The most important piece of a fly-fishing tackle is the fly rod. When you are deciding on a new rod, you should know what action you are looking for in a fly rod. To this end, this article will discuss what is a fast action fly rod.
Choosing the best rod action is one of the most important and personal decisions you will make when it comes to fly fishing tackle. Simply put, if you choose the wrong action rod for the kind of casting and fishing you will be doing, it can make it difficult to achieve your casting and fishing objectives.
What Does Fly Rod Action Mean?
Fly rod action, measures how flexible the rod is, and how much control you will have over a fish. Fly rod actions are usually classified into slow, medium, fast, and extra-fast actions. The faster the action, the more pressure you can apply on the fish, and the more the rod bends towards the tip.
What is a Fast Action Fly Rod?
Fast action fly rods are sturdy rods with less flex. The stiffness of these rods can help you catch fish more quickly, which is perfect when targeting larger fish. In addition, they offer higher sensitivity for monitoring bites and can be quickly loaded up for hook setting.
The best thing about a fast action fly rod is their casting ability. They are more powerful than other fly rod action types and that allows users to cast further. Most rods manufactured today are fast action rods because they are easy to cast and offer outstanding performance in a variety of conditions.
Benefits Of A Fast Action Fly Rods
- Fast action rods are perfect for fishing in windy conditions.
- The faster action of the rod will increase the speed of the line which makes those windy days much less difficult.
- The smaller loops produced by these rods create less wind resistance which allows the line to punch through the wind.
- Fast action rods are great tools for generating high line speed and tight loops for accuracy.
- They are also used to cast larger flies, and also for long-distance casting.
- Another great benefit of a fast action rod is its strength in landing larger fish. The transfer of power in the lower part of the rod makes battling monster fish a little easier.
How to cast a fast action fly rods?
Fast action rods can be relatively challenging for beginners and learning requires a bit of practice to master. In addition, casting weighted nymphs and heavy flies make it even more difficult for a novice caster. The reason for this is because weighted nymphs and heavy flies tend to amplify casting difficulties notwithstanding the rod action.
Casting Tips
- The most important part of casting a fast action fly rod is the forward stop. The stop has to be complete and firm for the rod to load and unload and to create the line speed, loop, and accuracy that the fly rod can achieve. When anglers are having issues casting these rods, they most likely are not coming to a complete stop and the rod doesn’t really unload.
- When an angler goes beyond their forward stop they will experience tangling.
- Other anglers tend to slow down rod before the forward stop. They don’t accelerate to a complete stop, which is why the rod never quite fully loads and unloads.
What Is A Fast Action Fly Rod – Final Thoughts
Fast action rods are a great choice if you need to cast longer distances or are casting heavier flys. In addition, these rods also allow you to cast in higher wind conditions. Finally, if you will be landing larger fish, a fast action fly rod is a good choice.
Featured Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan on Unsplash
