James Marsh

The fly rod is the angler’s primary tool. Other than the fly, it’s the most important part of yourfly fishing outfit. To become a master at fly fishing, it’s essential that you maximize yourperformance casting and presenting the fly. Other than your own skills and ability, the fly rodplays the most important role in accomplishing that. There are three things the rod must do well… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Choosing the Right Fly Rod Size, Length, Number of Sections and Action

When we formed the “Perfect Fly” Company, we did so with a business model that providedfor manufacturing everything the fly angler needs from head to toe, and from the butt of the flyrod to the flies on the end of the tippet. We didn’t want our first fly rod to be something to justget us started. Quite the opposite of that, we wanted it to… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – The Perfect Fly Rod Story (Best Fly Rods You Can Buy)

The size of a fly rod doesn’t mean its length. It refers to the weight of the fly line it isdesigned to cast. Now, it’s true that some fly rods will cast more than one line size, someas many as two or three; however, in those cases they will cast one certain line sizebetter than the others. I have already emphasized that a fly rod… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Fly Rod Sizes

In the early days before the 1940’s, most fly rods were made of bamboo. There are thosewho still use and prefer, I might add, bamboo rods this day in time. Fiberglass rodsgradually replaced the bamboo rods and to some extent, are still in use today, but moremodern day space age materials like graphite is the choice material of the newmillennium. Graphite is lighter and stronger… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Fly Rod Material

I’m sure that you have noticed that fly rods are generally longer than other types offishing rods. This is because the shorter the fly rod, the less efficiently you can cast. It’sthe length and arch of the rod during a cast that propels the line. However, the longer therod the more it weights, and the more difficult it is to cast around trees and otherobstructions.… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Fly Rod Lengths

The action of a rod is a description of the flex in the rod when it is bending. Actions areusually described as fast, medium or slow, and other increments, such as medium fast,medium slow, etc. Rods that flex near the tip are referred to as “fast” action rods where as rods that bendor flex uniformly throughout most of the rod’s length are referred to as… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Fly Rod Action

The tippet is the final deceptive component in the overall fly-fishing system and ofcourse, is what the fly is tied to. You probably can’t even see it in this shot. It is also theweakest link in the overall system. Smaller size leaders are designated by their length and the tippet size number, whichis designated by a “X” that identify the size and breaking strength of… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Tippet

The leader serves two important purposes. One, it conceals the fly line and two, itserves in the delicacy of the presentation. The fly must look and move about freelyas if it were unattached. Just as your rod and fly line is tapered, so is your leader. Most anglers use factorymade knotless tapered leaders that are gradually and uniformly taperedthroughout their length. Knotted, leaders are made… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Tapered Leaders

Since the standard fly line is only about ninety feet long, hard fighting, fast movingspecies of fish can strip your reel of line quickly and that is where the backing comes intoplay. Normally, backing line is made of braided Dacron that doesn’t rot or mildew. Othermaterial, such as Micron, is also used. Both are better than monofilament that maypresent problems by coiling. Even the smaller… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Fly Line Backing

The color of a fly line is considered by most anglers to be an unimportant issue. That’sbecause in a perfect world, the fish never sees you fly line.  Of course, the main purposeof the leader is to make sure that the fish doesn’t see the fly line. Of course, the fish mayvery well see your fly line and in those cases probably a less visible… Read More »Fly Fishing Gear – Fly Line Color