Fly fishing rod weights

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Fly fishing rod weights - General guide

1 - 3 weight

• small flies
  
• short casts

4 weight

• small to medium trout
  
• small to medium flies
  
• short to medium casts

5 - 6 weight

• excellent all around trout rod.
  
• Handles small to larger flies
  
• short to longer casts

7 - 8 weight

• long casts and windy conditions.
• 7 weight is a great compromise sized rod for trout and light saltwater
  

9 - 14 weight

• large freshwater fish
• salt water fishing
  
• large flies
  
• long casts in open areas.

Choosing a fly fishing rod

Choosing a fly rod to match your required fishing situation/s can be difficult at times, but there are some questions you can answer to make the decision easier.

What type of fly fishing will you be doing?
No one is going to argue with me when I tell them that a trout doesn't quite match the fight of a marlin or even a tuna. Before purchasing a fly rod think about what kind of fishing you will be doing with it the majority of the time. Whether it is saltwater, freshwater, maybe even a bit of both you will be able to find the rod that suits you for most situations. If you want to catch trout, but would also like to do some light saltwater sports fishing you can make a compromise by choosing an all-rounder rod instead of a specialist rod. If you plan on doing some very different fishing (eg. trout then marlin) you will need two different fly fishing rods.

What type of action do I need?
I will try to keep this simple

Slow action fly rod (full flex)

• Great for smaller fish and smaller rivers
• Enhances the fight of even the smallest trout
• Designed for short casts

Medium/Moderate action fly rods

• Good all round rod type for many different situations
• Make longer casts
• Additional strength in the rod for fighting the fish

Fast action fly rods

• Stiff - lots of fighting power
  
• Allows really long casts in any conditions
  
• Easier to cast (due to the stiffness)
• Generally not used for trout, but for saltwater fly fishing

Which material do I want?

Fiberglass - has some fans

• cheap
• heavier
• strong

Graphite - most popular

• light
• strong
• easy to cast
• more expensive

Bamboo - the original

• heaviest
• expensive
• handling and feeling is amazing

I hope this little article has helped you in some way. Remember that you will most likely be able to get away with one all round rob, but if the fly fishing bug bites you will eventually upgrade to 3 or 4 specific models for more specific situations.