Selecting a tributary Flyrod

Selecting a Tributary Fly Rod

Perhaps the most often overlooked aspect of a tributary angler's arsenal is his fly rod. Too often I spend the day with folks who are at the mercy of ill advice or the belief that a price tag equals the duty of the rod. Since I prefer to guide folks using their own equipment I pay particular attention to such details as they may dictate some things we can, or cannot, do. This article will detail what I personally feel to be the attributes of effective tributary fly rods by discussing length, line weight, reel seats, grips, power, and action. These words are intended primarily for the first-time buyer but they do apply to all consumers. Maybe you want a back-up rod. Perhaps you are looking for a gift. If you have a good set-up already perhaps you are looking to get a specialized rod. These words will be of use as they briefly describe how you should be looking at fly rods, beyond brand names and price tags. Of course this is only my experienced opinion, feel free to look the other way if you so choose.

Rod Length

This may be the most disputed attribute of a fly rod. Much thought must go into this decision and the most notable factor should be water size. Smaller streams do not justify long rods; in fact a longish rod may be a hindrance. Large rivers, with wide berths and complex currents make fine use of excessive length. If you fish one, or a few, tributaries exclusively then perhaps you can rule out one end of the spectrum. For example, if you favor small streams then maybe anything over 9-feet is too long. But if you travel to fish only the larger rivers then perhaps the 9-foot mark is your lower limit. Obviously you must factor blank availability for a given line weight. I do not know of many 7-foot, 10-weights.

The goal you should be striving for is to choose your rod based on the water you fish using your preferred techniques. A long rod hampers close work, while long casts are difficult to manage with short rods. I feel that rods in the 9-foot to 10-foot range are the most user friendly.

There are instances where a case can be made for longer rods but that mainly revolves around mending and line control. Except for rivers like the Niagara and Genesee, which are not really wadeable, I am quite confident that I can reach and present a fly to nearly every fish in nearly all New York tributaries with my 9-foot rods. Where many guys would errantly rummage for a different rod, a quick alteration of the leader, cast, or approach will usually put you on to a fish.

For these reasons my conclusion is to purchase a fundamental rod whose length is between 9 and 10-feet. Such a rod will not limit, or prohibit your fishing. In any fishing venue, I deem rods on the excessive ends of the spectrum as specialized rods. A fundamental rod will give you the length needed for fighting leverage, mending ability, casting, and leader variability.

Line Weight

The topic of line weight allows us to get a bit more concrete, and therefore fewer folks take issue with it. But, it is an important attribute, and worthy of discussion. A few factors come in to play when deciding upon line weight for tributary fishing. They are rod length, water size, and species of fish. Let's look at each in some detail.

Before pressing on, understand that these discussions are based on the assumption that you match the line weight to your rod plus or minus one. If you stray too far my advice does not apply and I assume no responsibility for any damage to your rod, you, or the fish.

Rod length is going to do something to limit you line weight on the top end. By choosing to use a rod under 9-feet in length you'll have to rule out line weights above 8# for most rods. Most lines of fly rods start their heavy rods at 9-feet. Likewise, if you feel you can get away with a light rod you are going to miss that option for most brands over 9-feet. For most tributaries, we are speaking of a 7-weight as the minimum, and a 10-weight would be top-end. They should all be readily available in 9-foot rods from nearly all manufacturers.

Water size is of importance in that it limits the fighting capabilities of big fish. If you stick to small tributaries then you can look lower on the line weight spectrum and still get the job done. I say this because the rod’s power is a function of the intended line weight. I’m sure you can muster a cast using a 10-weight line on a 5-weight rod but a big Chinook would have you for breakfast. Conversely, you can string a 10-weight rod with a 5-weight line and land a big fish, but good luck trying to make any type of cast. The rod is built to utilize the energy-storing diameter of a balanced line in order to develop a cast. To not match the two is akin to drilling a hole of a far different size than the intended screw. Match the rod to the size of the water, fish and type of fly you’ll be tossing and match the line to the rod. The closest analogies would be bullet selection for hunters, or club selection for golfers.

The species of your target quarry can impact your decision on line-weight. A powerful Chinook would advise against using a 6-weight for battle with him, but on smallish waters for spring steelhead a long 6-weight might be just fine. I’d refrain from dropping below a 7-weight for any type of tributary angling. I find an 8-weight to be about as universal as possible and it is my choice weight. If I focused purely on Chinooks I’d use a 10-weight so I can get them in promptly but they are overkill for silvers, steelhead, and browns. I do not see much difference between nine and ten weights, certainly not as much as I do between sevens and eights. At least consider the fish you’ll be targeting when purchasing a rod.

Reel Seats

The mechanism that holds the reel to the rod is often overlooked. A few moments pondering that vital connection should make apparent it’s importance.

What I have to say is brief but important. Be it graphite or aluminum, wood insert or not, be sure the reel seat for your big game rod is up locking and not down locking.

Up locking seats will force the reel foot into its place in the upper cork and not down into the butt end of the seat. You are going to be twisting and torquing that reel like the devil. The natural tendency is for your hand to grip the upper portion of the reel/reel seat interface. If that is where the locking rings lay you will eventually unlock your reel at a very inopportune time. Keep the rings on the backside of the reel and away from your touch.

Notice I said rings. Two are better than one. My favorite rod has only one (oops!) and it does work loose so I’ve resorted to taping it once I’ve seated my reel. A second locking ring is best.

Reel Grips

What I am concerned about is getting a big game rod that has an extended, removable fighting butt. I could care less about the upper grip’s configuration, but that bottom end is going to save you much aching and paining over the course of a day of fighting big fish.

With a fighting butt you can plant it against the underside of your forearm to take the strain off your wrist during battle. Without that ability one of the weakest joints in your body will get quickly fatigued.

In addition you can plant the butt against your belly and work from there. Since I advocate active side pressure and lots of angle changes I’m not a big fan of the belly method, but if you use your rod as a double duty boat rod it will be appreciated if a big striper, blue or northern sounds on you.

I’d prefer them to be removable too. If you do any bass fishing, or fishing for other species where casting and stripping are major components of the day’s activities you’ll want to remove the thing. Fighting butts do tend to collect a lot of stripping loops as you shoot your next cast.

Power and Action

The rod’s power refers to its stiffness, or how much it flexes during the cast, hook set and battle. It will also affect the rod’s ability to load during the backcast. The rod’s action refers to where the rod flexes under stress. The action is also referred to as flex or taper. It is hard to discuss one without the other. I will discuss them as distinctly as I can yet under the same heading and as a duo when I need to.

The typical tributary scenario calls for relatively short casts, under crowded conditions that limit a backcast, followed by a chaotic hook set. None of these things lend themselves to stiff rods. In fact, they cater to soft rods. The soft powered rod loads very quickly (using a short amount of line beyond the tip) and casts a very open loop good for short to medium ranges. The open loop is because the rod trip on a soft rod travels a wide arc during the cast. The soft rod is also ideal for absorbing the shock of a hook set. or a sudden run by a large fish. Also, I feel the soft rod is great for those who like to swing streamers downstream. The soft power will slow your reaction time thereby hooking more fish as well as protecting against those common and insanely aggressive downstream takes.

The rod’s action is coupled to its power, or vice versa. A soft rod will have a slow or full flex action, meaning the blank will bend down into the butt when under stress. Slow action rods are also very forgiving of casting flaws. Typically the higher up in the rod that the action occurs, the stiffer the rod will be. Stiff, fast action (tip-flex) rods require more line to load the backcast, produce tight loops and high line speeds. These are good attributes for a distance caster or for open, windy conditions but simply are not required, or even desired, for New York tributaries. Furthermore, fast action rods are unforgiving on hook sets and will amplify all of your casting errors.

Fortunately there are middle-ground rods.

For novice casters I recommend getting a slow, soft rod. You’ll cast better out of the gate and you’ll lose less fish at the critical moments. Yes, at some point down the road the rod will limit your cast and an upgrade will be in order, but such a rod will never be useless. For intermediate and above casters there is simply no need to go beyond a medium action/medium power rod. If you do you are tossing money out the door on graphite composites that you will never realize the benefit of simply because the tributary venue will not require the performance from the rod.

My conclusion is that the power/action attribute is where you can really save a ton of money and end up with a better tool than the added expense of a bolstered action would give…for this particular type of fishing. Most factory rod lines have several classes of rods. Typically the entry and middle classes have the power and actions I recommend. The expensive upper classes usually encompass more specialized rods with actions and powers that only experienced casters can ever realize. By really considering your fishing grounds, style and quarry, and then seeking out rods in the length and weight with suitable powers and actions that match your conditions you will be well on your way to a perfect rod.

How does it feel?

The final factor to consider is how the rod feels. It cannot be defined or quantified in any way. Each factory produces rods with a unique feel. You will like some and despise others. That choice is yours but you need to get out there and cast, cast, cast. Tough job, someone’s got to do it. Now get to work!

Finally, a note about warranties. Just to get this off my chest, “I wish extended rod warranties never came about.” There. While I admit they are nice when a broken rod is realized, extended warranties on a fragile investment that is regularly subjected to abuse and has a finite usable life is absurd. They have made some great rods unaffordable to common folk and do nothing to encourage care for an investment. However, I am sure the retailers appreciate the reduced hassle on their end when an unhappy customer shows up at the counter with a three-piece that was a two-piece.

My point: do not assume that a lack of warranty means poor quality. Hogwash! I am sure in the next decade you’ll see factories either drop the warranty gizmo or tack it in as an option. Until then, put a good deal of thought into your rod purchase and then take good care of your prized investment.

Happy shopping!