Fly rods have not changed as much as their coarse and sea fishing counterparts over the years.

A fly fisherman of twenty years ago could have lifted one of today’s rods and cast quite proficiently with it, however, what would be noticeable would be the weight difference.

All modern fly rods are made of carbon and weigh only a few ounces, much lighter than the older rods made of split cane or greenheart.

Despite all the modern advances in materials used to build fly rods, 100 years on their role remains unchanged.... to cast the fly-line. To achieve this, the fly rod must be flexible along its length. However, there is now a marked degree of variation in the action of the rods to suit different casting and fishing styles.

Fast Action

Fast action rods require a fast casting action to make it work and therefore is not really recommended to the beginner. Fast action rods are capable of casting long distances with a narrow line loop, which is ideal for long-range fishing where accuracy is important.

Middle to Tip

The action of the vast majority of modern fly rods fall under this description. Here the rod bends from halfway down the blank, under the load of the line, requiring a slower action and a wider line loop which many anglers find easier to achieve.

An angler of average casting ability will be able to cast just as far with this style of rod as with the faster-taper rod. It is only the expert casters who are really able to ‘wind up’ the faster taper rod to enjoy its maximum potential.

The middle-to-tip action rod can also be easier to fish with at short range as it requires less line out through the rings to get the rod working. The softer tip action acts as a shock absorber allowing the use of lighter leaders.

Slow

This is the soft action of cane fly rods, which is still preferred by some traditionalists. This style of rod is used purely for either river fishing dry fly and nymph, or loch-style fishing at short range.

Not suitable for making long casts, it is ideal for roll casting and for working the flies close to the boat. There is no problem here either with pulling the flies out of the fish’s mouth by striking too quickly, or of breaking the leader. The rod just keeps bending.

One disadvantage is that in a strong wind, this type of rod is difficult to hold still.

AFTM Rating

A rod must be correctly matched to the right fly-line for it to cast to its full potential. Use too light a line and there will be insufficient weight to load the rod. Use too heavy a line and the rod will overload. Either way, poor casting distances will result.

Each rod carries an AFTM (Association of Fishing Tackle Manufacturers) line weight number stencilled on its butt joint. Some may give a range of matching line weights, say from #7 - #9, while others are very specific with, say, a #7 rating. The AFTM numbers describe the weight of a line, calculated in grains along the first 30ft (9m).

Length

River trout fly rods are usually short - from 6ft up to 8ft 6in (1.8 - 2.6m), with line ratings from #2 - #6. Overall, a #5 weight rod would be the average.

Stillwater bank rods range from 9ft up to 10ft (2.7 - 3m), with 9ft 6in (2.9m) being the most popular length. Line ratings are from #5 right up to #9. Overall, a seven weight would be the average.

For boat fishing, a 10ft (3m) rod is the most popular but lengths can reach 11ft 6in (3.5m) for traditional loch-style fishing. A lure rod may be rated as a #9, whereas a rod for dry fly would only be a #6.

Salmon rods range from 14ft up to 17ft and typically have line ratings of between #10 - #12.

Rings

A fly rod may have hard-chrome double-foot snakes, single-leg snakes or lined guides. The faster-taper, distance-casting rods normally carry the snake rings as favoured on American rods.

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