CHOOSING THE RIGHT ACTIONACTION - Action is defined as where the rod does it's inital bending, not recovery speed or material and modulus. That being said, most companies put their highest modulus (lightest) material only in their fast or extra fast action rods. This keeps the physical weight of the blanks about the same. Please remember that what one company calls moderate-fast another may call fast or moderate. This is where having a knowlagable rod builder is helpful. SLOW ACTION RODS - Slow action rods will cast up to 30' of line just as well as a fast action rod because rods are usually rated for 30' of line. Slow rods flex all the way to the grip when casting and take a long time to load but then they do all the work for you making for a very relaxing day of fishing. Many people prefer a slow rod for light presentation. The biggest problem with very slow action rods is the lack of reserve power for landing big fish. Slow and moderate action rods are your best choice for small streams where light presentation is necissary. If there is cover that you need to pull fish from you should consider a moderate action rod. MODERATE ACTION RODS - These tend to flex through half to 2/3 of the blank when casting. These take a little more work than a slow rod to get the 30' of line out but have more reserve power in the butt section so that you aren't left totally helpless when you hook a big fish. Moderate action rods are what many people consider a traditional action. MODERATE-FAST ACTION RODS - These are the most popular for fly rods and with good reason. A good quality moderate-fast action rod is light in weight and has a nice soft yet crisp feel to them. Moderate-fast action rods are as good at 10' as they are at 30' which is where most people fish. This is what I use on small to medium sized rivers. FAST ACTION RODS - This is my personal favorite for open water because there is lot's of reserve power in the butt section for landing big fish quickly. A good fast action rod will also excell in long casts and double hauling while still having the presence to fish in close. The down side to a fast action rod is it will feel stiff to most people and they won't be able to feel the rod load. Fast action rods also require a quicker casting stroke putting light tippets at risk when they have weighted flies on them. EXTRA FAST ACTION RODS - These are not for the light hearted or for beginers. Extra fast action rods require an exact casting stroke to keep from popping off flies and are heavier than a slower rod made from the same material. This is simply because there is more material in the butt section to make it stiffer. These are really geared to the experienced caster that regularly fishes on the 30-60' range. The extra power in the butt section allows you to land fish quickly which is better for the fish than making it tired. A good example of an extra fast rod is a Sage TCR or my TCR Subtitute.
SUMMARY - Slower rods are the best rods for light presentation but lack reserve power for long casts and big fish. Faster rods have more power but require more work and exact timing for casting. When choosing your rod please think about where you do your fishing. If you are fishing in close quarters there is no need for a top of the line St. Croix Legend Elite or Sage TCR or XP. These are very fast action rods that carry a premium price and are some of the best choices for certain situations but there are better choices for other situations that you will find much easier on your wallet. This action chart is courtesy of Pacific Bay. These are pretty much industry standards but some companies will have slight differences for what they call slow or fast.
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