Most people shopping for a fly rod are asking two things: what weight, and how much do I need to spend. Here's how we answer both at the counter. If you'd rather talk it through, call us at 605-341-2450.
Start with where you'll fish
The rod weight matches the line weight. Pick it by the size of the fish, the size of the flies and how much wind you deal with. Length is about reach and how much room you have to cast.
| Where you fish | Weight | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Small, brushy creeks (Castle Creek above Deerfield, Rapid Creek up toward Rochford, the smaller streams in the Hills) | 2 or 3 weight | 7' to 8' |
| Rapid Creek, Spearfish Creek, Castle Creek below Deerfield, Spring Creek | 4 or 5 weight | 8'6" to 9' |
| Lakes and reservoirs (Pactola, Deerfield, Sheridan, the Custer State Park lakes), wind, streamers | 5 or 6 weight | 9' |
| Bass, pike and carp (Sheridan, Stockade, Pactola, Angostura) | 7 or 8 weight, heavier for big pike flies | 9' |
If you only buy one rod for the Black Hills, get a 9' 5 weight. It handles dries on Rapid Creek, a dry dropper or a nymph rig, small streamers and a windy day at Pactola. If most of your fishing is small water, a shorter 3 or 4 weight is a lot more fun.
Action, in plain terms
Action is how much the rod bends when you cast.
- Moderate rods bend deeper. They're easy to time, protect light tippet, and are great at the short distances we fish on most Black Hills streams.
- Medium-fast is the middle ground and what most people should buy. Easy enough for a beginner, with enough power for wind and longer casts.
- Fast rods are stiffer and built for distance and wind. On small water they can feel like too much rod, and they usually want a line that's a half size heavy.
Your rod's action also decides which line fits it best. Our fly line guide covers that.
Almost every rod we sell is four pieces and comes with a tube. They cast as well as the old two-piece rods and fit in a pack or an overhead bin.
Outfit or build your own?
An outfit is a rod, reel and line sold together, matched and ready to fish. It's the easiest way to start and usually costs less than buying the pieces.
- Buy an outfit if it's your first rod, or it's a gift and you don't want to guess.
- Build your own if you already know the rod you want, or you want a better reel or line than the outfit comes with. We'll help you match them, and if you buy the reel from us we put the backing on for free.
Once you've picked a rod, our reel and line guide covers the rest of the setup.
Outfits we sell the most of: the Echo Lift Kit, Redington Original Kit, Echo Carbon XL Outfit and Lamson Liquid Outfit.
Shop fly rod outfits or beginning fly fishing gear
What to spend: good, better, best
These are the rods people actually buy from us. Every one of them will catch fish. As you spend more you get a lighter rod, a better feel, and casts that are easier at distance.
| Tier | Rods we sell the most of | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Good (under $300) | Echo Lift, Redington Classic Trout, Echo Carbon XL | A first rod, kids, or a spare. The Carbon XL is one of our best sellers by count. |
| Better (about $700) | Scott Session, Scott Wave | Someone who fishes a lot and wants a rod to keep for years. |
| Best ($1,000 and up) | Scott Centric, Winston Air 2, Sage R8 Classic, Winston Pure 2 | The serious angler. The Pure 2 is our pick for dries and small water. |
Euro nymphing rods
Euro nymphing (tight line nymphing) uses a long leader and no indicator, and it puts up numbers on Black Hills water, especially Spearfish Creek and Rapid Creek. It wants its own rod: long and light, usually 10' to 11' in a 2 to 4 weight, with a soft tip to protect fine tippet.
The Diamondback Gen. IV Nymph is our best-selling rod by dollars. The Thomas & Thomas Contact III is the high-end pick, and the Echo Shadow X is a good way in for less. Shop Euro nymphing gear
Buying a rod as a gift
If you know they fish the Black Hills, a 9' 5 weight outfit is the safe pick. If you don't know their setup, or they already own a rod, a gift card lets them pick and we'll help them get it right.
- Send a Dakota Angler gift card. It's emailed right away.
- Call us at 605-341-2450. Tell us what they fish and roughly what you want to spend.
- Browse our fly fishing gift ideas.
Orders of $75 or more ship free by USPS Ground Advantage in the lower 48. Under $75, shipping is $7.95 USPS or $10.99 UPS. Check our holiday shipping deadlines if it needs to be there by Christmas, and see Shipping and Returns for the rest.
More buying guides
Questions? Stop by the shop at 1010 Jackson Blvd in Rapid City or call 605-341-2450.