So you’re thinking about to investing in a new trout fly fishing rod. You’re probably tired of buying a new one every couple of years to match your improving skills, and want to buy a trout fly fishing rod that you will enjoy for many years to come. The problem is with all of the options out there, choosing a new trout fly fishing rod is anything but a simple decision. Do you go with a 4 or a 5 weight, fast action or traditional taper, how about choosing between a 9 and a 10 foot rod? And the list goes on! There are so many options out there that the decision can be overwhelming. Let’s try to narrow down some of the important factors that need to be considered when choosing trout fly fishing rods, and hopefully we can help to clear away some of the fog that surrounds today’s advanced trout fly fishing rods.

First, let’s talk about the weight and length of a rod. Generally, trout fly fishing rods are going to come in sizes 2 through 6 weights, but do go as light as 0 and 1 weights. On the other end of the spectrum some fisherman will use a rod as heavy as a 7 weight when fishing in certain situations. The bigger the number the more backbone a rod will have and the heavier weighted line a rod will cast. A 2 or 3 weight rod is designed to fish for smaller trout, on creeks or streams, using light dry flies and nymphs. Anything heavier than this will probably overwhelm the rod, and can be harmful to the rod and any fish you are trying to land. These rods will generally also be shorter in length, in the 7’-8’6” range, because less rod is needed for the shorter casts being utilized in these situations. This kind of fishing in high mountain streams can be a real blast, and although the trout aren’t especially large, a lighter fly fishing rod will allow you to really feel the fight of these feisty fish.

The next step up would be the 4 to 5 weight range. Most often these weights will come in 8 to 9 foot of length, and will have enough backbone to fish bushier dry flies that have more wind resistance, and will also be able to handle smaller weighted nymphs and split shot. The extra length allows for longer casts giving a fisherman the ability to cover more water, and to be able to mend and control more line. If you are primarily a dry fly, or even a dry and dropper fisherman, you will probably be looking in this range.

Finally, if you are a fisherman that prefers fishing large water, and use heavy streamers or nymphs, you’re going to need a stiffer 5 or a 6 weight in the 9 to 10 foot range. This is also a good choice if you like to fish lakes using an intermediate or full sinking line. A 9 foot fly fishing rod in this weight range is probably the most common, but many nymph fishermen are switching to 9’ 6” or 10’ rods to help with reach casts and line mending while fishing an indicator set up. One more thing to consider is if you often fish in windy conditions, making it tough to cast with any distance, a heavier weighted rod will really help in driving your casts into a stiff wind. For all of these situations a bigger, stronger rod is ideal, and will leave you much less fatigued and frustrated at the end of a long day of fishing. Rivers such as the Deschutes or the Missouri would be good examples of ideal rivers for these trout fly fishing rods.

A 9 foot 5 weight is probably the most versatile fly fishing rod, and is often where a fly fisherman begins when building an arsenal of trout fly fishing rods. This length and weight is versatile enough to cover you in most situations, and from there other rods can be chosen to accommodate other conditions. All of the manufacturers we work with have a variety of blanks in all of these weights and lengths, and at the bottom of this page we have made a chart for helping to choose a model that will suit your fishing needs.

Recently there has been a new development in the technology of fly fishing rod blanks, and a new rod that is being adapted for trout fly fishing has hit the market. They are called switch rods, and are quickly gaining in popularity among many trout fisherman. A switch rod is a hybrid between a spey rod and a single handed rod that allows a fisherman to either cast overhand like a normal rod, or to use two hands to cast spey style. They are generally 10’6” to 12’, and in the 5 to 6 weight range can be deadly for a trout fly fisherman. They are especially popular among nymph fisherman because the extra length allows them to mend very effectively, and get long dead drifts by controlling the extra line they have on the water.

So, there is the low down on weight and length, but the next thing to consider is the action of a fly rod. Action is a term that can be fairly confusing and in actuality is terribly inadequate in really describing how a rod is designed to fish. The problem is that when we sum up a rod blank with a word like medium or fast action we ignore the subtle designs of the tapers that make up the advanced rods. We see this when a well designed medium action rod can often “outcast,” in terms of distance and feel, a poorly designed fast action rod. Due to the subtly of the design differences it may be hard to notice right away, but the old adage of you get what you pay for is usually correct when applied to fly rod blanks. At True West we only build and work with the best fly rod fishing blanks on the market, so for our purposes we will assume we are talking about high quality blanks and will try to simplify the whole subject.

When we refer to action what we are actually talking about is how quickly a rod will return to the original position once it flexed. So think of making a back cast and putting your rod in the flexed position, action is how quickly your rod will come back to that 12 o’clock position. There are three or four basic designations that are used when talking about action ranging from: medium, medium-fast, fast, and even ultra fast. Generally, again taking into account the previous paragraph, a faster action rod will be able to handle a little heavier setup than a slower rod in the same weight. So when going through your process of choosing a weight and length of rod discussed earlier it is also important to take into consideration the action of a rod blank. Most nymph and indicator fisherman will go with a faster action rod to handle the heavier flies and weight, while some dry fly fisherman like the more traditional feel of medium action rod. A fast or ultra fast action rod is also important when fishing in winding conditions, again to be able to drive your casts into the wind. Choosing the action of a rod is also determined by the casting style of the fisherman. Each fisherman is unique, and the speed at which his or her casting motion moves is different; the action of the rod that is chosen should match this casting style. Some fisherman like the more traditional feel of a medium action rod, because the casting stroke is very relaxed creating a smooth, fluid motion. This kind of casting gets back to the roots and tradition of our sport, and due to the slower line velocity these rods tend to be more forgiving to mistakes made in the casting motion. However, a medium rod is not for everyone. If you find that your casting stroke moves more quickly with more line speed, then you would probably benefit much more with a fast or ultra fast blank.

Hopefully you now feel more informed on the world of trout fly fishing rods, and this quick overview has given you a bit more confidence in coming to a decision on your next trout fly fishing rod. Below is a chart of the blanks by the manufacturers that we trust and work with. When combined with the principals we have just discussed, this chart will help you choose a trout rod that fits your fishing needs.

If you are still struggling you can of course contact us and we will help talk you through your choice.

Choosing a trout fly fishing rod for Small stream and pond fishing:

• Sage ZXL and Z-Axis
• Winston WT, LT, and Boron IIt
• Orvis Helios
• Thomas & Thomas Helix

Choosing a trout fly fishing rod for Medium to large rivers and lakes - dry flies and nymphs:

• Sage Z-Axis
• Winston LT, Boron IIIx or Boron IIt
• Orvis Helios
• Thomas & Thomas Helix and Horizon II

Choosing a trout fly fishing rod for Large rivers and lakes - big dry flies, heavy nymphs, and sinking line:

• Sage Z-Axis, TCX, 99 Series (nymphing specific blank)
• Winston Boron IIIx and Boron IImx
• Orvis Helios (tip flex with a rating of 9.5 or above)
• Thomas & Thomas Horizon II and Vector

Trout Switch Rods:

• Sage Z-Axis and TCX
• Thomas & Thomas 10’ #6 switch