Fly Rod Lengths, Weights & Action are all important when decided what is best for the type of fishing that you’re going to be doing.
Fly Rod Lengths
Most fly rods are longer than regular rods. If you are fishing in a stream or river that has tons of obstacles, you may need to go with a shorter rod so you can cast your fly to the place you need so you can catch some fish. Fly rods in the 6 to 8 foot range would be considered shorter, but perfect for this situation. For most fly fishing situations, anglers will be using longer rods in the 8 to 10 foot range.
Fly Rod Action
Flex refers to how deeply the rod bends during casting. For the most part, fly-rod flex ranges are divided into three categories:
Tip-flex – Only the first 1/3 of the rod flexes when casting.
Mid-flex – The rod flexes to the halfway point while casting.
Full-flex – The rod flexes all the way to the grip during casting.
Fast Action Fly Rods: Powerful rod with less flex. Good for targeting larger fish and for casting larger flies long distances.
Moderate-Fast Action: A nice mix of power and performance.
Moderate-Action (Medium Action Rod) Somewhat flexible, but has a decent amount of stiffness. This type of rod will bend moderately for half of its length and the lower half will remain stiff.
Slow Action: Designed for making short, accurate and gentle casts required for fishing small rivers, streams and creeks. Very flexible. Not ideal for windy conditions or for big fish.
Fly Rod Weights
Fly rod weights will dictate how heavy or light the rod will be. Take a look below for recommendations for the types of fish that you may be fishing for. (Rod Weight Sizes in Parenthesis)
Panfish (0-4)
Small Trout (0-4)
Average Size Trout (4-6)
Smallmouth Bass (5-8)
Largemouth Bass (5-9)
Carp (6-10)
Bonefish, Redfish & Sea Trout (7-9)
Steelhead (7-9)
Salmon (8-10)
Peacock Bass (8-12)
Striped Bass (8-12)
Northern Pike & Muskie (9-12)
Tarpon, Mahi Mahi, Tuna (10-14)
Sailfish, Marlin (14)
