A fly rod is familiar to every fisherman, because it was with this type of tackle that the vast majority of fishing enthusiasts began their hobby. The prototype of the modern fishing rod was an ordinary wooden rod, which, through its length, effectively helped a person to deliver bait to places where fish accumulated, thus helping to increase the effectiveness of hunting. Over time, the wooden whip was transformed into a high-tech product made from lighter, more elastic and durable materials, which increased both the reliability of fishing and the comfort of using the fishing tool.
Despite the emergence of new fishing directions and varieties of float gear, fishing with a fly rod does not lose its relevance today, and under certain conditions it becomes the only option for high-quality and convenient fishing at short distances, which is successfully used not only by amateur fishermen, but also professionals in the field of fishing sports. The fly rod equipment, which is not overloaded with elements, allows for high-speed fishing, and the simple and understandable installation design is suitable for any novice fisherman. The following information will be presented to the reader about fishing with a fly rod, the structural features of this type of tackle and the best models of fishing rods in this direction.
What is a fly rod
The fly rod is rightfully considered the classic, most popular, and indeed the most common fishing tool among anglers. Just three, four decades ago, bamboo composite rods overwhelmingly covered any float fishing conditions. Today, these outdated tackles have been replaced by lighter plastic telescopic fishing rods, which are compact and relatively affordable in price.
Fly fishing rods do not have guide rings in their designs. To a large extent, their form is not modified by any other elements, in rare cases it stands out only by the presence of a comfortable grooved handle on the butt of the product, which helps to improve the grip of the tackle for the fisherman. A blind float rig is attached to the quivertip of the fishing rod, not exceeding the length of the rod itself.
Important! The main purpose of the fly tackle is to quickly catch small fish at short fishing distances.
Features, advantages and disadvantages
Fly rods are distinguished by the simplicity of their design, and therefore do not cause technical difficulties in fishing. On rods of this type there are no unnecessary or secondary elements; each piece of equipment plays an equally important role. Due to its rational design, the swing has a number of undeniable advantages over other types of float gear.
- The low weight of the fishing rod facilitates dynamic fishing, which does not tire the angler so much compared to using gear of the same length, but of different directions and structure.
- High sensitivity of the gear and the ability to use thinner lines. After all, the absence of guide rings eliminates the frictional forces that arise during fishing, and therefore does not deform small-diameter threads.
- High fishing speed due to increased hooking efficiency and precision and clarity of control of the fly rod.
- The equipment for a fly rod can be quickly replaced with another, pre-prepared option that suits changing fishing conditions.
- The cheapness and prevalence of installation elements, as well as the simple fishing technique itself.
In addition to the advantages, it is worth dwelling on a number of disadvantages that may affect the choice of gear depending on the expected conditions of the planned fishing session.
- Short fishing distance without the possibility of increasing it.
- Fishing depth limitation. After all, the strictly limited maximum length of the equipment does not allow the use of sliding installations.
- Assembling gear takes more time than fishing tools with a reel.
- Catching large and medium-sized fish will require the mandatory presence of a landing net, since fishing with blind equipment is technically quite difficult.
How to choose a fly rod
A fly rod has a number of basic performance characteristics and parameters that seriously affect fishing. Based on these values, the fisherman selects the optimal gear values for certain fishing conditions, based on the distance of bait supply and the size of the expected trophy in the catch. Properly selected gear parameters make fishing with a fly rod comfortable and accurate in casting, as well as reliable when hooking and landing caught fish, which ultimately affects the overall fishing result.
In continuation of the article, we will consider the main operating ranges of parameters and characteristics of fly fishing rods in more detail, paying attention to the values of specific numerical values of the form and the material of its manufacture.
Form length
The float fishing rod for swinging has a fairly wide range in its length parameters. Tackle forms vary in size, ranging from one and a half meters to a length of eleven meters. Based on fishing practice, for the convenience of selecting equipment, experts divided the length ranges into groups, thereby highlighting their main purpose.
Tackle lengths in the range of 1.5-5 meters are most suitable for catching small fish from a floating craft. Such a fishing rod covers the conditions for hunting at a short distance of active fish collected on a bait spot. Lightweight fishing rods provide high-speed fishing with precise delivery of bait to a specific point.
The range size of 5–7 meters is classified as a universal and most common category of fishing rods. With this gear you can safely catch medium-sized fish, up to 3 kg. The fishing rod works ideally in stagnant and weakly flowing reservoirs when fishing both clean and algae-covered water areas.
The length of a fishing rod of 7–9 meters is less common and is used in conditions that ensure the production of fish on long casts. Using the gear will require preliminary training in the techniques of using a fishing rod to accurately deliver the bait. Fishing also requires gaining skill. If it is possible to replace the tackle with another type, it is best for a novice fisherman to take advantage of this situation by changing the swing to a more practical bologna in these conditions.
The range of 9–11 meters is considered a purely sporting version of fly tackle, and rods of this length are used only by professionals in specific fishing conditions, which requires both experience and perfect mastery of the tackle, developed through practice.
Test
The blank test determines the permissible weight of the equipment used. As a rule, this is a certain range of values that defines the upper and lower limits of the load, expressed in grams.
Important! In fishing rods used for fly fishing, the test values are necessarily indicated in the markings on the form of the product and upon purchase they are quite easy to find in the form of a record on the butt itself or on the second leg of the telescopic rod.
Based on this test, the angler can determine the optimal weight of the equipment, including the weight of the float and the bait used, the use of which eliminates overload, and, consequently, breakage and damage to the fishing rod blank. For this type of equipment, there is an unspoken rule that even the most renowned manufacturers of fishing products adhere to, setting the lower limit of the test to be no less than the number that determines the length of the fishing rod in meters. Accordingly, the lower test of a five-meter whip will not be lower than five grams, and a seven-meter one - seven.
Material of manufacture
First of all, the material of the product affects the weight of the equipment. The smaller the mass of the fishing tool, the more comfortable the fishing and the lower the degree of fatigue of the fisherman. The lightest and best fly rods are made from graphite, but such equipment is very expensive and needs to be treated with care, being fragile and unable to withstand any shock loads.
Graphite tools are used in sport fishing with a professional approach to the art of fishing. A wide range of telescopic fishing rods for amateur fishing are made from fiberglass, carbon fiber and composite alloy. Fiberglass is the cheapest, but at the same time the heaviest material. This tool is recommended for beginner fishermen to gain practice and skill in fishing. Carbon fiber and composite gear are much more expensive than fiberglass, but at the same time they are more flexible and lightweight. For example, a six-meter carbon fiber fishing rod weighs only 250 grams, with a butt diameter not exceeding 4 cm. Fiberglass fishing tackle of the same length weighs at least twice as much and has a base thickness of at least 5 cm.
Build
The structure of fly rods characterizes the degree of flexibility of the tool. Manufacturers produce blanks with fast, semi-fast and medium action. To a lesser extent, you can find a fishing rod with a slow action, in which the entire blank bends during operation.
Important! In the swing, the medium action is considered universal. This fishing rod is suitable for most fishing conditions.
Hard tips are used for catching small fish that need to be quickly hooked, but there is no need to land them at all. It’s easier to catch medium-sized fish, and in most cases large ones, with medium-sized gear. The slow action does not allow for clear detection of medium and small fish, and the specific use of such equipment depends on the type of fish being caught, which must swallow the bait and thus self-identify. A striking example is the perch, which quickly sucks up the bait, but has delicate lips that inexperienced fishermen tear with hard tackle as a result of aggressive hooking and the same fishing.
RODS BUILDING
| It is difficult to give a clear definition of the concept of “action” for a fishing rod. Let's agree that by "tuning" we mean the bending curve under load. A rigid rod has a fast action - the whip bends and one or two knees following it. Soft, with a slow action, characterized by a longer length of the part of the rod that bends under load. The catalogs of global manufacturers of fishing products include both hard and soft fishing rods. There are no clear criteria that allow classifying a particular product as hard or soft. It's like my professor's favorite joke, who asked the audience how many people make up a crowd? They told him different numbers; at the end of the argument, stopping at the number two, he slyly asked, what if the crowd consists of women? Human perception is individual. A rod that seems fast to me may seem medium-fast to another angler. I classify various rod models into one group or another, based on my own understanding of rigidity (action). |
Why is it necessary to produce “flying” rods of different construction? Let's not forget that the action determines the characteristics of the rod's performance. For example, slow ones allow you to carefully remove large or small fish, reducing the likelihood of them running off and breaking a thin leash. They cast light rigs well with a small float carrying capacity. I would recommend these to beginner fishermen and amateurs. Their disadvantages include low efficiency during accelerated fishing. They are not able to quickly pull a fish weighing 100 g out of the water.
Fast-action rods are a little rough when landing fish, but they allow you to make a brilliantly short hook that protects the thin leash: often the reason for the hook is the cutting of the soft tissues of the fish’s mouth by the hook - the so-called “knocking out” of the hook.
Rods of this type are worse at casting light equipment, but at the same time, in high-speed fishing situations, time is not wasted on prolonged fatigue of the prey. Manufacturers combat this undesirable effect by incorporating a soft whip into the rod.
I would recommend fast action rods to competition athletes, especially when they need to land fish faster.
In the store, the action can be determined by comparing the bending amplitude of a couple of disassembled rods under the load on the tip of the whip.
Equipment elements
In addition to the form itself, to assemble a fly rod you will need a number of elements assembled into a general assembly for certain fishing conditions. The basis for installation is nylon fishing line. In rare exceptions, fishing lines are used with a thickness of over 0.2 mm, and the most popular diameters are considered to be in the range of 0.15-0.18 mm. Floats for fly fishing rods are most convenient with a blind type of fastening, which can be easily achieved for connecting to a fishing line by using a nipple rubber equal to the thickness of the antenna and keel of the accessory. Along with a stationary pellet sinker, it is possible to use a sliding sinker, limited in movement by stoppers. Equipment will require hooks, the size and shape of which will depend on the type of bait used.
For more delicate rigs, leashes made of monofilament fishing line are used, an order of magnitude smaller in diameter than the base. The installation may also include a feeder, to which the main fishing line will be attached. To attach a fishing line or feeder to a quiver tip, you will need a connector, the diameter of which must correspond to the diameter of the rod tip. The presence of several small reels will allow you to store and quickly change equipment prepared in advance at home to suit the changed parameters of the ongoing fishing session.
How to rig a fly rod
The purchased fishing tool is modified by gluing a connector for a fly rod onto the tip of the quiver tip. Next, take a piece of the main fishing line that is equal to, with further use of the leash, or 20 cm longer than the length of the rod itself. At the end of the line cut, a tightening loop is made, through which the equipment will be attached to the connector. If a feeder is used in the installation, then loops are installed at both ends for connection to the connector and the main line.
A float is attached to the fishing line using nipple rubber bands or using stoppers for a sliding type of alarm. Following the float, a weight is placed, distributing it along the length of the fishing line to the leash or hook.
At the end of the installation, a hook is tied to the fishing line or leader material. After adjusting the operation of the float, setting its depth, and installing the bait, the fly rod is completely ready for use.
Fly rod balance
The general concept of action includes not only the degree of flexibility of the blank, but also a characteristic called the balance of the rod. The ease and convenience of casting, hooking and landing fish largely depends on balance. The balance of the rod itself is affected by the distribution of mass along the entire length of the blank. Often balance is actually identified with the location of the center of gravity, and the closer the latter is to the fisherman’s hand, the more convenient it is to work with such a fly rod.
However, we also note that in dynamics the sensations from working with a fly rod may be somewhat different than when holding it statically. Sometimes it happens that the ease of casting with similar rods with almost identical centers of gravity differs significantly. This difference is associated with the dynamic rigidity of the middle of the fly rod. Therefore, when choosing a fishing rod, it is advisable to try swinging each model several times, and give preference to the one that turns out to be the most convenient for you.
Also, when making test strokes, make sure that there are no self-oscillations. The presence of such will lead to rapid hand fatigue.
Rating top 5 best
To select decent gear, we will present the angler with a rating of fly fishing rods, which gives a guide to a high-quality purchase that can last a long time.
- Our top 5 in first place will be opened by the fishing tool Black Hole River Hunter . This is a budget, but high-quality model of a lightweight fishing rod with a fast action. Suitable for catching small and medium-sized fish. It is recommended for novice fishermen as a reliable and forgiving tackle during the learning process.
- Second line for Shimano Catana BX TE 2–500 . A well-known brand guarantees a high-quality and lightweight carbon blank. With this equipment you can confidently catch even large fish without worrying about its strength. The cost of the fishing rod is in the average price level.
- Third place goes to the brainchild of the Daiwa brand, the Powermesh model . Made of carbon, the fairly lightweight tool has rigid parameters, which allows you to reliably detect fish and accurately deliver the bait even in cramped fishing conditions. The cost of the product is close to the budget option.
- Milo Relix 2000 received fourth place only for its high cost. Otherwise, this thin and miniature rod has no flaws. It is perfectly balanced and when working with such gear there are no problems when hooking and landing medium-sized fish.
- The budget Tica Triumph Carbon . A carbon blank with a flexible, fast-acting whip is slightly overweight, but has a high degree of resistance to shock loads. A line of different-sized blanks allows you to cover almost any fishing conditions. When selling a product, the manufacturer accompanies the purchase with a warranty confirming the reliable operation of the product throughout the year.
Rating of the top 14 best fly rods
A detailed review of fishing rods without guides allows you to become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of a particular model. There are top telescopic fly rods that have been selected by fishing professionals.
| Category | Place | Name | Rating | Characteristic | Link |
| The best fly rods | 1 | Sabaneev Master Pole | 9.9 / 10 | Lightweight, convenient, affordable | More details |
| 2 | Black Hole Sparta | 9.8 / 10 | Durable, lightweight, comfortable | More details | |
| 3 | Colmic Hector | 9.7 / 10 | Versatile, thoughtful | More details | |
| 4 | Shimano Alivio CX TE GT 5-500 | 9.6 / 10 | Very reliable and lightweight | More details | |
| 5 | Salmo Sniper Pole Medium | 9.5 / 10 | Suitable for a beginner, very light | More details | |
| 6 | DAIWA Compass Mobile Telepole 500 | 9.4 / 10 | Compact, sensitive, lightweight | More details | |
| 7 | Volzhanka Modern | 9.3 / 10 | Light, sensitive | More details | |
| 8 | Kaida Aventador | 9.2 / 10 | Durable, suitable for a beginner | More details | |
| 9 | Mikado X-PLODE POLE 600 | 9.1 / 10 | Suitable for a beginner, reliable | More details | |
| 10 | Colmic Extreme xt | 9.0 / 10 | Expensive rod for professionals | More details | |
| 11 | Kaida Fortexa Spark | 8.9 / 10 | Sensitive, for experienced fishermen | More details | |
| 12 | Shimano catana ex te 2 | 8.8 / 10 | Sensitive, durable | More details | |
| 13 | Black Hole River Hunter III | 8.7 / 10 | Durable, sensitive | More details | |
| 14 | Siweida Taifun | 8.6 / 10 | Suitable for beginners, universal | More details |
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