Gear Test: Fly Rods

Our expert tested four, 5-weight rods that are perfect for backcountry streams or lakes

Picture this: Five hours into a hike you stumble upon a small mountain lake brimming with rising trout and are suddenly filled with regret. Your 2-piece fly rod is sitting at home, far too cumbersome to carry in your pack. Fear not! There are multiple backpacker-friendly (read: compact and still worthy of a big catch) fly rods available, four of which we have reviewed below!

In the backcountry, you are likely to encounter both open lakes and brushy streams which can make for a difficult decision as to what one rod will be best suited for either situation. An 8'6" 5-weight rod is an excellent compromise; it is short enough to cast in tight streams but has enough backbone for windy open lakes. For well over a decade I have been using a Fenwick 5-piece, 5-weight that my father built in the 1970s as my pack rod. While I have fond memories of using the rod on both coasts of the U.S. and everywhere in between, it can only be described as an overweight broom handle whose performance is readily bested by all four of the 5-weight pack rods I tested.

Cabela's Stowaway 7
Easily the stiffest rod of the group is the $170 (prices listed are for rod and accompanying case only) Cabela's Stowaway 7, an 8' 6" 7-piece rod (cabelas.com). This fast-action rod can cast serious distance but is difficult to handle when trying for short or accurate casts. Roll casting* is nice and firm, though again the overly stiff rod tip left something to be desired in accuracy.

L.L. Bean Travel Series
The 9' 8-piece L.L. Bean Travel Series (llbean.com), priced at $185, has a nice fast action with a relatively sensitive tip. While not absolutely critical to performance, it is also the only rod with traditional snake style** line guides (the others all have single foot guides). Roll casting is one of my weaker casting techniques however the L.L. Bean made it easy. The fast action combined with a soft tip allowed me to effortlessly drop a fly in tight pockets on a heavily wooded stream. My only complaint is that the rod felt a bit heavy when casting at short distances. If you are afraid of taking an expensive rod into the wilderness, the moderately priced Travel Series is a great option.

March Brown Brownsea Island
The MIT-trained aerospace engineers at March Brown (marchbrown.com) created a wonderful fast-action rod, the 7-piece 9' Brownsea Island (pricing not yet determined). This rod is extremely light when casting at all distances and carries 60 feet of line with ease. One of the most innovative features is a patented design that allows you to remove the section above the handle to shorten the rod without having to restring, making it ideal for tight patches on the stream.

March Brown Baden Powell Special Edition
I fell in love with the 8'6" 7-piece medium-fast action Baden Powell Special Edition by March Brown, priced at $520. The light swing weight made it easy to false cast and with the softest tip of all, this rod smoothly dropped a fly wherever I wanted. While not the fastest when casting at a distance, the slower action made this rod the most enjoyable . And, just as with the Brownsea Island rod, the section above the handle is easily removable which quickly shortens the rod length--I only wish the rod was available in a 9'. Though more expensive than its peers, the striking performance makes the Baden Powell a must-have.

Now if I could only find some pack waders for the early season snowmelt...

–Dan Corbett

Side note: While all of the rods came with protective PVC rod cases, they were not light. If you are doing more than a day hike it would be worthwhile upgrading to an ultralight plastic or carbon fiber case (you can easily cut a pound of weight or more). The small cases the rods came with did work great when traveling on a plane; I was able to easily fit the L.L. Bean and March Brown rods in my carry-on bag.

(Dan Corbett has been fly fishing for the better part of two decades. Starting with sunfish growing up, Dan now favors using a fly to chase all species of fresh and saltwater fish. Stay tuned for his how-to fly fishing video and a review of these rods on backpacker.com/video.)

* A casting technique used when a brushy or wooded backdrop makes traditional over-the-shoulder casting tough. http://www.flyfishingnetwork.org/casts/roll-cast.php
**A snake style guide is attached to the rod at two points whereas a single foot guide is attached at one point. The performance difference is negligible; it is primarily an aesthetic preference.

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READERS COMMENTS

No reviews of a tenkara rod? Those seem to be the real backpacker's deal: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tenkara.html
Posted: Aug 27, 2009 Charles Porter

I agree- March Brown travel rods are INCREDIBLE! Their 6'6" to 5'6" 3wt convertible (Hidden Water Series) is all you'll ever need to chase native trout in small streams. I went through a bunch of fly rods and this one really puts all others out there for the same purpose to absolute shame.
Posted: Aug 12, 2009 Doug

If you use a foam sleeping pad you can ditch your rod case and roll a four piece rod up in your sleeping pad to protect it. The last issue of California Fly Fisher Magazine has a great article on backpack fly fishing. /www.calflyfisher.com
Posted: Jul 23, 2009 Duane

keep your wrist closed! Use your forearm to cast without flexing your wrist for proper casting form...
Posted: Jul 23, 2009 Duane

Can you review some rods that I will actually find in a fly shop?
Posted: Jul 07, 2009 Jon

DON'T BE ROD SNOB. MOST OF MY RODS ARE FROM ORVIS, BUT I HAVE A COUPLE OF CABELAS RODS THAT I PREFER TO THEIR ORVIS COUNTERPARTS. THE SAME GOES FOR REELS. I LOVE MY CFO'S, BUT WHEN I GO BACKPACKING I TAKE CORTLAND OR SCIENTIFIC ANGLER REELS GRAPHITE REELS BECAUSE THEY ARE VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE.
Posted: Jun 23, 2009 DICK S

Fly fishing is one of those things that should be done exceedingly well, or not at all. Otherwise there is no point. And ranting on about how great cheap fly tackle can be simply reveals how clueless the correspondant in fact actually is.
Posted: Jun 20, 2009 Buckley

Great to see coverage of the March Brown Co. I own a dozen of these rods and have fished with them all over the world. I won't take anything else ever again after my go-to Sage snapped in two! Go March Brown!
Posted: Jun 14, 2009 John

I have a four piece 8'6" cortland rod in a plastic case. It is lighter that the standard PVC with nylon cloth covering. I also have a very inexpensive ($20) Cabela reel which is quite lightweight. I know the reel is nothing but for a 4 weight rod it holds the line just fine. This combination was the lightest I could put together that did not require a bank loan.
Posted: May 24, 2009 john R User

i would like to see a little more about back country packing with fly fishing in mind. I am an avid "fluff chucker" and when my knee surgery is done and my rehab finished I will be doing the John Muir trail in search of goldens. I would like to see a little more of this kind of thing. Just how light can you go and still carry everything you need to competently fish the lakes and streams of the higher places we crave.
Posted: May 20, 2009 ross AKA flytyinfreak slayton

The rods reviewed seem expensive and huge... Although I am an easterner -- A 3 Piece 3 wt. 7 footer type deal seems more suited to backpacking... also small stream oriented rods don't even need reels (read 'line holders') you can just wrap it around the handle --
Posted: May 17, 2009 Will

I like the thought of the article, but I also thought it was too limited on the information given. For those of you who want to bring a 3 wt., you will have a blast on those small creeks, but when I am casting out to rising fish in the midle of a hight country lake (90' +) and catching dinner, I won't mind sharing a fish or two with you, just ask :) Actually, I probably won't be seeing you. I like to hike to isolated back country lakes with a 5 or 6 weight rod!! I have caught 3 lb. fish in these lakes. A 3 weight with a 2 lb tippit is not going to bring in dinner (although, like I said, it will be fun)
Posted: May 17, 2009 David

First, it's great to see BP reviewing fly-fishing stuff. It would be nice to see the BP also encouraging catch and release, especially of native fish. I also like to see BP do an article on the native trout of North America to help the occasional fisherman to better identify the fish he's catching. I'm sure most backpackers would be crushed to learn that they just ate an endangered trout!

As to the subject matter, I have to say I strongly disagree with Dan's rod choices. A 5wt rod is overkill for the little cutties and brookies you're likely to encounter in any high mountain lake or stream. Further, the more sections the more weight and poorer the action.

You'd be much better off with a 4 piece 8' 3wt (winston makes a fantastic one for around $200) It'll weigh in at half as much as any of these and the nice small reel (like a galvin #2) that goes with it will save even more weight. If you have trouble casting into the wind, simply put a 4 wt line on the set up. Going up one line weigh loads the rod more, and allowing anyone to cast into hurricane winds.
Posted: May 14, 2009 Todd S.

I use a Cabella's 5ft. ultralight 2 piece fly rod when I go into areas where a longer rod is just not practical.My rod is a 3 wt. The only part I would suggest experimenting with is a 4 or 5wt. line to get more action from the rod. The price was under a $100.00 as I recall.
Posted: May 14, 2009 skip

I carry the Cabelas Three Forks 7'6" 3 wt and have had it for years. It casts perfectly in small high-mountain streams and I can't recommend it highly enough.
I backpack to fish, but I suspect that all my FF equipment, rod, reel, flies and accessories total less than a pound. I carry several hundred flies. The rod only is $49.99 and a combo with reel and line is $74.99. I do use an expensive reel with mine. All my colleagues have this rod and we all still talk about how great it is. You can find very light tubes or use PVC!
Posted: May 14, 2009 Rhio B

Nice to see some fishing gear reviewed for backpacking. Got any freaky light casting setups in the review works? It's fun to catch a minnow and have it feel like an 8 pounder.
Posted: May 14, 2009 Mr. T

If BP needs someone to send on a backcountry fly fishing trip to test the gear...I'm in! I passed up so many streams on my backpacking trips that I finally decided to stop and test the waters. Backpacking can be more than just logging as many miles as fast as we can. It can also be about what to do when we get there!
Posted: May 14, 2009 Steve C.

These rods may be nice, but they are way too expensive. Expensive does not mean better. I have used a Eagle Claw fly/spin combo pole for years and have been extremly happy with it. It cost me 45$ at Cabelas. Not only is it a great fly rod, but by reversing the bottom section you can turn it into a mean spinning rig. I can't tell you how many times I've caught fish while some guided moron in his $2000 Orvis gettup is giving me dirty looks. Also, a superlite and cheap way to carry your rod in the backcountry is a flouresant lite tube.
Posted: May 14, 2009 Mike P.

Robin,

I have a 4-piece Sage and the tube weighs almost 1.5 pounds without the rod. I think if you are concerned with weight you will have to buy a special tube. I think the weight of the rod is almost negligible.
Posted: May 14, 2009 Greg T