The Finer Details of Fly Fishing Rods

Fly fishing has become a very popular type of fishing. This sport requires special techniques and special equipment, the most important being the rod.

Begin with the Basics

A fly fishing rod is a basically a long, flexible rod or pole with fishing line attached the end. On the end of the fishing line is a hook with bait to attract the fish. These rods come in different lengths, ranging from 2 to 16 feet long. How long your rod should be depends on what type of fish you want to catch, and how far you want to throw the bait.

You can throw or cast flies with fly rods, too. These flies aren’t the real insects, but lures that are fashioned to resemble insects that fish like to eat. Rods used to cast flies are long, thin and flexible. These insect “clones” can be attached to fur, feathers, foam and a variety of other lightweight material. The fly is attached to the line via a leader.

The Right Rod for the Right Fish

Fly fishing rods come in different lengths and different weights. The size you need will depend on the type of fish you want to catch. If you’re after a large fish, you’ll need a larger rod with heavy fishing line (ranges from 0 to 16) and flies big enough to be of interest to the fish. These larger, heavier rods are often used for saltwater fishing.

If you’re going after small pan-sized fish and trout, you’ll want to buy a lightweight rod and use small, lightweight flies.

How to Handle the Rod

Unlike regular rods, fly fishing rods usually don’t have a handle or a butt section. This design feature allows easier, obstruction-free casting. The rods that do have handles are usually spey rods. These rods are larger, and used mostly to haul in salmon from big rivers or game fish from out of saltwater.

Be Flexible
Fly fishing rods come with different amounts of bend, which is known as flexibility.

• A lightweight rod with the maximum amount of flexibility, and slow action is best for catching small, lightweight fish.

• A rod with a moderate amount of flexibility is a better choice for those new to fishing. The bend in these rods is confined to the top half of the rod, which makes them easier to control. Rods with a moderate amount of flexibility allow for both short and long range casting.

• To snag the big fish, you need a rod with minimum flexibility– a “stiff” rod– and fast action. Otherwise, you’ll never put enough pull on the fish to land it. Instead, you may wind up with a snapped line, or worse a broken rod. Rods with minimal flexibility are not a good choice for novice fly fishermen.

Making the Purchase of Your Fishing Rod

Fly fishing rods are available at a lot of places, including sporting goods stores, discount stores and fishing websites on the Internet.