A few of my friends have been asking questions about fly fishing. This tread is for all that wish to know a little more about fly fishing, and sharing my knowledge.
Since I started fly fishing a few years ago, I still consider myself a novice and still learning everyday 
All comments are welcome!
Selecting A Fly Rod
In todayās market, we can often find 3 types of materials used in making fly rods. Bamboo, graphite, and fiberglass. Fly rod, is the most important component in a fly set up because when fishing under heavy stress it will be the backbone when fighting the fish.
When selecting a fly rod, one must ask himself these questions:
- Do I really need a RM1000 fly rod?
- Are expensive rods really better than cheaper ones?
- Are top-end rods actually worth the money?
From my opinion if you can afford to get a better rod, by all means, go ahead. The investment of a good fly rod will yield a high return in the future. Fly rods are very important because when fighting the fish a good fly rod vs. a cheap rod will show its differences in workmanship, and quality of the rod. Not forgetting the warranty that a good rod covers.
Fly rod manufacturer such as Orvis covers 25 year warranty for all their rods. Sage covers lifetime warranty depending on the rod model. I currently own an Orvis and Sage, and love emā. They have landed big game for me and never fail to perform under heavy stress.
Materials are less important than rod design. However, nearly all good rods are made out from graphite material. Graphite rods will be much lighter than comparable rods of fiberglass or bamboo. They can cost anywhere from RM200 - RM 2500, although cost is not necessarily directly related to performance. Plus, a thousand ringgit rod is not 10 times better than a 100 ringgit fly rod. Combination of a reputable brand, warranty and the finishing (workmanship) is the key to choosing a fly rod.
Bamboo rods are a bombshell, they can cost anywhere from RM9k to anything crazy we can imagine. Orvisās Mitey Mike bamboo rod is currently on the market for RM10k. Do we need to spend this much ? I dont think so, unless you are a fly collector or simply have ābulletsā to shoot, then its okay, otherwise ā¦
From my understanding is that bamboo rods are much more flexible than graphite and fiberglass. Its the workmanship and the flexibility that the bamboo offers that surpass fiberglass and graphite materials. Bamboo on the other hand are very hard to craft when building it, which can cost a lot too. Most bamboo rods are hand made, and it take time to season the wood as well.
There are 3 aspects in a fly rod production
- Quality of hardware (cosmetics), such as seat post, cork, guides, finish, ferrules and etc.
- Quality of material, such as graphite type, modules fibers, resins and glues
- Quality of the assembly
When you touch the rod, the smoothness that run through your fingers should have a connection with you. As the design and the feel of the rod will be your casting machine when fishing. Therefore, the smoothness of the rod and other consideration such as the cork, guides, seat post must be taken into consideration. The material that they used plays an important role as well, you should use your best judgment to check the resins and glue between the rod and the guides. They should be almost perfect with no bumps or small sediments of glue bubbles. Finally the quality of the whole rod, the feel, and the assembly of the rod must be almost beautifully crafted. Only then the rod can be considered as good.
The rod should come with a protective case as well, most rods will have cushion tube or cloth to protect the resins to prevent scratches. Small scratches can be harmful for fly rods as they will create crack in the future.
Just like a normal spinning and conventional rod, the fly rod can be classified into 3 action class. Fast, moderate and soft action. The fast action is intended for longer cast, more power to increase quicker hook set and tighten loops. They are unforgiving stiff rods. Mostly used for tuna, trevally, atlantic tarpon and other big game fish. The moderate action is intended for smoother cast which gives anglers a smooth silky feel, which is slightly softer than fast rods. Some of the fish species that angler seek when using this rods are āsiakapā, MJ, small barracudda, ātenggiriā and others. The final rod, which is the soft action is intended to provide anglers a better loading feel, they are best with light tippets. They tend to throw a wide loop with less power. In general, fast action rods acquire greater physical exertion than light action rods. So, my advise is that, if you get tired easily when casting, get a fast action rod.
Rod length. The length should also be taken into consideration. In some rivers off Pahang, which are narrow and small, shorter rods should be considered. If you are doing saltwater fishing off a boat or from the shore a longer rods should be a main factor. Shorter rods are best used in tight spots such brush streams where casting would be difficult with a 8ā or 9ā rod. A medium length rods of 8ā or 8ā6" can be used in mid size streams or any time when long cast are not needed. Long rods are most often used from the shore for most situation where longer cast are required. They make the line mending easier because the angler is able to hold more line off the water. 9ā rods are very commonly used in this type of situation.
Fly fishing is still not a new sport to our country, but some anglers find it to be impractical and unpopular. Most of our charter boats dont have enough casting space for the fly rod to cast. Thus, this is a discouragement for anglers to ditch and stay away from it. I hope many more angler will pick up fly fishing, as it uses less natural resources such as live bait and dead bait.
To me, choosing a rod with an extensive good warranty is very important. Also, fly fishing is easier and much more enjoyable when your fly is properly matched to the type of fishing your doing. The 2 main consideration are the rod length and fly line weight.
Have fun!
