Beginner angler recommended fly fishing rod feature
For novice anglers, buy a medium speed fly fishing rod. They are the most versatile fly fishing rods and are very tolerant to learn. If you want to learn more about fly stick action, read the guide on how to choose a fly stick.
The rod length for trout should be 8.5 to 9 feet. Beginners won't want to go again, and should only go shorter if most of their fishing is for small fish (e.g. panfish).
The weight of the fly fishing rod (which means the weight of the fly line you plan to use) will vary depending on your fishing purpose. But for trout fishing, it is usually best to use a 4, 5, or 6 weight rod. I personally prefer four weights, but that's just me. However, a five-weight bar is probably the most versatile.
Make sure the weight of the fly fishing rod matches the line width you plan to use. Also, make sure the weight of the flyrod matches the weight of the flywheel you plan to use. For more information on this topic, read the How to Choose a Flyer Guide.
If Tip #4 is confusing, remember this formula: flyrod weight = flywire weight = flywheel weight.
New anglers don't need $700 rods. However, the poor performance of cheap fly fishing rods can quickly frustrate new anglers. Beginners should consider a "mid-range" fly fishing rod in terms of price. This way, you will be able to use the rod for many years without worrying that it will "grow out" soon. A good choice for new anglers is the variety of Orvis Clearwater fly fishing rods available. They're there forever, and anglers don't grow up any time soon.
There are some good brands of fishing rods: Cabela's, Orvis, Sage, G. Loomis, Winston, Redington, Fenwick, Scott & St. Croix.
The above list is by no means exhaustive. Many other fine flying rods were made. These are just the ones I'm familiar with. Choosing one of the mid-priced rods from any of the above brands will prevent new anglers from buying rods that will soon become obsolete.
Planning frequent travel? If so, consider buying a fly fishing rod that can be packaged into four or more pieces -- they're easier to carry around. These rods are often referred to, appropriately enough, as "traveling rods."
Shopping Precautions
The variety of rods available is dizzying, and new anglers -- even experienced ones -- will "turn around" when deciding what to buy.
Because of this, when I buy a fly fishing rod, I find that it's often best to "eliminate" what you don't want first -- which shortens the list considerably.
For all anglers, delete anything that costs less than $100 from the list. For some reason, these fly fishing rods cost $100 or less. While ultra-cheap fly fishing rods are great for kids and pan-fish chases at local ponds, catch wild trout in Montana...... Forget it.
Beginner anglers will also want to remove any fast-acting fly fishing rods from their list (explained further in the How to Pick a Fly fishing rod Guide). Fast-action fly fishing rods are not the best way to learn and also lack the small-flow flexibility provided by slow and medium-action fly fishing rods. In general, most new anglers will want to use a medium speed rod unless they do most of their fishing in very small streams (in which case a slow rod may be the better choice).
New anglers also want to remove all the really expensive fly fishing rods from the list. While there is definitely a performance improvement between a "mid-priced" rod and one that sells for $400 or more, new anglers won't notice the difference.
Finally, new anglers who are "starting from scratch" in fly-fishing gear will almost certainly want to buy what is called a "fly-rod combination." The flyrod assembly consists of perfectly matched and balanced flyrod equipment. The flyrod kit consists of a flyrod, flywheel, and flywire - usually carried along with the flyrod tube/case. In addition, the price savings of the flyrod combination are usually significant compared to purchasing individual pieces separately.
The Orvis Clearwater Fly fishing rod (and related combinations, including string and reel, are also available) is ideal for beginners. Beginners won't be in a rush to upgrade from this combination (I still have mine and use it regularly). Cabela's, St. Croix, Sage and G. Loomis offer other good combinations for beginner and intermediate anglers.
