Tips for buying a fly rod

[stevehalupka]

personally, I don't see any relevance in holding or casting a rod before purchasing one, and it's seldom you get to have a unique custom build if you do decide on holding/casting someone else's.

i feel it makes you a more diverse, well-rounded caster if you can pick up an array of rods and within a few minutes, be able to create a loop no matter the flex, wt, or length.

this relfects in my own rod collection. I have a little bit of everything. 2 custom builds built on rainshadow blanks. I spent 140 dollars on just a blank, an rx8+ 9 foot 6 wt because when compared to the rx 6, it was lighter, yet stronger, making it just as strong as some low level 7 wts. that would be rx 6 blanks. For my 6' 6'' 2 wt, an rx 7, I had some modifactions done to the rod blank to make it a bit stiffer towards the handle. I also have a very nice 8' 6'' fiberglass 5 wt for those days I don't need to punch casts through wind or over 40 plus feet... i simply like the feel of a slow rod if the conditions are right for it.

point being, no rod is wrong for any scenario as long as you a.) are comforrtable casting it (which can be attained with practice, not fate), and b.) being concscience about the health of a fish (i.e. fighting fresh steel w. a 5 wt can be done, just immoral).

so, ask yourself, do I want to buy all of my rods in a fast action so I can get every cast to perfection, or learn to cast many different rod actions and perfect my ability to adjust to many situations.

When I first got into the game, the only rod I owned fora while
because of my spare being a broken , was a 9 ft. 5 wt. that was used for everything from freestone wilds to river fishing the Yough. That tought me the importance of learning to use casting lanes in tight areas. This shined through into my casting in areas where I didn't have to worry about such things.... so, back to my orginal conception: become a jack of all trades, but a master of none, and your diversity as a fly fisherman will be wealthy.

 

[afishinado]

stevehalupka wrote:
personally, I don't see any relevance in holding or casting a rod before purchasing one, and it's seldom you get to have a unique custom build if you do decide on holding/casting someone else's.

i feel it makes you a more diverse, well-rounded caster if you can pick up an array of rods and within a few minutes, be able to create a loop no matter the flex, wt, or length.

this relfects in my own rod collection. I have a little bit of everything. 2 custom builds built on rainshadow blanks. I spent 140 dollars on just a blank, an rx8+ 9 foot 6 wt because when compared to the rx 6, it was lighter, yet stronger, making it just as strong as some low level 7 wts. that would be rx 6 blanks. For my 6' 6'' 2 wt, an rx 7, I had some modifactions done to the rod blank to make it a bit stiffer towards the handle. I also have a very nice 8' 6'' fiberglass 5 wt for those days I don't need to punch casts through wind or over 40 plus feet... i simply like the feel of a slow rod if the conditions are right for it.

point being, no rod is wrong for any scenario as long as you a.) are comforrtable casting it (which can be attained with practice, not fate), and b.) being concscience about the health of a fish (i.e. fighting fresh steel w. a 5 wt can be done, just immoral).

so, ask yourself, do I want to buy all of my rods in a fast action so I can get every cast to perfection, or learn to cast many different rod actions and perfect my ability to adjust to many situations.

When I first got into the game, the only rod I owned fora while
because of my spare being a broken , was a 9 ft. 5 wt. that was used for everything from freestone wilds to river fishing the Yough. That tought me the importance of learning to use casting lanes in tight areas. This shined through into my casting in areas where I didn't have to worry about such things.... so, back to my orginal conception: become a jack of all trades, but a master of none, and your diversity as a fly fisherman will be wealthy.

All true Steve, we all can LEARN to cast almost any rod by adjusting our stroke to get the most out of the rod. But learning is one thing, while LIKING is another. I still would still recommend that you cast before you buy. While casting in a yard or parking lot won't tell the whole story, it gives you some idea if the rod casts well for you and is suitable for he job you want it to do on the stream.

 

[Chaz]

On the original post, all are points I've been making for years. The most important is the "for me." You have to consider what type of fishing your likely to do with the rod and reel you're buying. One thing I didn't see was anything about matching the reel to the rod, you have to have the correct balance, which to me is feel.
My first rod was a Loomis 6 weight 9 feet IMX, a great rod for big water on windy days, but I hardly ever use it. It is also a great steelhead rod and bass rod, but again I hardly ever use it for that, because there are no steelhead streams near me, and I don't go for bass very often.
The right rod for me is a 4 weght 7 1/2 foot rod for small to medium streams. I'm reluctant to go shorter but I'm considering a 6 1/2' to 6' 9" for very small tight streams. But the 4 weight I can use anywhere except large streams.