CHOOSING A COMFORTABLE FLY ROD

COMFORT - For this page I will concentrate on grip comfort. For many people one of the main reasons people buy a custom made fly rod is to get a grip that is not available on a factory rod. Many people think that the grips on factory rods are either too small or too large. Other people simply like the feel of foam over cork. There is also a smaller group of people that prefer the feel of hardwood.

Grip shape - I prefer a larger grip than most people. That is why I like full wells grips best out of the available mass produced grips. A full wells grip has so many ways to hold it you can move your hand around to whatever area is comfortable. My second favorite is the R.E.C. cigar shape. It is a fairly large diameter grip that is straight with a flared end at the reel seat and rounded over at the top. Very comfortable. The industry standard is reverse half wells grips for lines up to 6 and full wells for rods designed for lines 7 and up. While I stick to these for my production rods you can have either one put on your rod for no extra charge. If you have large hands you will probably prefer a larger grip to keep your hand from cramping when you're in a long fight.

GRIP SHAPES

The following are Struble grips. These are flor grade grips.

FULL WELLS -  This is typically used on heavier fly rods designed for lines 8 and up. The larger diameter helps in avoiding hand cramps during long fights
CIGAR Generally used as an extra fore grip on saltwater rods of 12 wt and up.
ULTRA FINE - Also called reverse half wells by most companies these are typical on rods up to 7 weight
WESTERN - These are like what you would find on a Fenwick rod. Very comfortable but are designed for use with downlocking reel seats only.
STRUBLE REVERSE HALF WELLS - Struble's reverse half wells grip is larger in diameter than most resulting in less fatigue.

Grip material - My personal favorite is burl cork. Burl cork is more firm than standard cork but is not hard like a piece of wood. A good quality natural burl cork grip has a very unique grain. True natural burl can be hard to find. Unfortunately it is a little heavier than standard cork.

Foam is the lightest and softest of the grip materials and it comes in lots of colors. Many colors have a simulated wood grain. Most of all its cheap. 

Standard cork is the best choice for most people. It is firm and light. There are many grades of cork.

Lower grade cork gets a cork filler put in the pits that is like plastic wood. After a few years this can cause the grip to be uncomfortable with hard spots in the relatively soft grip.

Near flawless cork (FLOR grade) is very expensive compared to standard or even super grade cork. Depending on current availability it can go up to $5/in.

I also have a small stock of private reserve cork that is available at $7/in. This cork is as good as cork gets and usually does not require any filler to get a perfectly smooth grip.

Hardwood is the most beautiful but it is heavy and hard. Also since it doesn't flex it can make a weak spot. This is because when you hook a big fish the blank has to bend over a sharp spot. If you are considering a hardwood grip you should consider having the grip bored out and having a cork core. While this is very expensive it protects the rod. The other way to go is to just have wood end caps. Hardwood makes great accents for grips. Solid hardwood grips start at $45 and can exceed $200 depending on the wood(s) used.

Other materials are available too. I can build you a grip out of anything that can be turned on a wood lathe.

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email:aaron@clearwaterflyrods.com

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