Fly Fishing Rod Parts

"Ok, so there's a few parts to the rod that will be helpful to know about. I guess we'll start at the bottom of the rod. The first part is the reel seat. That's where the reel attaches to the rod. Usually there will be some type of mechanism for locking the foot of the reel onto the rod. This has got a double screw mechanism to keep it on there. The next part is the handle, that's this cork part. It's obviously where you grab the rod. This whole bottom part of the rod is considered the butt of the rod, the butt section, which will be the reel seat through about the first third of the rod is the butt of the rod. That's the thickest part of the rod. As you move up the rod, the first thing you will come to is what we call the stripping guide. That's usually the biggest guide and it usually has some type of insert in there to keep the line from abrading against the metal. It usually has some type of ceramic insert or some type of other exotic material. Then you move up the rod and you'll run into the snake guide. They are usually made out of wire. They are usually in this sort of shape here, makes it look like a snake. They are made out of wire because they make very little friction on the line as it's moving through the guides. You move up the rod, it will continue to have snake guides. Usually, the more guides you have, the better the rod is, because it supports the line as it's moving through. And at the end of the rod, you'll have what's known as the tip top guide. It's just a totally round wire guide there, and that's the last place the fly line touches the rod as its going out to catch the fish, and that is the fly rod."