CHOOSING THE RIGHT LENGTH RODLENGTH - The most common length for a fly rod is 9'. This is a very versitile length that allows for easy roll casting and keeping your flies out of the brush without making you tired. SHORT RODS - Many people also like shorter rods. Short rods weigh less than long rods and will not make you as tired. The most common lengths for rods under 9' is 7-1/2'-8-1/2'. These are all good lengths for general purpose rods for fishing with less than 35' of line. I build fly rods as short as 4-1/2'. This is really too short to be useful for most people and will not comply with IGFA rules if you are going for world records. I have a 5' that I regularly use on a small stream in my area because it lets me get into tight quarters and fish a section of the stream where fishing with a long rod is nearly impossible.
LONG RODS - I call a long rod anything over 9-1/2'. Long rods excell in long casts and roll casting but they are heavier than short rods. While the added length helps keep your fly off the water if you fish from a float tube it can be tiresome for some people. REALLY LONG RODS - Traditional two handed spey rods are 13' and longer. Spey rods allow for extremely long casts. In the hands of an experienced spey caster casts can exceed 150'. The spey river is in the Monadhliath mountains of the UK. This is where spey casting was invented as a way to make long casts without having a lot of room in back of you.
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