Selecting a Fly Rod for Steelhead fly fishing

Steelhead trout are, in a nutshell, rainbow trout on steroids.  These fish typically weigh four to six pounds and are an average of 25 to 30 inches.   These fish are extreme fighters and without the proper rod these fish will have you beat everyday.  For regular trout fishing most anglers will use a five or six weight rod.  With steelhead you will not want anything less than an eight weight rod that is nine or more feet long.  An eight weight rod has a much stronger backbone, so to say, than a six weight rod will have.  Another important fact is that when fly fishing for steelhead you will most likely be using larger flies.  Common steelhead flies are wooly buggers which in most cases are hard to cast with a six weight rod.  One more important thing is that you want to make sure you are using at least a six pound test line or more when fishing for these monsters.  When selecting your rod for steelhead fly fishing buy what you can afford and remember its not the rod its the angler.



Redington has a great fly outfit which you can find by clicking Redington Crosswater Fly Fishing Outfit