How long should a salmon rod be?

Answer 1

Unlike regular spinning or baitcasting rods, fly rods are designed as "levers" that bend so they can create a load that in turn pulls a heavy "weighted" fly line along with the weightless leader and fly along for the ride to the target (ie. the fish). So what is means to you is that the longer the rod, the more "leverage" will you will have in heaving that line to create a load or "bend" in your rod for your cast. So, if you are going to be doing a lot of "roll casting" where your line is going in the water most of the time, you will find an 8 foot or longer rod better suited for roll casting. Many of the concepts of leverage with even longer rods and roll casting are incorporated into "Spey Casting" which typically uses rods 11 feet or longer!

Short fly rods? In addition to my small army of 8.5 foot to 9 foot rods, I do use 7.5 and 6.5 foot ultralight rods (3 and 4 weights) for casting into tight brush in small creeks....the don't roll cast all that well, but for small creeks it does not matter anyway. I am also using a new 7'10" Bass Tournament Qualified 8 weight Fly Rod from Bass Pro called the HEAT that is a faster action rod and its unique taper and design still allows to make decent rolls casts for a rod that is under 8 feet.

So I would recommend that you put heavy consideration into where you are going to do the majority of your fly fishing and types of casts you will need to make before you purchase your next fly rod. Most local fly shops have professionals on staff who should be proficient in helping you choose a rod that is right for you. By the way, many of these places have a casting pond nearby and will allow you try the rod before you buy!