So you’re finally buying a fly rod. Good for you! Welcome to the club, my friend. You won’t regret it. And you might as well accept it, this will only be your first. Once you have one, you’ll soon find yourself wanting another. And, perhaps, from there, another.

I mean, what good is a one-arrow quiver?

Instead of falling asleep thinking about work, the world’s problems, your business or bank account, you’ll doze off with visions of that new tip-flex 6 weight and how it will be so much better for roll casting a double nymph rig than that mid-flex 5 weight you bought last year.

Since you’ve embraced this new and exciting reality, this post will establish the 5 foundational considerations upon which you should base this, and every fly rod purchase you ever make. 

You’re undoubtedly chompin’ at the bit, so let’s jump in.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we will receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase.

5 Things To Consider When Buying A Fly Rod

I’m a married man. I’m a married man with six fly rods. I’m a married man who is blessed to have a wife who understands my passion for fly fishing. I’m a married man who is even further blessed to have a wife who likes to give me gifts or, more accurately, helps justify the gifts I really want to buy for myself, especially if I want to buy a new fly rod.

God bless that woman!

Here’s how the twelve-step sequence usually goes:

The Notion

This may start with that covetous impetus noted above. You get out of your truck at the destination of the day, and your buddy does the unexpected tailgate reveal, unsheathing his sleek new rod as if it was Excalibur itself. From there, the die is cast. The sequence is set in motion. 

If not that rod, you think, a rod. A new rod. A better rod. One of my choosing, but a new one, nevertheless. Ah, no, you think, that’s a silly thought. I can’t afford a new rod right now. So you tuck it back in the corner of your mind and that’s where it stays for now…and grows.

The Urge

The Urge is one minor, nearly imperceptible step beyond The Notion. That once-cornered thought has metastasized to an un-ignorable level. You don’t yet know how it’s going to get done, but you feel confident it will. Soon. Not tomorrow. Not next month. But soon. It’s graduated from: “I can’t afford,” to “I must afford it.”  

The Need

At this stage, The Urge’s presence in your mind has allowed you to justify it to the level of need. You’ve asked friends, researched the web and checked tons of ratings on the rods that appeal to you. 

Even greater evidence that you’ve reached this stage is that, when using the rod you have — the one you love, the one that has served you well, the one you once called your Billy Baroo — is now the object of your flaw-finding focus. 

Planting The Seed

Single people usually jump from Stage 3 right to Stage 11 without looking back. It’s us married people who must stay disciplined. We mustn’t get too hasty here. We can’t just come home with a brand new and expensive toy. It’s too risky. Take a breath. Take your time. Play the long game. Plant the seed. 

This usually takes the form of one (or a patiently played sequence of) the following:

• “Hey Hon, did I tell you that Joe had a new rod today? It was really cool. Man, he could cast great with it! He seemed really happy.”
• “Hi Babe, I got a couple of tickets to that thing you love. Let’s go!”
• “Hey, what do you say we go to dinner at that new restaurant we keep seeing at the mall? And… maybe, afterward, if we have time,  we could stop by that fly shop I like.”

The Holidays

The onset of the holidays introduces that stressful time when married people really want to find the perfect gift for their spouse. While love and appreciation inspires it, guards go down and generosity goes up. And let’s face it, self-interest — that oh, so unbecoming human proclivity — secretly rises to the surface. In other words, it’s a perfect recipe for scoring that new fly rod!

The Sale

If you’re lucky (or super devious) there will be a holiday sale on the rod you’ve identified. Such sales can be great because they often include the rod, a complimentary reel, line and backing — a full setup for the fraction of the price! Merry Christmas!

The Conversation

Briefly, the conversation goes something like this: 

Manipulator (“Mor”): “Hey hon, that rod I’ve been looking at is on sale.”

Manipulatee (“Mee”): “If I’m seeing this right, when you buy the rod, you get the reel too. I do like a sale.”

Mor: “Really? You get the reel too?”

Salesman chimes in: “Yep, the reel’s included and we’ll load it with the backing and line of your choice.”

Mor: “Wow, that’s pretty cool. What a great sale!”

Mee: “You should get it. I mean, it can be your gift from me.”

The Feigned Resistance

Mor: “No, that’s too much, hon. It is a nice setup but I’ll think about it. It’s just too much.”

Mee: “If you think about it too long, it’s not going to be on sale anymore. You should just get it now.”

The Veiled Justification

Mor: No, it’s way too much…   (fidgety pause). Really? You think I should?… No, it’s too much… Really, you think I should??… It is a good deal, right?”

Mee: “Oh come on. You know you want it. Just get it… but, you can’t open it until I give it to you on Christmas.” 

The Purchase

Mor: “Okay, well, if you insist… Really? But only if you insist?… OK, I’ll let’s get it.”

The Feigned Buyer’s Remorse

Mor: “Wow hon, what a great gift. So unexpected. I feel like it was too much. Was it too much? I’m so excited… but I still think it was too much.

The Acceptance

“You’re so generous. I love you. I can’t wait to use it. Now let’s go find something for you!”

Oh, my goodness. Am I the worst? That I even think like this, suggests that I might need to consider a different twelve-step program. Con Men Anonymous, anyone?

Putting that aside for the time being, the fact is, you’re in the market for a new fly rod, so here are the five foundational considerations upon which you should base your decision.

1. What Are Your Needs?

As with any important purchase, determining which fly rod to buy should first be based on your needs. A beginning angler’s needs will certainly differ from those of an expert but, to start, your requirements will be based on the kind of fishing you do most of the time. 

Or, if you already have the rod that fits that need, the kind of fly fishing you’re starting to get into more often, such as: nymphing, salt water trips, streamer fishing, expanding your dry fly capabilities and the like. Need should be the primary driver.

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2. What’s Your Budget?

Although when we want something bad enough, budget considerations often go out the window, you should have an idea of how much you’re willing to spend without putting yourself into debt. (By the way, we recommend paying cash for a fly rod; there’s just something not quite copacetic about using a fly rod that the bank still owns.) 

Once you know your upper limit, you should probably do some online research as to type and manufacturer. And here’s a little secret: don’t assume price determines how well a fly rod will perform for you. Some of the best casts I’ve ever made, some of the biggest fish I’ve ever caught were made with my oldest and cheapest rod. 

Like a lot of sporting equipment, fly rod technology has come so far over the years that even the least expensive rods are far better than many of the best rods were not all that long ago. Keep that in mind as you shop for your new wand, and do your best to stay within your budget limit. And, if you come in under that amount, you’ll have some room to toss in a few accessories or stock up on a few flies with the extra.

3. Where Should You Buy It?

While many large sporting goods stores carry a modicum of decent fly rod and rod-reel-line setups, we at FFF advocate for buying fly fishing equipment and clothing from local fly shops, especially the ones you know have been around a long time.  

Good local fly shops are where both the entrepreneurs and experts — often one in the same — are most frequently found. While large, general sporting goods outfits try to employ people who know something about fishing, they are typically not very versed in the sport of fly fishing. The entrepreneur/expert combination, on the other hand, is a recipe for caring, knowledgeable and reliable service. 

Furthermore, locally-owned and operated fly shops carry the brands their owners, employees and guides use. So, when buying from them, you come away assured that you’ve bought a high-quality, well-suited, highly-tested, rod that the long-term minded owner/entrepreneur will back if something goes wrong.

Do your research. Find locally-owned, long-established fly shops with strong customer ratings and make it your fly fishing equipment base. I’ve done this for years, and there’s something very comforting about seeing the same faces and getting the same great service every time I go in.

4. What Are The Manufacturer’s Warranties?

Guides used to tell stories of “accidentally” slamming their rods in their truck doors at the end of the season just so that they could send their used rods in and, on warranty, get brand new ones. As you might surmise, I don’t hear those stories anymore. Now wiser to end-user abuse, good fly rod manufacturers still offer top notch warranties. 

Depending upon which manufacturer you go with, if your rod breaks, usually, you can send it in, pay a reasonable shipping and handling fee, and get it back, good as new, a couple of weeks later.

I’d call this next thing a tip, but that’s not strong enough; it’’s more of a pleading… and emploring. I’ve never bought a fly rod that didn’t come with a way to quickly fill out the warranty registration upon purchase. Stupid people don’t follow through on this easy step. I’m always amazed at how incredibly flexible fly rods are. Nevertheless, they do break from time to time, so, don’t be stupid. Register your rod immediately and keep the registration receipt in a safe and, easy-to-remember-where-you-put-it place. 

5. What Rod Characteristics Should You Look For? 

Isn’t it stunning how far sporting equipment technology has come? Get into some particular sport and you’ll soon be evaluating different equipment based on a set of criteria you didn’t know existed, and probably didn’t even know how to say before you started.

Happily, as fly rod technology has advanced at a breakneck pace, essential considerations still come down to flex, strength, durability and aesthetics. 

Rod flex has everything to do with action and cast-ability. If you’re doing a lot of dry fly fishing that demands a more delicate presentation, you might want a more flexible and forgiving rod. This kind of rod is generally thought of as a slower action rod. If, on the other hand, you’re fishing a lot of multi-nymph rigs with a lot of weight in heavy currents and wind, you might prefer a faster action rod. Fast action rods should not be construed as stiff. On the contrary, a fast action rods can feel very light and deliver a flexible feel while still being able to deliver a well-casted fly (or set of flies) from where you’re standing to Schenectady, New York.

If you’re new to the game, go for a rod with a wide range of capabilities and one that delivers a comfortable and forgiving casting flex. 

I also prefer and recommend a rod with a sturdy butt section. As flexible as they are, if the rod I’m using doesn’t have a strong butt section, I won’t feel confident that I’ll be able to give a big trout “the wood” when I need to. Most decent rods are much stronger than we think they are but this is something you’ll want to ask about when making your selection.

Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the importance of aesthetics. Let’s face it, while we want a strong and reliable rod, we also want it to look cool and feel good in our hand. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an ugly rod. Rod manufacturers get how important aesthetics are, and, with sleek finishes, sexy ferrules, shiny reel seats, and beautiful cork grips, have answered the aesthetic bell rather well. They’ve even started to do a better job of putting out more color varieties that appeal to women and children. Though a little late to that game in my opinion, it’s a rather smart and positive development. 

Final Thoughts:

Researching and buying a new fly rod should be a fun process. If it’s not, you’re doing something wrong. 

In the end, the best thing you can do during your new fly rod research process is to cast multiple rods and, if your fly shop offers it, take a few of your final choices out on a river and test them with multiple rig setups. Ultimately, it all comes down to how a rod feels and how it casts FOR YOU. Let that be your final decision maker.

Happy hunting!

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