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Which Fly Fishing Rod Should You Buy

from: Rob Lore

Fly fishing methods are different from traditional fishing methods in several important ways. These important distinctions serve to make the fly fishing rod the most important piece of fly fishing equipment you buy.

Traditional fishing uses a rod equipped with nearly weightless, transparent, monofilament line to cast a weighted hook into the water. Fly fishing essentially reverses this process by using a weighted, translucent line to cast a nearly weightless hook into the water. The action of the fly fishing rod is essential to being able to cast the fly fishing fly.

Fly fishing is also different from traditional fishing in that the fly fisher never puts the fly fishing rod down. Fly fishers cast the entire time they are fishing. This makes the decision of which fly fishing rod to buy very important. Anglers who are fly fishing will spend the entire fishing day with the fly fishing rod in their hand making fly fishing casts.

The method of bringing in a fish is also different when fly fishing. While the fishing reel is very important in traditional fishing, the fishing reel is not nearly so important in fly fishing. Fly fishing uses a technique of stripping line by hand. The fly fishing reel is largely used as a storage compartment for spare fly fishing line.

The choice of which fly fishing rod to buy is indeed a very important decision that will impact your enjoyment of the sport a great deal. Nearly all modern fly fishing rods are made from some type of graphite compound. There are a few bamboo fly fishing rods still made, but bamboo fly fishing rods are quite expensive compared to graphite fly fishing rods. There are many choices of graphite fly fishing rods available though.

Fly fishing rods are categorized by weight. For instance, a 6-weight rod is also written as 6wt. The weight of the fly fishing rods you buy will be determined by where you intend to fish. It is important to use fly fishing line that matches the weight of the fly fishing rod when fly fishing. Some fly fishing rods are designed to be multi-weight rods and may safely be used with several different weights of fly fishing line.

One general rule when shopping for fly fishing rods is to purchase the most expensive fly fishing rod you can afford. This advice is based on the understanding that the fly fishing rod is the most important piece of fly fishing equipment in your fly fishing outfit. You can always upgrade your fly fishing reel later if you decide you want a better fly fishing reel.

It is always a good idea to visit shops that sell fly fishing gear before making a final decision on a fly fishing rod. Even if you plan to purchase your fly fishing rod through a shop on the internet, it will be helpful to actually handle several different fly fishing rods before making a final decision.

Remember too that while fly fishers tend to be an opinionated bunch, fly fishing rods are largely a personal preference. If a fly fishing rod just does not feel comfortable in your hand, it does not matter how many experts recommend that fly fishing rod.

Your choice will also be influenced largely by where you intend to fish. For instance, small mountain streams in New England will require a lighter fly fishing rod than large rivers in the Rocky Mountains or Utah. If you go fly fishing to different areas, you will likely need several fly fishing rods to use for different situations.