What's a good fly rod for Largemouth Bass?

What is about a fly rod that can bring out the fat wallet? Some fly rods are better suited to catching fishermen then catching fish.

As axioms go here’s an often quoted one for you. “Buy the best fly rod you can afford“. But I say “The best is the enemy of the good“. Also, a fly rods function is not the slave of its cost.

What does this minor diatribe mean? A fly rod is a fishing rod the last time I checked and its purpose is to be used as such. Get out there and fish with it.

I have a good fly rod. Not an expensive one. There is a difference. How did I end up with a good fly rod that didn't cost me the price of a small island in the Caribbean? (can you guess where I want to go fishing?)

I did my research. I wanted a fly rod to go Largemouth Bass fishing. I live in the Northeast and I know that here in the NE Largemouth Bass get about 5-7 pounds and the ones I was most likely and hoping to catch would be around 5 pounds. I also want to go trout fishing in medium streams. This was my basic plan for my fly rod.

I would be fishing big fly poppers with lots of hair and feathers on size 2 hooks. Bass like big meals and this is my first choice. I know that a 6 weight fly line is best suited for hook sizes 1/0 to 12 and that with attaching a tippet to the leader I could extend this to 16s.

So a 6wt fly rod with a matched 6 wt fly line was the choice. Search the market and you can find fly leaders for just about any fish around. Again Bass are my target fish. So I use a 7-foot mono knotless taper leader. Here’s is where I get a little nuts about fishing so bare with me.

I like to match what I call a fishes genetic makeup to my fishing style. With my fly rod, I can fish almost any pound test leader I want. But I consider a 6lb test leader a perfect match to the Largemouth Bass’ fighting instincts. They can hit hard, jump and dive to Davies’s locker. I think a 6lb test leader gives the Bass a fighting chance to swim away. I get to put my skills to the test and the Bass’s genetic escape skills give it a chance to beat me. I think 6lbs is about right for the fight. And is the most useful pound test when horsing them in isn’t an option. Also I don’t tire out the fish to the point of exhaustion. So I can release a healthy fish.

So back to fly rods. Our setup is a 6wt rod, 6wt fly line and a 7 foot 3x leader. I know 3x is rated for 8lb test (most of the time) but considering wetted knot strength I can kick 2lbs out the door.

I also know 3x leader according to my rules of divide by 3 for hook and leader is a 8, 10 and 12 size hook. But considering I’m Bass fishing I think it’s OK. If you want too you can attach a 0x (12lb test) to the leader like a bite tippet and then the weak point is the knot between the leader and bite tippet. This gets the hook to tippet, OK, Don't think about leader hinge, roll out, blah, blah, blah at the knot. And besides, we’re Bass fishing.

I know I didn't mention anything about the latest and greatest rod material. Modulus, strain, strength to weight ratios, matrix or composite or bending moments, stress fractures or material fatigue or blah, blah, blah........all important to some degree. But get a graphite medium to fast action fly rod and fish. You can get a materials engineering degree for your next fly rod.

Get out there and fish.

Good fishing!