Fly Fishing - 4 Weight Fly Rod: Sage ZXL, 8 1/2 or 8 Foot?

j421

I'm looking at possibly purchasing a Sage ZXL 4 wt, either 8' or 8' 6". Would there be significant differences between these two lengths? I fish mostly dry flies and am looking for a slower, more relaxed casting pace.

Thanks

kory_k · Location: New York, NY

In my experience, when you have an 8' vs. 8 1/2' rod the action of the 8 1/2' tends to be a little slower. I think this is a result of there being another 6 inches of length to flex. I would say if you want the softer rod, the longer rod would be the way to go. The shorter rod would tend to have a tighter, crisper action with the shorter length. Hope that helps.

JeremyK · Location: Montana

I think something to take in consideration is where you are going to fish with this rod?

If you are on the East coast in tight quarters with trees and not casting more than 40 ft. it is great to have a shorter rod; but if you are going to be on larger more open rivers that have backcasting room, why not get a 9'? I tend to like the longer rods because they are way easier to mend with... that 6" or 1' can really make a difference.