Fly Rods. Which is best for me?

By William Carter.

A fly rod is a very important piece of fly fishing gear. A poor quality or wrong type of fly rod can easily ruin what could otherwise be a great days fly fishing. So, before paying out a lot of money for a good fly rod, make sure that you choose the rod that is suited to your needs and experience.

In choosing a fly fishing rod, not only do you need to know all about fly rod action, or, fly rod flex, but, it’s really important that you know more or less what type of fish you will be fly fishing for and what type of water you’ll be fishing in. A fast flowing river will call for a very different rod action than a slow flowing shallow creek.

So what is fly rod action? Well, in simple terms it is just a measure of the rods flexibility.   There are three main types: Fast Action or Tip Flex, Medium Action or Mid Flex, and Slow Action or Full flex.

From their names it is easy to realize what the differences are.

The Fast Action, or Tip Flex rods are mostly stiff for their whole length with the only flexibility at the very tip of the rod.

The Medium, or Mid Flex rods are flexible for around half their length. From the middle of the rod to the tip.

The Slow, or Full Flex rods are flexible for their whole length.

 Fast action fly rods.

A fast action fly rod is able to cast the line a lot further than a slow or medium action fly rod. The stiffness of the fly rod helps to generate much more line speed, and allows for more fly line to be held up during the cast. Also it is easier to land big, heavy fish with a stiff rod.

You will also find the increased line speed makes casting easier in windy conditions.

Fast action rods are not really suitable for beginners as they are much more difficult to control. They are only really suited where a long cast is needed and in large fast flowing waters

Medium Action fly rods.

Medium Action fly rods are the most popular fly rod on the market, because they are the most versatile. You can make fairly long casts accurately with them. They are adequate for most water conditions and they are easy to control.

They are also easy to get used to, making them ideal for beginners, but many veteran fly fishermen regularly use Medium Action rods as a matter of choice.

 Slow Action fly rods.

A slow action fly rod is extremely flexible and is used to make slow, short, and very accurate casts. It will bend almost to a U shape on the back cast.

A slow action fly rod is a very good choice if you’re using light tippets. The fly will all too easily break away from a light tippet when the fish bites,  but because of the rods flexibility, most of the strain that would normally be put on the tippet is transferred to the rod.

Many beginners start with a slow action rod, but in choosing, as I said at the beginning of this article. Decide on the type of water you will be fishing. If you’re after smaller fish and mostly using short casts then a slow action fly rod could be for you. But remember it’s disadvantages:

It’s difficult to use in strong winds, It’s not good for long casts and it lacks the versatility of a medium action fly rod.

So, when choosing your fly fishing rod, consider all these points carefully and you won’t end up wasting money on the wrong type of rod. But, as always, buy the best quality gear that you can afford. Especially if you are serious about becoming a good fly fisherman. (or woman).