Help on picking out my first fly fishing rod?

Question

I'm an absolute beginner at fly fishing....I have just barely gotten the hang of casting and how to catch a fish...but now I want my OWN gear. I've only been on two fly fishing trips with others and I think I'm ready to head off myself once in a while.
The thing is, I would like to get a nice, decent rod for a good price. Do you have any suggestions? I have been told that those fly fishing kits you can buy are absolute crap.

All your answers were excellent!!
I'm gonna have to let the public vote on this one...
thanks for your help!!!!!

Answer 1

Below is a composite of three answers I have posted in the past. This should cover most of your concerns about what to buy.

Rods and reels and line. All three are important, but the least important for regular trout fishing is the reel.

Some of the first fly reels came with a drag system called Click & Pawl. Some reels are still made that way today as it is an effective drag system for smaller fish, like your average trout. Most of the time, trout will end up fighting the action of the rod and the drag of any line still in the water. They won't strip out a lot of line, if any at all. So, when they do manage to grab a little line off the reel the Click and Pawl system will work.

The more modern version of reels for trout come with a Disc Drag system, however, not all disc drags are the same. When you get into larger fish and the reel starts to scream as the line goes out, some disc drags will be over matched and will burn up or seize and freeze the reel. Neither is a good thing to have happen. Some disc drags have a smoother transfer of drag, so the leader isn't stressed when a fish makes a sudden run. Some disc drags have a sealed system keeping sand and junk from getting into the drag, others have exposed drags that can get contaminated. A rule of thumb is the more you pay for a reel the better grade of reel it will be, but shop wisely.

You may want to consider going to a large arbor reel, because of the speed that you can get the line back on the reel as compared to a regular reel, 3 to 4 times faster. Some large arbor reels do have a drawback, they won't hold that much backing and there are times when you need backing. Naturally when you get a huge fish and it takes off for the ocean but also when you snag your leader onto a rock or a tree and you are going downstream in a boat. It is handy to have some backing to allow the boat operator to stop the boat.

Rods. What a major topic that is. Personal preference has a lot to do with what brand of rod you buy. But, if you are brand new to fly fishing, how are you going to have a personal preference? Most likely the rod you buy now will become your back up rod down the road. If you really get hooked on fly fishing you will end up buying more rods. It is good to have a back up rod, especially if your main rod breaks.

I know of several instructors who have a saying, "A standard fly rod is a 5 or 6 weight 9 foot fly rod, all others are specialty rods."

2 piece rods tend to be less expensive that 4 to 6 piece rods because the manufacturer only has to have one ferrule, so it doesn't take as much time nor labor to build a 2 piece. 2 piece rods are harder to store. They tend to take up the whole back seat of your car, so for that reason they are not a user friendly as the 4 to 6 piece rods.

Not all graphite rods are built the same. If all rods used the same graphite material things would be different, but they don't. You have grades of material, it's composition, how it is produced and many other factors. As a rule of thumb, the more expensive rods will be built with the better grade of graphite. But, you are just learning to fly fish, so don't worry about that, yet.

Another thing you don't need to worry about just yet is the action of the rod. You have been casting a little but do you know the action of the rods you were using?

Most graphite rods are built with a medium-fast to a fast action. There are a few medium action rods, I own one, a Sage VPS Light 5 weight, which is a true medium action rod, but they don't make them anymore. Then there are some ultra fast rods, very much a specialty rod and you don't even want to get into those at this point.

For dry flies, a medium-fast rod is great. A fast rod can tend to snap the fly off if you are not careful.

What is a medium-fast as compared to a fast rod? When you cast a line with a rod, the line is what is going to carry the fly to the target. In spin fishing, the lure carries the line to the target. A fly is so light that you can't even throw it with your hand, at least not very far. So, the line carries the fly. It is the rod that powers the line. As you cast both forward and backwards, the line is pulling on the rod, that loads up the rod.

Think of the rod as a bow and the line as an arrow. As you pull back on the arrow, the bow bends, or loads up. If you pull back just a few inches and let the arrow go, then the arrow will drop to the ground right in front of you. If you pull the arrow all the way back, it will shoot out a long distance. But, if your bow is made of a very flexible material, you will be able to pull it back it ease and while the arrow will fly, it won't fly as fast or as far as an arrow shot out of a bow made of really stiff material that takes a lot of power to pull it back.

A rod does the same thing. The line causes the rod to bend and depending on how the rod was made, it will flex and load up with power that it transfers to the line when you stop the movement of the rod. When you stop, all of the power built up in the rod goes into the line.

A medium-fast action rod bends or loads farther down the rod than a fast action rod. The transfer of power is a little slower with a medium-fast rod than it is with a fast action rod. The medium fast rod will be a little more forgiving of your casting mistakes than a fast action rod. Another way to put it is the bad habits you have in casting will be emphasized more with a fast action rod than with a medium-fast rod. For many people, a medium-fast rod is all they need.

After you get your casting down to a decent level, and you want to buy another rod, go to a fly shop and talk to them about the differences between the medium-fast and fast action rods. They should let you cast both so you can see and feel the difference. If you do that, then please buy a rod from that fly shop, don't go to them and then buy one at a wholesale store where you can't test the rods.

There are hundreds of companies out there selling rods. When you decide to buy another rod, set a price in your mind as to how much you are willing to spend then look around at the different brands and buy the one you want. I would really be to your advantage to buy one after you try it out, if you can do that.

You can buy an entry level Sage, the Launch series for around $175, and it is made in America and guaranteed for life. Redington, which is also owed by Sage, sells imported fly rods, but they are good rods and again, guaranteed for life. The Redington rods sell for $80 & $130 & $230 and their top of the line is $299. What you will get from either one of them is consistency and a fantastic guarantee. No matter which company you buy from, check out their guarantee or warranty and buy a rod that fits the type of fishing you want to do.

I could write on book on rods, in fact, many people have.

Enough on rods.

You also asked about lines.

Fly lines are very important. Not all fly lines are made the same, not all fly lines cast the same. Not all fly rods cast the same with different fly lines that are supposed to be the same. I know, it sounds confusing because it is.

Stick with a name brand and plan on spending around $55 to $70 for a decent line. Most dry fly lines are weight forward styles, but they still make double taper lines. The double tapers are supposed to work better for dry flies, some say, and they do have the advantage of being able to turn the line around if one end gets damaged. They may not cast as far as weight forward lines, depending on our casting style. However, most lines are weight forward and will give you the greatest distance you can cast. They also will cast a heavier fly, like a Woolly Bugger or other streamers better.

Another fly line that is nice to have is an intermediate sinking line, in a clear or a camo style. It will take your fly under but not allow it to sink to the bottom, except in shallow water, as long as you keep the line moving. If you cast it and let it sit for a long time it will sink to the bottom but they have a slow sink rate.

The sinking tip lines also come in handy for certain types of fishing, getting down deep fast depending on the sink rate you need, like a 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or greater. The higher the number the faster the sink rate.

Rio makes good lines and Sage bought them a little while ago. Scientific Angler also makes a decent line. There are a number of companies out there, go for a quality line, it is important.


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It is a big decision to buy your first fly rod and it can be confusing.

For most freshwater fishing, a 5 weight or 6 weight 9 foot fly rod with a medium fast action is all you need. If you are only fishing very small streams for small trout or maybe you only fish for Crappie or Bluegill, then a lighter and shorter rod would be alright.

You need a floating fly line for sure, a weight forward is the most common, but a double taper allows you to reverse your fly line if the one end starts to wear out. You can't cast quite as far with a double taper but you can give a better presentation of a dry fly.

An intermediate line is handy for fishing streamers and some nymphs below the surface. The clear or camo intermediates are good lines for that.

You may want to invest in a sinking tip, like maybe a type 3 or 4 or 5 sink tip fly line if you fish in areas where you will need to get down deep.

Your reel can be almost anything, even a basic Click & Pawl drag system type reel. Most freshwater fish won't challenge a reel. If you are after Carp or large bass then you need to have a reel with a good disc drag system.

You need some tapered mono leaders, the size will be dictated by the size of fly you are using. The larger and heavier the fly the heavier the leader needs to be to control the fly.

You need tippet material. The most common is made of mono, like your tapered leader. The best is fluorocarbon as it hides better in the water. If you are going to use a 5X leader, then you will need 5X and 6X tippet material.

If you are going to do some saltwater, then that is a far more expensive piece of water to fish. Depending on what you are going for, you will need a 7 weight to 9 weight saltwater rod. Some species can be caught with a 6 weight but you may stress the rod and the fish too much. Also, for larger rods and fish it is really handy to have a fly rod with a fighting butt. When you get a bigger fish on you jab the butt of the rod into your stomach and hold onto the rod with your strong hand around the cork handle and wind in the line with the other hand. I see far too many people grabbing their rods way up the shaft because they don't have a fighting butt so the can't use their stomach to brace the rod. You should not grab your rod above the handle.

One thing about having a heavier saltwater fly rod is you can use it to go after big bass or carp in freshwater.

Your reel has to be saltwater proof and you really need a good closed disc drag system. The larger fish will burn up an inexpensive reels drag system in just a few runs.

Your leaders need to be heavier. Your lines need to be heavier, floating, intermediate and a very quick sink tip line, the faster the better.

If you are mostly going to fish fresh water, then concentrate on getting the best gear you can afford for that and put the saltwater gear on hold for a year or two.

One thing that will happen is you will eventually break your fly rod. It may be by sitting on it, stepping on it, slamming the car door on it, nicking it with the point of your fly, tripping and slamming it into the ground.....on and on regarding the many ways you will break your rod.

Having a fly rod with a lifetime warranty is a very good idea. You pay a little more up front but it can really save you down the road.

The same holds true for your reel, having a reel with a lifetime warranty is a very good idea.

This rod and reel you have now can be your back up outfit. Nothing worse than driving 100 miles to go fishing and breaking your only rod. Then what do you do? Always have a second rod with you.

You need waders, the breathable ones are really nice, but if you are in cold water then you may want to consider the neoprene style, but they are way too hot during the summer. There are some types of fly fishing where you can get away with hip boots, but you are really restricted as to the type of water you can go into.

You should have a decent pair of wading shoes. Felt bottoms are really handy on slippery rocks, felt with studs are even better. If you fish areas of clay, then you want the hard bottoms with deep grooves. Felt on clay is like walking on ice.

You should have an inflatable personal floatation device (PFD) if you are around swift water or deep water.

There are all sorts of watercraft you can use for fly fishing lakes. The old style float tube boat is an inexpensive way to get into the water, but your movement is limited. The 'U' boats get you a little higher up but you are still limited. The pontoon boats offer far more flexibility as you can either kick or row with oars. Make sure you are wearing your inflatable PFD if you use these watercraft.

As for tools to have, a pair of forceps is a must, and you really need to have a nail knot tool, along with some nippers. An Orvis or Cabela's Cinch Tie Knot Tyer is a great tool to have. You should have a rubber net, those are very fish friendly.

You will want a line dressing. After each fishing trip you should clean your fly line with a warm mild soap solution on a face cloth then rinse the line off really well and apply the line dressing to the line after the line dries.

A Ketchum Release tool is really handy to have it you are going to release your fish.

Don't use the leader straightener tools. They can really damage your leader. Use your closed hand and fingers. If you start to burn your skin you are pulling too hard and you are also starting to burn your leader, that weakens it.


How to set up a fly rod--------------

Can you go to a person who knows what they are doing to get help? If so, I would strongly recommend it. Otherwise, give this a try. You need to learn it anyway.

Did you buy a package deal, that gave you a rod, reel, backing, line, leader and flies?

Or, did you buy separate pieces.

If you bought the package deal, then everything should match up, however I have seen some all-in-one outfits that were not fit to be called fly rods.

If you bought separate pieces, then I hope someone guided you through the purchases. Like is the fly rod the size (as in the weight of the rod, not the actual weight (yes, here is where you start scratching your head trying to figure out what I am saying) but the indicated weight of the rod. Like is it a 5 weight or a 6 weight, or did you buy a specialty rod, like a 2 or 3 weight or a 8 or 9 weight?

What kind of fish you are going for, is the determining factor in what size rod to buy.

Then your reel has to match up fairly close to the rod. Reels are sold with designators indicating that they are for a 5 or 6 weight or a 7 to 8 weight or a 2 to 3 weight rod. This is important. You can not use a 2/3 weight reel on a 6 weight rod. The line will totally fill the reel and there will be no room for backing or anything else. Also, the reel helps balance the rod while you are casting. So, if you have an ultra light reel on a heavy rod, the balance of the reel is going to be way up the rod somewhere, not down at the cork handle you are holding on to. That means you will have a hard time casting and wear yourself out faster than you should.

So, let's hope the reel matches the rod.

Eric is right, use the Arbor knot to tie on the backing to the center spool of your reel. But first, do you want to reel this in with your right hand, thus holding the rod with your left hand, or do you want to reel it in with your left hand holding the rod with your right hand? I am going to assume you are right handed, if not the question simply needs to be reversed.

With small fish you can get away with casting with your strong hand and then switching the rod over to your other hand to reel in the line when you have a fish on. However, if you are going after big fish, then it is best to hold the rod with your strong hand and reel with your other hand, since it is your strong hand that has to hold the rod during the fight. Your muscles and mind-hand coordination are better with your strong hand.

Stop right here: You want to have at least one guide to put your backing through before you tie you it to the reel, so make sure you thread the backing and later the line through a guide. Some rods require you to put two pieces together to get a guide to use.

The line has to come off the bottom of the reel. Let's say you are right handed and decided to reel in with your left hand (best choice). Tie the backing on so the line comes onto the reel from the bottom front and wraps up behind the reel then back out the top front, tie your arbor knot.

Reel in all of your backing if it is a complete outfit, otherwise you will have to play around with finding the right amount of backing. The papers that came with your reel should tell you how much backing in 20 pound Dacron or 30 pound Dacron your reel will take, but how are you to know how much you have reeled on? (I usually take my reel to my local fly shop and have them load it for me).

The backing serves two purposes. First, it helps fill the reel with line so your fly line does not have to be wound up in such small circles (that really causes a problem with the line). Also, if you hook into a big one or hook a tree or rock then you have some extra line to play with to get to shore or back up to where you snagged up the line. Fly lines are expensive and you do not want to be loosing those.

Eric is right, the nail knot is an excellent knot to use to tie the backing onto the fly line. In fact, once you learn to tie the knots, then you can tie two nail knots in a row onto your fly line. If the first nail knot should fail, the second one should hold.

Below are some websites you can go to in order to learn to tie the knots you need to learn. Practice with some string, two different colored ones if you can, and learn how to tie the knots we mention.

You now have the backing tied onto your line. Usually there is a little tag that mentions which end should be tied to the backing. If not, then if you are using a weight forward line, the backing gets tied to the end that has the really long and slender line. The other end has a very short slender line then very quickly thickens up, then slowly thins back down. That is the end you tie your leader onto.

So, tie your backing onto your fly line and now you need to reel it in. I prefer to take a small long box and punch a pencil or small 1/4 inch dowel through one side, push on your lines plastic holder then push the pencil out the other side. Now your line will come off the spool nice and straight and not twist on you.

Once you have reeled in all the line, now you will find out if you used too much backing because your line will not fit smoothly onto the reel. Best bet, strip your line out, and then take off some backing, cut it and tie the line back onto the backing and reel it in again.

Now you come to your leader. It has a loop on it you said. That makes it handy, but then you have to have a loop on the line or you can not use it. Some lines being made now have loops built into them. If you do not have one of those, then the best thing you can do is tie a short piece of mono onto your fly line then tie in a loop at the other end.

For now, use the nail knot to tie the mono to your line. The thicker the leader, the fewer the wraps you need to form a nail knot, but the rule of thumb is 4 or 5 turns. You can buy a nail knot tool, I would strongly recommend it, and it makes tying nail knots super easy with just a little practice. The key to any nail knot is to pull the tag end of the leader quickly and smoothly. If you go slow you end up with a horrible looking knot. If you practice ahead of time, you will tie a good looking nail knot.

For a short piece of mono I have often just cut off a foot of my leader, the thick end, and tied it to my line, then tied in a small loop using a Perfection Loop knot. If the leader came with a loop, then you have a built in loop, but you will then have to tie a Perfection Knot loop back into your leader.

It is important that this short, 4 to 5 inch piece of leader be just about as thick as the line, you can not use a real limp and small size piece of mono. If you do you will not be able to transfer the power of the cast into your leader.

If you are going to tie on a tippet to the other end of the leader I suggest learning the Blood Knot or the Improved Surgeon's Knot. The blood knot may be the best one to use.

When putting the rod together, line up the guides and push the pieces together with an equal amount of pressure from both hands. The guides have to line up for proper casting. After an hour or so of casting, make sure you test the sections to keep them from slowly coming apart.

Now tie on a small piece of yarn and learn how to cast.

Here are three sites you can go to and learn about knot tying for fly fishing. I really love the Animated Knots by Grog site, the first one listed.

Good luck.

Larry

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexfishing.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/knots/table.php

http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/lkknots/index.html



Hope this helps.

Larry

Answer 2

If you're trout fishing, I would recommend an 8' 5wt medium
fast action rod (Sage Launch, St. Croix Reign, Temple Forks
Professional), there are others. A good reel such as a Ross
Cimarron, Lamson Radius or Orvis Mid-arbor will fill the bill nicely. The rod/reel setup will run you about $300 but it is something you'll have and use for a long time. Do not "skimp"
on your first set-up.

The reason I suggest medium-fast action is because:
1) very easy to cast
2) forgiving in case you don't have perfect mechanics
3) very versatile, can be used with dries/wets/nypmhs/streamers

The reason I say an 8ft rod is that it is easier to handle than a 9' rod and easier to cast than a 7' rod. A 5wt isn't too light
nor too heavy and is easy to cast. You want your experience to be enjoyable.

If you're fishing really large rivers or really tiny brook trout streams you may want to consider upsizing or downsizing, but for general trout fishing on medium sized streams you'll be fine.

Do not forget about your fly-line !! Buy the best you can afford.
Scientific Angler's GPX is superb as is Cortland 444 Classic.
For your first fly-line stick with a basic Weight Forward taper,
do not be concerned about all the specialty tapers out there.

I am not a big fan of "combos" or "kits"

Answer 3

Cabela's is a good place to look for a decent kit. Also, if you have local places to get fly-gear, try to find Redington or G. Loomis combos. These are quality rods by good companies.

When you look at the kits: make sure the rod is graphite and ideally has metal reel seats. Most rods with plastic reel seats are crap. The rod is the thing you want to spend the most time and money on getting a good one. The reel is mainly a box for line in fly-fishing, so when you are starting out, you can cut costs by going with a cheaper reel. Click-drag and large arbor is helpful, but is not necessary for a beginner.

Get yourself a good line, though. This willl really help your fishing.

When picking line weight, talk to locals about what they fish. 4-6 is usually good for trout. Get WF line if you can - it will be easier to cast especially if it is windy where you fish.

Answer 4

#1 What kinda fly-fishing are you gonna be doing?
Inshore saltwater, Offshore saltwater, 10-12" Brook Trout, 20+" Salmon & Large "Looper's"?

Cabelas & BassPro both have pretty nice "Combo Kit's" for a begginer. Just make sure to get a combo that has an "aluminum" reel, (I personally think the "plastic/"poured magnesium" reels aren't very durable!)

If you want a better rod than one that comes in Cabelas or BassPro sport-store combo's try:
1. St. Croix brand

2. Sage

3. G. Loomis

(these 3 brands range in price from $100-$600+)

A good ,"inexpensive/but worthy", fly-reel/flyrod is a Pflueger "Medalist" 1494 reel (around $25), matched to a Cabelas 3 Forks Rod, model 866 (around $50). This is an excellent combo under $100. You can catch small-med Trout, Panfish, & small-med Bass with this combo with no problem's.

My first flyfishing reel was a "Medalist" & I still use it to this day.

Just remember, flyfishing is the most expensive fishing,(next to offshore fishing), that you can "explore".

Pay more for your rod than a reel,(the rod being the most important prt of flyfishing).

Get some decent line,(around $50-60).

And, if you "fall in love" with the sport you should learn how to tie your own fly's. Fly's are going anywhere from $1.50-$6.00 & as a "first-timer" you will lose them. If you can only manage to tie some "Wooly-Booger" type flys and "May/Caddis-Fly" type flys, it will save you a TON of money!

Good luck!

Answer 5

First, decide what you are going fishing for, and what size water. Small trout on small water use a lighter rod, large trout and large water a larger rod- denoted by the "weight" of the rod.
I think you can get a decent beginner set up in kit form...once you have some more experience, you can move up, but as a beginner, you probably could not tell the difference anyway.

Answer 6

When starting out I bought a Orvis silver label 5wt. mid flex.8'6" rod. My local fly shop let me try different rods to see which one I liked. If you have a fly shop go there and try out rods. They can help in this area. One thing you might do when you buy one is over size the fly line. that means if you buy a 5wt. go up to a size 6wt. it help you cast in the wind and get a better feel of the rod.

Answer 7

Very good combo...I bought the same thing 12 years ago....but they had a plueger medialist drag set reel with it......I still use it to this very day....Cortland is a fly fishing name that has been around for years...you can't go wrong buying this...........