Fly rod for put and take

The all-round choice for put and take is a 9-foot fly rod in class 5. It matches the size of stocked rainbow trout and brown trout, usually 0.5 to 2 kg, and is supple enough to learn to cast with. If you need more margin in wind or against larger fish you pick class 6. With that choice made, most of it is decided, because class governs both line and reel.

Class – the most important choice

Class says how powerful the rod is and which line it balances with:

• Class 5 is the all-round choice for put and take, right for ordinary rainbow trout and brown trout.
• Class 6 gives a little more power, good in wind and against heavier fish.
• Class 7–8 is unnecessarily heavy for ordinary put-and-take fish and belongs with pike and the coast.

So avoid buying too much rod. A class 8 rod makes playing a kilo rainbow trout dull and makes casting practice heavier than it needs to be.

Length

9 feet is the standard and what you should aim for as a beginner. It is enough to cast from bank and jetty, mend the line and keep contact with the fish. Shorter rods can be pleasant on small, tight waters, while a little longer rods give more reach and line control when you wade. But start with 9 feet; it is the most versatile length.

Action and material

Action describes how the rod bends. A medium to a little faster action is the easiest to learn with, because it gives you a little time to feel the load in the cast. Very stiff rods with a fast action are effective in practised hands but punish unpolished technique, so they are rarely right for a beginner. The material is mostly graphite or carbon, light and tough, and the price band mostly decides finish and feel rather than whether you catch fish.

What you should check when you buy

Check that the class marking is clear and matches the line and reel you have in mind. Put the sections together and feel that they sit firmly, and mount the reel if you can so you feel the balance. A rod that feels tip-heavy becomes tiring over a whole day. Look after the rod by wiping it after fishing and storing it in its tube, and it lasts a long time.

What else you need

The rod is one part of an outfit: a fly reel with a drag, a WF fly line in the same class, backing and tippet. The whole package and the price band we go through in the buying guide best fly rod for beginners. How you use it is under fly fishing, and which flies you load the box with is in the fly overview.