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Step 1.
Find the proper line weight. Generally the line weight determines the size of the fly you can accurately cast—and the size of the fish you’re pursuing. Line weights come in sizes 1-14 with 1 being the lightest. Lighter lines are usually used for smaller fish in smaller water. Conversely when fishing large rivers and saltwater you would go to heavier lines to throw larger flies. Decide where and what you’re fishing for and choose a line in that category.
Step 2.
Choose the rod length for where you’re going to fish. Small streams with low overhanging brush are best fished with a shorter rod that gives you more control in tight spaces. Larger rivers and saltwater offer you the opportunity to cast aggressively and use a longer rod. Longer rods also help greatly in situations where reaching and mending line are necessary. Trout anglers often fish with rods from 7- to 9-feet in length depending on the type of water they’re fishing. Saltwater anglers generally use 9- and 9½-foot rods for big open water.
Step 3.
Choose your flex. It’s largely a matter of personal preference, but it’s important. It’s really what makes you prefer one rod over another. The Orvis Flex Index is going to make this choice easier than ever.
Introducing the Orvis Flex Index - What is it?
For the first time in the history of fly-rod manufacturing, we can take a fly rod and compare it numerically and precisely to any other fly rod in terms of its action. After two years of work, Orvis engineers have developed a numerical method and a scale to quantify the flex pattern of each and every rod that Orvis manufactures. Each and every Orvis fly rod will have its flex index stamped right on the rod just like the length and line weight. It will soon become one of the most important factors in your search for the right fly rod.
What does it do for you?
It’s very simple. Let’s say you have a five-weight that you love dearly and think is the finest casting tool ever built. Now you need a ten-weight and you want the same familiar and comfortable action. Before Flex Index was developed it would have required a long and laborious quest, casting a number of rods, trying to find that one rod that casts like your five-weight. With the new Orvis Flex Index, that problem is eliminated. You can now walk to the rack and find the rod that is labelled with the identical or closest number on the flex scale to the rod you like. Its casting properties will be similar if not identical. Most anglers will not notice a difference in rod action unless the Flex Index varies by 2 points or more. This will hold true for any length and weight rod you decide you need. Each Orvis rod can now be identified as a full flex, mid flex or tip flex rod and can be narrowed down even further within those designations to an absolute number.
What does it do for us?
It allows us to build better rods for you. The new Flex Index, coupled with a substantial investment in new technology and equipment, allows us to design, create and offer you fly rods of unmatched quality. This commitment to quality has kept Orvis firmly in the forefront of the fly-fishing industry for nearly a century and a half; it’s why we created the first unconditional guarantee. It’s why our service to the customer is second to none. Flex Index—at last the working fly rod is defined.
Full Flex: 2.5 - 5.5
- Well suited for close-range, delicate casting
- Protects light tippets best due to full flex shock absorption
- Responds well to a gentle casting stroke
- Offers superior “feel” when fighting a fish
- A favorite traditional action for Orvis anglers for many years
Mid Flex: 6.0 - 9.0
- Excellent performance over a wide range of conditions and casting styles
- The largest percentage of fly rods overall are mid-flex
- Great combination of butt strength for fighting fish, and medium flex for casting ease
- Still provides an excellent measure of tippet protection
- A great choice for the angler who needs one rod for a variety of conditions
Tip Flex: 9.5 - 12.5
- Gives the tightest casting loops for greatest range and distance
- Allows quick, short casting strokes with minimal rod angle change
- Improved accuracy due to minimal movement
- Less movement improves tracking and resists “wind loading”
- Light tip gives “light in the hand” feel
- Superior big-fish “backbone” (in upper line weights) due to strong butt section
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