The fly rod
Technological advances have made the fly rod a wonderful engineering achievement in itself. They are supremely light, normally made of a carbon/graphite composition which makes casting them a pleasure. Depending on what your target fish species is and the location, there are different fly rods for different occasions. Fly rods are differentiated by their AFTM rating (Association of Fishing Tackle Manufacturers of America) between 0 and 15, which not only suggest the ideal line weight (we'll get onto that) but also the target fish (weight). Here's a rough break-down of AFTM ratings and their applications:- AFTM 0-2 - chalk stream fishing, very delicate presentation, approx. 1-2lb max. fish weight
- AFTM 3-4 - small streams, also delicate presentation, similar target weight to AFTM 0-2
- AFTM 5-7 - ideal for rivers and size still-waters, max. fish weight 15lb
- AFTM 8-9 - ideal for still-waters and reservoirs, coastal fishing for sea trout
- AFTM 9-11 - stronger action is ideal for pike and salmon fishing
- AFTM 12+ - suited to salmon and tarpon fishing
Modern fly rods normally specify the AFTM just above the handle as either a single digit or 2 digits i.e. #5 or #5/6. On some older rods three AFTM ratings would be suggested i.e. #6-8, though these are rare nowadays.
A good choice for starting out is a #5-6 or #6-7 weight rod giving the option of both rivers and still-waters.
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