Selecting a
Rod and Reel
By Terry Hellekson
After spending much of my adult life advising people about which rod or reel to buy while I was in retail, I now feel somewhat relieved now that I am retired and can now view many things with a more objective point of view. Surprisingly, my thinking on this particular subject has not changed as it has done in so many other areas of fly-fishing. Early on, I was fortunate enough to meet up with a fine gentleman, Jim Poor, in Littleton, Colorado, whose voice had considerable meaning. Jim founded the Angler’s All there and had been catering to a collection of very loyal clients for a number of years.
Jim used the approach of under selling a new customer. When asked which rod and reel he recommended, he would always advise that it wasn’t the price tag that mattered, it was how functional a piece of equipment was. In other words, if a particular low-end rod and reel would do the job, then Jim would offer encouragement in that direction. Jim was no fool and he had learned that by using this approach that those new to fly-fishing would not shy away because of some large price tag. He was convinced that he could sell far more less expensive outfits than he could those wearing a higher price tag.
Jim explained, “I am in this for the long haul. It is better to get the person involved first, then later on down the road, they will be back for the higher end stuff when they decide to upgrade. What it amounts to, I win them over and they gain confidence in me, then I end up selling them any number of higher end rods and reels through the years.”
I adapted Jim’s low-pressure sales approach and over time discovered he was right. There is no reason for an individual to invest a large amount of money in an outfit if they are not sure they are going to stick with the sport. Besides, when starting low it builds a foundation for the customer that allows them to have some basis for making sound judgments when upgrading to another outfit. There are far too many offerings out there that really don’t measure up and a higher price does not always mean higher quality or performance.
I believe that it pays to do a bit of independent research on your own and maneuver away from the helpful guidance of your friends. You can ask a dozen fly fishers what they recommend and you will invariably get a dozen different answers. I would venture to say that everyone would recommend the same rod and reel they are presently using. Essentially they are simply defending their own decision to buy a particular outfit. You may just as well ask them what they use rather than what they recommend.
Don’t think you are going to be able to get outfitted at your local K-Mart or Wal-Mart. Even your run of the mill sporting goods store can be a bad choice. As a rule, none of these sources have personnel qualified to assist you and the equipment they offer is geared for mass marketing. If at all possible, seek out a fly-fishing specialty shop where the people walks the walk and talks the talk. Most of the larger metropolitan areas have at least one shop that you can rely on. If that is not possible, search out the Internet. You can use the Fly Fishing Loop or 100 Top Sites at the beginning of this home page as a start.
The type of fish you will be pursuing generally determines which outfit is right for you. No single fly rod will do it all. For instance, a lighter rod weight will be suitable for the average trout stream, but don’t think about using it if you are off to catch tarpon. Rod weights can be somewhat confusing at first. First of all, your fly line and rod must be compatible with one another. If your fly line is too heavy it will over power your rod and you will not be able to cast well. Then if the line is too light, there will not be enough weight to load the rod and it will also hinder your casting.
If I want to present the fish with a delicate dry fly or an emerger pattern, then I want a lightweight line. This would be line weights 3-5 and possibly a 6 weight for some waters. If I were casting large bass bugs, wet flies, streamers or nymphs, then I would want a line weight ranging from 6-8. Line weights from 9-12 are most often best suited for larger fish, i.e., tarpon and other large fish in that class.
American Sportfishing Association (ASA) developed fly line standards that help fly-fishing tackle manufacturers create a system that match fly line weight to fly rod performance. In theory this standardizes fly tackle manufacturing across the industry and enable fly fishers to select and balance their equipment for optimum performance. The system uses the weight in grains of the first 30 feet of fly line as a standard. The table below shows fly line weight designations and their grain weight. The system also established a tolerance level that is acceptable.
Line Weight Grain Weight Tolerance
1 60 54-66
2 80 74-86
3 100 94-106
4 120 114-126
5 140 134-146
6 160 152-168
7 185 177-193
8 210 202-218
9 240 230-250
10 280 270-290
11 330 318-342
12 380 368-392
Fly rods have their line weight inscribed on the butt section of the rod just above the handle. If the rod reads 5-weight line, then you should use a 5-weight line. You will find that there are basically 2 types of fly line available, double tapered and weight forward. You will also discover that there are floating and sinking lines. There are other specialty lines, i.e., sink tips, shooting tapers, bug tapers, salt-water tapers, and a few others. In addition to floating lines, there are sinking lines with varying sink rates.
Rod length can be a debatable subject as with all other subjects pertaining to fly-fishing. For someone just starting out, I would recommend an 8½ to 9 foot rod for a 5-weight double tapered floating line. This recommendation is based on fly-fishing in fresh water for trout and other smaller game fish, i.e., blue gill, yellow perch or crappie.
It is recommended that you fill your reel spool with as much backing as possible. Backing is made of a very strong braided Dacron material. This serves two purposes. First, it fills in a void in your spool that allows for a faster retrieve because of the larger diameter and it reduces line memory that increases the possibility of tangling. Secondly, backing is connected between the fly line and the reel and it will allow larger fish to strip out more line from the reel once they reach the end of your fly line. Fifty yards of backing is recommended for most light to medium reels.
Which Fly Reel
You should select a single action reel that is compatible with your fly line and rod. Once you have decided on which rod and line you want, the decision as to what reel you need becomes fairly easy. Most reel manufacturers publish a small chart that depicts the amount of fly line along with backing that a particular reel model will hold for a given line weight. This means they have removed much of the guesswork for you and in essence make recommendations as to what rod weight their particular reel model is best suited. Normally this will resolve the issue of what reel to select for your rod.
When dealing with these reels you almost have to approach them as two separate components that connect together, the reel frame and the spool that holds the fly line. The term "single action" is no doubt a new one to those unfamiliar with fly-fishing terms. The term was created to differentiate between the one time popular multiplying reels and those that did not have that feature. Multiplying reels had an internal set of gears that caused the reel spool to rotate more than one time with each complete turn of the handle. The spool on single action reels rotates only once with each complete turn of the handle. Multiplying reels have fallen out of favor in recent years because of their excessive weight. They fail to be compatible with today's lightweight graphite fly rods in that they over balanced the butt end of the rod.
A balanced rod, reel and line are a desirable feature and a goal you should attempt to achieve when purchasing these items. The term "balanced" in this instance means that when you grip the handle of the rod it should feel comfortable and doesn't have a tendency of being either too heavy towards the tip or butt of the rod. No need to get real scientific with this, the rod should just feel balanced to you.
Some will tell you that a fly reel it is just a place to store your line. That may be true if you are fishing very small streams where the biggest fish you might encounter is 12 inches. However, it is best to think past that and take some other factors, that are discussed further on, into consideration.
Some reel models feature an adjustable drag system. A drag system on a reel usually consists of a knob that allows you to adjust the tension of the spool. This is an optional feature that some find desirable, however, it can add weight to the reel. This feature is best suited where larger fish are being taken and serves little use when fishing for small to medium size fish. Some other models of reels have an internal clicking system that provides a degree of tension on the spool and prevents it from spinning freely; otherwise you could end up with tangled line. Many anglers love these reels and long for the day when a good-sized fish strips line from their reel and creates a melody that echoes over the water like no other.
You will want to select a reel that has extra spools available. This saves the expense of buying an entirely new reel for each type line you may wish to use. For instance, you may want one spool for a floating line and another for a sinking line. Alternate spools will aid in storing various types of fly lines, and they are handy for a quick change over. If cost is a consideration, you should first determine the cost of extra spools. Because of the design features of some reels, spools can cost almost as much as another reel. You will also want to select a reel that has the outer rim of the spool exposed. This serves two purposes. The outer rim will protect the reel frame should you inadvertently drop it in the rocks. A bent reel frame can cause the spool to freeze up and not rotate properly. An exposed outer rim can also serve as a means of applying tension to the spools with your free hand when playing larger fish.
When purchasing a reel you must determine if you want to crank the handle (reel in) with your left or right hand. Most reels come setup to be cranked with the right hand, however, if you want to use your left hand it is advisable to have it converted prior to its purchase. Most fly shops are capable of doing this for you.
In summary, in my mind I have always found it difficult to determine which is the most important, the fly rod, the reel or the line. In today's market you can easily get a reasonably priced fly rod and reel without sacrificing performance, however, that is not necessarily true with fly lines. Remember, the fly rod is only a delivery system for the line and the line delivers your fly to the fish. I can only recommend you obtain one of the better lines made by either Cortland or Scientific Anglers.
