Fishing Rods Reviews

Fishing Rods Reviews

When in doubt about selecting your first fishing rod or upgrading to something new, fishing rod reviews can help make your decision easier. Firsthand experiences with fishing rod performance, durability and handling can highlight special attributes and benefits you’re looking for, and also make you wary of frustrations and product inferiorities you wish to avoid. Shopping for fishing rods online makes it easy to find reviews, compare prices and get an insight into user comments and ratings across just a few supplier websites.

Fishing Rods Review

If you are new to the sport of fly fishing, you will first need to know the basics. A fly fishing rod consists of a narrow, flexible pole that is designed to cast an artificial fly. You can make your own flies, or purchase them pre-made. They are available in natural fibers such as hair or fur, or synthetic materials. Fly fishing rods are tapered from the butt to the tip. This tapered shape determines how flexible the rod is, as well as where it bends. This in turn determines the action of the rod.

There are three degrees of rod action. A slow action rod easily flexes from the middle of the rod to the tip. This makes it easier to cast. The flexibility creates a wider loop on the forward cast, which makes the slow action rod more accurate for short-range casting. Medium action rods also bend in the middle and at the tip, but have less flexibility than the slow action rods. They are easy to handle, and the decrease in flexibility makes them suitable for both short and long-range casting. Fast action rods are more rigid, so they do not have a lot of give. The flexibility of a fast action rod is at the tip. This makes them most appropriate for long range casting and reeling in heavier fish.

Unlike a rod and reel, which uses a weighted lure, a fly rod uses the weight of the line for casting. Furthermore, each rod is sized to a particular line weight. The line weight is dependant on the type of fish being sought, as well as the wind strength and water conditions. The type of line you choose depends on the weight and fight of the type of fish you are trying to catch. All fly fishing rods are labeled to correspond to the line weight, so if you have a twelve-weight rod, you need a twelve-weight line.

Fly fishing rods were originally crafted from wood such as bamboo, and are still highly sought after. However, most modern fly rods are crafted from composite materials, including fiberglass, carbon graphite, graphite boron, or graphite titanium. Fiberglass rods are strong and stand up very well to abuse. Bamboo rods are considered to be the finest of the fly fishing rods. A bamboo rod is usually more flexible than graphite and therefore has a slower action. Graphite composite rods are extremely strong for their weight and very durable. Both fiberglass and graphite rods typically offer more stiffness than that of a bamboo rod and are especially suited to the construction of multiple piece rods in that the joints do not significantly affect the overall flexibility or action of the rod. In addition, the functionality of multiple piece rods makes for practical transporting and ease of getting into tight spaces.

Fly fishing rods are available in a wide range of sizes. From ultra light, which is best suited for smaller fish, to the two-handed Spey, which is designed specifically for fishing in rivers or oceans where larger fish are being sought. Saltwater fly fishing rods are built to handle powerful fish, support larger flies, and cast over longer distances. They are also designed to stand up to strong winds and rough water. Saltwater rods are outfitted with heavier, corrosion resistant hardware, and ranges in weight class are eight to fifteen pounds. For ease of use, fly rods generally have a single, large diameter line guide, and several smaller loop guides that are spaced along the rod. These guides help control the movement of the line, and also help to prevent tangling of the line or obstructing the cast.

When you think of fly fishing, you may associate it with catching trout and salmon. However, other fresh water and salt water species have also been caught using nothing more than a fly. These species include pike, large mouth and small mouth bass, carp, red fish, steelhead, sunfish, billfish, grayling, small tarpon, and barracuda. There have also been reports of individuals unintentionally catching bream and chub while angling for other more typical fly fishing species.

In addition, you may be surprised to know that more than a decade ago, anglers became interested in catching larger predatory saltwater species using a fly rod. This interest gave rise to saltwater fly fishing tournaments in coastal cities around the country. This gave credence to the fact that other fish such as tuna, marlin, and smaller sharks, although once uncommon to fly fishing, are now sought after and caught using nothing more than a fly. Therefore, in reality, just about any fish can be caught using a fly rod, as long as the fly being used is an accurate representation of the food source for the species you are angling for, and the appropriate rod is used to withstand the type, size, and strength of the fish.

Know your budget, especially if you are a beginner. It is best to start out with a quality, yet more economical model, because you can always upgrade once you gain more experience. Ask if the fly rod you are interested in comes with a warranty, and what the limitations of the warranty are. The majority of manufacturers typically offer a limited or lifetime warranty, so make sure you have a clear understanding of which warranty you are getting. To choose the right rod, you must also have a good idea of where you will be fishing and which types of fish you intend to catch. This is important because streams, lakes, ponds, or the ocean dictates which types of fly rods you will use. Also, consider the casting distance, which is how far you want the line to reach from where you are standing. Additionally, you must take the strength of the user into account. Where a twelve-foot rod may be fine for an adult, a younger child, having less upper body strength than an adult, would probably fare better with a much shorter rod. Also, consider your casting ability, because it will play a role in which rod you select where rod flexibility is concerned.

For the beginner, the best thing you can do is to seek the advice of a professional. This will help to ensure that you choose the appropriate fly fishing rods, not only for yourself, but for your family as well.