IN THE LOOP - Fly Rod Basics

This may not be breaking news, but there are a large number of fly rods in today’s market. Knowing which rod is right for you can often be confusing and overwhelming. Even Bob ran into some trouble the other day when trying to purchase a new fly rod. In this week’s episode, Tight Loop Tony breaks down lengths, line weights, and actions of a fly rod into basic terms. With his pointers, anyone can get an idea of where they should start when looking for a new fly rod. Remember that Tony’s breakdown is an explanation of rod attributes to simplify rods selection, so anglers have a starting point on discovering what rod would work best for them. To learn more about rod actions check out our New to Fly section on our website or head over to your local fly shop.

Slow Action

Slower action rod will flex deeper in the blank, which allows for easier loading of the rod and protection of lighter tippet.

Moderate Action

Moderate action rods are for those looking for the best of both worlds. These rods tend to be easier to load than faster rods, but have enough blank recovery to generate line speed. These rods can handle a wide range of fly sizes and techniques but will struggle when trying to cast the larger flies or trying to feel the load when casting shorter distances.

Fast Action

Fast action rods are for those needing to generate high line speed for those longer casts or turnover flies in tougher conditions. Faster rods can create tighter loops making them more accurate, but they also can amplify casting errors for some anglers.