The saying “there are a lot of fish in the sea” may be cliché when it comes to talking about people, but it is certainly true when it comes to the vast bodies of water called oceans. Not only are there an abundance of fish in the sea, but an abundance of BIG FISH, that when hooked, can fight like the mythical Leviathan. In fact, for the fly fisherman the saltwater is an extraordinary playground, with nearly limitless possibilities when it comes to the application of our craft and the variety of species to be pursued.

Traditionally the most common image that comes to mind with the mention of catching fish on a fly rod, is probably a wader laden fisherman standing knee deep in a scenic trout stream.  Certainly many of us still love to pursue freshwater fish on light tackle, but about 68% of the earth’s surface is covered by saltwater. That is a huge amount of un-tapped, fish holding potential, that fly fisherman have not allowed themselves to take advantage of. Thankfully, in the last couple of decades, the technology of fly fishing equipment has evolved dramatically allowing anglers to be more and more effective at plying the depths of these mysterious waters. Saltwater fly fishing has grown to encompass everything from casting off a beach for Pacific Salmon to trolling blue water for tuna and sailfish. Salt water fly fishing has also become a huge destination fishery, with its patrons traveling thousands of miles to tropical areas such as South America and the Caribbean in search of prized species like bonefish, tarpon, or permit. With the advanced tackle available today the opportunities to catch big fish on a fly are boundless.

The biggest evolution of saltwater fishing has come in the most important tool available to an angler, the fly rod. A good salt water fly rod is invaluable and can be the difference between an enjoyable experience, or fatigue and frustration. A saltwater fly fishing rod needs to be able to lift a lot of line off the water quickly, and then with one back cast stealthily shoot 80-100 feet of line in front of a cruising fish. They need to be powerful, but at the same time remain light and castable so that a fisherman does not require a shoulder replacement after a long day on the salt flats.

At True West we use only the best saltwater fly rod blanks on the market, because we know that a good salt water fly rod is the difference between a pinpoint cast on the first try or a spooked fish. We then take these blanks and construct your custom rod with the best aluminum reel seats and tip tops, as well as top of the line titanium stripping guides. Using these top of the line components not only makes your rod rustproof, which is an important consideration when fishing saltwater, but it decreases line friction and allows you to make longer casts with less effort. All of these considerations will ensure that you end up with the finest salt water fly fishing rod on the market.

Using the best saltwater fly fishing rods will only help your pursuit for the biggest fish in the ocean. Let us build the best custom salt water fly fishing rod designed specifically for you.

True West Custom Rods - Recommended saltwater fly fishing rod blanks:

• Thomas & Thomas Apex
• Orvis Helios – tip flex of 9.5 or above
• Winston Boron IImx
• Sage Xi3