrowing" it...
- Here are some good brands of fly rods: Diamondback, Vision, TFO, Loop, & Jim Teeny
- The above list is by no means exhaustive. Many other fine fly rods are made. These are just the ones I'm familiar with. Choosing one of the mid-priced rods in any of those above brands will prevent new anglers from buying something that is quickly outgrown.
- Plan to travel frequently? If so, consider getting a fly rod that packs into 4 or more pieces - they are far easier to travel with.
Shopping Considerations
There's such a dizzying variety of fly fishing rods available, new anglers - and even experienced ones - can get "turned around" when deciding what to get. Because of this, when shopping for a fly rod I've found that it is often best to "eliminate" what you don't want first - which greatly shortens the list.
For all anglers, remove anything from the list that sells for less than $200. Those fly rods are $200 or less for a reason. While the ultra-cheap fly rods work well enough for the kids, for wild trout fishing in New Zealand....forget it.
Beginner anglers will also want to strike off their list any fast-action fly rods. Fast-action fly fishing rods aren't the best to learn on, and also lack the small stream flexibility that slow-action and mid-action fly rods provide. By and large, most new anglers will want to go with a mid-action fly rod unless the bulk of their fishing will occur on very small streams (in which case a slow-action fly rod may be a better choice).
New anglers will also want to remove all real expensive fly fishing rods from the list, too. While there are most definitely performance improvements between an "intermediate priced" rod and one that costs $800 or more, new anglers will not notice the differences.
Finally, new anglers who are "starting with nothing" in terms of fly fishing gear almost certainly will want to buy what is known as a "Fly Rod Combo." A fly rod combo contains a perfectly matched and balanced fly rod outfit. A fly rod outfit consists of the fly rod, the fly reel and the fly line - usually along with a fly rod tube/case to carry it all. Moreover, the price savings on fly rod combos is often significant compared to buying individual pieces separately.
Where to Buy Fly Rods
Offline, any quality fly shop should have a good selection of quality fly rods from various manufacturers. Just stay away from buying a fly rod or fly rod combo from non specialist stores. Often they don’t understand what they are selling themselves.
Online, I would choose a specialist fly fishing store were the people involved are fly fishermen themselves and understand your needs. (Yes thats US! :))
There are many high-quality fly rods available. If you're interested in purchasing a fly rod please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We would be more than willing to help you out choosing the right rod for you.
