[Monty]

Hello I`ve been looking to get a new fly rod for trout fishing. I`ve decided on a 4 wt. rod. Does anyone one have any suggestions, i see they come in 2,3, or 4 piece rods. Other than being more compact does this make a difference. And i see they also range in lenghts, from 7.6 to 9.0 ft. Would a longer rod be better?

Thanks for your help
Monty

[moskito_01]

As for the sections: I´d always go with the highest available number. It`s just so convenient. And I have yet to notice a difference in casting from a two section rod to a four five or six section rod.
The only thing you might look out for are rods that tend to lossen when you cats them for a while, but that depends on the brand you want to get. There are alos tricks to solve that problem.

As for length: That very much depends on where you will be fishing for what. We need more details to give you a suggestion.

[Sean Juan]

I'm going to have to disagree with moskito but for exactly the same reasons.

With the exception of ease in travel - multi-piece rods are less convenient than 2 piece rods. Breaking down and setting up a four piece rod takes twice as long as a two piece, also it has four places something bad could happen - loose connections aren't just a pain but the most common spot for a rod to break while casting. So unless you do a lot of back packing, own a small vehicle or take planes a lot you'll find a two piece easier to manage.

Of course thats largely a personal preference coming from a guy who uses mostly 4 piece rods (easier to transport on a mountain bike or in the hull of a kayak)

As for length - the only reason to get a shorter rod is if you are going to be fishing cramped quarters most of the time. If you think in terms of an arc even a 6" difference is considerable. I'm assuming you are new to fly fishing and I think that you will find a 9' rod a lot easier to cast than a 7'6" one.

[Peddler]

Sean Juan nailed it! If you do need a more compact rod, consider the 4 piece. It breaks down evenly and can always be broken down in an even half. That's hard to do with on odd number of pieces!

[bentflyrod]

[Kodiak Commando]

If you need a compact rod get a 4 piece. In my opinion if you don't need one get a 2 piece. 4 piece tend to loosen at connection points and you have to check them constantly cuz if you don't they will break while fighting a fish. I also do notice a difference in casting espcially in 7 wieght and up, the two piece is much easier to cast.

[TroutBum]

If you buy a quality rod, the pieces will not come loose. I have three Thomas & Thomas 4 piece rods, had them for years and they have never loosened.

[steeldrifter]

The number of pc's is more a matter of personal preference. Some years ago before rod technology really got to where it's at today a rod that was more than 2 pc's would not cast as well as a 2 pc rod, but today thats just not the case. The number of pieces dosent make any difference in feel now.
As for the length thats going to depend on where you fish and what type of fishing you do the most,dry, nymph, streamer etc..
If this is your first fly rod and your fishing a average size watershed and your looking for a 4wt then i'd say stay around 9ft in length. As i said earlier the number of pieces is totally dependant on your taste. My 4wt is a 3 pc winston and I have never had the sections come apart or loose and I like the fact that it only has a 3ft tube to carry it around but thats just my prefernce, get what suits your transportation means the best when deciding on the number of pc's.

SD

[Kodiak Commando]

Maybe i just have a super sensitiver arm or and abnormil casting style because i have 2 brand new sage xi2, one in 2 piece and 1 in 4 and the tow piece casts better for me and the 4 piece pieces do come loose occasionally.

[moskito_01]

[atroutbum2]

I had a friend who, when fishing, had the rod come appart in the water.
He decided, rather than make a grab for the tip, he would just "reel it in". It would have worked too, but he lost the fly on the cast, needless to say, he also lost the rod tip on the cast too. The dirty look on his face was priceless , since then i have called that hole on the river "The Rodeating hole."

[appalachian angler (tn.)]

I won't suggest a brand name because each person has a different casting stroke/preference, nor will I suggest a number of pieces for the same reason. I have found that with the higher end rods which have INTERNAL ferrules, one can up the number of pieces and still achieve a smooth transition from back to the foward cast and even over load the rod a line size without problem. The ferrules will snug-up well and only loosen after long peiods of double hauls with heavy flies accompanied with lots of hard stripping of flys. With a quality rod under most trout fishing situations, ferrules working loose should not be an issue. The problem is that most Internally ferrules rods start in the $400.00 price range, but IMHO are a worthwhile investment! Buy AMERICAN while you still can!!!


just my 2 cts.

A.A.