Is longer better

Some thoughts on whay a longer rod is better from a boat

Lubin Pfeiffer

There is no doubt that Loch-style fishing has proven itself to be one of the most effective ways to catch trout from a boat in Tasmania. With any job or skill, having the right tool is important to getting the best out of your time and effort. Regardless of whether you are fishing with a team of flies on a sinking line, working some nymphs or dries with a floater, the length of the rod you are using will make a huge difference to how effectively you can fish. For many years, nine-foot rods were all that anglers were able to get their hands on, whereas now there are many longer ten-foot rods on the market which have made fly fishing from a boat easier than ever. Let’s take a look at why you should be increasing the length of your rod while fly fishing from a boat in Tasmania for trout.

Contact and control

Consistent successful fish captures are created by having good contact with your flies and being able to control what they are doing and being able to repeat this time and again. A big change in my fishing that I did many years ago to help with this was to move from using a nine-foot fly rod in a boat to moving to a ten-foot rod. The extra length helps in a few different ways. Firstly, casting is improved, especially when using a team of three flies on a long tippet, generally fifteen to eighteen feet. Regardless of whether I am using a floating line or sinking line, being able to consistently land, tangle free, a long tippet with multiple flies is a game changer. During the retrieve my rod tip is closer to the water which not only gives me better control, it also gives me direct contact, so as soon as a fish touches the fly, I’ll know about it. Fishing in amongst weed beds is also much easier with a long rod, with short casts and a high rod enabling the angler to individually search through each likely pocket while dangling the long tippet and three flies with ease. Nearing the completion of the cast, it’s time to hang, which is also made far easier with extra length in the rod. Now I can create a larger arc to hang my team of three flies. Being able to hang each fly as it exits the water for as long as I need means I can fish each fly as it was intended to. Quite often being able to dabble a claret dabbler on the surface for a few moments is a great way of imitating a mayfly emerging and enticing a fish to strike after it may have followed for some time. Once that top dropper has had its chance I have still got plenty of length in the rod to slowly hang the next two flies in complete control before recasting.

Throwing streamers is a great way to connect with big rainbows.

Take the fight to the fish

Once all the hard work is done and you’ve got the fish to eat the fly, a longer rod will also help greatly. Whether it’s a small fish that needs to be brought to the net quickly or a large brown trout that wants to hang deep and slug it out, a longer rod allows for much better control of each situation. A ten-foot rod is far more powerful than that of the same weight as a nine-foot rod so you will be able to dictate the fight. Once the fish nears the boat, a ten-foot rod will allow you to draw the fish into the net easier. Longer leaders with a team of flies attached always have a habit of allowing the top dropper to attach itself to the top guide of a short rod, while this can happen on the odd occasion when using a ten-foot rod, it is far less common meaning more fish in the boat. I can tell you there is nothing worse than working hard for a capture only to have it turn into a disaster as you try to get it in the net!

Selecting a boat rod

I like to have a full set of lake lines that can be either used wading or in the boat. The only thing that I change moving from the shore to the boat is the length of the rod I am using. So I have a couple of specific ten-foot rods that I will only use in the boat and stick to nine-foot rods while wading. Buying a ten-foot rod is easier than ever with several rod manufacturers now making this style of rod. While you can spend as much as you like (good gear is always very nice to use) I see little point in spending more than $500 on a boat rod. There are several models in the $300-$500 that are a pleasure to use and will catch you a lot of fish. I would actually prefer to buy two of the cheaper models so that I have a spare while on the water rather than putting all my money into one really expensive one. The best way to find out which rod is right for you is to drop into Essential Fly Fisher and have a cast. For pulling streamers, you’ll want a bit of power in the rod to ensure you can cast those bulky flies and heavy sinking lines. If you are mainly fishing with nymphs and dries, you’ll want a rod that has a bit of tip to it which will give you a much better feel. Regardless of which lake you are fishing across Tasmania, there is no doubt you will greatly increase your success with a longer rod while fishing from a boat. If you haven’t already, I can strongly suggest checking out adding some length next time you hit the lake!