Backpacking Fly Rods
First called a “Church Rod” because it was something that was packable or easily concealable in church, pack rods were something that you could bring along anywhere and hit the water with ease. Today, most fly rods would probably be considered pack rods to those that lived in those days. The ability to bring a 9’ rod which packs into a <30” rod tube has made traveling with your fly rods much easier, but it doesn’t mean that the search for an even more packable rod has ever stopped.
Combining two of my biggest passions, fly fishing and backpacking means that I am always on the lookout for a good pack rod that is easily stowable and doesn’t sacrifice performance. Part of the reason that pack rods weren’t as popular in the past is that the more pieces in a rod, the more performance you may be losing. Adding additional ferrules in your rod introduces more points of weakness, adds weight, but also makes your rod behave more like a broomstick. Modern construction technology of fly rod blanks has solved many of the problems associated with pack rods and we are beginning to see more of them in the wild.
What do you want in a Pack Rod?
Many of these characteristics go hand-in-hand and you will quickly realized that you will have to decide which is the most important to you.
Performance - The most obvious thing you are looking for is performance, while you may be sacrificing some from a standard rod that doen’t mean that you need to settle. Some of this may depend on the waters that you are fishing, you may need a bit punchier rod if you’re fishing alpine lakes or you may want a soft rod if your hitting small creeks.
Reliability - Imagine you’ve hiked it out into the backcountry, you’ve found the perfect water, you bust out and assemble your rod, feed in your line, tie one on, and you subsequently break the tip of your rod. Now you’re 15 miles from the trailhead and probably days or weeks from a replacement.
Construction - Most commonly you’re going to find that manufacturers build their pack rods out of graphite, while you’re probably getting the most out of performance and weight, you are also sacrificing one of the greatest strengths of fiberglass which is reliability. After assisting in submitting warranties for a couple of years I can only count a single instance of a fiberglass fly rod breaking.
Weight - Fiberglass weighs more than graphite. An aluminum rod tube weighs more than a PVC or canvas tube but also provides more protection in case you take a tumble while out on the trail or the tube gets damaged in transit to your backpacking spot. Remember that the weight you carry is only going to get heavier the longer that you are out backpacking.
Packability - You have to decide what length tube you are comfortable carrying into the backcountry, while most 9’ rods can pack down under 30” there are also some options out there that can cut off an additional 10” from your tube and when you’re looking to shed weight, every ounce counts.
Conclusion
Learning about where my customers are fishing, especially if they are planning backpacking trips where they are fishing, is one of my favorite parts of the rod building process. Let me talk through your future custom fly rod with you and we can come up with the perfect rod for you and your backpacking trip.
If you’re looking for a great small stream rod, be sure to check out the John Muir 7’ 3wt 5pc rod from JP Ross or if you want me to build you a rod on a JP Ross Muir blank, let me know!
Steffen Bros Fly Rods out of Michigan also makes their graphite rods in a 5- and 6-piece configurations, making them ideal for a pack rod. Grab one of these classic IM6 Graphite rods straight from Steffen Bros or let’s collaborate together on a Steffen Blank to make a truly unique pack rod.
