Rod Length: 9'-0" or 8'-6"

[Adam Saarinen 0]

Have fun buying your "FIRST" rod!!! Then 2nd,3rd or even 4th?:-)

[Dave G. 0]

Fred, at this site you can get a little more info. Two videos etc. Enjoy ! http://www.redsflyfishing.com/Deluxe-Beginner-s-Fly-Fishing-Outfit-p/classic-trout-5weightcombo.htm

[Gene L 0]

Yes 6" makes a difference. 6" creates a longer lever and gives the angler a larger mechanical advantage.

 

How much of an advantage depends on several factors.

 

Height of the fly caster. If you are 6' 6" tall you can do do more with a shorter fly rod than someone who is 5' 6".

 

Are you a deep wader. The deeper you wade, the "shorter" the distance of the rod tip from the water surface for casting, mending, hifh sticking, etc.

 

Are you a float tuber. You want at least a 9 ft rod.

 

Roll casting - longer fly rods are a longer lever = better at roll casting.

 

Longer rods allow greater side angle when fighting a fish.

 

Longer fly rods allow for more effective mending both on the water and in the air. For example, more effective reach mends.

 

Longer fly rods make it easier for back casts to clear vegetaion on the stream bank behind the caster.

 

Longer rods are more effective for both indicator and non indicator nymphing.

All except the first example. The longer rod gives the lever advantage to the fish, not the angler.

 

I'm a short guy and like around an 8' rod. They're lighter and easier for me to maneuver on small streams. Longer rods for me cast farther and mend line a lot better.

 

My favorite rods are a 7'9" Far and Fine and a 7'11" St. Croix Legend. Both are 5wt rods. Also like my 9' Winston WT 5wt rod. All these are graphite, with fiberglass rods (and bamboo) I like them well below 8'.

[portlyjoe 0]

Crap! I answered to help a brother, and now I'm gonna start looking again for another rod.... like i really need one..... wait i know i can always use another rod. so,... thanks Freddo!

[Freddo 0]

Hey - maybe I'm being paid by "all" the fly rod manufacturers to get you all juiced up and your wallets out...nah! Sorry to get you all in the "mood" to shop. It seems the consensus is fly rod purchasing is a great thing! I never got over excited about a new spinning rod purchase. What's the lore in "fly fishing" that's already got me "hooked" and I've only collected tools and materials for tying some flies? It (the lore) seems to really have some drive as I hear you all wanting to shop for new rods too?

 

Again - thanks - you *ALL* have been so helpful!

[Gene L 0]

Cast a few before buying and get the one length that suits you best. Distance casting is one thing, but I've never needed to cast 60 feet in a river yet. I don't think something as personal as a rod length can be judged by us, it has to be your decision. I own WAY too many fly rods in several lengths and they all work just fine.

[Dave G. 0]

Hey - maybe I'm being paid by "all" the fly rod manufacturers to get you all juiced up and your wallets out...nah! Sorry to get you all in the "mood" to shop. It seems the consensus is fly rod purchasing is a great thing! I never got over excited about a new spinning rod purchase. What's the lore in "fly fishing" that's already got me "hooked" and I've only collected tools and materials for tying some flies? It (the lore) seems to really have some drive as I hear you all wanting to shop for new rods too?

 

Again - thanks - you *ALL* have been so helpful!

Freddo I gave you that answer already, it's a calling. It really is, fly fishing ( the entire experience, tying and all, everything combined) is like you are evolving into it after years of spin fishing. It is so much more fulfilling. Spin fishing is fun, fly fishing has awards programs behind it almost. You are just starting but you wait, you will understand soon enough. The call of the stream, the wildlife, the equipment used. THAT all has a sense of peace about it but exhilarating peace. To tie the most perfect looking Mayfly, cast it out there to have a big brown stick it's head out of the water, look over the fly and turn away is thrilling enough. Or the size 16 caddis you tied hits the water, it's taken with the tiniest of splashes and you set the hook on a 23 " Land Locked Salmon that goes crashing and tumbling down river upon that hook set , shaking your rod screeching your reel. The surprises in pond fishing when everything in the pond is up on a Hex hatch. You land your Hex nymph in the pool of rising fish. Your leader twitches and you set the hook or you thought you did. Just to have of all things a large mouth bass, huge in size come right out of the water and just blow your nymph back at you, enough to say take that fool ! But even the tons of tiny fish racked up is rewarding. You will see, you will know what I'm talking about soon enough. Learning life cycles of various species of flies and the fish who like them. To be on the water, blessed to go home . You fished over this fish you knew was in that pocket. You fished over it. You saw it rise on a natural but not your fly. And what appears over the tree line, soars around behind you, turns up river below you, landing gear drops and sucks that fish right out of the hole you fished and takes off over the trees in the direction he came from but an Eagle. Like magic he appeared and was gone again.. You can't buy these experiences, you live them. And somehow the whole allure of the fly and rod is dead center in it all.

 

And Freddo, in any of those moments as it occurs it will matter very little if you bought an 8'6" rod or 9 ft rod , LOL!! But without a rod you probably wouldn't have been there. In the end your fishing experiences will dictate future gear you buy. And those experiences will gang up rather quickly as the seasons change.

[McGnat 0]

 

Yes 6" makes a difference. 6" creates a longer lever and gives the angler a larger mechanical advantage.

 

How much of an advantage depends on several factors.

 

Height of the fly caster. If you are 6' 6" tall you can do do more with a shorter fly rod than someone who is 5' 6".

 

Are you a deep wader. The deeper you wade, the "shorter" the distance of the rod tip from the water surface for casting, mending, hifh sticking, etc.

 

Are you a float tuber. You want at least a 9 ft rod.

 

Roll casting - longer fly rods are a longer lever = better at roll casting.

 

Longer rods allow greater side angle when fighting a fish.

 

Longer fly rods allow for more effective mending both on the water and in the air. For example, more effective reach mends.

 

Longer fly rods make it easier for back casts to clear vegetaion on the stream bank behind the caster.

 

Longer rods are more effective for both indicator and non indicator nymphing.

All except the first example. The longer rod gives the lever advantage to the fish, not the angler.

 

I'm a short guy and like around an 8' rod. They're lighter and easier for me to maneuver on small streams. Longer rods for me cast farther and mend line a lot better.

 

My favorite rods are a 7'9" Far and Fine and a 7'11" St. Croix Legend. Both are 5wt rods. Also like my 9' Winston WT 5wt rod. All these are graphite, with fiberglass rods (and bamboo) I like them well below 8'.

 

I agree with you. The longer rod gives the lever advantage to the fish. I can feel it when casting as well. The longer rod is more tiring to cast.

[ditz2 0]

There is not enough info in your original post to define the best tool. Bring a 9' rod to my streams and you will spend 75% of your time pulling your fly out of the trees. If you are out west and fishing many of the open streams a 9'er is great. I fish a 6' rod and would not trade for all the 9' rods in the U.S. for fishing them. I have a 8'6" rod and only fished it once in these streams. I much depends on the conditions of the stream, what flies you intend to fish. If you are nymph fishing and need to keep a lot of line out of the water get a 10' rod. If you have to do a lot of mending on longer casts then a longer rod is recommended if there is room to cast it. A 5wt is a good all round wt. but since you like to fish UL spinning you may find a lighter rig may suit you better especially if you are fishing sheltered areas. I fish a 2 wt or 3wt most of the time. In the wind a 7wt may well be too light. I think a generic rod should be in the 7 to 8' range and in a 4 to 6wt. 9' is not an end all length. One handed rods range from 5' to 10'......A long rod can be quite frustrating depending on conditions for even a seasoned caster. .....as far as leverage is concerned the shorter the better for the fisherman. The longer the rod the more leverage the fish has.

[SilverCreek 0]

http://midcurrent.com/experts/whats-the-right-length-for-a-trout-rod/

[RCFetter 0]

Tom Rosenbauer (Orvis) on rod length:

 

http://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/choosing-equipment/equipment-videos/484-how-to-pick-the-right-rod-length

 

He says 81/2 to 9' and also remarked that it's a mistake to buy a shorter rod for a child b/c it will be more difficult to cast.

[Freddo 0]

 

Hey - maybe I'm being paid by "all" the fly rod manufacturers to get you all juiced up and your wallets out...nah! Sorry to get you all in the "mood" to shop. It seems the consensus is fly rod purchasing is a great thing! I never got over excited about a new spinning rod purchase. What's the lore in "fly fishing" that's already got me "hooked" and I've only collected tools and materials for tying some flies? It (the lore) seems to really have some drive as I hear you all wanting to shop for new rods too?

 

Again - thanks - you *ALL* have been so helpful!

Freddo I gave you that answer already, it's a calling. It really is, fly fishing ( the entire experience, tying and all, everything combined) is like you are evolving into it after years of spin fishing. It is so much more fulfilling. Spin fishing is fun, fly fishing has awards programs behind it almost. You are just starting but you wait, you will understand soon enough. The call of the stream, the wildlife, the equipment used. THAT all has a sense of peace about it but exhilarating peace. To tie the most perfect looking Mayfly, cast it out there to have a big brown stick it's head out of the water, look over the fly and turn away is thrilling enough. Or the size 16 caddis you tied hits the water, it's taken with the tiniest of splashes and you set the hook on a 23 " Land Locked Salmon that goes crashing and tumbling down river upon that hook set , shaking your rod screeching your reel. The surprises in pond fishing when everything in the pond is up on a Hex hatch. You land your Hex nymph in the pool of rising fish. Your leader twitches and you set the hook or you thought you did. Just to have of all things a large mouth bass, huge in size come right out of the water and just blow your nymph back at you, enough to say take that fool ! But even the tons of tiny fish racked up is rewarding. You will see, you will know what I'm talking about soon enough. Learning life cycles of various species of flies and the fish who like them. To be on the water, blessed to go home . You fished over this fish you knew was in that pocket. You fished over it. You saw it rise on a natural but not your fly. And what appears over the tree line, soars around behind you, turns up river below you, landing gear drops and sucks that fish right out of the hole you fished and takes off over the trees in the direction he came from but an Eagle. Like magic he appeared and was gone again.. You can't buy these experiences, you live them. And somehow the whole allure of the fly and rod is dead center in it all.

 

And Freddo, in any of those moments as it occurs it will matter very little if you bought an 8'6" rod or 9 ft rod , LOL!! But without a rod you probably wouldn't have been there. In the end your fishing experiences will dictate future gear you buy. And those experiences will gang up rather quickly as the seasons change.

 

 

Dave - I'm sorry to not remember your first post regarding this question but this quoted reply is perfect and I can tell you don't fly fishing halfheartedly (no part of it at all). There is some wild "draw" that I've been feeling deep down inside me, not in my head, but way deep inside! It's something real, something tangible, and very exciting. I always have enjoyed the gear part of anything I get involved in (I'm a bit of a gear freak; but not a gadget freak). The gear acquisitions may play a part in all of this I'm sure, but like you said so well, it's all things combined. On a trip down the Delaware River late last summer, me, my wife and our boys enjoyed seeing bald eagles and just being out there. I so appreciate your last comment about how little 6" in rod length will matter in all of this. I believe that and thank you for helping me see more of the picture! Now it's time to buy my "first" rod/reel combo and get down some fly fishing.

[Freddo 0]

Thanks for the links to vids and other information. I'm settled now. It'll be a 9' 5WT (whew).

 

Next up is settling the score with the make/model. My younger son and I are headed to Cabela's in Hamburg PA on Sat., 03/21 so I may pick one up on that trip.

[Dave G. 0]

Best of luck moving forward, you will do fine !

[Adam Saarinen 0]

Get most of them! I plan to try before i die!