Hunting & Fishing

For my Best of the Best trout fly rod list, I chose to use a 9 foot 5 weight as the comparative standard. It is not the perfect rod length or weight. There is no such thing. But the nine-five is a compromise, fits lots of situations and gives us a comparable model, apples to apples. I chose a 9 foot 5 weight because it’s a tweener – you can fish small, you can fish big. I left off bamboo entirely to save that sweet list for another time.

Fly rods are like one’s favorite pair of shoes or jeans – it’s an intensely personal choice, sometimes based on comfort or feel or touch or aesthetic or nostalgia but all these rods will fit you well. I’ve selected rods that combine looks with performance, rods every angler would want in their collection. These are trout rods that you don’t need to own, but you’ll want to own. What I looked for, past the beauty and action and distance and power and finesse, is fishability. Enjoy.