Choosing Fly Fishing Rods

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A critical piece of fly fishing equipment is the fly rod. The wrong rod is a wonderful way to ruin a fine day of fly fishing. The right fly fishing rod will make the difference between a precise cast and casts that are just wide of their mark or being able to reach that rising trout or being just short. If there is any place to skimp in putting together a fly fishing outfit, the fly rod should not be it. How to find the Best fishing rods?

There is a lot of specialized gear needed for fly fishing; with all the available gear, it can be expensive. For a beginner, purchasing gear for the first time can be daunting. A few things to consider when buying a fly fishing rod:

Fly fishing Rod Action: putting it simply, a measurement of how flexible the fly rod is. In general terms, there are three main actions.

Fast Action, also referred to as TIP FLEX Rods.

Medium Action is also referred to as MID-FLEX Rods.

Slow Action, also referred to as FULL FLEX Rods.

The only flexibility in fast Action or flex tip fly rod is near the rod’s tip, while the rest of the rod remains stiff and straight. As a result, fast action rods are ideal when long, consistent casts are needed.

A fast-action fly rod makes it easier and quicker to land large fish.

The speed generated by a fast action rod is easier and more effective to cast in windy conditions.

The stiffness of a fast action fly rod makes casting very quick, meaning more casts could catch more fish; however, there are some disadvantages to the fast action fly rod. Due to the length, it makes it difficult to fish small streams when short casts are needed. They are designed for long powerful casts, not short confined casts. Fast action fly rods are stiff and do not absorb some strain on a light tippet when wary fishing trout. Therefore, a fast-action fly rod is not a great choice when using a light tippet when fishing for trout.

Learning to use a fast action fly rod is difficult and has a higher learning curve than a slower action rod. Due to the speed of the fly line, beginners will find a fast-action fly fishing rod more difficult to handle and may become frustrated because many casts will not go where they want them to go. The fast action/Flex tip fly fishing rod is for someone who needs to make long, consistent casts, fish for very large fish, and usually fish in windy conditions.

Medium Action or mid-action rods are the workhorses of the fly fishing world. This rod type has a fair amount of flexibility but is still somewhat stiff. Medium action fly fishing rods, when casting, the fly rod will bend for about half its length, from the middle up to the tip. However, the lower half will remain fairly stiff. Therefore they are the most popular and most versatile rods. In the hand of an experienced fly fisherman, long casts can be made adequately and function well enough to be used when fishing in a spring creek or close fishing conditions. Thus this rod can be fished in a wide range of conditions, from big rivers to lakes to spring creeks. This is a good choice for the beginner who can buy only one fly rod.

Slow Action or FULL FLEX tip fly rod is a very flexible rod. A slow-action fly rod will bend significantly for most of the length of the fly fishing rod. So much so that it will form a shallow U shape at the height of the back cast. Due to the flexibility, these rods do not generate much speed, so short, very accurate gentle casts can be made. More of the strain of a fish strike can be absorbed with a light tippet resulting in fewer lost fish because of breakage. It will be fun to catch smaller fish with a slow-action rod; even a 12-inch fish will feel like a monster.

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