When I choose a fly rod, I like to make the process as simple as possible. I have extensive experience fishing a variety of water with a variety of different fly rods and techniques. When you rack up that much gear, you develop a few tricks to choose a fly rod for your style.
Imagine King Arthur without Excalibur or Darth Vader without his signature red lightsaber. Your fly rod is like your sword, and to be frank, it is possibly your most major equipment investment. Not to mention, the more types of water you fish, then the more fly rods you likely will have. Although choosing the wrong fly rod will not ruin your fun, if you choose a fly rod that works perfectly for you then the results can be magnificent.
Choose a Fly Rod That you can Throw
This may be the most obvious tip, but I think this can be overlooked. I could sit here and tell you all about different flexes of rods and blanks, but that is a topic for a different article. All the rod companies advertise incredible new technology every year that is supposed to sway your decision when you choose a fly rod. Each tweak in rod technology is designed to elevate your casting. While these technologies are great, and certainly not a sham, you need to take rods for a test cast.
Not every rod works for everyone. When you step into a fly shop and identify the rod specifications you would like, make sure to cast several similar rods to ensure that one will work for your casting style. There is nothing worse than spending hundreds of dollars on a piece of equipment that ultimately will not work for you. Additionally, buying the highest end rod that doesn’t work for your style rather than buying a cheaper rod that does is inadvisable. More expensive does not always mean better, but it does always mean more expensive.
Understand the Water you are Fishing
Knowing the type of water you will fish is the next step when you choose a fly rod. This could include small creeks, large rivers, lakes, and saltwater. Each water type possesses different species of fish, different casting conditions, and different flies that will cause your choice in fly rod to vary.
I generally choose a starting fly rod weight for each water type. From my starting weight, I may deviate by plus or minus one or two weights depending on the fly rods offered:
- Creek: 3 weight
- River: 5 weight
- Lake: 6 weight
- Saltwater: 8 weight
Odds are 1. The amount of casting you do and 2. The size of the flies you throw will increase with each subsequent body of water in the list above. Both factors require an increase in rod size to accommodate.
What Technique Will you be Using?
Fly fishing contains various techniques and styles that require the use of different rods. When you choose a fly rod, keep in mind whether you will be nymphing, dry fly fishing, streamer fishing, etc. Things to keep in mind as you choose a fly rod for common techniques are as follows:
- Nymphing: I like to use a longer rod for nymphing. I particularly prefer euronymphing to conventional fly fishing tackle. Euronymphing requires the use of a 10’6” + rod length in a light weight (2-3). If I use strike indicator tackle for nymphing then I prefer the services of a an equally long switch rod in 5-6 weight.
- Dry Fly Fishing: Dry flies generally need to land softly to simulate the sensitivity of a fly landing on the surface. I prefer standard 9-foot rods anywhere between 2 and 5 weight to accomplish this. The weight will vary based on the body of water. Additionally, I like a rod with a soft action that allows me to gently place the fly on the water.
- Streamer Fishing: Fishing streamers generally requires that you make large casts. However, this will depend on the location. There are many times where I only need to high-stick streamers through a run. But, on wide rivers and large open water, I would prefer to be able to cast with distance. In these instances, I am not too concerned with the action of the rod. As long as you find a rod that is comfortable to cast and heavy enough to throw medium- large flies (at least a 5 weight), then you will have success. Make sure to not fall into the idea that you will only throw 5 weight rods on freshwater. If you are going for larger freshwater fish such as salmon or large bass, make sure to adjust the fly rod weight accordingly (7-8 weight range).
- Saltwater Fishing: Saltwater fishing almost always involves the use of streamers or other larger, heavy flies. Additionally, saltwater conditions are usually harsher than those on freshwater. My go-to catch-all saltwater rod is the 8 weight Sage Salt HD. I have thrown this rod for bonefish, permit, tarpon, barracuda, striped bass, bluefish, and the list goes on. My 8 weight is great for finicky fish that need a more delicate presentation or in calm conditions. However, when the wind picks up and the elements roll in, I break out my trusty 10 or 12 weight rods. If I could only fish one saltwater rod for the rest of my life then it would no doubt be an 8 weight which is where I suggest one starts when shopping saltwater. Picking the actual rod requires that you cast several and decide which one works best with your casting style.
Don’t Second Guess Yourself
Whether you are a man or a woman, shopping for your first (or next) fly rod is enough to get anyone excited. It is easy to be overwhelmed when you choose a fly rod and never feel like you can fully settle on one or the other. We would all love to throw beautiful Orvis Helios’. The fact is that not everyone can afford these rods and not everyone feels comfortable casting these rods. Pick the rod that works for you, simply because you will be the one who has to live with it. Don’t spend too much time wondering if you could have done better and get out there and fish your selection!
View Sage Salt HD fly rod on Amazon
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