Want to improve your fly casting? Ditch that “powerful” rod

Back in 1987, I hit the mall with a friend from my Grade 12 chemistry class to help him buy speakers for his new stereo. Duke, as he liked to be called, quickly settled on small, milk-crate-sized speakers that sounded great for a modest price. Then a fast-talking salesman showed him a series of larger, more powerful speakers. Duke was enthralled.

“They’re so loud!” he shouted over thunderous Van Halen riffs. I pointed out the sound quality was actually worse, but Duke was sold. And so we staggered out of the store with massive cabinets that barely fit in his Chevette—or his bedroom. Predictably, he never once played them anywhere near as loud as they were in the showroom. Duke’s speaker choice reminds me exactly of how many of today’s fly anglers, especially beginners, pay for powerful, hard-to-cast rods totally unsuited for their skill level or fishing needs. Here’s why you should avoid the fly-rod power trap.