Choosing a Nymphing Rod
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ม.ค. 2023
- Knowing exactly what to look for in a rod can be confusing. It's hard to see past the marketing jargon, the fly shop employee trying to sell you enough stuff to require a second mortgage to finance, and the self-proclaimed internet expert who isn't telling you he's a "brand ambassador". Well, forget all that, and join Devin in a thorough breakdown on how he tests and selects the rods he fishes every day.
If you have any questions about specific models of rods, please get hold of us and we will answer them. And head on over to tacticalflyfisher.com to get a new rod or for anything else fly-fishing related you might need. - กีฬา
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Great conclusion on the sensitivity aspect. As most competitive anglers say: You should see the strike way before you feel it.
It's one of my pet peeve questions that we get all the time. I'm not sure how the idea that takes should always be felt came to be but it's an idea that seems very prevalent out there.
Well i guess first and foremost it's an easier (and lazier) way to just wait for the tap in your hand to set the hook. Secondly i find that many people see euro nymphing as a step towards spin fishing where you feel your strike most often because you're retreiving line like when you're fishing a streamer. This is nonesene of course as we dead drift our flies most of the time.
Excellent presentation. Thanks Devin.
Hopefully it helped
Outstanding (as always) and “corrects” many of the “sensitivity” arguments found on social media pages 😊
Fanatastic video, Devin. Clear, objective where it needs to be, subjective when appropriate. Can't wait for your reviews.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Absolutely fantastic video, Devin! Awesome breakdown of the characteristics and what to look for! I wish I had the ability to get my hands on as many rods as you do 😉
I am quite fortunate in that respect :)
Very informative video Devin. The backdrop definitely help to visualize the different flexes!
We were lucky that there's such an easy built in white wall right now. :)
Great video Devin! The slow-motion shots were very enlightening, they gave a great visual picture of what you were explaining!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video Devin. Hands down the best explanation of what to look for in a Euro Nymphing Rod from a Pro!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Great job TFF Your still shots showing those flex rates was very helpful. Also you breaking down the “terminology “ is something I haven’t Ben able to wrap my head around until today.
Glad it was helpful Glen. Kramer's freeze frames of the rod flex were pretty cool if you ask me too.
Great job. Very informative. Thanks
Thanks Devin awesome video,great clarification on specific points. Most of the rods I fish fall within your “A” game descriptions,makes for pleasant days on the water. This video will also help me to explain different aspects of rods to others.
Glad it was helpful Dale. Happy fishing.
Dude, insane vid. Very informational! Thanks Devin🤘💥
Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.
Great video! You have a great discussion on sensitivity. I would measure the frequency, the weight of the top two rod prices. I would most times concider the ERN value of 1/3 of the rodlegnth but I find other weight/rodlegnths like 1/4 an 1/5 are useful. I think I would characterise sensitivity by tippet protection like the balance between soft and fast recovery. To the viewers in Europe I would highly recommend Trout and co (mostly reviews on european brands but some from us) that provide some valuable information that I think should be a standard because it makes comparing rods from different brands easier👍
Very useful video thanks Devin.
Thanks 👍
All solid advice. I got lucky or blessed with my last two builds. I didn't purchase the very expensive blanks but I put quality workmanship into them. (I've seen expensive rods built on the wrong Sline). That's REALLY where it counts. You're right. No paint single foot ultra light guides and light flex coat makes ALL the difference. You'd laugh as I built my very first from a crappy blank because it was the only 10ft ,2 piece blank available. Yes, it was heavy but caught an unreal amount of fish. It would still be the one I'd carry for VERY large fish. My 4 piece rods are soooo lightweight and comfortable. I built a 10ft and an 11ft and added an extra guide closer to the reel for easier pick up. A fighting butt can be used as a type of damper as it strikes your forearm. Very handy with the mini micro system I now fish with. Thanks for everything. You've helped me take my Czech Nymphing through River Nymphing, Tight Line Nymphing, Euro Nymphing and now to what ever this is I'm doing now.
Kudos. Very well done and easily understood. So far, where I live and fish, I vacillate between an 8' 8" 4wt G2 and an 8'6" 5 wt hollow built bamboo rod (Dickerson 8015 pattern) as meeting 90% of what works. The vast majority of the fish in the streams and small rivers here are big Westslope Cutties... not the hardest fish in the world to catch.
The way I fish those rods is probably very similar to EN fishing much of the time, especially at the closer distances due to the size of the water. That said, presentations like this and others by Devin have caused me to buy one of his leaders and a fine line to try the lines at least on a 3 wt 8' 6" fly rod I have and a few of the others. If it catches more fish in what is very familiar water to me, and/or is more enjoyable, then I'll be on the phone to Devin again to select an EN rod.
As a video editor I approve of gratuitous shots of the editor catching fish :D
I got a good laugh out of it so I approve as well!
Very informative. I’m in the market for a new euro rod and this is a huge help. In fact, I’m heading outside right now and compare the two rods I currently have. Thanks Devin!
Glad it was helpful Joe. Have fun in AZ.
Me too
Very informative video -especially to a prospective buyer like me. I’ve enjoyed nymphing with first-generation 3 and 4-weight Cortland comp rods for the past 5 years here in Vermont, but plan to step up to a higher level rod and fish thinner, micro leaders. I plan to meet Joe @ Diamondback in Brattleboro this winter so I can cast different models and get a hands-on feel for each rod to better inform my decision. Your “flex test” advice and this video is just what I needed!
Im still sporting the first generation as well! Good rod ,... though I'm scared to try nicer rods :D
Fished the first gen cortland 3wt 10'6" for quite a few years. Landed lots of big trout and that rod has been a freaking workhorse. Picked up a Diamond Back 10'10" 2wt this past summer and wished I would have went with a 3wt. 2wt is nice but lacks the power/accuracy for casting heavier flies like the 3wt cortland. None the less, still have caught some very large and feisty trout on it....just a lot tougher to huck the heavy stuff accurately at distance. Good call on getting to cast them first!!
@@ckcost do you notice a big difference between db and the cortland rod?
@@TheFlyFishingFilmmaker Yes, quite a big difference, but not that one seems better than the other. Just different - as one would expect comparing 2 different weight rods. I'd really like to try the 10'10" 3wt DB to get a more apples to apples comparison with the Cortland Ive been fishing for 5+ years. They are very nice and well designed/made (Ive got the 6wt also) but the fanboi hype is a bit much IMO. Kudos to Joe for being able to foster such a passionate and vocal customer base. You can't put a price on that type of marketing.
@@ckcost Yeah Master Nymph kinda had that vibe for a while ... not sure what happened to them. Their business model seemed a little non-standard to me
Cool video, thanks Devin
I hope summer is treating you well Ollie.
New to fly fishing and looking to get a euro nymphing rod. I came here to figure out what to look for and found just that. Phenomenal video deserves a sub for sure!!!!
Glad it helped. If you need help with specific rods feel free to use the contact form on our website. tacticalflyfisher.com
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 thanks for the help. Keep up the great content!
Agree with the point on sentjtivity... But... I was in Patagonia in horrendous windy conditions and there I was glad I could feel the takes :-) as the sighter was flying all over (by the way, thanks for your video on fishing in windy conditions)!.
THE BEST video and advice I have found on buying a euro nymphing rod. I wish it had been available when I bought my rod last year.
Like your other videos and your books… BRILLIANT! Thanks from the UK.
Devin, great video!!! Making me rethink my recent purchase…. Lol
We're always here to instill some doubt Scott ;)
I totally agree with your assessment on balance its my number 1 thing when building a setup. I hate in the conventional fishing world when people say a rod is tip heavy and sucks when they put the lifghest reel on the market on there and dont even consider the design of the rod and reel seat location. Balance also has impact on perceived swing weight imo.
Great video! Coming from the golf world the casting weight makes a lot of sense, similar to the swing weight of a golf club. Altering the length of a club, or changing things like a grip will dramatically alter the swing weight of a club without changing the overall weight.
Yep. I'm sure there is a lot of cross over there.
Fantastic video. I’ve been fine leader nymphing for over 25 years. Back then you had to make your own purpose made rod as there wasn’t anything out there. Some of the comp guys were making rods well before that. This is the best description of rod selection I’ve seen. One thing you didn’t mention though was the rods ability to not drop fish. Maybe you could cover this in upcoming vids.
Yeah, I don't tend to think about that aspect as much anymore so I forgot to talk about it. Most of the better soft tipped but still fast recovering rods out there do a pretty good job of cushioning headshakes and preventing fish loss as long as good fighting technique is used.
Yes that makes sense about soft tip/cater action dealing with those rapid mini losses of tension.
I’ve just tried this action test method on a number of rods and you are quite right it really is possible to tell 90% of how the e rod will fish. Being so simple you can really focus on what the rod is doing. Thanks again
Great video
Great video, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Devin, I'm from Germany, and I bought a TFO Stealth 10'6" #3 weight rod for fishing in my homewater. This rod feels very sensitiv in the tip, but stronger in the butt section than more of my 4 and 5 weight rods. I was very surprised, when I swing this rod for the first time. Strong, sensitive, recovery, swing weight.. this kind of rod was new for me, but I think it's perfect? My other rods are so different to this one. Are US rods all somewhat similar like this? Greets, chris
P.S. and thank you for all your very informercial videos
Outstanding video, super informative. Completely agree about seeing takes before feeling them.
Glad you enjoyed it!
For me the point of sensitivity is well taken. Because when I was still spin fishing, that is he reason I switched from 4lb to 2lb test on my ultra light spin rod. Same reasoning for fly rod.
Great 👍, very helpful video, thank you very much.
What do you think 🤔 about G.loomis IMX PRO Euro nymph rod 10'6" 3wt . Is good rod , or for this money I should buy Recon 3wt. Some people review is Recon is a bit stiff.
Please advise 🙏
Thank you
All the best
Michal
I’ve heard the term swing weight used at trident fly fishing when they review rods, I don’t know if they stole it from you but they use it
Great video .Thank you Devin .
A question for you.I know from your videos that you fish Contact II the most of the time - Did you ever fish Orvis Helios blackout 3 nymph rod and if yes how does it compare to Contact II ?
The Orvis has a lot more swing weight and is slower to recover. They've made some odd component and blank choices with most of their Euro rods.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Thank you for your response-Devin ,now I know for sure which rod to get next .
Devin, thank you (and the team) for producing this video. I am this close (really close) to pulling the trigger on a 2wt 10'10" DB because of the genius of Kramer.
I had a good laugh from his cameo in this video.
Just got that rod yesterday after Kramer’s recommendation. Can’t wait to get on the river with it!
You coming to the Denver FF show this year?
I see spider/radar charts on your website for each of the rods you sell :)
That would be cool! Sadly, we aren't quite that high tech yet. :)
Great info! One question I have is do you recommend 10’ or 10’6”? Thanks!
There are a lot of "it depends" variables to that question. But in general, I like 10' rods for dry droppers on a Euro leader and casting in tighter quarters. If I were to only have one though, I'd probably go with the 10' 6" rod assuming the specific model has been done well.
Would a euro-style nymphing rod also work for fishing wet flies such as soft hackles and spider flies? I do a fair amount of tightline nymphing but I really want to focus on fishing traditional wet flies this season.
No reason it couldn’t work for that. I used to do a fair amount of wet fly swinging with a 10’ 4 weight back in the day.
In general, if I had a standard 10' 4wt dry fly rod vs a 10' 4wt Euro rod, would the euro rod be more robust in terms of the butt section?
I'm not really sure how to answer this question as there aren't too many 10' 4 weights out there built for either method. Most euro nymph rods will be 2-3 weights, unless it's a specific "trophy trout" euro nymph rod. And most 4 weights meant for fishing dries would be 9' 6" or shorter. Also, a lot of rod makers make Euro rods with soft butt sections. I just don't tend to like them much.
Hi after deciding on a rod, how do you decide which weight to get in? For example the T&T, 2 vs 3wt at 10’9”- which applications and the pros of a 2 weight. Thanks
Send us an email. There is enough variability between those ratings that you should be deciding on a specific model and not a brand before you make that decision.
Holy snow Batman!
You should see what that parking lot looks like now... We couldn't park in there to film anymore. :)
Hi Devin, I’ve noticed in some of your videos that when you’re euro nymphing the reel is sometimes just a regular fly reel. Do you have any problems using a non fully caged reel? Or are you using a different type of line? Thanks Great videos too!
Which videos are you referring to specifically? I’ve either used semi auto reels with full cages or “traditional” reels with full cages for quite a while. The only exceptions have been a few well built American made reels, like the Ross Evolution LTX, that have had tight enough tolerances that the line and leader won’t slip between the frame and the spool.
I believe it was a Ross Evolution LTX, maybe in Tips for late summer, or Tips on low clear water, not sure because I’ve watched a bunch lately. However, thank you for the clarification. Going with a full caged reel what would you recommend for the T &T Contact ll 10’ 3wt? Thanks again.
lol Editor's note was perfect. XD
I had a good laugh myself when I saw Kramer had put that in there.
Could comment or do a video on another choice factor: rod length?
Yes, that's another broad topic. In short, I like rods up to about 10' 6"-10' 9" as all around nymph rods. Shorter 10' rods can be better punchy cast dry dropper on a Euro leader rods.
Longer rods around 11' or more are rarely rods I like to fish because of their extra swing weight and slower recovery but some folks really like the extra reach.
Thanks.
When you balance your rod, how much line do you have outside the tip?
None. I just have the reel on the rod but the line on the reel.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Thanks. I started EN a couple of years ago. I do a lot of two handed fishing with Skagit lines. They make a big difference in the rod balance depending on how much of the sink tip and head are along the rod and outside the tip. I guess EN lines are so light that it doesn't change the balance much.
Hy.What you think about Echo Shadow X rods?I 'm new to euro nimphing,would be good this rods for start? The river I fish are 25-35 ft large,and the target fish are trout,grayling and chub(10'-20').What weight and lenght rod wowld be ok.Thank for answer and for your grate video.
The Shadow X is very good at its price. The 10’ or 10’ 6” 3 weight would both be good.
Thank you for your answear.What doo you think about TFO Stealth nymphing rods,are ok this rods?
What are your top three 2wt rods on the market today?
There are a lot of "it depends" follow ups but if I had to pick three it would be the Diamondback Ideal Nymph 10' 2 weight, T and T Contact II 10' 2 weight, and the Adams XTZ 10' 6" 3 weight.
Can it be the case in between the high- and low-end rods that the high-end has guides on the spine while the low-end has them against the spine?
You’d have to consult the rod makers for their position on guide placement. I’ve talked to some who consider it a big issue on others who don’t. I also don’t know the ins and outs of how foreign factories run QC on their rods and if that is a factor they consider or not. Most of the American rod makers do take it into account from conversations I’ve had.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Thank you for the reply.
Next time you have a high-flexing low recovering rod at hand like the one in the video, you can also test the flexing by turning it upside down. That is, guide-side up. If it still recovers slow then it is not the spine issue.
Hola. Le felicito por sus videos.. Y al respecto de las cañas le recomiendo que visite la pagina francesa truchas y compañia, donde realizan pruebas sobre el comportamiento de las cañas. He tenido la ocasión de verle pescar en el mundial de Asturias, en la manga del rio Trubia. Y he disfrutado viéndole pescar. Un saludo desde España. Francisco Javier.
Gracias!
Whilst waiting on my 10 ft 2 wt Sage ESN to be delivered I was lent a 10 ft 2 wt Ritz ESN rod (cheap Chinese rod) and whilst I’m a beginner at this method of fly fishing (150 fish approx) I can honestly say I’m not feeling a massive difference in sensitivity other than the price 😳🤑
Well you can certainly send us an email or give us a call before your next purchase. We likely would have steered you in a bit different direction.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 maybe you took the comment the wrong way😆the Sage is excellent and so is the Chinese knock off (although the reel seat is sub par) . But as far as the Sage goes it’s very sensitive and has had enough power to handle from 1 lbs naturals and ex brood fish up to 15lbs in our tail waters in NE Victoria Australia
Have you tested the Guideline LPX Nymph 10.8?
I have not. We don’t have any guideline distribution in the USA that I’m aware of.
Honest opinion of Hardy ultralite ll nymphing rods, please.
I've only fished the 9' 9" 4 weight myself as it is my main dry fly rod currently. In my flex tests comparing them to other top end rods I've fished, they had slightly more swing weight and slightly slower recovery speed. As a result, I didn't bite the bullet and add any of the longer models to my own quiver. I'm sure they would perform well though. If Hardy offered me some demos to test, I would certainly take them up on it, but they are a $900 Korean made rod, so I haven't pulled the trigger myself and probably won't.
What are your thoughts on cork vs carbon fiber grips?
My early experience with the carbon grip on the Adams rods has been good and we have those rods in transit to the shop. They take some getting used to and I actually got a blister with a certain grip for a couple of days before building up a callous. But if increasing sensitivity is the main goal then I would say the carbon grips do make a difference in my initial testing.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Awesome! Thanks!
Off the shelf, which is a good Micro leader?
There isn’t one but there doesn’t need to be either. Attach 15’ of 4x sighter to the end of a euro nymph line and that’s a micro leader.
Hi Devin, you have not mentioned a feature as the location of the first stripping guide. Is this important ?
Yes. It’s a feature I probably should have included. Most of the euro nymphing rods designed in the last 3-4 years have lowered their stripping guides far enough to avoid too much sag but there are some out there who still have the first guide too far from the handle.
opinion: you could probably sell used gear after you demo it, although i am not a lawyer, not sure what risk that would be for your business - just thinking out loud here
Whats mark was that slow european rod ? Thx
I'm not sure what your question is. Can you rephrase it?
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 I think he meant what make
Why won’t somebody do a review on the Hardy ultralite LL ? Do they suck and people just don’t want to offend Howard? Thanks!!
They definitely don't suck. The 994 is actually my favorite dry fly rod for competitions. However, in flex tests, the nymph rods are a noticeably heavier and slower to recover than the Contact II while being similarly priced. So, I haven't spent time fishing the longer nymph models which is why I haven't reviewed them.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 I actually have the 9’2” 3 wt and it’s my favorite dry fly rod and it’s works great as a small brook trout stream euro rod, with its soft euro type tip section and stiff backbone. I have the 10’8” 0/2 and when I first fished it I didn’t like it especially compared to my T&T contact 2’s, Sage ESN’s and my Ideal nymph diamond back rods. I gave it another shot with the Hardy ultra lite ll and after fishing with it a couple days and catching some nice size trout, I honestly started seeing what this rod was all about. It’s now my everyday euro stick. It is slower than my other euro blanks but not by much. I find the 0/2 to be extremely accurate but I can’t tell you why I’m so accurate with this blank. It just works for me. Thanks a bunch for replying!!!!!!
Steller 👊
My lady likes my nymphing rod…
Love the video, but I wish you would tell us the rods you'd recommend in each price range and weight range. You teased us with the rods texted but didn't tell us what they were. Booooo. Please help us that can't test out rods locally because they don't carry these. I have Orvis close and that's it. Not much of a variety near me.
Call his shop or email them. Then he can give you advise based on the type of fishing you actually do rather than a generalism. Basically everything that tactical fly fisher stocks is excellent. There are other great rods of course but they can’t hold very brand.
I have no links to Devin, live in the UK but have ordered from them because sometimes I can’t get stuff here.
The fly fishing industry is a very small one. I'm not willing to make enemies by broadly bashing someone's products online. We will be doing follow up reviews for some of our favorite rods over the next few months. Until then, we respond to emails and take calls happily. You can find our contact at the bottom of our web page at tacticalflyfisher.com
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Devin always keeps it classy!
@@TheFlyFishingFilmmaker I can try at least :)