Fly rods can be defined by so many characteristics, including physical weight, swing weight, stiffness, just to name a few. But what really defines the feel in your hand?
By Jeff Wagner
Photo Credit: Paula Shearer
Fly rods are about as diverse as any product available today, especially when we consider sports equipment. But fly fishing is unique and quantifying fly rods’ performance is difficult. Fly rods can flex a little or flex a lot. They can be relatively heavy or relatively light, they can be fast or they can be slow, and of course the price can be low, high or in-between. And, how many sports can you think of that bring back 20- or 30-year old materials (fiberglass)? This doesn’t take into account all the external environmental factors that affect fly rods’ behaviour and performance. Wind can make an otherwise great-feeling rod into a situationally poor performer.
Fly rods are about as diverse as any product available today, especially when we consider sports equipment. But fly fishing is unique and quantifying fly rods’ performance is difficult. Fly rods can flex a little or flex a lot. They can be relatively heavy or relatively light, they can be fast or they can be slow, and of course the price can be low, high or in-between. And, how many sports can you think of that bring back 20- or 30-year old materials (fiberglass)? This doesn’t take into account all the external environmental factors that affect fly rods’ behaviour and performance. Wind can make an otherwise great-feeling rod into a situationally poor performer.
Fly rods are about as diverse as any product available today, especially when we consider sports equipment. But fly fishing is unique and quantifying fly rods’ performance is difficult. Fly rods can flex a little or flex a lot. They can be relatively heavy or relatively light, they can be fast or they can be slow, and of course the price can be low, high or in-between. And, how many sports can you think of that bring back 20- or 30-year old materials (fiberglass)? This doesn’t take into account all the external environmental factors that affect fly rods’ behaviour and performance. Wind can make an otherwise great-feeling rod into a situationally poor performer.
As fly anglers how do we wade through all of this and better understand fly rods and find one that works best with our own style of casting, personal preferences, and fishing conditions? Fly rods can be defined by so many characteristics, including physical weight, swing weight, stiffness, just to name a few. But what really defines the feel in your hand? I believe that recovery rate and flex best demonstrate and define the performance characteristics of a fly rod. Of course there are always other factors to consider, like fighting power (ability to lift or fight a fish from the butt of the rod) but this is a consideration for a minority of anglers. For most of us fishing for species from trout to bonefish, recovery rate and flex provide enough information to at least understand what separates rods you may choose to fish with from those you may not.
Recovery Rate
Recovery rate is how quickly a flexible composite tubular structure – a fly rod – comes back to an unbent or straight position after being deflected. We measure this by flexing every rod the same amount and then measuring the amount of time it takes to recover or return back to a straight position. The characteristic by itself is not bad or good. It is simply a way to measure and describe a fly rod. A fly rod with a fast recovery rate comes back to a straight position more rapidly when casting. This means that it allows for a fast cycle-time, in other words a rapid casting stroke. This would be a positive, but not necessarily required, attribute when casting to moving bonefish on a saltwater flat or to easily spooked carp that suddenly appear in stained water. With a faster recovery rate it may also be possible to create too much line speed or hasten a cast. For instance, fishing small dry flies to rising fish might be easier with a rod that has a slightly slower recovery rate as it allows for a slower cycle time and a potentially more delicate presentation.
Flex
Describing flex can be a complicated conversation. We are admittedly simplifying the conversation by showing total inches of deflection with a standard weight hung at the tip of the rod and measured at four different points on the rod (tip, two mid-points and near the butt of the rod). This definition is a good way to simplify. A rod with a higher total deflection simply means it bends more under load. A rod that bends a lot under load may be a good rod to dampen the casting of heavy streamers or may simply feel smooth. A rod with little deflection or a tip-flex rod may have greater capacity to generate more line speed and be easier to cast tighter loops. In general a rod that flexes little, compared to a rod that flexes a lot will have more capacity to cast a greater distance.
Discussion
What is critical in this conversation is to not necessarily equate flex and recovery rate. It is possible to have a rod that flexes a lot to recover faster than a rod that flexes less. This may seem counterintuitive but it is a paradox that drives many rod manufacturers to frustration in this modern day of “faster is better” (less flex). What you will see from the data is that rods that flex more can still recover as quickly as rods that flex less. It’s important to keep this in mind when choosing a fly line. With rods getting faster and faster, fly lines have gotten heavier and heavier. A half-weight heavy fly line on a tip flex rod that recovers quickly will feel dramatically different than a half-weight heavy fly line on a rod that flexes more and recovers more slowly.
Know Your Cast
So, how do you use this assessment? You’ll notice that we have placed current and past models into the new rod analysis. These are reference points. If you like a rod at a certain point on the graph it’s probable that a rod near it will be a good choice for you. This isn’t guaranteed but is likely. Likewise if you are headed on a trip and want to choose a rod with certain characteristics this reference will help. Simply stated, know your cast. Define what you like and how you cast. Do you like a rod that flexes more deeply? Do you like a rod that recovers more quickly?
Know Your Situation
We have an affinity for fly rods. But fundamentally they are tools we use to make fishing easier and more enjoyable. It is possible to cast a fly line 60 or more feet with no rod at all, so using a fly rod should make casting exponentially easier. Understand that rods with different characteristics will perform different functions more or less efficiently for you. Not to say you can’t perform every function with one type of flex or recovery, but choosing the right tool for the job for you will make you more successful, and your fishing more enjoyable.
Choose a rod that speaks to you
At the end of the day, choose rods that speak to you. Cast as many rods as possible, with flies, (no bend or point), using casts you will use in the fishing situation and make an informed decision. The goal of defining these rods is simply to help you do this more effectively and efficiently.