Stonefly
Bamboo, Fiberglass & Graphite Fly Rods
Meticulously Hand-Crafted for Maximum Performance & Aesthetics
Anatomy of a fly rod
There are various components that, combined with the builder's skill, go into the making of a fly rod.
- Blank
- A blank has three primary functions: casting control (distance and accuracy), line control (after the cast, when the line is on the water), and fish control (how it handles a fish once hooked). The blank should be selected with those characteristics in mind, with material and color secondary. The overwhelming majority of blanks used today to satisfy those conditions are made of graphite (carbon fiber). Although I own both bamboo and fiberglass rods, my preference 90% of the time is to use a graphite rod.
- Ferrules
- Ferrules are the component at those locations where the sections of a multi-piece rod are joined together. Bamboo rods have metal ferrules and are stiff at those locations; fiberglass and graphite rods have eliminated traditional ferrules, and there is no extra stiffness where the sections are joined. In other words, the number of pieces of a fiberglass or graphite rod is irrelevant in terms of its performance. I usually use a three-piece or four-piece rod.
- Guides
- The guides traditionally used on fly rods are the "snake" design, essentially a piece of twisted wire. While they are still by far the most popular design, modern designs are significantly better in my opinion. With the right materials used, especially the type of ceramic ring, the new guides are lighter than snake guides and wear infinitely longer. The line bearing surface of a ceramic guide is wider and smoother than wire, resulting in less line wear and smoother line travel. Because the line is completely enclosed in a ceramic ring, there is no line slap against the blank, a situation that exists with all snake guides. The modern tip top and stripping guide have similar advantages. If you haven't guessed by now, my clear guide type preference for most rods is a modern design with a ceramic ring.
- Grip
- The grip is the most personalized item on a fly rod. There is no best shape. The functions of the grip are twofold: it must feel comfortable in your hand for the entire time that you're fishing, and it must give you the right feeling and sensitivity during the cast, retrieve, mend, and fight. By far the most popular material used is specie cork (what you normally think of as cork) but, because of the quality of the cork available and its expense, other materials such as burl (composite) cork, sometimes combined with other materials such as rubber are sometimes used. My personal shape preference is a Fenwick-style grip, designed by the legendary rod builder Jim Green.
- Reel seat
- The function of the reel seat is to hold the reel securely to the rod, period. The most popular design is an "uplocking" seat with screw threads to hold the parts tightly together, but a properly designed sliding ring design (instead of screw threads) is just as secure and usually lighter. The materials used are dependent on aesthetics, corrosion resistance, and personal preference. Add-ons such as a fighting butt are sometimes required for fighting large fish. I have no personal style preference -- I use both screw-type and sliding ring designs -- but I love exotic wood inserts and nickel silver (even though it must be maintained).
- Rod bag and case
- A hard case is required to protect your fly rod when transporting it. The cloth rod bag cushions the rod sections and keeps them apart; it can be a separate bag, or pertitions built into the case. My preference is a Cordura-covered PVC case with built-in bag sections