Fly Rods: Paul Procter’s Weapons of Choice

With a whiff of spring in the air and the trout season upon us, now might be the time to consider a new fly rod. Here, Paul Procter offers some thoughts and advice that will help you determine which fly rod is best for your style of fishing.

The Evolution of River Rods

Not so long ago a tip-action 9ft 5-weight was considered the trusty companion for those venturing onto rivers. Such a weapon worked well enough until recent developments in fly fishing made us ask questions. More specialist, or refined techniques like Czech Nymphing, the French Leader, and closer to home a renaissance in spider/wet fly fishing, has called for longer rods, often with differing actions. Regardless of fishing methods, the overriding thing when selecting an outfit is to match a rod to the type of river you fish. Which begs the question, which rod is best for certain eventualities?

Tackling Big Rivers and Wind

For those tackling large, broad rivers like the lower Eden or Lune, in a bid to cast further, many favour slightly heavier line ratings. Granted something like a 6-weight is a definite benefit for achieving distance when deep water close to your bank makes wading impossible. They’re also useful for flinging larger flies or nymphs possessing a fair bit of weight, suspended under some form of indicator. Such arrangements take some handling and would challenge something like a flimsy 3-weight outfit.

Wide rivers are generally more exposed, and their breezy conditions often make casting tricky. Spring can see particularly blustery weather for days at a time and I’ll guarantee it’ll be a downstream blast when emerging spring olives require a dry fly presented upstream. One school of thought is to embrace lighter line ratings with their finer diameter to help penetrate a niggling headwind; though a degree of mass will be required to turn over the business end. Go too light and your fly line simply ends up being blown from pillar to post with no sense of direction. If these scenarios and/or broad rivers are your playground, with its crisp and responsive action, the Guideline NT11 9’#6 is right up your street.

Lighter Lines for Finer Work

So far, it sounds like a 6-weight might be just the job for larger rivers. However, we need to consider occasions when finer tippets and small dries are called for. Yielding more readily, rods rated for lighter lines undoubtedly protect delicate tippets. Admittedly, your 6-weight has enough guts to hurtle heavy bugs into a fierce wind yet remains forgiving enough when it comes to landing lively fish on stout tippet connection. That said, as with most fishing situations it’s down to compromise when dropping a line rating could be the answer to protecting flimsy tippets where they are required.

One situation here is still evenings on wide rivers when smaller flies are required to tempt dimpling trout that seem to rise right on the edge of our range! Of course, more diminutive patterns will always fish better on finer tippets too. Whether to prevent breakages and still be able to hold their own where distance is necessary, or when you’re casting into the teeth of a gale, for my money a 5-weight outfit gives you the best of both worlds now. I for one can vouch for the Tactical LPX 9’ #5 as it has one of the sweetest actions of any 5-weight rod.

Longer Rods for Mending and Reach

Longer rods are obviously capable of holding more fly line clear of grabbing currents, so you’d think they’d be perfect on wide streams especially where repeated line mending is required. Many look to a 10ft outfit of which I’m a great fan. Though there are those who happily waft rods of 11 or even 12ft when a deft flick of the rod tip is enough to mend several feet of line in one go. Yet, longer rods can also become a burden at times.

Obviously an 11-footer contains appreciably more material than its 9ft counterpart, which means a greater area cutting through the air when casting. Rod tips moving at a fair lick during casting mean there’s a fine line between a blistering delivery and one that goes horribly wrong. With the best will in the world, it’s deceptively easy to ‘overcook’ a longer rod, especially when pitching into the teeth of a gale or throwing cumbersome flies. A tad too much effort now causes the rod tip to dip below its perceived straight-line path, resulting in an undesirable closed loop or worse still, one that will tail! Rods of 9ft are better when the wind blows though one of 9’9” gives a bit of extra length to manoeuvre fly line that’s less likely to buckle if overpowered on the final cast.

Rods for Small Streams and High Ground

Whilst a 9ft 5-weight might be a good all-rounder on a vast, lowland river, picking your way up a tiny moorland beck calls for something different. Surprisingly, longer rods do have a place here, with a lofty 9’9” to 10 ft stick becoming a serious contender. Wee burns in upland parts usually lack tree cover, so there’s no chance of your rod tip rattling branch tops. That said, heather and moorland grass can reach a fair height to smother tiny streams. Here, a longer rod helps you reach over the whole lot to prevent line and leader becoming tangling in rampant vegetation. Very much the same occurs on well managed chalk streams where decent buffer zones exist. This is where rods like the Guideline LPX Nymph 10’2” #3 or 4-weight give you the upper hand. If that sounds a fraction long for you, then the Tactical LPX 9’9” #3 or 4-weight are right up your street.

Making Short Casts on Tiny Water

Almost perfect miniatures of their lowland counterparts, highland streams can be stepped across in many parts. A pool might only stretch the size of your dining table too, so long casts are hardly called for. Granted, it’s good policy that your fly line corresponds with your rod rating… i.e. a #4 line should marry a 4-weight rated rod. However, casts extending a mere rod’s length or so (approx. a third of what is considered optimum) require increased rod speed to flex/bend the rod. This does work, but all kinds of problems and faults can creep in to our technique here as we usually end up “forcing” rather than casting a line. A better solution is over-loading your rod by a line size thus upping the weight to provide the required impetus over short distances. That said, with a short head and appreciable mass at its front end, the Guideline Brook Line is designed for these exact situations where you can match, say a #4 line to a 4-weight rod.

Fishing Under the Trees

Towering rods might be ideal for avoiding bankside rushes on tiny, open streams, however the very same outfit becomes a nuisance beneath a dense canopy where you’d struggle to swing a cat. Such tight spots are the preserve of wand like outfits when a wispy 7-8-footer for e.g. the Guideline Elevation Brooks range of 7’2”, 7’6”, or 8’ will become your best friend. Do be mindful that all things being equal, shorter rods are more difficult to flex and that ultimately affects casting. Even then, Guideline compensates for this with a more through action on their brook rods so that the desired straight-line path of your rod tip is easily achieved when casting tighter loops at short ranges is necessary.

The Mayfly vs BWO Dilemma

Chalk streams summon thoughts of our largest upwinged species… the mayfly. Imitating them often calls for large, bushy patterns that can be tricky to cast. Naturally, a heavier line rating has the necessary oomph to deliver these flies with authority. Nevertheless, come sultry summer evenings, Blue-Winged Olives (BWOs) are sure to be emerging in decent numbers. During a BWO hatch, when duns carpet the surface, trout and grayling become more adept at spotting an artificial. To make matters more delicate, BWOs are best imitated with size 16–18 hooks, which behave more naturally when tied to a fine, supple tippet.

Of course, such gossamer-like tippet can easily snap if you're trying to lever fish out using a stiff, poker-like 5-weight rod. For better protection and thistledown-like presentation, a 2-weight outfit would be ideal. But that, naturally, is going to extremes. Once again, it’s best to find middle ground, perhaps in the form of the 9’9” LXP Tactical 4-weight rod mentioned earlier. It has enough backbone to drive out fairly large mayfly dressings, yet offers sufficient flex to cushion surges from a headstrong trout. That’s precisely why the Tactical LPX 9’9” 4-weight has become my ‘go-to’ rod for so many situations these days.

Winter Nymphing and Close-Quarters Control

Whilst rivers with certain characteristics influence rod choice, to some degree, various fishing styles have a bearing too. Imagine its deepest winter and you’re out chasing grayling during a big freeze. A dewdrop forms on your snout and the fact that ice builds up in the rod rings tells you grayling will be occupying deep water that’s best probed using heavy bugs, presented on a short, fixed line. Whether this is Czech or Polish nymphing matters not as, in effect both trade on only a short section of line outside the rod tip.

When short-line nymphing, casting is rarely an issue as weighted bugs are easily lobbed the required distance upstream. Of greater importance is having enough reach to precisely guide your flies downstream on a slightly tensioned line. The idea is only your leader enters the surface thus reducing potential drag. Obviously, 10ft plus outfits are favoured now though those early Czech nymph rods seemed stiffer than telegraph posts! When fish are literally hooked at your feet, these poker like rods were far too brutal on leaders. Nowadays an ideal nymphing rod has a nice progressive action to flex under the strain of a good fish hooked a close quarters. The Guideline 10’ 8” LPX Nymph or 10’ 8” Elevation Nymph range have all bases covered here. 

Coincidently such a through action is just the job for wet flies/spider fishing. In its purest sense this art will be practiced upstream, using casts no longer than two rod lengths. Again, rods spanning 10ft or more make line mending a pleasure rather than a bind. This could be anything from a nifty flick of your rod tip to dodge a narrow current lane sprouting from a protruding boulder to a more elaborate rod sweep when tackling a stretch of brawling currents. Sometimes, merely lifting your rod to reposition line is all that’s needed. For my money, the Guideline 10’ 8” rods rated for a 3-weight take some beating.

The Art of the Dry Fly Cast

Guess what? A more through actioned rod design applies to a dry fly outfit too. Reservoir or saltwater anglers rightly lean to tip action rods that generate fast, tight loops. Dry fly fishing on streams tends to be more about precision which requires controlled loops. Remember, trout generally hold station on rivers, so there’s less urgency in getting a cast off quickly. Instead, we can take our time with a more measured approach. Softer, through action rods tend to throw slower, more open loops that make judging distance easier and maintain tension throughout the cast which is vital where long leaders and tiny flies are used. Another reason why the Tactical LPX 9’9” #4 is my weapon of choice. Mind, come low water, its 3-weight counterpart takes pride of place.

Final Thoughts: Travel Light, Fish Smart

Regardless of rod length or line rating, in conclusion then a mid-action rod covers a host of eventualities on rivers & streams. If overgrown streams happen to be your stomping ground, then wand like outfits of 7 to 8 feet will fit the bill. These needn’t be heavy line ratings either with a 3-weight being one to aim for. Whether they’re narrow or wide, rivers in open surroundings are best tackled with rangy rods of some 9’9” or so. Again, small fingers of water only need 2-3 weight lines though larger more exposed rivers should be approached with at least a 4-weight or even a number 5 rated rod. If you’re unfortunate and the water you regularly fish behaves like a wind tunnel then think of reducing rod length to 9’ or 9’6” models that can carry a 5-weight line.

Entertaining the notion of covering every scenario would involve carting a quiver full of carbon around, which let’s face it, just isn’t practical. Remember, river trouting is more about hunting so there’s a need to travel light. Rather than get bogged down, I set my stall out with two rod these days and have total faith in a mid-flex 9’9” LPX Tactical or 9’9” NT11 4-weight. These have the required reach to hold line clear of grabbing currents when using spiders or dry flies. Incorporating C.A.P M4 and NT11 technology, both rods are lightweight too, so they behave very much like 9ft rods with a fast recovery and of course a degree of authority where breezes rear their ugly heads. When it comes to tackling a jungle of trees, the spare rod I carry is the Guideline Brook Elevation 8 –foot #4, which gets you out of a pickle in dense undergrowth.

Be sure to check out the first in this guest blog series, Spring Trout Fishing with Paul Procter, for seasonal advice to kick-start your year on the water.

For those looking to gear up, you can explore a wide selection of tackle, flies, and fly fishing essentials both in-store and online at John Norris. With expert advice and top-notch products, John Norris is your go-to destination to ensure you're fully prepared for success on the water this season.