Fly Rod Description

[greener]

Hi everyone

I am new to fishing, just into second season, and have been looking at fly rods for trout, I get the weight system and the rod flex descriptions,
what I do not understand is why lets say Wychwood advertise a fly rod as
Wychwood River & Stream and Brooks suitable Trout Grayling Fly Rod Mid Action.
Does this mean such a rod is no use on a lake that has little to no current flowing, in general does one use a lighter or heavier rod depending on river
or still water and why.

I ask because at the end of this season am looking to pick up a fly rod at
a hopefully discounted price.

With all the wind in my area I have decided on a Six weight medium fast,
or perhaps a little faster action, I basically have to stand in the river and fish a pond, then cast over the top of this to the next pond,
because I cant get access to the second pond any other way, so I need to cover a reasonable distance.

Then threes the lake which I access from the banks, the fish are well out too but there is lots of room to cast.
I can not use a long rod on the river because of bushes, so I would only go to 9' or a little over.

I currently only spin or worm for trout, which are usually small, the largest was just 15" long, most being 1/2 to 3/4 pound, which I return if at all
possible.
I do not intend to spend more than €100.00 for the rod,3 or 4 section, and I have a cracking Danielson 7/8 fly reel with three spools so am ok for a reel.

I need a light rod or at least one with a light swing weight, as I used to be a welder and my elbow aches from hauling a heavy copper cable with a heavy welding head.

Any advise welcome, Regards & Thanks to all, john

 

[floatfish]

Whatever rod you decide to buy, one piece of advice from fishermen/women to beginners , " Is, always ,if at all possible Try before you buy."
There is no point in picking a rod to find it's hard work to use or you cannot
cast with it, and hate it.
So if possible buy from a shop/outlet with an open area of land or water where you can try the rod out and see that you get one that you can get on with.
It might cost you a few pounds in fuel, but better to spend that than blow your money on a rod that you cannot use,and end up selling it at a huge loss !

Also the shop will be able to give you good advice and guidance to buy what you need. It's in their interest to have a satisfied customer, you maybe would return at some future date.!

 

[greener]

Thanks floatfish

I have a store or two locally and intend to try before I buy, but unfortunately they supply only one or two brands, so am limited, I had two fly rods from years back, did not like them, so sold one, it was a 5 piece no brand 9' 6wt,
I still have an 8' 5/6wt two piece, that I will keep as a backup for the river, it used to cast well until I upgraded the fly line, and the whole experience went down hill, before I did the rod was easy to cast close in, and for some reason
could cover an unbelievable distance when extended, now with a €75.00 mack something or other from hardy it can neither cast close in and worse again at distance compared to the no name line the rod came with. That put me off fly fishing, and onto spinning and worms, and rock fishing for Pollock and mackerel.
But with rods getting better lighter and cheaper all the time I am up for another round and a little more knowledgeable as to what I like and what works for me.

Thanks, john

 

[S-Kippy]

Very,very generally speaking on a river you will be fishing at closer range and finer so your rod doesn't need to be able to cast huge distances. It's about presentation so (say) a rod of (say) 9 ft ( or maybe less) rated for a 5 weight line ought to be perfectly adequate. Again, generally speaking, the fish will be smaller so you don't want to be over gunned. Add trees etc and a shorter rod might be better but not too short.

Lakes and reservoirs are ( again generally) bigger,deeper and the fish can be further out so you need to be able to cast further ( not always but often) so you need a heavier line and a higher rated rod. For small stillwaters I'd say a 9 or 9.5 ft rod for a 6 weight. For bigger lakes and reservoirs 9.5 or 10 ft for a 7 weight line. You'll struggle to cast as far with a river outfit and on open waters you are much more influenced by the wind.

Action is a matter of personal choice. I'd say mid to tip action is best all round. I don't like fast actioned rods designed for casting as you have to work them too hard ( line speed) to get them to cast properly. Too soft an action and the things useless for casting though the presentation might be good.

I use 10 ft 7 weights for all my reservoir work and a 9 ft 5 weight for the odd river trip.

Of course the line can make a big difference to your cast. I just cannot cast Cortland lines because the tapers are all wrong for my casting style. If your casting is all to pot and the rod/ line are compatible then it might be the line that's the problem not the rod. For any cast to work the line has to flex the rod properly which is why you need to balance the line and the rod. A line weight up or down you can get away with but that's about it. I couldn't cast a 5 weight on my 7 rated rods cos it just wouldn't flex the rod properly but id probably get away with a 6 or 8 weight line.

I hope that makes sense......and you don't need to spend a fortune on the rod or the line to get a perfectly good outfit.

 

[greener]

Thanks S-Kippy

You have confirmed for me what I was thinking, I have that 8' 5/6, and will use it for the small river I be on, it actually came from aldi or lidl, I have five six and seven weight floating lines, I will clean them up and eventually use them to try what ever rod I decide on, I would love to go for a longer rod for the lake, but I kind of know that my arm will not stick it, is there much of a difference between the 9 and 9.5 casting a six wt line regarding the pressure it will put on ones arm, I guess what they call swing weight will be the most critical factor in that regard, I can cast all day with a 13ft rod off the rocks and piers, but I think this is because I use two hands, and do not ever need to stop the rod like one does a fly rod.

Does anyone know of a reasonably priced line that is 5 and a half wt, I know Michael Evans at least did sell ones, but I know no one who can comment on how suited they are, I have a suspicion that the line that came with the aldi rod must have been a half wt heavier, otherwise how could a cheap line so dramatically cast better than an expensive hardy one, and those lines soon add up if you have to like in my case use a different #wt rod for river and a larger one for the lakes.

Would anyone care to comment on whether a Shakespeare Agility is a medium fast or slightly faster action, they seem cheap enough, though some say they could do with an extra eye on the blank.

Any comments welcome, thanks, john

 

[keora]

This link might help you in sorting out the connection between line weight and rod length and action. It refers to Rio lines, high quality although rather expensive. I've got two Rio lines - a Grande AFTM 7 with an unusual weight forward profile (not easy to describe here, but it's shown in the diagram )which is great for easy casting on reservoirs. The other is LT size 4, double tapered with a long tapered front bit for delicate casting on rivers.


http://www.ginkandgasoline.com/fly-...e/how-to-make-your-fly-rod-cast-like-a-dream/

For river fishing a 9ft AFTM 5 is a good all rounder. You can also use it on lakes although it won't cast as far as a rod designed for reservoir rod.

 

[greener]

Thanks to keora for the link and the reply, I understand how the tapers of the line affect the cast, I guess as I have a small rod for the river I will concentrate on a rod more suited to the lake, mainly dry fly. I think I will go for a #6 in whatever length I can handle.

Any recommendations for a 9'6" #6 medium fast rod for around €100.00 or so.

Regards, john

 

[keora]

Hi everyone

I am new to fishing, just into second season......................,

I need a light rod or at least one with a light swing weight, as I used to be a welder and my elbow aches from hauling a heavy copper cable with a heavy welding head.

Any advise welcome, Regards & Thanks to all, john

I wonder if it might be worth you paying for a professional instructor to give you a couple of hours of casting practice?

 

[greener]

Hi keora

I will see how my arm holds up first, and will use the off season to practice,
there are tutorials on during winter that I will call in on.

Regards, john