As a fly-fishing angler you will soon realize, your fly rod is the second most important pieces of equipment. The first most important piece of the puzzle is the gaining and storing of knowledge in the art of fly-fishing of course. Selecting the right fly rod can be puzzling. I hope this article will give you some direction into which fly rod is right for you.
Fly rods come in various shapes and sizes, and which one you choose depends mainly on the type of fishing you plan on doing.
Fly fishing rods come rated in terms of the net weight they can handle (designated by nwt or just wt). This means that if you are fishing waters for fish up to eight pounds, you should use an eight nwt rod. Therefore, the higher the number, the bigger fish the rod is capable of handling.
Some rods are multi-rated like 8-10 nwt. multi-rated rods are good because they can handle a variety of situations. The trade off is you will give up some performance in the fly rod. A multi-rated fly rod is good for the beginning fly anglers because of its ability to adapt to various fishing scenarios.
Fly Rods are made of three different materials: Each type of material will give the fly rod certain handling characteristics and benefits.
Fiberglass,
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VINTAGE SPORT KING HOWALD FIBER GLASS FLY ROD MONTGOMERY WARD USA
$19.49 |
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Fiberglass fly rod Heddon Pal #8357
$70.00 |
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Fiberglass fly rod Heddon Pal #8357
$70.00 |
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Early, Fenwick Fiberglass Fly Rod, FF79, B16938
$50.99 |
Graphite,
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Custom built, St. Croix 8'6", 6wt. Fly rod
$150.00 |
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FLY FISHING ROD CUSTOM IM6 GRAPHITE 9' 2PC SALMON STEELHEAD FLY ROD+CUSTOM SACK
$99.02 |
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SAGE Euro style, Graphite IV, 6126-3 Spey Fly Rod, Excellent Condition
$313.96 |
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Hardy Vintage Smuggler Graphite Fly Rod 7 piece, 8' 1/2", 5 weight
$450.00 |
Bamboo.
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VINTAGE OLD BAMBOO FLY FISHING ROD MONTAGUE 3 PIECE CLEAR LAKE
$16.00 |
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VINTAGE SHAKESPEARE HONOR SOLD 9 FEET HEXAGON BAMBOO FLY FISHING ROD
$74.99 |
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Small Stream Bamboo Fly Rod L@@K
$99.99 |
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South Bend Vintage Bamboo Fly Rod No 57
$160.00 |
The length of your fly rod makes a difference as well depending on the type of fishing conditions you are fishing. Fly rods less than 8 feet long are good for tight, narrow places and areas with overhanging trees. Eight to nine foot rods are ideal for trout and bass fishing in open areas. These longer rods will provide you with better casting distance. Anything nine feet and over is for wide-open waters and those long distance casts. The nine feet and above rods, work well for fishing from a float tube or drift boat.
Put some thought into your selection of a fly fishing rod. While your fly rod is not the only piece of gear that matters it is the one piece of gear that can help you bring in a trophy fish or just another fish. Think about what you want to accomplish on your fishing excursion and choose a rod that you help you attain your goal.
