Video: Understand the Proper Length of a Fishing Rod

Learn why fly fishing rod length matters and get tips on fishing equipment and tackle in this free fly fishing video series.

Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Jim from Zoar Outdoor on behalf of expertvillage.com. In this segment we’re going to be talking about fishing gear and especially fly fishing. In the previous session we talked about different fly rod lengths and different manufacturers and how to read a fly rod. One of the things you might be wondering at this point is, why are there so many different lengths? What’s the right length for me? The answer to that question is entirely depending on where you’re going to fish. If you’re going to fish in a small brushy boulder choked tight little stream, then you probably want a short rod, like for example this Scott Rod, which is 6 feet 10 inches long. It’s got a light line weight but its short length, means that it’s not going to be crashing into the bushes, and as a result it’s a much more efficient tool to use. If you were to use this 9 foot rod in that condition—and by the way this color is because it’s an instruction rod. Most colors on these rods you’ll see are either grey or light green, this is pretty garish it would frighten fish, so don’t fish with a rod this color. But back to the length question, in a small stream a 9 foot fly rod is going to hit the brush, so why would you use this? Well if you’re in a open water like the Deerfield where you’ve got 50 or more feet of room on both sides, then a longer length gives you more casting control and allows you to mend the line and do things that you can’t do as easily with a short line. The 8 foot lengths are a good compromise for medium size water. Also for people who are a little smaller, a little shorter, an 8 foot rod is a good place to start as well because it’s not as challenging for as much weight to move when your make your casting. So that’s generally the gamut from small confined spaces into wide open spaces, and then in terms of your body size and weight.

Understand the Proper Length of a Fishing Rod

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