Choosing your first fly rod is not a complicated task but there are somethings that you need to know. Lets cover some of the basic information. Fly rods come in different sizes called weights. You will see them written as 5wt or 8wt. These sizes are based on the actual weight of the line that is measured in tiny units called grains. Don’t worry; you do not have to memorize each line weight in grains. They are pretty standardized across the board. All you have to know is the weight that you want such as a 5wt line. The smaller the line weight the lighter the line.
Casting a fly rod is not like a regular spinning rod. When casting a spinning rod you place a weighted lure on a thin line. You then use the weight of the lure to cast to a location. Fly fishing is the complete opposite. You place a near weightless fly on the line. You then use the weight of the fly line to move the fly where you want it. This requires a different casting stoke. Casting itself is not hard but having some help you will greatly increase your effectiveness. We will talk about the basic cast in a separate article.
The weight of the line is used deliver the fly. This means that the size of fly used is limited by the size of the fly line. The heavier the fly, the larger the fly that can be cast. With these facts in mind let’s look at the different line weights and their general uses:
Weights 1-3 are designed for extra small trout and panfish. I consider it a specialty line. They work well for super delicate presentation on small creeks and streams. These rods can use a fly size 12 on down.
The 4 Wt rods are going to be the first practical rod. This is a good trout rod. It can also be used for bream on the local farm pond. This rod can use flies sizes 10-26.
The 5wt rod is the most common and my go-to rod for smaller fish. It is a good trout rod but also works well with bream and small to medium bass. This is the rod that most starter kits are based on. The down side to this rod is the sizes of fly that are used (more on this later). This was my first rod. This rod can use flies sizes 8-24.
The 6wt is a beefed-up 5 wt. This will handle all but the large bass and small salmon. This is the largest rod that I would use for trout. It’s a bit large for small trout but great for the larger browns. It is a bit too large for bream. This rod can use flies sizes 6-20.
The 7wt is a good bass rod. It also can be used for steelhead and small to medium salmon. This rod can use flies sizes 4-16.
The 8wt is the last general use rod. It is an excellent bass rod. It can be used to pull bass through a weed bed or lily pads. It can be used for salmon as well as being a good general saltwater rod. It does well in the marsh and inshore fishing for speckled trout, spanish mackerel, and puppy drum. It can also be used as a surf rod. This rod can use flies sizes 1/0 – 12.
The 9wt is more of a specialty rod. This is the rod that I like for surf fishing. It will handle anything that can be found in the surf including the biggest redfish and bluefish. This rod can use flies sizes 2/0 -10.
The 10-14wts are designed for big game fish starting with the false albacore and going on up into the marlin, tarpon and small sharks. These rods can use flies sizes 3/0 to 4.
When picking a fly rod I recommend a “starter kit” from a well-known brand. These kits will generally have a rod, reel and fly line paired together based on the weight. This means that you only have to choose the weight that matches the size and type of fish that you want to catch.
You do not have to spend a lot of money to get a good rod, but you do not want a bargain basement rod. The cheaper rods are generally made of fiberglass. These rods do not provide enough action to cast the fly line well. The action describes how the rod flexes. There are three actions types: fast, medium, and slow. In the fast action rod, only the tip (the first 30% of the rod) flexes. This makes casting easier on the person. In the slow action rod, almost the entire rod (90% of the rod) flexes. This makes the rod very “whippy.” It will not cast as far as a fast action. The medium action rod is the middle of the road. It will cast well and still be able to fight a strong fish. A medium action is what most starter kits are based on.
Choosing a good quality rod will make the learn experience better. This will have you catching fish in no time.
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