Buying a new fly rod                                                                                     

Tom Shaw - Backcountry Fly Fishers

 

TJA is a new help group. Tackle Junkies Anonymous.   It’s the holiday season (seasons over, there are always birthdays, etc) and your thinking about getting a new fly rod.   Sure your wife and kids have no ides what to get you because you have everything made related to fly-fishing.   Yeah, a new rod, that’s the ticket!   That’s what they can buy me.   Before you wind up with a rod your not thrilled with and sits in the closet for eternity, here are some pointers.   I just wish someone had told me this a few years ago.

 

NEVER buy a rod without casting it. (Your local independent fly shops have rods to try before you buy)   Don’t go by a friend’s recommendation alone or have your wife buy it as a present.   Test the rod yourself.   Your casting style and ability may be quite different and the rod that was great for your friend might not be so great for you.   The local fly shops in our area have almost all the major brands available to try.

 

Test the rod that you would normally fish with.   It’s a very important point of reference when testing various rods.   The casting characteristics of a rod can change with different line configurations.   I would suggest the line weight designated for the rod and one weight higher.  (Your local independent fly shops have a verity of line weights to try)  I used to over-line my rod and found that to be a mistake.   Over-lining a slow rod can detract from it’s casting ability but some of the newer faster action rods over-lining them can turn them into turbo charged cannons.

 

Everyone likes to see how far he or she can throw with a rod and will always test for that.   What is equally important to me is the rods “dinking” ability.   How well it can throw 15 to 20 feet of line.   This is especially important when fishing the mangroves and docks. (This would apply to fishing the banks of a stream, close structure, and a weed line.)   How little line needs to be beyond the tip of the rod to pick up and cast back to a target without false casting?   If you are fishing several hours straight, a four-count cast is twice the workload on your arm as is a two count.

 

So those are just a few things to consider.   If you or your family is investing hundreds of dollars in a fly rod you’d better be thrilled with it.

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