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Step 1
Determine what kind of fish you want to catch to determine what kind of line you need. Generally, the weight of the line and the size of the rod coincide. The smaller the fish, the lighter the weight of the line. Nowadays, they make ultra-light lines for the super light flies, but generally, fly lines are numbered by weight from 1 to 15. Trout fishermen tend to use 4 to 5 weight lines. Of course, everyone has their preferences, but general recommendations would be 6 or 7 weight for smallmouth bass, 7 to 9 weight for largemouth, 7 to 10 weight for steelhead and salmon, and 8 to 10 weight for striped bass. Most people use 7 to 10 weights for speckled trout, redfish, bonefish, permit and many other small to medium salt water species. The 11 to 15 weight line category is for the giant ocean fish.
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Step 2
Knowing what kind of personality you have can also have a bearing on the type of rod and line you get. If you are the more active type and like to keep your fly zinging across the surface, then you should go for the high action rod. This term refers to the place on the rod where the flexing action happens. A high action rod will bend near the tip, while a slow action rod will bend closer to the butt of the rod with the medium action somewhere in between. Generally speaking, the beginner can usually find success with the high action rod as it gives greater accuracy for the amount of effort needed.
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Step 3
Check out what kind of water you want to fish in to determine what length rod you want to get. The shortest rods are as little as 6 feet long and are great for little streams and creeks where the sides are heavily wooded and a long rod would be cumbersome and slow. The longer rods can get up to 16 feet long and are used for larger bodies of water like lakes and bays where you need the length to throw line greater distances.
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Step 4
Quality of construction is a huge factor if you plan on fly fishing quite often. There is nothing worse than casting your fly out and having the end of the rod disconnect or wobble as if it could! The quality of construction is directly related to the type of graphite used to make it. Generally, the higher the modulus (a term indicating how much graphite is present in the rod), the better the graphite. Quality rod makers are continually searching and redefining the right amount and type of graphite to make their rods even better. Rods that use modern grades of graphite such as Type III will transfer the most energy with the greatest degree of ease.
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Step 5
Search for the rod with soul. Now this sounds a little strange, but if you spend any time with a seasoned fly fisherman you will hear him speak of his rod as if it were a person. A really good rod is a combination of all of the above characteristics that suit you and are perfectly fused together. It can be compared to a fine scotch or an aged cheese where all the different components work together to form a delightful experience. The names are out there of the higher end rod manufacturers who pride themselves in making a remarkable product--just ask the professionals.
