One of the main issues new anglers face when they decide to get into fly fishing is choosing the right fly fishing rod. The Fly rod is an essential tool and without choosing the right one, it can be very difficult to get ahead. If you are a beginner and worried about choosing the right fly rod, you have landed in the right place. In this post, we will tell you what you need to look for when buying a fly fishing rod, and also mention three of the best options from Douglas Fly Rods.
What to Look For when Buying Fly Rods?
There are several fishing fly rods available on the market, which can vary in construction, length, weight, material, and attached accessories. What you choose while considering these factors depends upon your personal preferences, your fly fishing style, and what you are most comfortable with.
Let’s discuss these factors in detail and how they influence your fishing abilities.
Material
The material a fly rod is made of plays a key role in its durability and its performance. Typically, you can find three kinds of fly fishing rods depending on their material. These are Bamboo fly fishing rods, Graphite Fly fishing rods, and Fiberglass fly fishing rods.
Bamboo fly fishing rods are known to be the best. They are lightweight, highly flexible, and quite durable. Moreover, they have a nice slow action which means they are ideal for the more refined methods of fly fishing.
Graphite Fly Fishing Rods are famous for their stiffness and strength. Mostly, fly fishermen like the durability and performance that they get from graphite fly fishing rods.
Fiberglass Fly Fishing Rods are probably the most common these days. They are very versatile, durable, and easy to maintain, however, they can be a little heavier than Bamboo or graphite rods.
Length
The degree of flexibility of fly rods depends a lot upon their length; the lengthier they are more flexible they will be.
Short and reasonably flexible rods 6-8 ft in length are ideal to use when the fishing area is obstructed by shrubs, tree branches, and small-sized streams. On the other hand, Longer rods of 8-12 ft in length are more suitable for fly fishing in open areas. They are good for longer casting and pulling huge fish from the depths of the lake or ocean.
Weight
Weight is another important factor to consider, and depending on the size of the water body in which you are fishing, current weather conditions, and most importantly, fish size, the ideal rod weight can vary. The larger the body of water and the size of the fish, the more weight your fly rod should have.
A Fly rod of 0-4 WT is best for hunting panfish and smaller Trout in small creeks.
Fly rods of 4-6 and 5-8 WT are the best for hunting smallmouth Bass and average-size Trout.
Fly rods of 6-10 WT are the best for hunting Carp.
Why choose Douglas Fly Rods?
“Douglas Fly Rods” is the name of reliability, durability, and pro-level quality. As one of the best fly rod-making companies on the market, Douglas Outdoors has won several prestigious awards, including Best Overall 5-Weight and Best Overall 6-Weight In the world Shootouts by Yellowstone Angler based on excellence.
They commit to providing premium quality in every rod they design while keeping the requirements of anglers under consideration. In this way, Douglas has won the hearts of millions of anglers and become their first choice for them. One of the things we like most about this brand is that they provide a lifetime warranty for every product.
3 Best Douglas Fly Rods Reviews
Overall Best Fly Rod
Douglas Sky G Fly Rod Series – 9ft 0in 6WT
- Multi-modulus blanks, speeds/actions designed per rod, constructed with G-Tec graphite technology.
- Distinctly effortless casting & increased sensitivity on some of the industries lightest blanks and swing weights in its class.
- REC Titanium shape memory Cerecoil stripper guides with zirconia inserts, REC Titanium recoil guid
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The Douglas Sky G is a four-piece fishing rod that is easy to assemble, space-savers, and convenient to bring to any fishing area where you plan to fish.
One thing that makes it superior to all other 6WT-fly rods of different brands is its construction material. Unlike the traditional Graphite and fiberglass rods, it is built using G-tec technology with Graphene. Graphene is one of the strongest materials, which is 10 times stronger than steel, with only 5% of its density. This means it is not only stronger but also lighter than graphite rods.
You can continue fishing till the end of the day without tiring your arms because of its low weight, which is only 2.86 ounces. In addition, it offers multiple advantages to ensure your fishing journey is fruitful such as high dampening and recovery, effortless casting, accuracy, and long-lasting durability.
From a REC titanium, Cerecoil Striper guide with zirconia inserts to a REC recoil guide, every component in it is unbeatable. It’s good enough to catch Carp, rainbow trout, brown Trout, Golden Trout, smallmouth yellowfish, and largemouth yellowfish.
Budget-friendly Fly Rod
Douglas Outdoors ERA Fly Rod Series – 9ft 5wt
- Douglas ERA Fly Rod Series - 9ft
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Douglas Outdoors ERA is one of the most budget-friendly fly rods and claims to provide outstanding performance at a low price. It is a fast-action fly rod that offers complete control, great casting power, and exceptional accuracy. To ensure your complete satisfaction, it comes with a lifetime warranty.
Despite its low price, it’s capable enough to do trout fishing or handle anything from chunky streamers to a small caddy pattern. As well it’s lightweight enough to allow you to fish all day long without any arm fatigue.
Its lightweight construction with graphite blank ensures consistently smooth casting. Its 9ft length enables it to cover a longer-casting distance of up to 50 ft to reach the target area easily.
Best Douglas Fly Rod for all Anglers
Douglas Sky Fly Rod Series
- Specialty Euro style nymphing rods in 10-11’ 2-4 WT
- Reverse Western grip on 2-6wt models
- S6-12wt designed in faster saltwater actions
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
No matter whatever the size of the fish, conditions of weather, or the type of water where you are going to fish when you start to do fishing with the Douglas Sky Fly Rod Series. This series includes four-pieced versatile fly rods compatible with fishing in both fresh and saltwater.
Their construction with nanocarbon matrix materials makes them long-lasting, reliable, and able to stand in harsh conditions.
They are available in three different weight ranges and lengths. You can use a 6-12 WT rod for catching Northern Pike, Striped Bass, False Albacore, Peacock Bass, and Golden Dorado.
On the other hand, using 2-4 and 2-6 WT Douglas fly rods, you can easily hunt panfish, average-size Trout, and smallmouth Bass. Moreover, all the fly rods in this series are 10-12 ft in length, able to produce long casts and reach your target area.
Believing in the quality of its fly rods, Douglas offers a lifetime warranty for the satisfaction of its customers. Now, nothing left behind that will stop you from choosing one among these overall best fly rods.
Conclusion
Summing up, here are some of our top picks when it comes to Douglas fly fishing rods. All these three fly rods belong to different categories based on construction material, specifications, applications, and suitability, and we hope this post helps you choose the perfect one for your next fly fishing trip.