Rods Galore
Choosing the right fly rod is an important, and difficult decision. It is important because the right fly rod can make any angling excursion pleasurable…even if you don’t catch any trout, and the wrong rod makes every angling excursion an exercise in frustration. And it is a difficult decision simply because there are so many different options available to today’s angler. What follows are some observations I have made over the years, which may make it a bit easier for a beginning angler to make good choices that will help ensure that fly fishing for trout becomes an enjoyable enterprise.
(Whatever you do, make sure you do not say to yourself: “I’ll buy a cheap rod to learn on, and then graduate to a better one.” That will, in all likelihood, ensure that you will become a bad caster--trying to overcome the shortcomings of the rod--and make you a thoroughly disenchanted angler.)
The reason why there are so many choices available is that there are so many different angling situations, and so many anglers who want different things from a rod.
The first question I ask someone seeking advice on selecting a rod is: where are you going to be fishing? Describe your angling situation, as that will help determine what fly rod is right. If you are fishing small, brushy streams, you will want a shorter rod (7-8’ rod); if you will be fishing predominantly large Western rivers, you will want a longer rod (8 ½ ‘ or 9’).
The next question I ask is: “describe what you want in the way of performance from a rod.” Do you want one that is fast and will cast a long line, or do you want a slower, softer rod? Usually beginning anglers have difficulty with that question, so I encourage them to go out and try several rods before spending their money on a new rod. I remember when I was thinking of buying a new graphite rod, and went to my friend, Dick Pobst, at the Thornapple Orvis Store in Ada, Michigan. We took several rods out on the lawn and, while he watched, I cast. The first rod I tried I made several casts, and said to Dick: “I can make this rod work for me.” “It’s not right, you shouldn’t have to make it work,” was his quick reply. The next rod I tried I cast effortlessly. Neither of us said anything…I just bought the rod, and have been delighted with it ever since. The point is simply this: try enough rods until you find one that is fun to cast; not work!
There are other questions you want to think about before laying down the substantial amount needed to buy a good graphite rod. Do you want a tip flex, mid flex, or full flex rod. That means simply how flexible do you want the rod: to just flex at the tip, or through the entire length of the rod. Again it is a matter of personal choice, and, once more, I encourage you to test out as many rods as you can before making a decision. The more rods you cast with, the more informed will be your decision, and the more rewarding will be your angling experience!
I have only mentioned graphite rods because I believe they are best. I have tried glass rods, bamboo rods, boron-graphite rods, etc., but, in my judgement, none can compare to a graphite rod in terms of shear ease of handling. But don’t take my word as gospel; try the others if you want to be sure of discovering which kind of rod is right for you.
There are numerous fine rod makers producing quality rods in America today-- Winston, Orvis, Sage, Loomis, St. Croix…the list goes on. What I encourage you to do is buy a rod with a guarantee for replacement. I have shut rods in car doors, stepped on them, driven over them, and, yes, occasionally even had a fish break one. I can tell you that eventually you will break your rod…and it is darn nice if the manufacturer will replace it free. I broke the same rod twice in one year and the manufacturer replaced it both times--no questions asked! By all means buy a rod that has that kind of guarantee, for I guarantee that sooner or later you will need to take advantage of it.
What I am about to say may sound strange, but it is true. I have spent days when I fished well but caught nothing. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, because my equipment performed well, and I took satisfaction from knowing that I cast well…the fish were just not active. Conversely, I have fished poorly on some days and was not happy about it… even though I did catch fish simply because they happened to be active, and that made up for the poor performance of angler and rod.
So take your time in choosing your fly rod. Its like moving up on a good riser… move slowly and cautiously. Your patience will be rewarded with years of pleasurable angling experience.