A critical piece of fly fishing equipment is the fly rod.
The wrong rod is a wonderful way to, potentially, ruin an otherwise fine day of fly fishing.
The right fly fishing rod will make the difference between a precise cast and casts that are just wide of their mark or being able to reach that rising trout or being just short.
If there is any place to skimp in putting together a fly fishing outfit, the fly rod should not be it.
There is a lot of specialized gear that is needed for fly fishing, with all the gear that is available, it can be expensive.
For a beginner, purchasing gear for the first time can be daunting.
A few things to consider when buying a fly fishing rod: Fly fishing Rod Action: putting it simply, a measurement of how flexible the fly rod is.
In general terms there re three main actions.
Fast action, also referred to as TIP FLEX Rods.
Medium action, also referred to as MID-FLEX Rods.
Slow Action, also referred to as FULL FLEX Rods.
The only flexibility in a fast action or flex tip fly rod is near the tip of the rod, while the rest of the rod remains stiff and basically straight.
Fast action rods are ideal when long, consistent casts are needed.
A fast action fly rod makes it easier and quicker to land large fish.
The speed generated by a fast action rod, is easier and more effective to cast in windy conditions.
The stiffness of a fast action fly rod makes casting very quick, meaning the more casts made the possibility for catching more fish, however, there are some disadvantages to the fast action fly rod.
Due to the length, it makes it difficult to fish small streams when short casts are needed.
They are designed for long powerful casts not short confined casts.
Fast action fly rods are stiff and do not absorb some of the strain on a light tippet when fishing wary trout.
A fast action fly rod is not a great choice when using light tippet when fishing for trout.
Learning to use a fast action fly rod is difficult and has a higher learning curve than a slower action rod.
Due to the speed of the fly line, beginners will find a fast action fly fishing rod is more difficult to handle and may become frustrated because many casts will not go where he or she wants them to go.
Basically, the fast action/Flex tip fly fishing rod is for someone who needs to make long consistent casts, fish for very large fish and usually fishing in windy conditions .
Medium action or mid action rods are the work horse of the fly fishing world.
This type of rod has a fair amount of flexibility but is still somewhat stiff.
Medium action fly fishing rods, when casting, the fly rod will bend for about half of its length, from the middle up to the tip.
The lower half will remain fairly stiff.
Therefore they are the most popular and are the most versatile rods.
In the hand of an experienced fly fisherman, long casts can be made quite adequately and functions well enough to be used when fishing in a spring creek or close fishing conditions.
Thus this rod can be fished in a wide range of conditions from big rivers to lakes to spring creeks.
For the beginner that can buy only one fly rod this is a good choice.
Slow action or FULL FLEX tip fly rod means it is a very flexible rod.
A slow action fly rod will bend significantly for most of the length of the fly fishing rod.
So much so, it will form a shallow U shape at the height of the back cast.
Due to the flexibility, these rods do not generate much speed so, short very accurate gentle casts can be made.
More of the strain of a fish strike can be absorbed with the use of light tippet resulting in fewer lost fish because of breakage.
It will be more fun to catch smaller fish with a slow action rod, even a 12 inch fish will feel like a monster.
This is a good choice for beginners who will enjoy the forgiving nature and greater control these rods provide.