The Best Fly Fishing Rods of 2024

The best fly fishing rods are timeless pieces of equipment. With simple care and safe storage, they can last a lifetime or more. Yet the technology keeps improving, rods are becoming more refined, and there’s always that one rod you’d like to add to your quiver.

In our annual hunt to find the best fly rods on the market, we took to the water, went to a pile of trade shows, asked guides, and scoured the internet for hidden gems. GearJunkie Hunt and Fish Editor Rachelle Schrute got the best fly fishing rods she could find (and a few not-so-great sticks) and fished in mountain streams, brutally cold waters, tropical paradises, and even lakes filled with prehistoric monsters.

We tried them all, from heavy-duty broomsticks used to chase salty evaders to the lightest, artful finesse sticks used to perfectly emulate a brand new emerger.

The GearJunkie team has likely fished more days and in more conditions than we ever have this year, and we’ve found the rods that tickle our fancy and entice the best underwater fare. Whether you’re looking for the overall performance of the Orvis Helios D or a budget-friendly option like the Orvis Clearwater, we have you covered.

To learn the differences between designs and how we tested them, check out the Buyer’s Guide, Comparison Chart, and Price & Value section at the end of this article.

Editor’s Note: We published a completely revised version of this guide on November 11, 2024, by adding all new products, a fresh buyer’s guide, and a price and value section.

The Best Fly Fishing Rods of 2024

Fly Fishing Rods Comparison Chart

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How We Tested the Best Fly Fishing Rods

Our Testing Process & Grounds

Testing fly rods is a particularly interesting, enjoyable, and surprisingly difficult task. Most people employ one or two styles of fly fishing and then stick to that niche. When it comes to testing all calibers of fly fishing in a plethora of environments, it really does require a team to pack their bags and get rods to waters across the globe.

Fortunately, we have such a team. Over the past year, we’ve had the pleasure to land some incredible fish, miss some fish-story-worthy monsters, and break more than a few rods, unfortunately.

We’ve caught everything from tarpon to pike, bass to trout, permit to redfish on a fly line, and we’ve had a whole lot of fun doing it.

Whether wading through river currents, casting from the back of a drift boat, sending streamers from a paddle board, or kayaking into the nooks and crannies to get to those fish hidden away in the shadows, we’ve done a whole lot of fishing this year and hope we can say the same for the next. Figuring out which rod setups suit our pursuits best has been an absolute blast.

Our Expert Testers

Our Hunt & Fish Editor, Rachelle Schrute, tested fly rods in Montana’s mountain streams, the tropics off Florida’s coast, Iceland’s icy waters, and a dozen other places for a dozen other chases.

Growing up a small-stream dry fly fisherman, the challenge of expanding to new territories to test new rods has been a welcome one. Fly fishing is so diverse in its tools and methods, and ensuring we have the skills required to thoroughly test the best of the best is an ever-evolving practice.

With fishermen/gear testers such as Harry Spampinato, who travels the world chasing tropical beasts, and Sean Jansen, who often finds himself sending dry flies in Yellowstone National Park days before dipping a line in salt as he paddles his way to Baja, we certainly have a plethora of styles and experiences at our helm. Rob Simpson and Ben Hickok contributed their expertise to the 2024 version of this guide as well.

Our GearJunkie fly fishing team of editors, gear testers, and contributors has been fishing for decades, using a wide range of fly rods, reels, fly lines, flies, waders, fishing packs, and other gear in an equally wide range of fishing conditions, from lakes to raging rivers to small mountain streams.

Our combined fishing experience involves everything from hooking up panfish, bass, grayling, tiger trout, cuts, and goldens to kokanee, sockeye, steelhead, and more. Combined, our team has tested hundreds if not thousands of sport fishing products and has the expertise and experience to help you select the best gear for just about any skill level, fly fishing situation, and budget.

If you’re in the market for other fishing gear, we have you covered. Check out our guides to the Best Fishing Waders, Fishing Hats, and Fishing Sunglasses.

Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose the Best Fly Fishing Rods

Fly fishing offers an angler a balance of relaxation and challenges, but choosing the best fly fishing rod can feel less than relaxing and offer an unwanted challenge. Whether you are new to fishing or an experienced angler, choosing the right fly fishing rod for your intended use will have a massive impact on your success as an angler and how much you enjoy fly fishing. We’ve done our best to distill the key considerations when shopping for a fly fishing rod, including rod weight, length, material, and action, to help you make an informed decision.

Fly Fishing Rod Length

Short Rods (6 – 8 Feet)

Shorter rods are usually in the 6 to 8-foot range and are best for tight, brushy streams where space is limited and casting can be difficult. One example is the Redington Butter Stick (7 to 8 feet), which requires skills for casting efficiently and may not be best for beginners.

Medium Rods (8 – 9.5 Feet)

A medium rod length, generally 8 to 9 and a half feet, is the most versatile and most common length of rod. They are suitable for a wide range of fishing conditions, and generally offer a good balance of casting distance and control. Some like the Orvis Helios D Fly Rods come in range of lengths, including medium to long. Others, like the Bozeman Flyworks Gold Standard only come in one length.

Long Rods (9.5+ Feet)

Long rods in excess of 9 and a half and 10 feet are ideal for fishing larger rivers, lakes, and saltwater flats. They are the best choice for places where you need to make longer and more powerful casts.

Fly Fishing Rod Weight

The weight of the rod corresponds to the weight of the fly line it is designed to cast. Fly rods typically range from 1 to 14 weight, with lower numbers suitable for smaller fish and lighter lines, and higher numbers designed for larger fish and heavier lines.

1 to 4 Wt

These weights are great for small streams and delivering delicate presentations on lighter line weights. They are a perfect choice for small trout, panfish, and other small fish species. The Orvis Clearwater Outfit comes in weights of 2 to 12, which is a huge range. If you stick with the smaller weight, you’ll want to stick with smaller streams.

5/6 Wt

This is a common sweet spot for weights and a great starting place for any new angler, as these weights offer versatility and are suitable for a wide range of freshwater fishing. 5 and 6-weight rods offer a great balance of delicacy and power, making them excellent for trout, bass, and larger panfish.

7 to 9 Wt

These weights are for larger freshwater species and light saltwater fishing and are best suited for bass, pike, and steelhead. They can better handle heavier flies, big streamers, and windy conditions than 5 and 6-weight rods. The Sage R8 CORE comes in a range of weights (3-9wt), but we preferred the 9-foot, 8wt in instances where we needed exceptional power and precision.

10+ Wt

These weights are somewhat specialty, intended for heavy-duty rods meant for large saltwater species like tarpon, tuna, and sailfish. These heavy weight rods can handle larger flies and the heavier line needed to land bigger fish.

Fly Fishing Rod Action

The action of a fly rod is heavily dependent on the weight, power, and construction of a rod. Action is referred to as a range from slow to fast, and generally refers to how much the rod bends, and more specifically where it bends, when casting and under the load of fighting a fish, or picking up a heavy fly.

A fast action rod bends very little in the majority of the rod extending away from your hand, and does most of its bending near the tip. A slow action offers a greater amount of bending across the entire rod, meaning the tip of the rod travels a greater distance.

Fast Action

Generally, a faster action offers quicker, stronger casting, and is particularly good for longer-distance casting and windy fishing conditions. It also makes picking up streamers and heavier flies much easier, whereas a slower action can be too spongy to lift a heavy fly. Fast-action rods, like the Orvis Helios D Fly Rods, are also more responsive to your movements, allowing you to react quickly and set a hook.

Medium Action

A medium action rod, like the Orvis Clearwater Outfit, offers a great balance of power and flexibility, making it versatile enough to handle a wide range of fishing situations. May rods like the Redington Path II fall into the medium-fast action category.

Slow Action

A slow action provides for more delicate presentations and is ideal for small streams, but the sponginess makes it more difficult to react quickly and do things fast actions can do better, like quickly setting a hook or picking up and quickly casting streamers and heavier flies. We haven’t included any slow action rods on this list yet.

Fly Fishing Rod Materials

Fly rods are usually made from fiberglass, bamboo, or graphite(carbon fiber). The different materials offer different benefits and drawbacks, and some differences are so subtle that they are better suited to experts.

Graphite (Carbon Fiber)

While we call them ‘graphite’ rods, the term is a bit of a misnomer, as they are actually carbon fiber and not graphite. Graphite alone is a crystalline material and brittle on its own. Consider how easily a mechanical pencil lead breaks, which ironically is also a misnomer. You obviously wouldn’t make a rod out of that. Carbon fiber, which we’ll continue to call graphite, offers great strength, durability, and lighter weight than both fiberglass and bamboo.

Graphite rods are light weight and extremely strong. This means that even longer rods are still light and easy to handle without fatigue when fishing all day. Graphite tenkara rods, like the Beartooth Co. Tenkara Rod, are also great for carrying into the backcountry or on backpacking trips. The strength of a graphite rod also makes them a good choice when you fish heavy nymphs, bigger streamers, and heavier dry dropper rigs.

Fiberglass

Less expensive but heavier than graphite, fiberglass offers a different feel with slower action, making it a good option for small stream fishing and making delicate presentations. More modern fiberglass rods can be built with different actions, but where a faster action and a lighter rod are concerned, graphite is generally a better choice for most.

Bamboo

The natural flexibility of bamboo offers a smooth action and sensitivity that other composite materials lack. That sensitivity allows you to feel every aspect of fishing, from the weight of a fish on the line to fly presentation and a unique feel when casting. Unless the traditional look and the unique feel of a bamboo rod are high on your priority list, there are a few drawbacks to bamboo rods. They are usually heavier than modern composites, a nice bamboo rod can be prohibitively expensive as they are handcrafted by experts, and bamboo rods require a greater amount of maintenance, like cleaning, and oiling, in addition to more delicate handling that composites don’t require. 

Other Considerations

Packing and Rod Pieces

Fly rods come in different configurations, from one-piece to multi-piece designs. Multi-piece rods like the Redington Path II are usually four pieces and are popular for their portability, while one or two-piece rods may offer slightly better handling and performance due to fewer connection points, giving them a more continuous bending action.

Rod Handle and Reel Seat

The handle or grip of a fly rod is essential for comfort and control. Handles are typically made from cork and have similar contours from rod to rod, but one handle may fit your hand slightly better than another, and it is worth handling a few rods, so you know what to expect from different rods and brands.

We’ve generally focused on the most typical freshwater and saltwater fly rods meant for most sport fishing, where the reel mounts on the reel seat at the rear of the rod and creates balance with the weight of the pole ahead of your hand. However, some rods, like two-handed, switch, and spey rods, offer more handles beneath the reel so that two hands can be used for longer, stronger casting of heavier lines and flies, used when targeting much bigger fish.

Tenkara

Tenkara rods are a special beast in the world of fly fishing, and an entire article should be focused on this specific style of fishing and the equipment involved. In short, it is a fun fly fishing style that often uses very long medium-action rods and no reel. While the rods collapse and are very versatile, a traditional 9 foot 5 weight fly rod with a reel is best for building a fly fishing experience. The lack of a reel also makes it hard or impossible to make long casts, as well as to target large fish. The line drag produced by a reel helps to fight a large fish, whereas the length, action, and weight of a tenkara rod are exclusively used to fight fish. Large fish and breaking lines can actually damage tenkara rods, while traditional fly fishing setups are more capable and forgiving for larger fish and a wide range of fishing. Tenkara rods are also typically quite long, 12 and 13 feet and a typical 9-foot fly rod can be easier to manage in general.

Personal Preference

The overlap of terms like weight and action, as well as the effects they have in combination with rod lengths and the different feel of materials, creates a plethora of characteristics that distinguish similar rods from one another. It may take a lot of years fishing on different rods to really dial in your favorite weight, size, and action. The reality is that you’ll likely end up with more than one rod and use the rod that best matches the fishing you do with it. 

While there is no Goldilocks of fly fishing rods, and one rod can’t reasonably do everything, there is a sweet spot that offers great flexibility and can handle most normal fly fishing situations well.  That generally agreed upon sweet spot is a 5-weight, graphite, 9 foot to 9 foot 6 inches, medium or medium-fast action rod. Someone targeting bigger fish may consider a 6 weight, as it can still be sensitive enough for handling a dry fly and more delicate presentations but still provide enough power to turn over heavier streamers. It’s ultimately a choice that depends on your intended use and preference, while our personal go-to is a 4-piece, 9-foot, 5-weight, fast action like the Orvis Helios D Fly Rod.   

Price & Value

A fly rod can range dramatically in price. Beginners can find great value in rod reel combos under $400 and even $300, while more advanced users will be able to appreciate better handling and feel from higher-end rods that can easily exceed a thousand dollars. The differences to a beginner may not be apparent, and therefore, spending more isn’t always the best option, which is why we included some budget options like the Redington Path II and the Orvis Clearwater. Take a look at our recommendations and award winners for a good idea of where to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions