The Top 5 wt. Fly Rods On The Market in 2023

by John Wren

 According to archeological records, Humans have been fishing with artificial flies since the time of the Roman Empire although, their equipment was very primitive by today’s standards.

Fortunately for fly fishermen, fly fishing gear has evolved from simple wooden poles and simple artificial flies tied on handmade, iron, hooks to fly rods made of bamboo, then fiberglass and, finally graphite combined with very sophisticated fly imitations tied on very lightweight steel hooks.

However, it is important to be aware that because modern artificial flies have very little weight and a tremendous amount wind resistance, they cannot be cast in the same manner as a conventional fishing lure and thus, they instead require a weighted line to cast them.

Consequently, the 5 weight fly line has become the single most popular fly line weight among freshwater fly fishermen due the fact that it provides a good balance between the ability to cast a wide range of fly sizes, the ability to cast them in the wind and, the degree of delicacy in the caster’s presentation.

    So, because all fly rods are specifically designed to cast a specific weight fly line, let’s start our discussion with an examination of fly lines. Thus, it is helpful to first understand that all fly lines are made by covering a core of braided Dacron with a plastic coating that is designed to either float or sink depending on its intended purpose.

Therefore, all fly line weights are determined by measuring the first 30 feet of the fly line in grains (440 grains = one ounce) and then, they are designated as weights 1 through 14 with a 1 wt. being the lightest and a 14 wt. being the heaviest.

Of course, the reason that we have so many different fly line weights is that the smaller a fly is, the less wind resistance it has and, the larger it is, the more wind resistance it has. Consequently, small flies can be cast with lightweight fly lines whereas, larger flies must be cast with heavier fly lines.

Therefore, fly fishermen commonly think of freshwater fly lines as ranging from 1 wt. to 6 wt. and saltwater fly lines as raging from 6 wt. to 14 wt.

However, it is also important to note that the lighter a fly line is, the more delicately it will land on the water’s surface and, the heavier it is, the less delicately it will land. Thus, most fly fishermen not only choose their fly line weights according to the size of the fly that they will be casting, they also choose them according to degree of delicacy they need in their presentation.

For instance, freshwater fly fishermen who commonly pursue trout in small, clear, mountain streams tend to prefer small flies and light fly lines such as a 3 wt. or 4 wt. because they land gently on the water and thus, they do not spook the fish.

But, freshwater fly fisherman who commonly pursue larger fish species such as Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Pike and, Muskie with larger flies and, who are not nearly so concerned with the degree of delicacy in their presentation, often choose line weights 6, 8, or 10.

Thus, by the same token, freshwater trout fisherman who commonly fish with a wide range of fly sizes from very small aquatic insect imitations such as May Flies and Caddis Flies to much larger terrestrial insect imitations such as grasshoppers and crickets need a highly versatile fly line that provides a reasonably delicate degree of presentation.

Therefore, according to fly rod manufacture’s sales statistics, the 5 wt. fly rod is the single most popular freshwater fly rod in existence.

    However, there is far more to choosing a fly rod than simply choosing an appropriate fly line weight since both the length of the rod and its action must also be taken into consideration. Therefore, it is important to note that fly rod length is most often determined by the size of the water an angler is fishing as well as the distance over which they will be casting.

Bestseller No. 1
Redington Fly Fishing Combo Kit 590-4 Crosswater Outfit with Crosswater Reel 5 Wt 9-Foot 4pc
  • MEDIUM-FAST ACTION: It is a smooth-casting, medium-fast action graphite fly rod, offering classic performance for all levels of anglers and suitable for both fresh and saltwater fishing.
  • VERSATILE USE: The anodized machined aluminum reel seat makes this gear piece ideal for both salt and freshwater angling.
  • EASY TO ASSEMBLE: The rod comes in 4 pieces that have alignment dots for easy setup.
  • PERFECT COMBO: The kit includes a Crosswater rod, Crosswater reel pre-spooled with RIO Mainstream WF fly line, and Cordura rod tube case.
  • REDINGTON WARRANTY: If your Reddington product has a defect in workmanship or materials, we will repair or replace it at once - you have 1 year from the moment of purchase to make a claim.
Bestseller No. 2
Aventik Fly Fishing Riverbend Series Fly Rod IM8 Graphite Blank 0/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 wt Rods, 6/7/8/9/10ft Lightweight Fly Fishing Rod Medium Fast Action (7'3'' LW2/3)
  • RIVERBEND SIRIES: Aventik Riverbend Series offers an impressive selection of lengths from 6ft to 10ft, providing versatile options for various fishing environments and techniques.Whether you're a...
  • SUPER LIGHT&STURDY: IM8 24T plus 30T carbon fiber blank construction makes the rod at least 20% increase in strength and at least 20% lighter in weight significantly. Perfect fast action and smooth...
  • HIGH STANDARD SMOOTH GUIDES: Super hard chrome plated guide with extra large tip top. Advanced ceramic ring insert stripping guides for corrosion resistance and smooth performance. High Density...
  • Enhanced Portability: The Riverbend Fly Rod boasts a convenient 4-piece design, making it the ultimate travel companion for all fly anglers. Complete with a rugged PVC rod tube, you can confidently...
  • Rod is guaranteed for 25 years.
Bestseller No. 3
M MAXIMUMCATCH Maxcatch Extreme Graphite Fly Fishing Rod 4-Piece 9 Feet with IM7 Carbon Blank, Hard Chromed Guides, A Cork Grip(Size:3/4/5/6/8wt) (Extreme Rod, 8ft4 3weight)
  • DESIGNED for a PREMIUM ENTRY LEVEL AT AN OUTSTANDING ATTRACTIVE PRICE - a high quality blank, using the best available components for this price, the rod just feels like most rods twice or triple of...
  • EXCLUSIVE MAXLINQ BLANK TECHNOLOGY – Pure IM7 24T plus 30T carbon fiber. With mixed 5 layers of carbon including Reinforced Muscle carbon layer for at least 20% increase in strength. the high...
  • DISTANCE and PRESENTATION – a fast action design rod blank to excel in distance and presentation. Loading easily for long casts into the wind. Slim taper engineered to be smooth and powerful, all...
  • HIGH STANDARD SMOOTH GUIDES – MaxSelect Stripping Guides and Ultra lightweight Hard Chromed stainless steel snake guides and Over-sized tip loop for smoothest longer casting. PURE CORK HANDLE and...
  • ONE-YEAR-WARRANTY and LifeTime Repairing Warranty - MAXCATCH as a 15 years rod factory,offer “No Hassle” warranty for all our rods for one year. If you are not 100% satisfied with our rod, you can...
Bestseller No. 4
Redington Path Fly Fishing Rod with Tube, 4 Pieces, 5 WT 9-Foot
  • All water, MEDIUM-fast action rod
  • Laser-etched wooden reel seats on rods 6 weight and below
  • Alignment dots for easy rod setup
  • Durable cordura rod tube with built in rod dividers
  • Lifetime Warranty
Bestseller No. 5
Sougayilang Fly Fishing Rod, Lightweight Ultra-Portable 4-Piece Graphite Fly Rod for Complete Starter 5/6wt, 7/8wt Rod for Traveling - 5/6WT
  • Cork Handle: This rod is come with extremely light carbon body. The comfortable cork handle according to the ergonomic design which optimize your fishing experience. Machined aluminum reel seat with...
  • Professional: Sougayilang fly rod made from the super light carbon fiber, 5/6wt and 7/8wt is the best choice for small trout, sunfish, bass, carp, light steelhead, salmon. Stable casting suitable for...
  • Ideal Gift: It is a reasonable cost for son, father, eldership, brother, husband, boyfriend and families. A thoughtful gift for them at birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving or some special days.
  • We are proud to present you the worry-free 6 months service! If you hace any problems about our products, please contact us firstly and our customer service team will solve it for you ASAP.

Consequently, most fly fishermen consider the 8’ 6” 5 wt. fly rod to be the single most versatile freshwater fly rod in existence although, the 9 ft. 5 wt. fly rod is the single most popular freshwater fly rod. However, 5 wt. fly rods can range in length from as short as 6 ft. to as long and 10 ft. and thus, I personally have several 5 wt. fly rods in 7 ft., 7 ft. 9 in., 8 ft. 6 in. and, 9 ft. lengths with actions that range from slow to medium to fast which I use for different stream sizes.

In fact, fly rods are very much like golf clubs in that they are each designed for a specific purpose. Consequently, fly fishermen have a running joke that we all need a rod caddy to carry our various fly rods on the stream for us. That way, we can simply turn to our rod caddy and say: “7 ft. 4 wt. please,” or “9 ft. 5 wt. please”.

    But, in addition to choosing an appropriate fly line weight and an appropriate fly rod length, there is also the issue of choosing and appropriate fly rod action. Therefore, you also need to be aware that fly rods are commonly available with one of three different actions ranging from slow to medium to fast which is a description of how limber or stiff the rod is. But, before we discuss fly rod actions, let’s back up a moment and recall that all fly lines range in weight from 1 to 14 and that all fly rods are designed to cast a specific fly line weight.

Thus, because a 3 wt. fly line has significantly less weight than a 7 wt fly line does, a fly rod designed to cast a 7 wt. fly line must necessarily be considerably stiffer than a fly rod designed to cast a 3 wt. fly line in order to carry the extra weight and, by the same token, a 3 wt. fly rod must necessarily be more limber than a 7 wt. because a 3 wt. fly line weighs significantly less than a 7 wt. and thus, it provides significantly less weight to load (bend) the fly rod.

However, having said that, there is also the issue of how much fly line you will commonly have extended beyond the rod’s tip and thus, the reason for the different actions. For instance, for any given fly line weight, when fishing at relatively close distances, a fly fishermen will have very little fly line extended beyond the tip of the rod and thus, there will be very little weight to cause the rod to bend (aka “load”) and thus, a slow action fly rod is required when casting at close ranges.

But, when casting over much longer ranges, a fly fisherman will have considerably more fly line extended beyond the tip of the rod and thus, a fast action rod is required for casting over long distances because the rod has to carry more weight.

Consequently, a medium action fly rod is designed to provide fly anglers with a compromise between the performance of a slow action rod and a fast action rod by enabling and angler to cast at slightly longer ranges than they could with a with slow action rod and at slightly shorter ranges than they could with a fast action rod.

So, the trick to choosing an appropriate 5 wt. fly rod is to first determine what size stream you will be fishing most often and then choose your rod length accordingly. Then, you need to determine what ranges you will be casting over most often and then choose an appropriate fly rod action.

For instance, an angler might choose a 7 ft. or a 7 ft. 9 in. 5 wt. fly rod with a slow action for fishing dry flies on small mountain streams but, choose an 8 ft. 6 in. fly rod with a medium action for fishing with weighted nymphs or streamers on somewhat larger streams and, 9 ft. 5 wt. with a fast action for fishing on large streams or rivers where long range casts are common.

Thus, it is important to keep in mind that fly rods are very much like golf clubs in they are purpose specific and thus, avid fly anglers often have multiple 5wt. fly rods for different situations.

 

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