LINE WEIGHT
Let's start by understanding the different line weights a fly rod will carry. Many anglers do not realize that rods and fly lines should balance each other. A rod that is designed for a 5-weight line may not perform as well with a heavier or lighter line. [Advanced casters know how to vary line weights to achieve optimum performance in specific casting situations, but most anglers will be best served by following the manufacturer's recommendations. THE EDITORS.]

Line weights range from the lightest 0 through a monster 15. Rods for light lines deliver small flies accurately to spooky fish in clear water. They make playing smaller fish more exciting and challenging. Their shock absorbency helps keep big fish from breaking light tippets.

Heavier line weights are good for long casts, large flies, and windy conditions. They handle weighted flies and sinking lines in deep water better than light line weights, and they have the backbone to control large, powerful fish in fast currents.

The tradeoffs are delicacy versus power, in both presentations and landing fish. Use the chart below to see what line weights suit your anticipated fishing conditions the best.

ROD LENGTH
Rods blanks come in lengths from 6 to 15 feet. The rods at the extreme ends of this range are very specialized. If you want a rod for a small brushy stream, a short rod works best in tight situations, both for casting and for playing fish. Two-handed rods are the standard for Atlantic salmon in Europe, and are becoming very popular in North America, both for salmon and steelhead.

Long trout rods (9-10 feet) keep backcasts high while float tubing. They control line better on larger waters by helping you leverage slack line and throw mends. Long rods perform roll casts better.

PERFORMANCE AND ACTION
Other important features of rods are performance and action. Performance is the ability of a rod to work effectively under a wide range of fishing conditions. The best rods cast accurately at all ranges, mend line easily, and present your fly appropriately through a wide variety of situations. A great rod combines the best attributes of both sensitivity and power. Rod actions are often classified as moderate, fast, or very fast. Slow-action rods seem to have gone the way of the dinosaur. Moderate actions are designed for delicate presentations, and cast without amplifying certain casting flaws. They load efficiently and are often the best action for beginning casters. Fast to very fast actions give greater power and accuracy for longer casts or windy conditions. The very best way to decide what action you prefer is to cast several models in comparable lengths and line weights. You will find one of them "feels" better to you than the others. You can cast more smoothly, accurately, and farther with less effort. This "feel" is difficult to describe, but as noticeable as when you try on a new pair of shoes. One will just feel right. Buying a rod without "trying it on" is very risky.

QUALITY AND COST
Quality rods cost more for a variety of reasons. The graphite itself is a relatively expensive material. Design of a quality rod is a process of refinement that requires building and discarding many prototypes before the optimum design and materials are found. The quality of the components, the grip, guides and reel seat, and the workmanship contribute to the cost. Customer support and warranty add a great deal of value to a rod.

The best rods are simply going to cost more. It's up to you to decide the best value and price for your individual needs. Buy the best rod you can afford. Its versatility and your enjoyment will pay off!

TRAVEL RODS
In the last few years, two important developments have entered the world of quality fly rods. They include high-performance travel rods and combination rods. Up until a few years ago, rods of more than two pieces were significantly heavier and stiffer than two-piece rods. Now the standard of performance in many three-, four-, five-, and even seven-piece rods equals that of two piece rods. These multi-piece rods fit in very short tubes, making them so much easier to store and transport. There is no doubt in my mind that the preferred fly rods of the future will be three-, four-, and five-piece rods.

In addition, there are now great rods with multiple butt and tip sections that make into rods of different lengths and/or line weights. The cost of these "combination" rods is less than the cost of comparable quality rods purchased separately.

LET THE EXPERTS HELP YOU
Your leisure time is important to you. You'll increase your angling enjoyment by choosing top quality equipment. After you've read some of the advice and hints in this brochure, and studied the above chart, go to your local fly shop, cast the assembled version of the rod you are interested in, and soak up all the advice you can. Don't feel you deserve less service just because you are building your own rod. You are about to make an important purchase, and by the time you buy your blank, components, and materials, (not to mention the line and reel for the new rod) you will have invested quite a sum of money in this project.

Finally, to keep this all in perspective, I'll leave you with this quote from Robert Traver's Anatomy Of A Fisherman:

"I fish because I love to, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of man are equally unimportant; and not nearly so much fun."