Mass Produced vs. Custom Built Fly Rods
Every rod begins with a blank, the foundation for material choice, taper, and action. After the blank is built, the rod builder adds coatings and wraps for stability while wrapping and securing guides. The cork is added for a grip, and the reel seat with epoxy and glue to set everything in place. A final layer of varnish is typically added to coat the entire rod.
A mass-produced rod runs through an assembly line where everything is done in compartmentalized steps, and every component and grip is identical. Quality control is critical during this process; using cheap glues and insufficient epoxy can cause issues. That said, numerous high-quality mass-produced rods are fantastic.
The difference between custom and mass-produced rods comes down to the individual builders and the details they decide to implement in each build. A custom rod often has unique wraps, colors, and visual appeal, but the process goes beyond the aesthetic.
For example, adding more extensive guides to an 8-weight can improve performance and the ability to shoot bulky lines. A custom builder might also use a higher-grade cork, shaped to perfection on a lathe and set above a stellar reel seat with custom engraving. Every detail is exceptional, and the rod is unique aesthetically with performance improvements.
Fly Rod Material Foundations
Different materials influence how a rod flexes and performs. Glass, bamboo, and composite rods are all different in weight, flex, and feel. Moreover, the taper and actions vary significantly by design and engineering.
The Glass Rod Revolution
You will find cult followings for glass rods and good reason. They are quirky, bendy, funky, and flat-out fun to fish. Fiberglass or “glass” rods were the standard for decades, and anyone who was fly fishing in the 1960s and 1970s knows the material well.
Glass rods faded with the introduction of modern composite materials. Still, they have made a significant comeback. Glass blanks are highly flexible and can bend into a near-full loop. The entire flex makes them load slowly, requiring long pauses to engage the rod. They are also durable and have performance advantages, like fishing technical waters, in specific scenarios.
Bamboo Traditions and Craftsmanship
The world of bamboo fly fishing rods is fascinating, and the material offers the most flexibility regarding custom blank design. Bamboo builders build the raw blank using their own taper calculations, often based on how the bamboo splits. That is why many bamboo rods are small-batch, with a limited number of rods built on a specific blank design.
Bamboo rod building is a true craft with a dedicated following, and the rods can be outright fantastic and fun to fish. The bamboo is split, hence the common “split cane” terminology and the blanks are constructed by gluing the split pieces together. Using six pieces for blank construction is common, but variations exist to customize tapers and action.
Modern Composite Blanks
Modern blank materials changed the game with graphite and high-modulus composite construction. These materials create the bulk of fly fishing rods available today, and for good reason. They are affordable, durable, and highly engineered for specific tapers and action qualities.
Graphite is the primary ingredient for composite blanks, and the raw material is pressed into sheets that are measured, cut, manipulated to specifications, and rolled into the blanks. The exact material chosen, cuts made, and the amount rolled determine the taper and action. The blanks then require a heat or baking to harden the final blank.
Composite blanks are typically mass-produced according to a particular formula with little to no variation in each batch. Custom rod builders might have their spec blanks manufactured, but many utilize existing blank designs and customize every aspect of the build beyond the blank.
Check out fly rod builder Randy Howe and his unique fly rod design
Actions, Species, and the Perfect Fit
We discussed how blank construction and design influence action, but what is the step exactly? The action is the amount of flex or stiffness in a rod, influencing the casting stroke and how the rod performs.
Slow Action Rods
A very flexible rod that bends through the tip, midsection, and into the lower blank is a slow action rod. The slow action requires a delayed casting stroke to load the rod properly and deliver the cast. Many anglers will refer to this as a “soft” rod.
Slow-action rods are great for casting dry flies to rising trout. Spring creeks and tailwaters are familiar places where slow-action aficionados gather to make delicate presentations with specific flies. Slow-action rods can also handle distance, and bendy bass and pike-style rods are becoming more common.
The ability to load a heavy fly deep into the rod blank can generate a ton of energy and, with an aggressive line, can send the fly out in a hurry. Fiberglass rods are naturally slow-action, but every material choice has a slow-action option to consider.
Related: What is meant by the speed or action of a rod?
Medium and Medium Fast
These are your middle-ground, do-it-all fly rods. They comprise a bulk of the market and serve the broadest range of anglers.
If you’re new to fly fishing or want something to handle everything, medium-fast is the action of choice. The less common medium action can also be excellent, especially for dry fly anglers wanting more punch than a slow action can deliver.
Fast Action
Fast-action rods are hard on beginners but are necessary in many situations. Planning to fish Pyramid Lake in the wind? Or anywhere in Patagonia? How about the saltwater where wind and wind-resistant flies are constant challenges in an ecosystem where the fish move quickly?
Fast action rods are stiff, flexing primarily at the tip section. They require precision timing and condensed power in the casting stroke. The fast action generates more line speed and delivers under challenging conditions for advanced casters. Eventually, most anglers will want a fast-action rod or two.
Choosing Your Next Fly Rod
There are so many factors to consider when choosing your next fly rod. Finding a rod to love and use for the years ahead deserves some thought and shopping around. Could you list the mainstream options, then shop through custom builders to compare the benefits?
Many custom fly rod builders offer beautiful rods made to perform at fair prices. You can visit the Meet Our Builders page to find one near you.
