fast action travel rod

The Best Travel Rods Reviewed: Real Performance for Serious Fishermen

Anglers who travel a lot and want to get some fishing in or who need to pack rods in carry-on luggage know that real fishing tackle that meets their needs is in short supply.

Yes, you can opt for some of the products that promise performance - Plussino comes to mind - and you’ll see these rods recommended by sites where the writers probably don’t fish themselves. 

But if you want a real rod that can perform, casting and fighting like the rods you left at home, you’ll need to look carefully.

We’re here to help, and we’ve put together a list of some our favorites, as well as buying guide to get you on the right track.

Quick glance at the best travel fishing rods:

St. Croix Triumph Travel Rod

• Excellent, sensitive blank
• Good guides
• Excellent handles
• Fishes like a premium rod should

Tackle Direct Bass Pro

Fenwick HMG Travel Spinning Rod

Goture Travel Fishing Rod

• Great price for what you get
• Good, sensitive blanks
• Nice handles
• Fishes well

Smuggler 7 Travel Fishing Rod

• Very compact
• Good, sensitive blank
• Interchangeable fiberglass tips

KastKing Blackhawk II

Table of Contents (clickable)

• 1.1 St. Croix Triumph Travel Spinning Rod - Best Light/Medium-Light Power Travel Rod
• 1.2 Fenwick HMG Travel Spinning Rod - Best Medium Power Travel Rod
• 1.3 Smuggler 7 Travel Fishing Rod
• 1.4 KastKing Blackhawk II
• 1.5 Goture Travel Fishing Rod - Best Budget Travel Rod
• 2.1 Avoid the toys
• 2.2 Modular probably beats telescopic
• 2.5 Handles
• 3 Final Thoughts

Related: 

• Best Telescopic Fishing Rod
• Best Travel Fly Rod

Best Travel Fishing Rods Reviewed

St. croix triumph travel spinning rod - best light/medium-light power travel rod.

Length: 6’ or 6’ 6” Power/action: light or medium-light/fast Line and lure weight: 6’ (4-8 lbs. 1/16 - 5/16 oz.); 6’ 6” (4-10 lbs. 1/8 - 1/2 oz.) Material: carbon fiber Handle: continuous cork Guides: Sea Guide Atlas Performance SS304 stainless steel guides Pieces: 4

Most anglers already know that St. Croix is a premium rod manufacturer, but you may be new to the sport and have no idea - and there’s nothing wrong with that!

For serious anglers looking for a “real” travel rod that can perform with the best of them, the Triumph is very hard to beat.

Available in two lengths, 6 feet or 6 feet, 6 inches, the shorter rod is light powered while the longer rod is medium-light. Both offer a fast action.

St. Croix has chosen a carbon fiber blank for these rods, and that means fantastic sensitivity. For panfish, trout, perch, flounder, specks, and the like, these rods will perform masterfully, allowing you to feel every bump, nudge, and nibble.

And when the fight does start, you’ll find the backbone of these blanks quickly, about 25% from the tip. And don’t be shy about that medium-light rod: it’s a real beast if you’re working with a good reel and a properly set drag, and you can fight any smallmouth in the world with it, as well as most largemouth.

Both rods wear premium continuous cork handles, though the shorter rod has a shorter handle.

The stainless guides that St. Croix chooses are excellent performers in the real world, especially if you skip braid, which can be abrasive to any guides.

Overall, this four-piece travel rod fishes like a premium two-piece, and that’s saying something.

Fenwick HMG Travel Spinning Rod - Best Medium Power Travel Rod

Length: 7’ Power/action: medium-light or medium/fast Line and lure weight: medium-light (8-17 lbs. 1/4 - 3/4 oz.); medium (10-20 lbs. 3/8 - 1 oz.) Material: graphite Handle: continuous cork Guides: stainless steel guides with zirconium inserts Pieces: 3

Fenwick is another brand that’s built a long-term, dedicated following by producing premium rods, and their HMG travel rod is no exception.

Where the St. Croix dominates on smaller fish, the Fenwick’s heavier power medium rod would be my choice for travel when I’m looking for species like snook, reds, blues, walleye, bass, and anything else that might test a medium-light rod to its limits.

That’s not to knock the medium-light Fenwick but rather to applaud the medium rod.

Capable with mono lines as heavy as 20 pounds, and more than able to launch a 1-ounce lure like a rocket, this is another rarity in travel rods in that it fishes like a premium rod rather than a toy.

Expect a beautiful, continuous cork handle and excellent stainless guides with zirconium inserts.

In a hard fight, you’ll appreciate those well-made guides, and you’ll find the blank’s backbone quickly, just as on the St. Croix. Sensitivity is excellent, too, making this a superb choice for the angler who travels and wants a heavier rod.

Amazon  

Length: 7’ 8” and 8’ 6” Power/action: ??? Line and lure weight: 5-20 g. or 15-40 g. Material: graphite with a fiberglass tip Handle: split EVA fam Guides: stainless steel with silicone inserts Pieces: 7

Smuggler is a British company that’s put together a very portable seven-piece rod. Innovative in many ways, if space is truly at a premium, this is a rod you’ll want to look at.

Offered in two lengths, Smuggler is shy about stating the action and power you can expect, in part because British expectations and terminology differ on this point. But given that the larger rod can cast a 40 gram, or 1.4-ounce lure, I’d guess that it’s in the medium to medium-heavy range, with a fast action given the graphite blank.

The shorter rod can cast a 20 gram, or .7-ounce lure, and I’d make that about medium-light.

In either case, graphite is very sensitive material for a blank, and these rods should allow you to feel even the lightest strikes.

In terms of innovation, they come with interchangeable fiberglass tips that alter the feel as well as the action of the rods, allowing you a bit of customization.

Expect a split EVA foam grip and stainless guides with silicone inserts.

One thing that concerns me is that customers report quality control issues, especially with guide finishing. If you do pick the smuggler, check each guide carefully for polish and finish, and definitely contact the manufacturer if you get a lemon.

• Guide finish quality can be iffy

Length: see chart Power/action: see chart Line and lure weight: see chart Material: Toray 24-Ton Carbon Matrix blank with a fiberglass tip Handle: split EVA foam Guides: ??? Pieces: telescoping

Telescoping travel rods can be a nightmare, and most are made as gimmick offerings for new anglers who don’t know better. That needn’t be the case, and KastKing delivers a real rod that’s capable of actual fishing.

Now, to be fair to its premium competitors, you’re not going to get the sensitivity, backbone, fighting power, or durability of the St. Croix or Fenwick. That’s a simple fact, and I mean no disrespect to KastKing.

By design, a telescoping rod just can’t compete with a segmented rod.

But the carbon fiber blank on the KastKing is sensitive, and guide quality seems to be OK. I personally wouldn’t put much faith in the rods of medium power and above, as the joint construction on a telescoping blank is going to be abused by a hard fight with a big fish. 

Maybe it’ll take it; maybe it won’t - but I wouldn’t bet my fishing trip on it. The segments tend to loosen with casting - but don’t collapse. That’s not confidence-inspiring, because I’m sure that places greater stress on the joints, and with a heavy power rod and big, mean fish on the other end, I wouldn’t count on the rod to survive.

Instead, I’d stick to the lighter end of the powers - medium light and medium - and try not to push this rod too hard.

If that sounds like a serious reservation, that’s because it is. 

Now keep in mind that the Blackhawk II is about 1/3rd the price of the St. Croix and Fenwick, and if you’re just looking for an easy rod to pack and want to hit the water for a few hours, there’s nothing wrong with the product.

But as serious competition for the premium rods on our list, the Blackhawk II isn’t going to make the grade.

• The Segments loosen after casting, and I wouldn’t trust this rod in medium-heavy or heavy actions with big fish and hard fights

Goture Travel Fishing Rod - Best Budget Travel Rod

Length: see chart Power/action: see chart Line and lure weight: see chart Material: carbon fiber Handle: split EVA foam Guides: stainless with ceramic inserts Pieces: 4

For anglers on a budget too tight for the St. Croix or Fenwick, Goture offers a nice travel rod at a reasonable price. Available in powers ranging from ultralight to medium-heavy, and actions that vary from medium, to medium-fast, to fast, these are dependable travel rods that won’t break the bank.

The blank on every rod in this lineup is made from carbon fiber, promising great sensitivity and plenty of backbone. Powers and actions are matched well, and there are some great surprises in this series, like a light rod with a medium action that would be just perfect for small crankbaits.

Expect well-made, split EVA foam handles that provide plenty of territory, even for big hands.

The guides are stainless steel with ceramic inserts and clearly designed more for fresh-water fishing than the salt. They’re small - I’d say a bit undersized for salt - but perfect for enhancing sensitivity for species like bass when using a worm.

One word of caution: the ferrules are meant for a .6” gap, meaning that they should not be tightened down till they touch.

The carbon fiber blanks prove plenty sensitive and strong, and these are really good rods for the money. Anglers on a tighter budget should definitely give these rods a close look.

• Not going to compete head-to-head with premium alternatives like St. Croix and Fenwick

What to Look for in a Good Travel Rod

Avoid the toys.

When angling sites recommend products, there’s a real difference between content farms and those where the researchers and writers are fishermen themselves.

That’s a fact.

And just because a product is popular on Amazon doesn’t make it good.

Many of the telescoping travel rods with awesome reviews are disappointing if you’re more than a once-a-year angler, and you can chalk up the positive responses to people who really don’t fish a lot not using these rods much or knowing what they’re missing out on.

That’s not to insult anyone, and if you just need a rod for a few days a year and space is tight, go ahead: you probably won’t be disappointed.

But if you’re a serious angler and you try one of these out, I promise you, you’ll burn with frustration.

That’s why our list is populated with real rods that are high on performance, especially the St. Croix, Fenwick, and Goture.

Modular probably beats telescopic

On that front, modular rods are almost always better than telescoping designs. 

Being more mechanically simple, there’s much less to go wrong, and as ferrule technology has improved since the 80s, you’re not sacrificing sensitivity much at all by increasing that number to three, four, or even five.

And to be painfully honest, companies like St. Croix and Fenwick have hard-earned reputations that they’re not going to sacrifice by offering underperforming designs.

What this all adds up to in the real world is that modular is usually the way to go.

There are a variety of blank materials on the market, ranging from fiberglass and fiberglass composites to graphite to carbon fiber.

Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of each choice:

• Fiberglass and fiberglass composites - are well known for being heavy but very, very durable. They tend to be very flexible as well, but they can be made stiffer through the introduction of carbon fiber or graphite.
• Carbon fiber - is a common blank material, combining light weight with awesome stiffness and sensitivity. Not as durable to hard knocks as fiberglass, it’s still prized for its strength to weight ratio and its reliable backbone for hard fights.
• Graphite - is the lightest and stiffest of the rod materials out there, but it’s also the most fragile. A hard knock against a piling or rail can result in micro-fractures, so blanks made from graphite need some care in handling. But they’re awesomely sensitive and very strong, offering a fantastic performance.

Good guides are essential.

When you have a fish on your line, the stress on the line and rod is transferred through the guides, meaning that they need to be strong. But they also need to be as smooth as they can be, protecting your line from the heat caused by friction. 

If your line gets hot, it will fail!

An easy test of guide quality is to take a length of the line, pass it through the guide, and saw like mad against the guide. Excellent guides will leave your line intact.

Whether you prefer the warm feel of cork or the durability of EVA foam, look for handles that are long enough to give you a two-handed grip and really put some muscle into a fight.

That’s a tall order on a travel rod, but the best ones deliver just that.

Final Thoughts

Good travel rods are in short supply, and if you’re a serious angler, it can be a frustratingly difficult task to find one that fishes well.

What we can promise is that if you pick one of the rods we recommend, you’ll be more than happy with your purchase. The St. Croix , Fenwick , and Goture rods fall at different price points and quality levels, and the premium rods are definitely better choices if you can afford them, but all three of these products are real tackle designed for real-world fishermen.

We can’t tell you which one is best for you - only you can do that - but we can guarantee that these three will put a smile on your face.

As always, we’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below.

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Fenwick Eagle Travel Spinning Fishing Rod, Brown, 6'6" - Medium - 3pc

Purchase options and add-ons, about this item.

• Premium cork and TAC grips
• Stainless steel guides with aluminum oxide inserts
• Ergonomic minimal reel seat
• Classic Fenwick Actions- Time tested and proven from the original graphite rod company
• 5 year limited warranty

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Product Description

Representing the rich rod building history of Fenwick, the Fenwick® Eagle® rod series features proven Classic Fenwick Actions for targeting nearly any species. Built from 24 Ton graphite and with the accumulated knowledge of seventy years of tinkering and testing with the best, the Fenwick Eagle series connects tradition and technology. Upgraded stainless steel guides with aluminum oxide inserts provide increased casting performance with less friction, while the blank through construction and minimal reel seat transmit even the lightest bites.

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8 Best Travel Fly Rods: 2024 Buyers Guide

To be honest, I don’t own or use travel fly rods myself, however, since I have guided hundreds of traveling clients that have come from as far away as Africa and Australia, some of them bring their travel fly rods so I’ve had plenty of opportunity to cast and fish with some good travel fly rods, and some not so good travel fly rods.

If you are on a budget, the best travel fly rod is the Redington Classic Trout, which sells for about $189, or the Orvis Clearwater Travel Fly Rod for $249, or if you’ve got the cash, the overall best travel fly rod is the Hardy Aydon Travel Fly Rod.

I’ll discuss other travel fly rods from $79.00 to over $500.

To be honest, some of the discount travel rods and the telescopic travel rods I’ve tried really suck! They just don’t load well, which means they cast poorly, and when fishing with them they either feel like a pool cue or are whippy like a wet noodle. As a fly casting and fly fishing instructor, I know that learning to cast on these very cheap rods will be harder.

We may make a small commission from some of the links on this website, which is at no cost to you. I appreciate your support. Learn More

What Is A Travel Rod?

Travel rods are like regular fly rods except that they are six or eight pieces, and when they are broken down, they are often less than 20 inches, making them perfect for a suitcase on a plane or for stuffing in a backpack and hiking into a secluded fishing spot.

A travel fishing rod or travel rod uses a lightweight design crafted of graphite or carbon fiber .

Travel rods do not typically come with a reel unless you are buying some of the cheap ones on Amazon. You can find travel rods designed for various applications and weights from three-weight to ten-weight for big salmon.

Although they are called travel fly rods, they can be used anywhere and all the time if you want.

These are my reviews of the top travel fly rods available today, and I’ll let you choose which one best fits your needs.

Common Travel Fly Rod Lengths, Weights, and Pieces

While travel fly rods can reach up to 14 feet in length, those designs remain pretty rate. The typical lengths for these rods range from 8.5 to 10 feet, with the most common lengths including:

What’s the perfect length for a travel fly rod, you ask? Choose fly rods of up to nine feet in length to gain the best accuracy, but if you need greater flexibility or for custom methods, choose a rod of greater than nine feet. Nine feet offers the sweet spot for a fly rod.

Because travel rods are made with more pieces than a two-piece or a four-piece they are slightly heavier. This is due to the ferrules and the extra resins. Many five or six weights are around 3 to 4 ounces on average. However, the actual weight of the rod will depend on how long the rod is and the rod weight rating.

Some of the really cheap Fiberglass fly rods weigh the most, between six and 15 ounces (between 170 and 425 grams), but graphite and composite rods weigh less. Fly rods don’t come imprinted with their ounces or grams weight but you can find that on the manufacturer’s website.

Typically, you use the same line weight as the rod weight rating, so if the manufacturer recommends a weight rating of five, you’ll read a 5wt on the side of the rod or its packaging.

Pro Tip: Rod weight matters a lot. Use a fly rod with a weight of one to four for small trout or panfish or really for any small stream fishing. When fishing in large streams or rivers, use a four to six-weight rod to catch trout and small bass.

If you can only pack one rod for a trout fishing trip, choose a five-weight for its versatility.

Bass, carp, pike, and steelhead fishing requires a six to eight-weight fly rod and line, while large salmon, steelhead, musky, or saltwater fishing requires eight to 10-weight rods.

Fly fishing for big game fish like Tarpon takes the heaviest weight rod and line of 10 to 14.

Pro Tip #2: With any fly rod the sections can come apart when casting. I’ve seen hundreds of rod tips go flying off when casting. With travel rods, there are even more sections that can potentially come off.

To lower the chance of this from happening, when lining up your ferrules, instead of lining them up and then pushing them tight, have them slightly misaligned and then twist them into alignment as you push them together tight. This twisting locks them in place better, and rarely do my rod pieces ever come apart during casting.

Best Travel Fly Rods: All Price Ranges

Now that we’ve covered the common weights, lengths, and pieces, and what sizes are best per species, let’s dive into the greatest depths of fly fishing gear to explore the best travel fly rods.

I’ll cover a variety of rod weights and lengths, so you can find one that suits your needs whether you want to fish the shallows of the Oklahoma River, or the deep waters of the Hudson River, or the Niagara River.

Douglas Upstream Ultra-Lite Fly Rod

I really loved fishing the Douglas Upstream Ultra-lite Fly rod in both the 4-piece and the 6-piece travel rod.

It is super smooth casting and is a light rod that is great for small stream trout and panfish.

This is, as the name implies, a lightweight rod, and it only comes in 2, 3, and 4 weight sizes.

Douglas offers its Upstream Ultra-Lite fly rod in eight lengths, ranging from six feet six inches to eight feet eight inches.

Choose between a simple two-piece fly fishing rod or a more complex six-piece design in this.

Only the six-foot-six-inch rod comes in the two-piece design. The seven feet three inches, eight feet, eight feet three inches, and eight feet eight inches rods come in four pieces. You can get the seven feet, seven feet six inches, and eight feet lengths in a six-piece design.

Every option uses the same bamboo-like handle design made from cork. This rod features spigot ferrules to enhance energy transferability and a sliding ring reel seat to reduce weight.

Every rod comes with a 1 5/8” brushed aluminum rod tube and sock to make packing it easier.

Hardy Aydon Travel Fly Rod

When you want the best medium fast rod action travel rod, try the Hardy Aydon travel fly rod, offering four length options from 3 weight to 10 weight:

This six-piece rod handles line weights of four through 10, depending on the length of the rod. The design combines a cork rod handle with a ceramic guide of lined titanium stripper and a chrome single foot.

The overall rod uses Sintrix multi-modulus carbon fiber, so it weighs less than a fiberglass rod. Some individuals may find this an easier rod to use because of the keyed fly reel seat slide band that doesn’t weigh much.

Depending on the rod length you choose, the design either uses aluminum or wood spacers.

One of my favorite things about the Aydon model rod comes from its packaging. Hardy provides a travel tube that helps keep all of the pieces of the fishing rod together in your backpack or suitcase.

Greys Wing Travel Fly Rod

Okay, I feature this rod, hence the link to another page on this website, so you know I love it.

It’s my favorite when I need a medium-fast rod action. Greys Wing six-piece travel fly rod comes in four lengths, but I recommend the nine-foot length because it offers the greatest versatility in various fishing situations.

Here are all of the length options:

• 11 feet four inches

Depending on the length you choose, you can use a 3wt, 5wt, 8wt, or 9wt line with this six-piece rod.

You get two handle choices – RHW or TPSF. Like most travel rods, this design uses a cork rod handle. Greys Wing’s design features a lined stripper with a stainless steel snake on a Powerlux carbon rod in a grey and red color combination.

Depending on the length of the rod you pick, this design uses either single or double-foot snake guides and either wood or alloy spacers with an alloy fly reel seat. Its reel features dual locking nuts with a nylon cushion ring.

Similar to the Douglas Upstream, it uses a keyed and milled reel seat slide band. I love that Greys Wing makes it easier to safely pack this rod by supplying a hard tube and rod bag for it.

Echo Trip Eight Piece

The other fishing rods reviewed offer a bevy of lengths, but Echo’s Trip travel rod comes apart in eight pieces for truly simple packing.

Each piece measures 15 inches, and its case measures 18 inches. That means you can easily fit it into any suitcase or backpack.

Echo chose to offer its travel fishing rod only in a nine-foot length.

It does offer three versions catering to three line weights: 5wt, 6wt, and 8wt.

By choosing to design this rod in only nine feet, Echo has focused on providing power and fast action for its travel rod.

Orvis Clearwater

You can get excited with the price of the six-piece Clearwater Travel Fly Rod, $249. It is a great rod for that price.

To get the whole outfit, you’ll pay the same price as you would for the other options in this article – about $500 to $550.

Now, on to its design. This snazzy-looking black chrome rod with white accents features a chrome snake and a stripping guide with a ceramic insert.

The sleek looks continue with its black nickel aluminum reel seats. It does just look cool, Orvis used composite tips on the fighting butts to add to the durability of the rod.

Like many other travel fly rods, it comes with a rod tube. This one’s in gray.

Redington Classic Trout

The Redington Classic Trout fly rod is specifically designed for trout. Why? It’s in the name.

I have had the opportunity to try this rod a few times, and if I were going to buy a travel fly rod under $200, this would be it.

The Redington Classic Trout Rod comes in four pieces and six pieces.

While all the four-piece rods come in lengths and weights, starting at 7 feet six inches and ranging up to nine feet in length.

The Redington Classic Trout travel rod only has one model, which is a 9 foot 5 weight that comes in 6 pieces to make traveling easier.

This rod’s moderate action works well for all anglers, and it’s good in small creeks, rivers, or from the comfort of your boat.

Because it only weighs 3.1 ounces and offers great flexibility, it provides a superb alternative for a long day of fishing.

Choose from two configurations – a four-piece or a backpack-optimized six-piece. Various fly fish rod lengths work with different line weights. Here’s a quick guide:

• 7 feet six inches, 2wt or 3wt
• 8 feet, 4wt
• 8 feet six inches, 3wt,
• 9 feet, 5wt, 6wt.

As usual, the nine feet in length option offers the greatest versatility in application.

Redington Trailblazer

Another Redington winner is the Redington Trailblazer.

While the Classic Trout specializes in trout fishing, the Trailblazer was made for backpacking and traveling and can work for essentially any fishing situation.

The compact design breaks apart into six pieces and comes in two length options.

Choose either a 7 feet six-inch design that works with a 3wt line for small stream fishing, little tout, and panfish, or a nine feet option that works with a 5wt line for bigger rivers, lake fishing, nymphing and streamer fishing, bigger trout and bass, and any waterway requiring a loner casts.

Redington includes a compact storage tube to help keep all parts safe and organized.

According to the manufacturer, the Trailblazer provides the lightest rod they’ve offered.

Also, if you care about such things, this rod comes in a jaunty red blank streaked with neon green.

Getting down to the mechanics of this rod, it uses single-foot snake guides and an anodized aluminum reel seat, resulting in a travel rod that weighs less but also proves more durable.

M MAXIMUMCATCH Travel Fishing Rod

Best Tavel Fly Rod Under $100

One of my clients had this rod with him, and since I’d seen it on Amazon and since it was very inexpensive, I decided to try it out.

Although the M MAXIMUMCATCH Maxcatch Traveler Fly Fishing Rod casts 40 feet of fly line pretty well, this is still my least favorite of all the rods on this page.

I felt that the rod felt a bit heavy and a bit stiff compared to most rods and my concern is the durability of the rod. It just didn’t feel as good when casting and fishing and when fighting fish.

However, If you are a total beginner or you have a young child who is hard on gear and you don’t want him using a $200 rod, then this is a good option, and that is why I’m recommending it.

It comes in a range of 5 to 8 weight and is only made as a 9-foot rod.

If you are looking for an entire setup, check out my recent article on the best fly fishing combos and kits , and if you need a reel to go with your rods, check out the Best Fly Reels page.

Best Fly Rods For Traveling Summary

If you are looking for the best fly rods for travel, these are them and they range from $79 to over $900.00. My advice when choosing a travel fly rod is to choose the best one that fits your budget.

Tight Lines,

Professional Fishing Guide and Author At Trout And Steelhead

Graham Bristow is the owner and lead author here at Trout and Steelhead.net, and he has been writing about fishing since 2015.

Since September 2000, Graham has guided over 3000 clients over his 22 years as a guide and it now recognized as a top fishing guide.

Graham specializes in fly fishing, float fishing, and lure fishing for trout, steelhead, and salmon. About Graham

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Fishing Rods Explained – Action, Power and More

Jason sealock.

• Jan 18, 2023

Fishing rods vary greatly depending on species and techniques and preferences of anglers and manufacturing techniques. From materials to rod actions and rod powers, a fishing rod can be made in a multitude of different options. Length, power, action, taper and material as well as process can alter weight and balance of rods and that makes for an endless array of options that anglers have to then decipher and make some sort of educated decision on which rod will best fit their needs.

It can be an overwhelming prospect, so we’re seeking to help you understand not only what matters when choosing a fishing rod but also some of our favorite options among all of these choices.  

Fishing Rod Actions in Depth

So the terminology for rod actions confuses people. When you think about the action of the rod you’re talking about how much tip movement there is in the rod. So you would think you would have a scale from “stiff” to “limp” right? Because the Extra Fast Action is the stiffest action and the Slow Action is the limpest action.

What the the speed nomenclature is actually measuring is the speed in which rod returns to its normal state. So your fishing rod is straight in its normal untouched state. As the rod loads, it takes on a bent or loaded state under pressure. When you release the pressure, this is the action of the rod.  

In other words, when I bend a rod with an extra fast or fast action these are the fastest actions. That means the rod will return to its normal state the fastest. It’s extra fast action. So it returns to normal the extra fast. Whereas, when I bend a moderate to moderate slow rod, and release the pressure, the rod moves back to its normal state a lot slower. So it’s a slow action or a moderately slow action compared to the fast or extra-fast action.  

Charting Fishing Rod Actions for Easy Understanding

So the easiest way to show the differences in actions is by charting them. On this chart, you can see that the fast rod doesn’t bend as easy and has a lot less tip movement. So it has the least distance to travel to return to normal. So it will get there the fastest. Hence it’s a fast action.

The slower the action, the more the rod bends into the backbone. More of the rod moves, so it has to travel more distance to get back to straight. So it’s a lot slower to get back to straight.

Parabolic bends are when the action blends with the power of the rod to bend further down into the backbone of the rod where the power forms.  

Generally speaking a fast rod is a lot more responsive. It will set a hook a lot better, so it’s more for techniques where you need to drive a hook more on the hookset, like with a worm hook that is buried in plastic. A slower rod is going to load up more and the hooks grab under pressure. So a slower rod is better when you’re talking about straight retrieves and treble hook lures. The fish loads up on the bait when it bites, and the hooks drive under the loaded pressure not a hard hookset.  

A faster action is nice when you need to work a lure with the rod like a worm or a jig. Where a slower action is preferred when you work the treble hook lure more with your reel like with a crankbait for example.  

Breaking down rod actions

So let’s take a look at each rod action and when you should use them in your fishing.

Choosing Extra Fast Action Rods

A rod that has a super fast or responsive tip is usually best when you need to move the lure with your rod and you need to drive a hook fast when a fish bites. Most of the time an extra-fast action is found on a rod with more backbone like a flipping stick for pitching and flipping for bass.  

Or this action is found on a rod like a football jig rod where you’re casting a lure out to deep water and pulling the jig along the bottom by moving the rod. You don’t want a slow rod that is spongy when you’re trying to work a bait and maintain contact with it. And, when a fish bites, you need to drive a hook with a lot of line out which means stretch. An extra-fast action will help with that.

This action pairs nicely with a heavy power rod.

Fast Action Rod Applications

A fast-action rod has a responsive tip but it has a bit more flex. Where I like these types of rods is where you need to cast a lure into tight quarters and work a bait with quick moves of the rod tip. So say working a top water, a jerkbait or something like a hollow-bodied frog. I want a little more tip action to cast the lure accurately but not so much that I can’t work my bait effectively with sharp snaps of the rod.  

This action often pairs nicely with a Medium Heavy power.

Medium or Moderate Action Rods

A medium or even sometimes medium fast action rod is used for more straight retrieve type fishing. Things like spinnerbaits , Chatterbaits , and crankbaits fish really well on medium fast to medium/moderate action rods. These types of baits and retrieves lend more to a sweeping hookset where you lean into the fish when it runs a bait down and grabs it from behind. If it’s too fast of an action, you often will snatch the lure away from the fish before they’ve closed their mouth around the lure.  

Oftentimes you are wanting a lot more distance with these types of lures, so a moderate action rod loads a lot more and can give you a lot more distance on a cast. A stiffer rod doesn’t load as much and won’t have the launching power that a moderate rod has. Moderate actions work best with medium and medium light powers.

Slow action rod

Slow action rods are not used as much because they can get real spongy and unwieldy on both the cast and retrieving the lure. Some glass and E-glass rods have slow actions and they are better for crankbaits where you want to make long casts and make sure you don’t take the lure away from the fish when they bite. Panfish rods with ultralight powers can have real slow powers too. 

Fishing Rod Powers Explained

The power of a rod often refers to how much backbone a rod has. An Extra-heavy power rod has a ton of backbone and can lift bigger fish into the boat and cast larger, heavy lures. Most big swimbait rods are XXH-power rods where most small panfish rods are ultralight rods (UL).

Power combined with action and length gives you technique specific rods. Power aids in hooksets, castability, landability, and even fatigue to an extent. If you’re using a rod too light for the application, you can wear yourself out. If you’re using a rod too heavy for an application, you will have a hard time casting the lure efficiently.  

Generally speaking the heavier the power of the rod, the harder it will be to cast, with the exception of casting very heavy lures like big swimbaits . The lighter the rod, the better it will cast lighter lures like crappie jigs .

On the flip side, the heavier the rod, the easier it will be to set a good hook even with large hooks. And the lighter the rod, the harder it will be to drive a large hook so you have to size down your hooks for better penetration with less pressure.

Fishing Rod Power Rating Chart

Rod powers are basically ultralight all the way up to extra-extra-heavy. Some manufacturers like G. Loomis have gone to a power rating number system similar to what fly rods have always used like a 5 wt, a 6 wt or a 9 wt and so on. G. Loomis assigns numbers to their rods like a 845C CBR. The first two numbers are the length in inches of the rod. The last number is the rod’s power. The letters are generally acronyms for the rod, in this case CrankBaitRod.

With bass fishing rods and multispecies rods they basically break down like this following chart:

Power, Action, and Length all together make the rod

Understanding that rod power, action and length will dictate the rod’s uses and will help you make a good choice on a rod when you’re buying at a retailer or on a fishing trip. The power and action usually marry up similarly on most rods and small adjustments can give one rod a little different action and sensitivity in certain applications.  

A long, 8-foot, medium or medium-heavy rod with a moderate action will be a great deep diving crankbait rod. But that same 8-foot rod with a heavy power and extra fast action tip will be a great punching rod for matted vegetation.  

Fishing Rod Material Considerations

When you talk about fishing rods, I think a lot of novice anglers assume all rods are made out of the same material—some form of graphite or fiberglass. But rod materials have advanced a lot in the last 20 years and rods are made of lots of proprietary blends of modern materials.  

For a long time all we had was IM6 or IM8 graphite rods. This was actually a proprietary material made from graphite maker the Hexcel Corporation that every one then rolled with their own resins and clear coats to make their rods unique.

Nowadays, manufacturers talk about modulus and tonnage when talking about the stiffness of the graphite. You have high modulus and low modulus rods. You have 30Ton and 40Ton rods and so on.

Beyond that some companies are working with carbon fiber—a lighter and stronger material. Some companies are blending and cross weaving different modulus together in single rods and adding layers of other materials to strengthen back bones and give rods unique actions. The varying processes of blending these materials is what makes some rods a lot more expensive than others with seemingly the same stuff when they are actually vastly different recipes of materials.

Talking Grips and Handles on Fishing Rods

Originally you had cork handles. Then rubber and foam handles. Nowadays we have EVA foam which is a much denser and durable type of foam that can lighten a rod significantly. Cork does well in wet conditions and lasts a long time. New materials like Winn Grips and tacky composite rubber blends made to look like cork are becoming more popular. And some companies like Cashion rods create proprietary grips out of newer materials like carbon fiber weaves.  

You have split grip and full grip options in handles. Split grips can reduce rod weight and is why they became so popular. But full grips make two handed casting a lot more comfortable. The longer the handles the more of a fulcrum you can build which is why they are preferred on extra heavy swimbait rods and deep diving crankbait rods where you are trying to load and launch heavy hard baits as far as possible to achieve maximum depth and coverage.

Fishing Rod Guides can reduce weight and add efficiency

There are a plethora of options in guides. Stainless steel, zirconium, titanium, and other materials can be used to create the guides depending on strength and weight reduction required on the rod. Never mind the ceramic and other insert options. There are classic guides and newer micro guides and even more advance guides like MicroWave guides for funneling line on a spinning reel using a step down guide in a guide configuration.

Having more guides gives you a smoother casting and better retrieving rod because you can keep the line off of the rod blank when it bends. On cheaper rods with less guides, the line will actually rub on the blank or worse go beyond the blank and turn sharp edges in the guides themselves which will lead to more break offs on big fish.  

Guides can reduce the weight of a rod or give it more durability. Guides can give more fluid management of your fishing line. And guides should be checked often to make sure the ceramic inserts are not damaged which can cause line fray that leads to break offs.  

Click here to read 3 Ways to Repair Your Fishing Rod on a Budget

Fishing Rods Q & A

What is a slow action rod good for.

Slower actions are good for fishing with baits that have treble hooks or lures that you straight reel for a vibration like crankbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, Chatterbaits. The rod transmits the vibration well, loads on the back cast to get an extra long cast and then loads up well and gives the hooks time to drive in and hook the fish well. It’s not great for baits you have to impart action on with the rod. A slower action is made for rods that you just straight reel a lure and then lean into the fish when they bite.

What is a fast action rod good for?

A fast-action rod gives you enough tip and backbone to impart action on the lure to make it dance and dart or hop a long the bottom. The rod also is usually a bit stiffer overall so it’s a lot better for lures that require a hard hook set to drive a single hook through plastic and into the fish. So faster actions are seen on rods you need to work the bait like topwaters and jerkbaits, but also on baits you might shake and hop and then have to drive a hook on the bite like jigs and worms.

What is an extra-fast action rod good for?

This is for baits you want to twitch or for very heavy duty rods that you need maximum power and a quick hookset. So a lot of jerkbait and topwater rods have extra fast actions. You also see this in flipping sticks and big swimbait rods.

What is a moderate action rod for?

Normally a moderate action is good for reeled baits where you need a bit of backbone and hooking power. So something like a swim jig, chatterbait rod, and spinnerbait rod will have a moderate action as will some deep cranking rods.

What is the easiest fishing rod to use?

To learn to fish, we recommend starting with a spinning rod with a spinning reel to learn to fish. You pinch the line to the rod, open the bail on the reel and then cast letting your finger off the line to let the lure fly. It’s very simple and quick to learn and will give you a lot of options for fishing. But you learn to work the rod and take up your slack with the reel. Or you can just straight reel and you have a lot of power and leverage with a spinning rod with small baits.

Should I get a 1-piece or 2-piece rod?

Most of the time we prefer 1-piece rods. More uniform construction yields more sensitivity power and durability. But 2 piece rods have their place, especially when you are talking about traveling. We reviewed several of the best travel rods and many were 2-piece rods that offer great fishing in an easy to break down and transport configuration.

So that’s a basic rundown of everything you need to know about fishing rods to make good decisions on which rods to buy and use for your various fishing scenarios.   To learn more about specific rods we’ve tested and like, visit our Best Fishing Rods article.

Currently working as Senior Advisor to Wired2fish. Former COO and Publisher, Jason Sealock came to Wired2fish shortly after inception in January of 2010. Prior to that he was the Editor-in-Chief of FLW Outdoors Magazines. He worked up from Associate Editor to Photo Editor and finally Editor in Chief of three magazines FLW Bass, FLW Walleye and FLW Saltwater. He set the content direction for Wired2fish while also working directly with programmers, consultants and industry partners. Sealock has been an avid angler for the better part of 40 years and has been writing and shooting fishing and outdoors content for more than 25 years. He is an expert with fishing electronics and technologies and an accomplished angler, photographer, writer and editor. He has taught a lot of people to find fish with their electronics and has been instrumental in teaching these technologies to the masses. He's also the industry authority on new fishing tackle and has personally reviewed more than 10,000 products in his tenure. He has a 30-year background in information technologies and was a certified engineer for a time in Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, and HP. He mostly fishes for bass and panfish around the house. He has, however, caught fish in 42 of the 50 states in the US as well as Costa Rica, Mexico, and Canada and hopes to soon add Finland, Japan, Africa and Australia to his list.

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Shop / ZT Double Hand Travel Rod

ZT Double Hand Travel Rod

USD  820.00

In early 2020 the world of travel came to a standstill. But rather than wait out the disruption, we got to work creating the ultimate travel rod. Read more

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Product description.

In early 2020 the world of travel came to a standstill. But rather than wait out the disruption, we got to work – with the aim of creating the ultimate fly fishing travel rod.

After nearly two years of research, development and rigorous testing, the world started to open up again, and we we launched the LOOP ZT.

As a travelling angler you can never be fully sure what conditions you might face at your destination, but the majority of travel rods are usually a compromise between two parameters – fast sinking lines vs. floating lines with fine presentation. Or, they have been designed to heavily favour one or the other.

With this in mind, we felt an obligation to produce a series of multi-piece rods that perfectly combines strength and lightness, whilst also maintaining the progressive casting taper that has become synonymous with LOOP. Thanks to the unique incorporation of graphene particles into the nano resin, we firmly believe that we have achieved this perfect balance.

Made using 40-45 ton nano graphene carbon fibre of the highest specification available – ensuring the smoothest, most powerful action of any travel rod we’ve ever come across – the ZT series also features a AAA+ grade cork handle, specially designed lightweight reel seat, ceramic lined titanium stripping guides and titanium plated stainless steel snake guides.

Available in 5 unique models and a 6 piece format designed for easy and safe transportation no matter what the destination – the ZT series is simply the best fly fishing travel companion you’ll ever have.

Model Specs:

6122 – The 6122 is a smooth but still powerful rod that is perfect when stealth, delicacy and presentation is required. Bombers and hitch flies on this rod are amazing but of course it handles the smaller tubes or hook flies equally well. An absolute gem when fishing salmon, sea trout or migrating browns.

7130 – “Steelhead 101” but perfect for medium sized salmon rivers as well. A rod with a smooth, deep, powerful action that is perfect for the Skagit style angler. Although, a Scandi line is an absolute joy to pair this rod with.

8132 – If you are fishing medium to larger rivers the 8132 will cover most situations. The rod works equally well with Scandi style casting as with Skagit style, floating or sinking lines. If you are in need of distance there is certainly enough power in the rod to provide that.

9140 – The all year around rod for most salmon rivers. Just like the 8132, this rod covers most situations you might encounter. The 9140 has even more power to lift and cast sinking lines the way you like it. Still, the rod has very good accuracy and enough finesse to make fishing with floating line and small flies a real pleasure.

10150 – The big gun in the ZT series. Look no further if you are fishing bigger rivers and are in need of a rod that can lift those heavy sinking lines and send them straight over the river again. It is not only a sinking line rod though. If you want to fish floating lines, the rod performs exceptionally with both shooting heads and long belly lines.

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These superior ultralight actions come in lengths up to 8’ for a combination of casting power with light lures—shock absorbing action to handle strong fish on ultra-fine lines. Micro-pitch taping of the blank during curing assures even distribution of resin and graphite for maximum power and sensitivity.

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Best Backpacking Fishing Pole: Spinning, Casting, & Fly Fishing Rods

Any backpacking angler needs a specialized rod to take on their travels. Find the best backpacking fishing pole in our guide on the top models for hiking, backpacking, or camping trips.

While fishing and backpacking go hand-in-hand, it’s not always easy to cram all the fishing gear you need into your backpack. Modern poles like telescopic rods and tenkara poles, however, are compact and can be collapsed to fit in any backpack with ease.

Given that there are few things sweeter than catching your own dinner on the trail, we’ve tested the best backpacking fishing poles for various budgets and styles. Overall, we loved the PLUSINNO Telescopic Reel and Rod Combo, awarding it our editor’s choice.

From our reviews, we also highly recommend the St Croix Mojo Bass, Sougayilang Telescopic Fishing Rod – Black Hawk, Daiwa Ardito, Goture Travel Fishing Rods 4Pcs, CAPACI Portable Travel Casting & Spinning Pole, DRAGONtail Tenkara Shadowfire 360 12′, Wild Water Tenkara 12′ Rod Starter Package, and the MAXIMUMCATCH Maxcatch Tenkara Rod.

Still not sure? We have all the info you need to choose the ideal rod for both your backpacking and angling styles. We cover the types of rods available and various features to look out for, including rod power, rod length, reel gear ratio, and rod weight.

Table of Contents

PLUSINNO Telescopic Reel and Rod Combo

St croix mojo bass, sougayilang telescopic fishing rod – black hawk, daiwa ardito, best collapsible backpacking fishing poles, goture travel fishing rods 4pcs, capaci portable travel casting & spinning pole, best tenkara rods, dragontail tenkara shadowfire 360 12′, wild water tenkara 12′ rod starter package, maximumcatch maxcatch tenkara rod, spinning rod, baitcasting rod, telescoping or collapsible rod, reel gear ratio, final thoughts on the best lightweight backpacking fishing gear, at a glance: quick recommendations.

• Editor’s Choice :  PLUSINNO Telescopic Fishing Rod and Reel Combo “The perfect, beginner-friendly telescoping rod that offers the right balance of power, action, and portability.”
• Best Backpacking Casting Rod:  St Croix Mojo Bass “A great casting model for experienced anglers looking for both portability and power.”
• Best Budget Spinning Rod:  Sougayilang Telescopic Rod – Black Hawk “Looking for a lightweight, compact pole comfortable enough for all-day use? This is it!”
• Best Spinning Rod:  Daiwa Ardito “This rod has it all – power, fast action, and durability. This is our heaviest pick, so it’s more suitable for car camping.”
• Best Collapsible :  Goture Travel Rod “This highly portable and powerful rod comes in both spinning and casting types, but it’s most suited for big fish.”
• Best Budget Collapsible :  CAPACI Portable Travel Spinning & Casting “An ultra-compact, lightweight rod perfect for reeling in small to medium fish.”
• Best Tenkara Rod:  DRAGONtail Tenkara Shadowfire 360 12′ “This affordable starter kit is an easy-to-use and low-maintenance choice for backpackers.”
• Best Value Tenkara:  Wild Water Tenkara 12′ Rod Starter Package “Catch and retrieve at lightning speeds with this durable and beginner-friendly slow-action rod.”
• Best Tenkara Compact Option:  MAXIMUMCATCH Maxcatch Tenkara Rod “Lightweight, portable, and with some thoughtful features, this Tenkara pole is a solid choice for any backpacker.”

Which are the Best Backpacking Fishing Rods on the market?

After testing in the field we’ve narrowed down our top picks to the following nine fishing rods.

• CAPACI Portable Travel Casting & Spinning Pole
• Wild Water Tenkara 12′ Rod Starter Package

The PLUSINNO fishing rod is a compact yet powerful telescopic pole that collapses into an impressive 19–20-inch unit and at just 5.6 ounces it earns our editor’s choice award.

Adding to all that portability is its fiberglass construction and medium power, making it a well-rounded choice for any backpacker. Choose the rod and reel combos or go for the full kit and have everything you need to get started in one place. 

Perhaps most impressive is its bang for your buck. At such an affordable price, this is the perfect rod for beginners or backpackers looking for a well-rounded, portable rod. 

• Portability
• Easy to use
• Four different lengths
• Heavy spinning reel

Bottom-Line: The perfect beginner-friendly telescoping power rod that offers the right balance of power, action, and portability.

The St Croix Mojo Bass is designed primarily for catching bass, but the durability and power of this rod will help you conquer any freshwater, float-and-fly fish, winning it our best casting rod award.

Made from premium SCIII carbon, these graphite rods offer exceptional strength and durability. They are available in several lengths and power options meaning you can choose the rod that most suits your technique. 

This is a fast or extra-fast-action rod, meaning it’s extra-sensitive and requires some expertise to handle. 

• Fast action
• 5-year warranty
• Versatile rod power
• Heavy with the reel

Bottom-Line: A great casting backpacking rod for experienced anglers looking for both portability and power.

The Sougayilang telescopic fishing rod performs well, looks great, and is affordable, making it our top choice for a budget spinning rod.

While its high-density carbon fiber construction renders it portable and lightweight, it does lack some of the durability of other heavier, telescoping rods. At such an affordable price, it’s still a great light/medium power choice and perfect for any easy-going angler looking to catch fish while on the trail.

• Ergonomic handle 
• Lightweight
• Less durability than other telescopic rods

Bottom-Line: Looking for a lightweight, compact pole comfortable enough for all-day use? This is it!

The Daiwa Ardito excels in power and performance, making it our favorite backpacking spinning rod. Few travel poles offer such versatility and strength in a 5-piece rod.

Thanks to its bias graphite construction, this pole offers superb flexibility, strength, and sensitivity to bites. With such an impressive backbone capable of reeling big fish, you’d never guess this was a telescopic rod.

The downside to all this power and strength? The price and the weight. It’s an expensive, weighty pole that might be better suited for car camping. 

• Quality materials 
• Solid performance 
• Sensitive to bites

Bottom-Line: As travel spinning rods go this one has it all – power, fast action, and durability, but it’s our heaviest pick, too, so is more suitable for car camping.

The Goture is both sensitive and strong, making it our top pick for a collapsible fishing rod. The pole collapses into 4 light pieces, making it the perfect choice for air travel and backpackers.

Thanks to its 30-ton carbon matrix, you’ll enjoy exceptional medium-power and durability without sacrificing sensitivity. To further sweeten the deal this rod features EVA split grips, a 1-year warranty, and free replacement parts only sweeten the deal. 

• Both spinning/casting rods available
• 1-year warranty
• Heavy power is not suited for all types of angling

Bottom-Line: This highly portable and powerful rod comes in both spinning and casting options, but it’s most suited for big fish.

It’s hard to capture that one-piece feeling with a collapsible budget 6-piece rod, but the CAPACI comes very close!

Thanks to this innovative 6-piece collapsible design, the pole breaks down to an incredibly compact carrying size, perfect for squeezing into small packs. While it may not be the most powerful rod on our list, it should be more than enough to handle the small to medium fish you’ll be trying to catch while backpacking. 

• Portability 
• Lots of pieces that can break/come loose

Bottom-Line: An ultra-compact, lightweight fishing rod perfect for reeling in small to medium fish.

For an entry-level angler, our top choice for a Tenkara rod is the DRAGONtail Shadowfire.

Weighing in at just 2.9 ounces, it’s the lightest of all the Tenkara models on our list and provides all-day comfort and a barely-there feeling. Spend a few more bucks and invest in the full starters kit for everything you need for catching fish on your next backpacking trip. 

Just remember, this rod extends out to a full 12-feet, meaning you’ll need lots of room for casting!

• Lightweight & compact
• Durable materials
• Versatile power rod
• Full beginner’s backpacking fishing kit
• Difficult casting due to length

Bottom-Line: This affordable starter kit is an easy-to-use and low-maintenance choice for backpackers. 

The Wild Water Tenkara is a no-nonsense pole that’s simple to use and good value for money. It’s a great first rod for learning to fish, and with over 25 pieces included in the kit, it has everything you need to get started.

This is a quality rod made from IM8 graphite that collapses into just under 20” of length and 3 ounces. Its small compact size, ease of use, and lifetime warranty make the Wild Water one of the top slow-action rods for backpacking. 

• Complete, beginner-friendly kit
• Lifetime warranty
• Slightly heavier than other Tenkara rods 

Bottom-Line: Catch and retrieve at lightning speeds with this durable and beginner-friendly slow-action rod.

The Maxcatch is our top choice for a more compact Tenkara option.

Don’t let the light weight and portability of this pole fool you, its 100% carbon fiber material lets it put up quite a fight! A soft-touch cork handle helps with casting while the rotating lillian will keep your line from getting tangled. 

It’s also one of the longest rods on our list at 13 feet, making it perfect for fly fishing but a little hard to cast. A lifetime warranty just seals the deal. 

• Light yet durable carbon fiber 
• High gear ratio
• Difficult to cast due to length

Bottom-Line: Lightweight, portable, and with some thoughtful features, this Tenkara model is a solid choice for any backpacker.

What Types of Fishing Poles Are Available?

Rods come in a variety of styles with each suited for a different technique. We describe the main types in the list below.

Spinning reels are located “upside-down” or on the backside of the rod. This is the perfect rod for beginners since they’re easy to use and allow for long casts. Spinning rods are not always the most appropriate for backpackers since they tend to be heavy and bulky. 

Fly fishing rods are built specifically for fly fishing, and while they look like normal poles, they have different features. The fly used with a fly rod is practically weightless, requiring a different casting technique than spin fishing.

The reel on a baitcasting rod sits on top of the pole, allowing for a stronger line to catch bigger specimens. As its name implies, baitcasting rods are used for casting bait into the water. The downside is the pole’s limited ability to cast lighter lures and use lighter lines.

Both telescoping and collapsible fishing rods are great for travel thanks to their compact size, but which is better for catching fish? In general terms, beginners may prefer a telescoping version, while those with more experience may prefer a collapsible option.

Every angler or backpacker will have their own opinion, but it all comes down to preference. A collapsible fishing rod for backpacking will be bulkier and require more setup, but they’re usually stronger and more durable, making them a better choice for avid fishermen. 

Tenkara or telescopic fishing rods are easier to set up and more portable since they collapse down to just a few feet. Beginners or backpackers short on space will find them to be the most convenient choice.

How to Choose a Backpacking Fishing Rod?

Now that you know the type of fishing pole you’d prefer for backpacking, we’ve described the various features to consider in the list below.

Simply put, a rod’s power relates to how much pressure it takes to make the rod bend. You want the rod to bend as that provides the tension needed to reel in the fish. A rod’s power can range from ultralight to heavy, sometimes depicted with a rating from 1 to 5. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the rod, the smaller the fish it will be suited for catching.

For backpacking, it’s advised to stick to a light to medium-power rod. You won’t need any more power than that for the fish you’ll encounter, so avoid the extra weight.

A rod’s length is measured from the tip to the grip, with most rods ranging from 6 to 12 feet. Longer rods are great for long casts and overcoming dense vegetation but are bulkier and heavier. Shorter rods have a shorter reach but are lightweight and easier to work with in trees or vegetation.

For backpackers, length is one of your biggest considerations for a rod. The length you choose will determine where you can fish and if the rod will fit into your pack. 

Simply put, the reel gear ratio is about how quickly the fishing line is pulled back in when you’re turning the reel. In general, low ratios are used for big baits and larger fish, while higher ratios are required to reel in fast fish. For example, a 6.0:1 ratio means that for every revolution of the reel handle, the spool will spin 6 times. 

This balanced retrieve is the perfect middle ground for backpackers as it allows you to use a variety of baits and try your hand at fish caught in both the “slow” and “fast” ratios as well, and is ideal for both freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing.

The reel gear ratio is a fairly technical subject that requires some background science to grasp, so those who want to deep dive into the subject can do so here .

Backpackers know that every gram matters , so choosing a lightweight rod will be important. If you go too light, however, you’ll limit the type of fish you can catch. Consider choosing a rod that’s light to medium weight to allow yourself the opportunity for a variety of catches without being too weighed down.

When backpacking, weight and size are always top priorities, and backpacking fishing gear is no different! We hope we’ve shown you there are lots of great compact choices available to allow you to enjoy a spot of angling even while on the trail. Choose any backpacking fishing rod on our list and you won’t be disappointed!

Be sure to let us know in the comments if you have any questions about choosing the best fishing rod for your upcoming backpacking trips!

Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Jolanda Lapegna

Jolanda is a full-time writer and life-long outdoor enthusiast. Growing up on a small island off the Eastern Canadian coast, she spent most of her childhood hiking, swimming and fishing in the Atlantic ocean.

After a short stint in the corporate world, Jolanda quit her day job to write full-time and check out what lies beyond the Canadian shores. Ever since, she’s been hiking, biking and kayaking her way across 11 European countries and counting.

Jolanda currently lives in the beautiful, Tuscan countryside. When she isn’t hanging out in the woods or at the beach, you’ll catch her foraging for mushrooms and truffles with her truffle-dog, Red.

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The 5 Best Travel Fly Rod in 2024 – Buyers Guide

• Written By: Ben Kepka
• Last Updated: December 20, 2023

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If you like to travel around and visit new fly fishing spots, you’ll need to kit yourself out with a travel fly rod. The best fly fishing rods break down into 6, 7, or even 8 different sections, making them very  portable . They also tend to be  lightweight without losing out on performance.

Backpackers are big fans of travel rods, but they can also be handy when you don’t want to check luggage on a flight. Here’s our  complete guide to choosing the best travel fly rod for you!

The Best Travel Fly Rods: The Reviews

We aim to review the best products so that you can quickly and easily pick out the best compact fly rod for you!

Echo Trip 8 Piece Travel Fly Rod

Echo fly rods has designed the ultimate travel fly rod, breaking down into 8 pieces that  measure just 18 inches . If you need to hit the road and travel light, fly cross country, or go backpacking with your rod, this fly rod is fit for the job.

Available in 5, 6, or 8 weight rods,  you can take your pick and choose the weight that best fits your needs. The aesthetics on this rod are attractive, with black wraps, silver trim, stripping guides, and chrome snake guides.

This 8-piece rod is  quick and easy to fit together  thanks to the alignment dots on the ferrules. The whole rod feels sturdy to use, with the perfect balance of action and power despite it being ultra-compact.  The Echo Trip excels in the mid-long distance range, with plenty of sensitivity and impressive accuracy.

If you’re looking for a travel rod that packs down to a tiny size but could pass for a traditional fly rod, check out the Echo Trip!

• Cool glossy design
• Super compact - 18"
• Fits in your backpack
• Great performance
• Lifetime warranty included
• Doesn’t perform well with big fly patterns
• Just one uplocking ring

Overall Score

* How we test and review products .

Redington Classic Trout

The Redington Classic Trout has an admirable reputation as a  superb trout rod with impressive accuracy and sensitivity.  But what many anglers don’t know is that it also makes a brilliant travel fly rod.

While most of the versions are 4-piece rods, the Redington CT is also available in a 3 weight and a 5 weight rod. Both versions measure 9 foot and break down into 6 separate pieces. The rod  measures just 17.5 inches , making it the perfect size for travel. You can pack it into your backpack, your carry on, or your suitcase with ease.

Although the Classic Trout isn’t built to withstand strong winds, it casts beautifully and will catch you plenty of fish. There’s no shoddy workmanship or cut corners here.

If you’re looking for an amazing travel fly rod that could double up as your main rod, go for this one. You won’t be disappointed.

• Very accurate casting
• Ideal for trout fishing
• Packs down compactly into 6 pieces
• Not great for long casts
• Difficult to cast in windy conditions

Maxcatch Traveler Fly Fishing Rod

The Maxcatch Traveler could easily be the  best travel fly rod for under $100 . This impressive carbon fiber rod has a solid aluminum fly reel and boasts a high-quality, AAA-grade cork grip. The best news is that you can break it down into 7 small pieces and take it anywhere with you, and the affordable price makes it an accessible travel rod for any angler.

The Traveler performs well on all sorts of rivers and can shoot line out there with power and accuracy.  If you’re used to an expensive, high-end rod, you’ll notice the difference, but it certainly gets the job done. The attention to detail in the aesthetics and the construction is clear to see, with alignment dots making it simple to put together.

Without a doubt, the Maxcatch Traveler is the  best budget travel option  around today. If you need a reliable travel rod without breaking the bank, this is the one to go for.

• Packs plenty of power
• Excellent build quality
• Suitable for catching big fish
• Affordable price
• Closer to medium-fast action than fast action

Hardy Demon Saltwater Fly Fishing Rod

The Hardy Demon has a  sturdy build,  with an anodized aluminum double uplocking reel seat, fighting butt, full wells cork handle. It has an  attractive aesthetic  with darker blue wraps and light blue blank.

The rod weighs just 3.81 oz and measures 21 inches, so it’s slightly longer than other travel rods. But it’s still reasonably compact, and the  accuracy in the short-mid range is incredible . Saltwater rods need to pack plenty of power to get your fly out and haul in large fish like tarpon and bonefish, hence the larger size.

You also get a  lifetime warranty,  and Hardy’s customer service is excellent and responsive.

• Great for saltwater fly fishing
• Suitable for BIG fish!
• Lightweight
• Super-fast recovery
• Expensive for a travel rod
• Bigger than some other models
• Less accurate casting in the long-distance range
• Small cork handle

Orvis Clearwater Frequent Flyer Fly Rod

The Orvis name stands for top quality, superior fishing gear in the fly fishing world. When you see Orvis on a fly rod, you know it’s worth checking out! The Orvis Clearwater Frequent Flyer is an  awesome fly rod that breaks down into 7 pieces , making it very easy to transport.

This ultra-light rod guarantees  effortless control and accuracy . If you like to fit some fishing in while you’re backpacking, this is the perfect solution! It won’t weigh you down, and you’ll catch lots of fish with this responsive rod. You can strap it onto your backpack and you won’t even know it’s there!

When it comes to performance, this rod raises the bar. It’s both  versatile and a delight to cast,  so you can fish almost anywhere with this model.

Although Orvis is no longer manufacturing the Clearwater Frequent Flyer, there are still a few around. Snap up this excellent travel fly rod before it disappears off the market entirely. We can only hope that Orvis brings this superb rod back into production soon!

• Great Control
• Helios technology
• Reasonable price
• Excellent, quality construction
• No longer in production
• Hard to find

How to Choose the Best Travel Fly Rod

There are a few things you need to look out for to make sure you get the right travel fly rod for your needs. Here are the most important factors on how to pick a fly rod.

You’ll find fishing rods that break down into 6, 7, or even 8 pieces. The more parts a rod has, the more compact it will be.  Travel rods tend to vary anywhere between 16 inches and 22 inches.

If you need to fit your rod into your backpack or carry on, make sure you’ve checked the dimensions and verify whether the rod is the right size for you.

Weight is another important factor for travel rods, especially when you’re hiking all day with it strapped on your back. You’ll be amazed at how lightweight travel fly rods can be thanks to the best of modern technology. If you love backpacking up a mountain to get to those remote streams,  go for the lightest rod available.  You’ll be glad you did!

Take a close look at the materials and build quality of the rod from the reel seats to the finishing of the wraps. If anything looks rushed, low quality, or not as sturdy as you’d like, it’s a good sign that you should move on and check out another product.

Graphite fly rods tend to be the most durable, higher quality products . Many travel rods are made from carbon fiber these days, but we always prefer a graphite rod. It’s worth spending a little bit extra if your budget allows, as the rod will be able to stand up to more fishing trips and last you longer!

If you’re going for a rod and reel combo, take a close look at the fishing reel.  Many people underestimate the importance of the fly reel. If your fishing reel isn’t powerful, you won’t be able to land those fish you’ve been hunting for.

Performance

You might be looking for an ultralight, compact rod, but you still want it to perform well on the water. When you’re hunting for fish, whether it’s salmon, trout, or bass, you need a rod that is  accurate, powerful, and sensitive.

Travel fly rods have a bad reputation compared to normal rods, but they have definitely improved in recent years. Many rod manufacturers have worked hard to redesign their portable rods, making them stronger and more precise. As always, try to read a review or two of the rod you’re thinking of buying to see what other anglers think.

Find out what the action is on the rods you’re comparing.  Fly rods range from slow action right up to stiff, fast action rods, and there’s a big difference in how they will behave in your hands. A medium action rod is a good place to start if you’re not sure what to go for.

Make sure you shop around before buying – you can find some great deals on Amazon as well as in your local fly fishing shops. 

Travel Fly Rod FAQ

In this section, we’ll answer the most common questions about fly rods for you!

What is the best brand of fly rod?

There’s a wide range of fly rods to choose from, so it can get pretty overwhelming. When it comes to picking out the best brand, it helps to identify what you want to use the rod for first. Fishing manufacturers normally have a range of models for different situations.

Do you want a durable all-rounder that you can use anywhere? Take a look at the Sage X. After something that will work wonders for trout fishing? The Redington Classic Trout is just what you’re looking for. If accuracy is essential for you, the Orvis Helios 3 should suit you well.

Well-known brands like Redington, Orvis, and Sage all tend to be safe bets , no matter which model you go for. These fly fishing companies will surely satisfy your fly fishing needs.

What is the shortest fly rod?

The shortest fly rod that adults can comfortably and effectively use measures around 7 foot 6. If you go much shorter than this, you won’t have the same ease of casting, versatility, and line control as with a longer model. The most common length tends to be a 9 ft rod.

Are telescopic rods good?

Telescopic rods can be a good solution if you’re tight on space , as they are portable and easy to transport. However, we prefer multi-piece rods here.

The reason for this is that they tend to be more durable, made of better quality materials, and have an improved action compared to telescopic rods.

If you’re an enthusiastic angler who goes on frequent fishing trips, you’ll be better served by a multi-piece rod instead. Telescopic rods are a suitable choice for hobby anglers who only fish on occasion.

The Wrap Up

So there you have the complete review and guide to the top travel fly rods around. Whether you like to hop on a plane to check out new fly fishing locations all over the world, or you’re more of the hiking type, there’s the right travel rod for every angler .

I would suggest the Redington Classic Trout for a new travel fly rod. But you won’t go wrong with any of our recommendations. We’ve selected the best rods for travel, and all our recommendations are compact, lightweight, durable, and perform well on the water. Now, all that’s left for you to do is select a rod and plan some fun fishing trips.

If you’ve found this guide and review helpful, why not give it a share on Facebook or Twitter so we can reach even more readers? Drop us a comment or an email to let us know which travel fly rod outfit you’ll be going for! Don’t miss our other reviews of fishing reels, accessories, and more on the blog!

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The Best Fly Rods of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

We tortured-tested 16 of today's most innovative—and affordable—trout rods to find the best fly rods of the year

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This summer, in the name of research (and fun), a crew of Field & Stream editors assembled for the most rigorous fly rod test we’ve ever done. In the months leading up to the test, it quickly became clear that we’d need to narrow things down because there are a lot of fly rods on the market. Do we test freshwater fly rods or saltwater fly rods? Fresh. Do we tackle fly rods for all freshwater gamefish or focus on one species? One. Do we go with panfish or bass or trout or pike or… Trout.

Of course we picked trout. What else would you expect from a magazine brand that, for decades, concluded every story with a small icon of a Canada goose and a trout?

With that decided, the five resident trout bums on the F&S staff traveled to the Catskills of New York for a long weekend of casting, fishing, and (hopefully) catching as we tested 16 of the year’s best fly rods for trout fishing.

Best Fly Rods

• Best Overall: Sage R8 Core
• Best Value: Orvis Clearwater
• Best Small Stream Fly Rod: Epic Reference 476 Fastglass

The Rest of the Best Fly Rods

• Epic Reference 590G Carbon Fiber
• G. Loomis NRX+Fly
• Hardy Ultralite X
• Maine Fly Rod Co. Kennebec
• Moonshine Vesper
• Orvis Helios 3 Blackout
• Redington Trace
• Scott Centric
• St. Croix Imperial
• St. Croix Mojo Trout
• Temple Fork Outfitters Blue Ribbon
• Temple Fork Outfitters LK Legacy
• Thomas & Thomas Paradigm

How We Tested the Best Fly Rods

For our test, we traveled to one of the most famous—and challenging—trout rivers in the country: the West Branch of the Delaware River . The Delaware has long been the unofficial home river of the Field & Stream team, going back to the days when angling legends like A.J. McClane and, later, John Merwin served as the Fishing Editor for F&S. There are certainly easier places than the Upper D to catch trout, but easy is not what this gear test was about. We wanted to see how today’s best fly rods performed under the toughest and most technical fishing conditions possible, which the Delaware offers in spades.

Our five-person test crew consisted of the following members of the F&S staff:

• Colin Kearns, Editor-in-Chief
• Dave Hurteau, Executive Editor
• Matthew Every, Senior Editor
• Sage Marshall, News Editor
• Ryan Chelius, Assistant Editor

Collectively, we have nearly 100 years worth of fly fishing experience and have traveled across North America on various angling adventures. 

Our home base for the test was the Dream Catcher Lodge . We arrived with 16 fly rods in a wide variety of prices (sub-$200 to $1,000-plus), actions (glass noodles to graphite broomsticks), and lengths (7 ½ feet to 10 feet). One specification they did share in common was line weight: We limited the test to 4- and 5-weights only. Another common thread across the test was the fly line we used. Similar to shooting the same load through every gun in a shotgun test, we spooled every reel with the same fly line— Rio Gold WF5F . 

In the mornings and early afternoons of our test, we took over the enormous lawn at the lodge to set up our “range” for casting drills. Each tester was given a lane with targets measured at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 feet. We tested every rod for distance and accuracy, and also recorded test-panel notes on each rod’s power, feel, control, and overall castability.

Then, in the late afternoons—just in time for the evening sulfur hatch—we put on our waders and hit the river. On the water, we again judged the rods how far and accurately they cast but paid particularly close attention to versatility. We cast dries, nymphs, hopper-droppers, and streamers. We double-hauled, roll-cast, and chuck-and-ducked. And, by the grace of the fish gods, we experienced one of those you-should’ve-been-there weekends and got to see how well these rods stood up to the weight and strength of wild Delaware River brown trout. 

We also judged the rods on aesthetics (because we think looks matter in a fly rod) and their warranty (because every fly rod, no matter the price, is an investment). 

On the final morning of the test—when a select few rods had quickly emerged as the front-runners for our Editors’ Pick and Best Value Awards—we conducted a blind-casting test . Two editors stood far off to the side, while the others used masking tape to cover the logos on the award-contending rods. The anonymous rods were then handed to the designated casters, who fired away, totally unaware of what they were casting. The results of this blind experiment were truly eye-opening, and as a result, two rods distinguished themselves as the unanimous winners for Editors’ Pick and Best Value.

And those winners are…

The Best Fly Rods: Reviews & Recommendations

• Length: 9 feet
• Line Weight: 5
• Action: Fast
• Warranty: Original-owner lifetime
• Lightweight with surprising power
• Highly versatile
• Classic looks

Test Panel Notes

• “This thing is an animal. During our distance tests, I could consistently reach out to 80-plus feet with ease. It’s one of the most powerful, and smoothest, fly rods I’ve ever cast.” —C.K.  
• “A beautiful rod. Its sheer power made me feel like I could cast my fly anywhere I wanted.” —S.M.

You’re looking at the Editors’ Pick Award winner for the overall best new trout rod of 2023. Though, it was a tight race. At the end of the lawn-casting session, several testers were leaning in a different direction. But then we put the Sage R8 Core on the water—and that decided things.

On the lawn, there’s a tendency to favor the purest caster or the biggest bomb-thrower. On the water, you take in everything. And that is what sets the R8 apart: It does everything really, really well. Most rods are an either/or proposition; you get distance or feel, lightweight or power. But the R8 is different. At just 2 11/16 ounces, it’s light and lively and has enough power to cut the wind. It finished right near the top of our test for distance and provided wonderful feel and line control on the water. It’s accurate at short and long ranges, a rare combo.

All of this makes the R8 extremely versatile: it’s as good a nymphing rod as it is a dry-fly rod, and while you wouldn’t call our 9-foot, 5-weight test model a streamer rod (nor expect it to be one in this age of monster meat flies ), it’s got more than enough backbone for Zonkers, Buggers, Muddlers, and other traditional trout streamers. Anything you’d ask a 5-weight to do on the water, our test rod did, in spades.

Speaking of traditional, the aesthetics on this rod are classic Sage, which I really appreciate. (Like my own good looks, it’s understated.) The R8 Core replaces the excellent X series, with the goal of putting more flex and feel deeper into the butt section to boost control and accuracy. The company pulled it off beautifully. As good as the X was, the R8 is a lighter, better overall trout rod. I have only two quibbles: the components while very good are not the absolute latest, and—surprise—the rod is pricey. A few other rods in this lineup will shoot line a little farther or cast a bit more effortlessly, but the R8 rules on the water. Which, as you may know, is where the trout live. —D.H.

• Action: Medium-Fast
• Warranty: 25-Year
• Killer bargain
• Remarkably forgiving
• A tad heavy and unwieldy
• Basic components
• “What a bargain! I won’t name names, but this rod out-performed rods that cost two or three times as much.” —C.K. 
• “I own a Clearwater and absolutely love it. It’s hard to beat, even when you put it up against the most expensive rods on the market.” —S.M.

The Orvis Clearwater is the best value in all-purpose trout rods by a mile. You won’t find anything better for twice as much money. You might even like it better than some fly rods that cost four times as much. How do I know? Because I did, at least briefly. As a little experiment, we decided to do a blind-casting test. We covered up the logos of a few of our favorite high-end rods and a few of our favorite low-end rods to compare them—and almost all of the testers put the Clearwater ahead of one or more of the high-end rods.

To be fair, this was a quick lawn-casting test, where we were focused more on distance and castability than on all-day fishability. But still, I found it as easy to shoot 90 feet of line from the Clearwater as with almost any other rod—and as effortless to throw tight consistent loops, too. Sure, the rod is comparatively heavy and might feel a little cumbersome to cast at the end of a long day. And on closer inspection, you’ll find that close-range accuracy isn’t great.

But from 25 feet out to 90, the Clearwater is an incredibly forgiving medium-fast rod with surprisingly good feel and decent line control. It requires a little more patience on the backstroke, but you get used to it quickly enough. The components are basic but fine, and there’s nothing wrong with the look of this rod, either. All in all, it is an astoundingly good rod for the money, and easily wins our Best Value award. —D.H.

• Length: 7 ½ feet
• Line Weight: 4
• Action: Medium
• Warranty: Lifetime
• Light, but strong
• Laser-like accuracy
• Easy on the eyes
• Not cheap for a specialty rod
• “What a perfect special-purpose, small-stream rod. Casts like dream, and it looks so cool. I want one.” —D.H.
• “I’m jealous that I don’t own this rod. It is perfect for small streams and creeks. Plus, it’s the nicest looking rod in the test” —R.C.

You’re looking at my new favorite fly-fishing rod. After years of using a 9-foot, fast-action rod on my home waters —a tight spring creek in New York—I finally invested in a stick better suited to the river. this spring After a lengthy search, I chose the Epic Reference 476 Fastglass . 

If you’re used to fast-action rods (like I was), this rod takes some getting used to—but from there, it’s a pleasure to cast. I never need to make casts farther than 30 feet on my river, but during our distance drills at the test, I fired a couple that measured 60 feet.

For small-stream trout, the 476 Fastglass is as versatile as you need it to be. It’s capable of making accurate and subtle presentations with small dries, double-nymph rigs beneath an indicator, and small streamers. And this rod really comes to life when you set the hook into a fish. Fighting trout with this stick is So. Much. Fun. I’ve landed dozens of smaller 8- to 10-inch rainbows and browns with it—as well as a couple that pushed 16 inches. The power this light rod displays in tussles with bigger fish is truly impressive. 

As for aesthetics, this rod was one of the overall stunners of the test. The translucent amber blank really pops, and the FLOR-grade cork feels as great as it looks. But eye candy doesn’t end there: When this rod first arrived at my house, I sent a photo of it to my friend, and he responded, “The rod tube even looks sick.”

The Reference 476 Fastglass we used at the test was my personal rod, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy some smug delight when all of the other testers gushed over it. When it came down to awarding the Best Small Stream Fly Rod, there was no doubt this was the winner. —C.K.

The Rest of the Best Fly Rods of 2023

Just because the following fly rods didn’t take home any of our awards doesn’t mean they won’t get the job done on the trout stream. In fact, a couple of these rods nearly won Editors’ Choice, and several are absolute bargains. Whether you’re looking for an all-around 5-weight, a dedicated streamer stick, or a good fly rod for the money, you’ll find it here.

• Fly line scorches through the guides
• Light and accurate
• Strong in a fight
• Clunky-looking reel seat
• “This rod offers a nice blend of power and sensitivity, but it looked a bit modern for my taste.” —S.M.
• “A nice medium-fast rod with good accuracy and control. Best for smaller waters.” — D.H.

Consensus on the other Epic fly rod in our test was slightly less unanimous than with the 4-weight glass rod, which everyone loved. The testers admired the balance and control the Epic Reference 590G Carbon Fiber delivers—and while there weren’t any knocks against this rod, there were a couple of nitpicks when it came to versatility and aesthetics. Given the rod’s medium-fast action, some felt it was better suited for smaller waters than a big river, like the Delaware. And more than one tester commented that the rod’s looks didn’t do it for them. (The reel seat, specifically, stood out to some.)

Personally, this was one of my favorite rods of the test. During our distance sessions on the lawn, I fired my longest cast of the trip with the Reference 590G (93 feet). And when I was aiming at nearer targets for accuracy drills, I was impressed with the tight, precise loops the Reference threw. I’ve used this rod on big rivers (like the Delaware) and small creeks (like, well, I’m not saying where). It excelled on both, but I might’ve preferred it a bit more on the creeks where its ability to deliver ultra-accurate dry-fly presentations really shines. And as with the 4-weight Epic, fighting fish with this rod is a total blast.

As for looks, I can see why the aesthetics of the Reference 590G might not appeal to everyone. But the truth is, I like this rod so much that its design has really grown on me. Where some may see a modern, synthetic-looking rod, I see one that’s slick and stealthy. — C.K.

G. Loomis NRX+

• Length: 10 feet (test model)
• Warranty: Limited lifetime
• Powerful, accurate, and versatile
• Great for casting into strong winds
• Made in the U.S.A.
• “Just what you want in a 10-footer. It excels at nymphing, roll-casting, or fishing from a float tube, but it is versatile and powerful enough for everything else.” —D.H.
• “This is a nymphing machine and you can bomb casts when need be.” —R.C.

Before our test officially began—after we took all of the rods out of their tubes, assembled them, and set them on a table—the G. Loomis NRX+ stood out. At 10 feet long, it was the longest rod in our test. It was also the only one with a fighting butt.

Then we started casting, and the NRX+ really stood out. This rod is a workhorse. It generates tremendous line speed and shoots a ton of line (one tester described the NRX+ as a “missile launcher”), while also delivering consistent loop stability and accuracy. 

During our first evening of fishing, I started with the NRX+ and I wound up having the best session on the Delaware River of my life. We hit a sulfur hatch just right, and I landed five wild brown trout in just a couple of hours with the NRX+. Given the size and weight of this stick (it’s the longest and heaviest in our test), I was pleasantly surprised with how little feel and finesse is compromised. G. Loomis markets the NRX+ as almost being overbuilt—they say the rod “empowers anglers with confidence-booting control in less-than-ideal conditions.” Well, I fished with it in conditions that were as close to ideal as they get, and the rod performed beautifully. 

It’s worth noting that the 5-weight NRX+ is available in a 9-foot model without a fighting butt. Due to supply-chain issues, though, G. Loomis only had the 10-foot model to loan us for our test. Had they been able to send us the other model instead, the competition for our Editors’ Pick Award would have been really stiff. — C.K. 

• Length: 9 Feet
• Warranty: Hardy’s Worldwide Extended Warranty (you pay $75 to cover repair/replacement, handling, administration, and return postage and packing charge—per claim)
• Lightweight
• Easy to cast
• Lousy warranty
• “If looks could kill, this rod would. It’s gorgeous. But once I started casting, it left no impression on me. Kinda just felt like a stick.” —C.K.
• “The looks pulled me right in, but I had to work a bit harder than I would like to get my cast where I wanted it to go.” —R.C.

If you’re going to drop nearly $1,000 dollars on a fly rod, you want to get something that looks nice enough to make your buddies jealous—and the Hardy Ultralite X will. It was easily my favorite-looking rod of the entire test. The rod’s burnt copper coloring makes it stand out while maintaining a classic aesthetic.

The rod performs nicely, too. It’s light and throws tight loops at distance without a ton of effort, which will save your arm on long days on the water. Given its light construction, it’s no surprise that I enjoyed casting small dries with the rod compared to nymphing and streamer rigs. That said, the Ultralite X is plenty versatile for most setups you’d ever utilize on a trout stream, making it a decent choice as a do-it-all rod.

Compared to other fast-action rods at the same price point, the Ultralite’s power didn’t stand out. The rod has a decent backbone but wasn’t the “rocket” I had hoped it would be. The rod also lacks much feel or control, which soundly bumped the Ultralite X out of contention for the top prize in our test. — S.M.

• Action: Moderate-fast
• Warranty: 5-Year
• Strong backbone to throw big flies 
• Handmade in the U.S.A.
• Heavy and bulky for a 5-weight
• “A pretty solid caster, but not my cup of tea aesthetically.” —D.H.
• “I just couldn’t get comfortable with this rod. It feels bulky. And there is too much going on with the looks.” —C.K.

The Kennebec wasn’t exactly a standout rod of our test, but it was still a solid performer. It has the feel of a custom rod—hand-wrapped threads, cork-burned logo, and personalization options—without the expensive price tag.

I could cast the Kennebec on the lawn farther than most of the other rods in the test, consistently reaching out to 75 feet and beyond. Although bulky, this medium-fast-action rod loads well and throws good loops. I enjoyed casting it, but the weight quickly tired me out. 

I like the aesthetics of this rod, even though some of the other editors disagreed. I think the pine-green matte finish paired with the burnt orange wraps gives this rod an authentic New England feel—where the rod was built. I also appreciated the comfortable full-well handle and wooded reel seat with a gunmetal finish. 

The Delaware is a technical dry-fly river. While this rod can certainly deliver a dry fly and catch fish doing so, the bulkiness and weight of the rod aren’t ideal for this style of fishing. It wasn’t until I tied on a streamer that I found out what this rod could do. The strong backbone and power allow for better control and delivery of heavier flies. Since our test, I’ve taken the Kennebec onto various rivers in Colorado, always rigged with a streamer. I’ve been able to bomb long, accurate casts in hard-to-reach places and have landed plenty of fish. —R.C.

• Action: Moderate-Fast
• Light, accurate, and sensitive
• Bargain for the quality 
• Not much backbone
• “A fantastic rod at a great price. The Vesper excelled at distance and accuracy for me, and it looks sharp, too.” —C.K.
• “If it weren’t for the Orvis Clearwater, this would have won Best Value. It’s a lot of rod for the money.” —D.H.

The Moonshine Vesper was one of my favorite rods of the entire test. Simply put, this is a high-end fly rod at half the price of its premium competitors. It loads and shoots fly line easily, and the well-balanced construction makes it an extremely versatile fly rod.

I received our Moonshine Vesper test rod in early April and had the entire spring to fish with it. What stood out to me was how easily I could switch from nymphs to dry flies to streamers without missing a beat. Not many rods have that versatility, but the Vesper proved to be a do-it-all trout rod. 

On the casting lawn at our test, no one had a bad thing to say about the Vesper. I was impressed with its accuracy as I made a long cast on target and followed it up with a short, precise roll cast. We also used the Vesper in many of our blind casting comparisons, where testers favored it over several premium rods. 

On the water, roll casting with the Vesper was easy with a simple flick of the wrist. It gave subtle presentations that helped land fish on top. Everyone agreed the Vesper had an extremely comfortable and unique feel, made possible by its grip and perfectly balanced blank. 

This rod isn’t missing anything in the aesthetics category, either. It has a modern-classic look, with a perfect blend of traditional elements paired with a stylish slate and copper color scheme. And Moonshine is the only fly-rod company I know of that gives you an extra tip for free with your initial purchase (because we all break rods). But even if you break both tips, their no-fault lifetime warranty means you can always get a replacement. —R.C.

• Length: 9 feet, 5 inches
• Very accurate 
• Loads well and casts far
• Well balanced
• “This is a great fly rod. But somehow they made the ugliest rod—the original Helios—even uglier. It’s a shame.” —C.K.
• “It’s a nice rod that does everything pretty well—but nothing about it blows me away.” — D.H.

The Helios 3 Blackout missed in looks, but not in performance. This rod can put a fly anywhere you want it—whether that’s 85 feet under hanging limbs or 20 feet away to a close riser. The improved tracking technology allows this rod to consistently deliver accurate casts. 

For some of the testers, the Helios 3 Blackout was a bit of a head-scratcher. Everyone agreed that it’s a solid fly rod—but we all struggled to find features in this rod, besides accuracy, that made it stand out from the other premium rods in our test.

If you spend most of your time on the water nymphing, this might be the rod for you. I appreciated the 9-foot, 5-inch design which gives you an advantage when mending line, compared to a traditional 9-foot rod, for drag-free presentations. I found that the Helios 3 also did a great job at throwing streamers and dry flies. It had enough backbone to get articulated flies a good distance without sacrificing accuracy. I was confident in my dry-fly presentations. The rod allowed me to lay the fly on the water right where I needed it to be.

Of course, looks do matter in a fly rod, and there’s no getting around it: The Helios 3 Blackout is ugly. None of us were fans of the all-black design with the gray graphic above the handle, which one of the testers described as “hideous.” But if you can look past the aesthetics of the Helios 3 Blackout, you will find a versatile and accurate fly rod that will excel at any style of trout fishing you enjoy. —R.C.

• Action: Medium-fast
• Casts well for distance
• Quality rod for the price
• Slow to load line
• “Great-looking rod. Love the color. A tad heavy, a tad mushy, but a pretty solid caster with decent distance for the money.” —D.H.
• “Love the classic ‘trout stream’ look and design of this rod. For the price and warranty, this is a good rod for beginner and intermediate anglers.” —C.K.

The Trace is Redington’s take on a do-it-all fly rod. Does it live up to that standard? Mostly. The medium-fast action blank does a terrific job at picking up line and shooting long casts. The rod mends well, and the improved tracking helps deliver accurate casts. It can fish nymphs, dry flies, and streamers, no problem. Now, is it the best fly rod for any of those techniques in particular? Nope. But for the price, it’s a damn good rod.

The Trace has a classic mahogany finish paired with a wood reel seat that makes for a good-looking rod. I was able to cast out to 70 feet with ease (something that usually isn’t easy for me) and could even hit the 80-foot mark at times. The strong backbone makes it easy to turn over big flies and serves well when fighting fish in the current. The power takes away some sensitivity up front, but the Trace is still plenty capable of nymphing and throwing dry flies.

The rod took a bit longer to load on the casting lawn, but that’s to be expected with the medium-fast action rod. All of us were impressed with the Trace and agreed that it’s an ideal rod for a beginner angler or someone looking to make that next step in fly fishing. While heavy for a 5-weight, the extra power gives you an advantage in windy conditions.

This rod comes in slightly over the price I usually recommend for beginners. But given its versatility and lifetime warranty, there isn’t anyone I wouldn’t recommend this rod to—beginner or seasoned angler alike. —R.C.

• Surprising distance
• Responsive tip for roll casting and mending
• Not quite as accurate at short range
• “Damn, this is one sweet fly rod. It’s powerful, but easy to control, and line just rockets out of the guides. I’ve caught fish with the Centric on big rivers and small creeks. It aced both tests.” —C.K.  
• “This rod is a work of art.” —S.M.

If you told me that you like the Centric better than the Sage R8 Core, I’d disagree but wouldn’t argue. It was the Centric we were leaning toward after the first lawn-casting session, and it might have won the whole shebang had we ended things there. Of all the pure casters, this rod was the purest. 

I was on the far end of the casting line, and as the Centric was being passed down, I could actually hear it coming—with all the oohs and oh-my-gods . Unlike the ultra-fast Radian model it replaced, the Centric is a fast-action rod with tremendous feel and control. It throws consistent, flat loops almost by default, and the job of opening or closing those loops—to cast nymphs or to fire a long cast—requires not much more than a thought. The rod’s responsive tip makes for easy roll casting and mending, too, and the Centric was superbly accurate at medium and long ranges.

You don’t expect a rod with this much feel to go long, but the Centric surprised us. It’s not the rifle that the Radian was but casting the whole fly line with a few false casts was not a problem. Like the R8, the Centric is very good on the water. (We just felt the R8 was a fraction better.) Short-distance accuracy was good, but not great. Personally, I could take or leave the micarta reel-seat insert, but, all in all, it’s a great-looking rod with high-end components. Ultimately, the R8 nipped the Centric in our test, but if the No. 1 thing you want from a fly rod is the pleasure of throwing perfect loops, cast after cast, I’d say get this one. —D.H.

• Warranty: 15-Year
• Great price
• Very good beginner rod
• Lacks feel and control
• “It had some nice oomph to it and was one of the better all-around budget rods.” —S.M.
• “The Imperial was one of my favorite budget rods of the entire test. Plus, I loved the handle and reel seat.” —R.C.

Of all the rods in the test, the Imperial was one that I was really excited to fish. Back when I first started fly fishing (20-plus years ago—but who’s counting), a St. Croix Imperial was the first rod I ever owned. Even though it’s been ages since I last cast an Imperial (years ago, I gifted mine as a hand-me-down to a friend who was just getting into fishing), it didn’t take me long to find a comfortable casting rhythm with our test model. 

There’s no getting around the fact that the Imperial is a fast-action rod—so fast , in fact, that it can feel quite stiff. Compared to a couple of the other value rods in our test, the Imperial didn’t offer much in terms of feel or control. But the rod has power, and it’s light enough that you can cast it all day without tiring out your arm. This is a versatile rod, too. On trout water, it’ll cast dries, nymphs beneath an indicator, or small streamers. It’s also perfectly suited for catching panfish and small bass on farm ponds or creeks. 

And at this price, you’ll have a hard time finding a nicer-looking rod. I’ve always loved the copper color of the Imperial’s blank, and the wooden insert on the reel seat is pure class. — C.K.

• Length: 8 ½ feet
• Smooth-casting rod with great feel
• Great value
• “A softer rod with lots of feel and decent distance, too” —D.H.
• “This would be a fun rod for small water—if you can get over the cheesy logo.” — S.M.

Let’s get this out of the way: The purple “Mojo Trout” logo on this rod looks god-awful. One tester went so far as to say if this were his rod, he would “lightly sand the logo until it disappeared.” Beyond that, the the Mojo Trout is a pretty fine-looking rod. And, man, is it fun to cast.

I’ve fished with a lot of St. Croix rods over the years, but the Mojo Trout was brand-new to me. When I first picked it up on the casting lawn, I was surprised, and delighted, by how smooth it was. The rod has a great feel to it, and it throws tight and controlled loops. We were all impressed with its ability to cast long distances. Though, to be clear, this isn’t the kind of stick you’d want if you need to cast farther than 35 or 40 feet. This is a fly rod that excels on smaller, technical waters where you need to make accurate and delicate presentations. 

Even though “Trout” is literally in the name of this rod, it would be absolutely perfect for panfish. Yet another reason to sand off the logo. — C.K.

• Loads and casts smoothly
• Not much power
• “Nice looking rod at a fair price. Great for beginners.” —C.K.
• “It’s stiff and casts well with a nice aesthetic for the price point.” —S.M.

My roommate just started fly fishing, and I recommended the TFO Blue Ribbon as her first rod. She has improved dramatically over the summer and is catching a ton of trout every time we go out. If that isn’t a confirmation that the Blue Ribbon is a great beginner rod, I don’t know what is.

This medium-fast action is ideal for new anglers learning to cast. The slower action helps the rod load effortlessly, giving the angler time to focus on where they’re casting. I found this rod to be easy to cast and comfortable in hand. I caught plenty of fish on the Blue Ribbon in my post-test trials on double-nymph rigs, dry flies, and streamers—proving the versatility of this rod. 

The carbon-fiber blank is paired with stainless-steel guides and a premium cork grip to make for great durability. I did find that I couldn’t cast very far with this stick. But what it lacked in distance, the Blue Ribbon made up for it in consistency, versatility, and durability. It was also the cheapest rod in our test. Paired with TFO’s lifetime warranty, it is one of the best values you can find. —R.C.

• Warranty: No-fault lifetime
• Durable carbon-fiber rod blank
• Budget-friendly
• Not good at casting for distance 
• “Dead in the hand” is what you want in a compound bow, not a fly rod. — D.H.
• Nothing special. — S.M.

While not outstanding in any single category, the TFO LK Legacy still performed well enough to earn my nod of approval for a solid trout rod. The fast action and smooth casting ability make this a good option for intermediate anglers. It didn’t compete with the higher-end rods, but for the price, it performed admirably.  

On the casting lawn, I struggled to get distance out of the LK Legacy, but it was accurate with short casts. The carbon-fiber blank paired with stainless-steel guides and a full-anodized reel seat make this an extremely durable fly rod. It is ideal for anglers looking to have one rod to fish a variety of techniques. Nymphing was where this rod shined for me. I was impressed with the rod’s ability to roll cast, mend, and manage line. It took little to no effort to roll cast my double-nymph rig over and over. Something that I can’t say for all the rods in the test. 

The rod isn’t the most balanced, and experienced anglers that are used to light fly rods might struggle at first with the LK Legacy. It felt bulky casting dry flies to trout in hard-to-reach places. I’m not sure if this was because of the weight of the rod or how it was balanced. But either way, I got tired. 

The aesthetics of this rod are not notable. It has a clean look and a standard modern design. It was one of the least expensive rods in our test and, for the price, it is hard to beat. TFO also offers a no-fault lifetime warranty on all of their rods, so even if something goes wrong, you’ll have a replacement in no time. —R.C.

• Drop-dead gorgeous 
• Handmade quality 
• “This was just a delight to use. For as light and gentle as this rod is, it’s almost sneaky how powerful it can be.” —C.K.  
• A joy to cast. Light and lively with tons of feel.” — D.H.

If you want a cold, efficient tool with no aesthetic qualities, look someplace else. Good looks are a big part of the Thomas & Thomas Paradigm’s appeal. But the rod doesn’t lack in performance. It just performs with style, like a vintage sports car. 

My first impression of the Paradigm was that I could cast it all day long. And I did. During our distance test, I kept taking the Paradigm away from other testers for “just one more cast.” After that, we took the rods on the water, and I hogged this one for nearly the whole afternoon. I couldn’t take my hands off the Paradigm.

Compared to so many of today’s fast-action rods, this one just felt different. Thomas & Thomas says that the rod has a “classic” action close to the original (and much celebrated) Paradigm of 20 years ago. I found it to be slow to moderate, and definitely not dull or sluggish. One of the testers noted that “time seemed to slow down” when casting the Paradigm, and I couldn’t agree more. 

Most important, though, is that the smooth action of this rod lends itself to delicate, accurate dry-fly presentations. On the West Branch of the Delaware River, you may only get one chance at a rising trout. I strike out more often than not there, but I felt confident with the Paradigm and was able to hook a couple of fish. In close quarters, the Paradigm was extremely controllable, yet it still had enough power to reach out to far away cut banks and pools with accuracy. —M.E.

What to Consider When Choosing a Fly Rod

Selecting a fly rod for trout fishing is not as simple as picking up the first 5-weight rod you see in a fly shop and giving it the “wiggle test.” You need to think about your experience level, how you fish, where you fish, and what you need your rod to do. A trout angler who fishes big rivers in the West will want a different style rod than a trout angler who mostly fishes small streams or spring creeks. Fishing style and technique also play a major role in determining what fly rod best suits the situation. Here are four main considerations before buying the best fly rod for you.

The two most common materials used to make fly rods are graphite (carbon fiber) and fiberglass. Fly rods with graphite blanks are the most popular because they’re easy to cast and lightweight. The majority of the rods we tested are made of graphite, and it’s the material we recommend for beginner anglers looking to purchase their first fly rod.

Fiberglass, or “glass rods,” as they’re often referred to, are more durable, flexible, and heavier than graphite blanks. The first thing anglers will notice when picking up a glass rod is the flexibility and sensitivity. Glass rods load much slower, which can often be an issue for anglers who are used to faster-action rods. The increased sensitivity, however, makes glass rods ideal for small fish in creeks and streams.

The length of your rod is going to be a determining factor in how you fish. The standard length for a traditional trout fly rod is 9 feet. A 9-foot rod offers versatility to fish nymphs, dry flies, and streamers. We recommend a 9-foot, 5-weight rod to beginners. From there, you can tailor the length of your rod to specific techniques and situations. A shorter fly rod is ideal for small streams where there tends to be a lot of overhanging brush and foliage. Longer rod blanks excel at nymphing because it gives anglers the advantage of a making drag-free presentation and mending more easily. The length of typical trout fly rods ranges from 8 feet 6 inches to 9 feet 5 inches. Anything shorter or longer is most likely for specific fishing styles and techniques.

The action of a fly rod determines how fast or slow it loads. In simpler terms, the slower the action, the longer it will take for the fly line to reach its full length on a backcast. Most modern fly rods—including the majority of the rods in our test—are designed with a medium-fast or fast action. A fast action helps cast through stiff wind but isn’t ideal for beginners. Experienced anglers are more likely to use fast-action rods due to their strong backbone and ability to load quickly. We recommend beginners start with a medium or medium-fast action. This creates more time for anglers to get a feel for false casting and forces them to slow down their casting enough so they can focus on making a good presentation.

Your style of fishing is the most important consideration when buying a fly rod. Do you want something that can do it all? Are you fishing in small streams or big water? Are you throwing heavy flies? The answers to these questions will help you determine the best fly rod for your style. The three main techniques to fly fishing for trout are nymphing, dry-fly fishing, and streamer fishing. Nymphing requires you to manage line and present flies with as little drag as possible. Longer rods increase line control and help lessen drag with techniques, such as “high sticking” or Euro nymphing . Dry flies require subtle presentations and mending to present the bug as naturally as possible to trout. Most 9-foot rods offer enough length to make long casts and manage line well for dry flies. Streamer fishing often requires throwing large and heavy flies. A fast-action rod with a strong backbone will excel at handling heavier fly patterns. You sacrifice some sensitivity with some fast-action rods, but that’s not the end of the world—because there’s nothing sensitive about a trout striking a streamer.

Q: What length fly rod should I get?

The most common length for a fly rod is 9 feet. That said, you should base the length of your rod on your style of trout fishing. If you plan to do a lot of high-sticking, then a 9-foot 5-inch or 10-foot rod will benefit you the most. If you fish small streams and mountain creeks, you’ll want a shorter rod to contend with overhanging brush. But if you’re looking for a general-purpose fly rod for trout, your best bet is to buy a 9-foot 5-weight.

Q: How much should I spend on a fly rod?

If our fly rod test taught us anything it’s that expensive doesn’t always mean better. The Orvis Clearwater retails for $250 and it beat out multiple premium rods valued at over $900. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a quality fly rod that is capable of catching trout. There of plenty of lower-priced rods that will get the job done, including the Orvis Clearwater , TFO Blue Ribbon , and the Redington Trace . That being said, premium rods are expensive for a reason. Our best overall pick, the Sage R8 Core , retails for $1,050. We all agreed it was one of the smoothest, most-balanced rods we’ve ever cast. It has great power, feel, accuracy, and line control. Is it worth over $1,000? We think so, especially for experienced anglers who will appreciate its versatility and design.

Q: What is the best fly rod for a beginner?

The best beginner fly rod doesn’t mean the cheapest fly rod. A well-built rod that you can grow with and fish for years is a great investment. So, don’t automatically turn to the price tag to make your decision. Instead, look for a medium-fast-action rod in the 9-foot range. This will help cut down the casting learning curve by slowing down your backcast and allowing the rod to do the work. A medium0fast action rod forces you to take your time and focus on your casting technique.

Best Fly Rods: Final Thoughts

After a long weekend of casting and fishing and debating…followed by more casting and more fishing, we came away from our fly-rod test certain of at least two things:

• You don’t have to spend a fortune to own a truly great fly rod.
• The innovation in today’s best fly rods is more impressive than ever.

If you’re a diehard fly angler who simply wants the best of the best, our vote goes to the Sage R8 Core . It’s a stunning fly rod that does everything well, which is why it won our Editors’ Pick Award—barely. The Scott Centric , G. Loomis NRX+ , and Thomas & Thomas Paradigm all finished near the top. These are all truly premium fly rods that make casting a breeze. When it comes to the best fly rod for the money, however, it’s no contest: The Orvis Clearwater outperformed fly rods that cost more than three times as much. Lastly, if you’re looking for a specialty trout rod—specifically one suited to smaller, technical streams—look no further than the Epic Reference 476 Fastglass. It’ll take a week or so for the rod to arrive at your door all the way from New Zealand, but once you hook into a trout with that whip-stick, it’ll be well worth the wait.

Why Trust Us

For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.

Ryan Chelius started freelance writing during college and landed a summer job as an editorial intern with Field & Stream in 2019. After graduation, he returned to freelancing for various outdoor publications before landing his dream gig as an editor for Field & Stream in 2021.

Matthew Every has been with Field & Stream since 2019, when he joined the team as the Associate Online Editor for both F&S and Outdoor Life. Before that, he worked as a hunting guide and wrote about his adventures in his free time. Every has lived all over the country, but calls New York’s Catskill Mountains home.

Colin Kearns is the Editor-in-Chief of Field & Stream. His media career began in 2004, when he landed the summer gig of a lifetime, as an editorial intern for Field & Stream. After college, he worked at Salt Water Sportsman magazine for three years, before joining F&S as a full-time staffer in 2008.

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Understanding Fly Rod Action

By spencer durrant.

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Slow, moderate or fast action rods.

• Thread starter troutbum_74
• Start date Dec 27, 2018

troutbum_74

Well-known member.

Just a topic on my mind as I find myself being a fan of more moderate and sometimes slow action fly rods. Looking at my quiver there are several Scott G rods of all series. I appreciate the action and have been able to nymph, throw wets, dries and dry droppers with these. I do wish to see if Scott updates their Radian this summer but if not, I’m going into 2019 happily fishing these rods. What do you guys prefer? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk  

I almost always fish dries and prefer a light (4 weight or less) fast action fly rod. I love my Sage 904 One which is the first rod I have that feels better than my old 864 Sage Z-Axis. I do have a couple original G series Scott rods if I want to throw nymphs and a very fast action Winston boron 6 weight for throwing big streamers.  

I'm with you. I prefer a moderate action. It works for the type of fishing I do, but more importantly, for my style of casting. steve  

I’m not much of a streamer guy but have friends that only want to chuck meat! LOL Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk  

spm said: I'm with you. I prefer a moderate action. It works for the type of fishing I do, but more importantly, for my style of casting. steve Click to expand...

scotty macfly

I'm very glad this topic has come up because I'm trying to do a little research on something that goes along with this subject, but that will be for another time. I prefer moderate to mod/fast action, and most of my rods reflect that. As for slow rods, I have three, a 3wt and two 4wts, and two are bamboo These rods are primarily for specifically fishing the creeks using dry flies. I have one fast action rod, and it doesn't get much use at all. But my moderate and mod/fast rods are the rods that I use most on the rivers. I just like the feel of the rods when casting, and really enjoy seeing the bend in the rod when playing a fish. Fast tip flexing rods to me have no soul or feel, but I know they are great in the wind and some people just prefer them, and that's fine and dandy. But I kinda have a relaxed casting stroke where I'm not in too much of a hurry, so casting and fishing these rods feels natural to me to where it's a no thinking thing. My slow rods I have to adjust to a little, but I adjust to them quickly. My fast rod takes me a little more getting used to, so I find myself concentrating more when I'm casting that rod, and it does take a little fun out of the whole experience for me. Yeah, moderate to mod/fast are my happy rods.  

What I have found true over the years is that often, with many fisherman, too much thought has gone into the gear and too little thought has gone into the joy of fishing. People are all different and prefer different things, whatever floats one's boat is great with me. But personally, I want to know that when I grab a rod for the specific water I am approaching, that it will simply allow me to enjoy fishing, that it will disappear in my hand, I won't think about "it" (the rod) at all, but rather concentrate on melting into the experience of fishing. I want effortless and seemless and comfortable....I want to simply enjoy the act of fishing, with a rod that requires no thought of process whatsoever to operate effectively, and is a natural extension of my eyes, mind, and arm. Then when a rod provides me with the ability to do this, and brings a fish to net, I can look at the rod appreciatively for providing this experience and know it has become my comfortable fishing companion. Having started with slower, traditional action, rods, I have a nostalgic, soft spot, for them and likely always will. But by todays standards all rods are medium, med/fast, and fast action compared to days gone by. For me there is a happy median to be found, I don't wish to fish a buggy whip, nor do I wish to fish a broomstick. For my personal preference of rods that allow me to enjoy the act of fishing as above described...they fall into a medium action area...Sage LL, Winston IM6, WT, BIIILS, BIIIX (6wt), PURE,(Perhaps Air) Scott G, G2, GS, type rods, and because I now fly fish exclusively and only for trout, and really prefer smaller, less crowded, water for the majority of my excursions, I am perfectly happy to fish the rest of my days with 2wt-5wt gear and will keep only a couple 6wts for the rare times that I need to throw larger items, or for wind or from a boat on larger water. But all of these rods will be comprised of the ones that allow me to forget the rod is in my hand and simply fish.  

Forum Member

It's difficult to answer in a self effacing way, truth is that I have no real preference at all. I've owned some of the least advanced fly rods you could imagine, that was when I was young. Now I'm growing old I guess and still have the same hobby, fly fishing / casting. My fly rod selection is way larger than I can use in any regular rotation and they range from fiberglass & bamboo to rods like Sage One & X rods. At this point of experience it really doesn't matter what I use, I can make it work in a comfortable manner. I'm not as fine tuned when it comes to rods as many of you folks are but I can recognize the differences say between my 15 foot Winston 7 weight and the Sage One 13'6" 8 weight when it comes to feel. Same goes with the one hand rods like the difference between my old Far & Fine and the new Sage Foundation #5 I have. In fact I like them all equally I guess.  

cooutlaw said: But personally, I want to know that when I grab a rod for the specific water I am approaching, that it will simply allow me to enjoy fishing, that it will disappear in my hand, I won't think about "it" (the rod) at all, but rather concentrate on melting into the experience of fishing. I want effortless and seemless and comfortable....I want to simply enjoy the act of fishing, with a rod that requires no thought of process whatsoever to operate effectively, and is a natural extension of my eyes, mind, and arm. Click to expand...

For big fish in big waters definitely prefer fast action rods. When pond fishing and small water fishing, the action doesn't matter that much to me...but give me fast action when big wind, big water and big fish.  

I have to say that I am in Ard's camp it does not really matter to me what action the rod has I just adjust to it. I do find that if I practice with my slower rods I am more in tune with my casting when using my faster rods. I also choose the rod and the action I want depending on the conditions I expect to face. Regards, Tim C.  

Generally, I prefer the action to start slow in the very light line weights, and then get faster as they get heavier.  

I try to match the rod to the weather and water conditions. Today I'll be big streamer fishing with my 9' 7 wt Scott Tidal. We picked up about 1" of rain from yesterday through the night so the stream will be up a foot to a foot and a half. Today the wind is gusting 20+ mph so the fast action Tidal will be a good choice. The rod I usually use this time of the year is a moderate/fast action Scott A4 9' 5 wt. For nymphing and small streamer fishing this rod to me is hard to beat. I also have other fast action Scott rods I use as conditions/size of fish and flies being used dictate. Slower action rods are my 2 glass and one bamboo rod. I fish these just because I like the feel of the way they cast and in fighting a larger fish the pull sensation can be felt right down through the grip. Denny  

I like mod-mod/fast action with a fast recovery. Gives me the feel I need and has no problem launching anything I need it to.  

There's a song by Stephen Stills called "Love the one you're with". That's how I feel about fly rods. I don't remember ever saying, 'Boy, I'm really unhappy I have this thing in my hand." It doesn't matter if it's a $20 Walmart rod or the latest from a top manufacturer. I adapt to what it is and get on with the fishing. Last Spring I was salmon fishing with the above-mentioned $20 rod, an Eagle Claw Black Eagle 8' 6" 5 wt. Someone asked what it was. I had to pause for a second and look at the label before I answered. It was working fine, putting flies where they needed to be and catching salmon. For the Fall run, in the same place, I was using a 10', 5 wt. Sage ONE that I built with that river in mind. It was easier to put the flies where I wanted them, especially far out, but the end result was the same - catching fish and having a good time doing it. Maybe I'm just easy to please.  

sweetandsalt

As you all know, I cast and write about all manor of rod types essentially daily. Having begun as a fly fisher with bamboo and grown to pursue flats species with some of the fastest, most potent rods in existence, I appreciate and fish a wide range of designs from #4 - 12-weight. Whether bone/permit fishing or trout fishing I always have several rods available to me with little consistency in brand or taper style. Last season on our month long Montana/Idaho adventure I wound up having three #4's and three #5's plus a #6 encompassing a diversity of length and action enabling me to select what I thought optimal for the habitat and conditions varying from small to large creeks and rivers with and without wind with dry flies ranging from PMDs to Drakes. You can be assured I gave careful consideration as to which rods and lines got onto the airplane with me and Dillon and I often have three rods each rigged and at the ready in the ceiling rack. But I can only fish one at a time and after wadering up, unclipping the chosen rod from the rack and walking to the water, I like to sit and observe everything around me. I might adjust my tippet, select a different fly but once I wade into position I've only been thinking about the rising fishes behavior, the intervening currents and obstacles and hopefully ascertaining a camouflaging shadow and back ground to partially conceal my predatory self in. Now my outfit is not being tested, evaluated or even considered but a transparent extension of my pursuit in aligning a fly-first presentation in the sipping trout's feeding lane.  

I guess I'm the outlier. I like very fast action rods and always have, going on about 35 years now. Orvis made a boron rod in the '80s that was the first rod I cast and thought, wow, that's stiff! Those turned out to be too brittle as I understand it and Orvis discontinued them. When Sage brought out the TCR, that was the first rod where I ever thought "hey, this is too stiff/fast". In retrospect, the issue was that my casting stroke still had room for improvement. The just outdated Sage Method is my favorite rod ever. I just wish they would have made them in a 10' 5 wt. I've been fishing lakes more than rivers and most every cast will be an attempt at max distance. A very fast action makes a substantial difference, particularly if you can cast without a tailing loop. It took me a long time to overcome that... The only exception to the above is with rods of 4 wt or less. Then anything will do.  

The rods that match my natural rhythm are medium fast. The most perfect rods for me have been the old Scott SES and the Hardy Jet. I have rods slower and faster than those, and while I do have to adjust my cast, I love fishing them all.  

Like the answer to most questions about fly fishing,"it depends".I mean you can only "adjust to any rod" up to a point.You'd be some kind of fool to turn up on a windy C.I.flat with a slow action Trout rod and expect to load it quickly with one back cast for fast moving fish...horses for courses and all that.Thus all my rods since day one have been medium fast to fast action because that's the (salt water) environment I'm at home in.  

I'll add (for the umpteenth time) that we do NOT have a 'natural' casting stroke. Our musculature is simply not designed by evolution to throw anything symmetrically backwards with equal force. Rocks, spears, baseballs go forward. All other 'stroke' sports, golf, tennis what have you may load back but force forward. The casting stroke is learned and once informed by experience and thought, mailable. Now, one may have personal preference for an action style, however, if an angler seeks to catch a permit, where he/she has, say, four opportunities to execute a cast in a long day on the flats and each cast may be long with wind but must be tea cup accurate and only the first cast counts, a Sage TCR/X/Method lineage rod should probably be in your hand. Does this translate to trout fishing? As distance is shorter and many more casts per trout are feasible, yes and no. Dry fly presentation on a slick surfaced spring creek or tailwater; do you achieve a more precise and delicate fly placement with a deep flexing, smooth, deliberately moderate action 4-weight or a crisp, quick tipped, rapidly recovering 4-weight of the same length?  

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