Fly RODS
The Alternative Tackle Company's Selection of The Finest Graphite, Fiberglass and Bamboo, Fly Fishing Tools
Graphite, with its relatively high modulus, is now the standard material for most rod makers and designers and rightly so; It is light, strong and stiff, very useful properties for mainstream fly rod design.
However there will always be a place for the lower modulus materials, bamboo and fiberglass, in specialist applications and there are a few rod makers who are producing exceptional modern fly rods, using the inherent properties of these materials in combination with modern pre-pegs, glues, resins and finishes.
There is a lot more choice out there than just the standard 9' 5wt graphite rod (as great as that rod may be)... have a look and see for yourself.
There is (or should be) a lot more to rod design than the latest, highest modulus cloths or wonder resins. There is taper, wall thicknesses, ferrule design, ring spacing, component choice and functionality, etc. etc. etc..........
Luckily there are still a few, very talented rod designers and makers who do remember what a fly rod is for and are quietly producing beautifully made and functional rods to go fishing with.
You will find some of the best examples on this website.
Why Fiberglass ?
Fiberglass fly rods are making a comeback and gaining what is almost a cult status especially as specialist small stream rods, for which the material is especially well suited.
Don't be fooled: this isn't all about nostalgia, using modern resins and cloths the new generation of fibreglass rods are a big step forward from the rods of old.
To find out more & be converted have a look at The Fiberglass Manifesto blog.
Bamboo fly rods have never gone away, in spite of being superseded by first fibreglass, then graphite and there is a reason for that.
As a low modulus material it is technically very well suited to the design and manufacture of small stream and river fly rods. This, combined with its natural beauty, its long history and the craftsmanship involved in its use gives bamboo has a unique appeal, that is hard to describe but is very real and which can become addictive.
Thanks to some very talented and dedicated rod makers, bamboo rods continue to evolve and modern bamboo fly rods are still very relevant and practical fishing tools, as well as things of beauty.
