Fly Rod

A skinny stick, usually 6 to 13 feet long, used in conjunction with a reel, a line, and hand-tied simulations of in-sects to catch fish. Of all the gear owned by the modern adventurer, the fly rod is notable for changing the least over time. In 17th-century England, where the sport first gained favor among a particular type of contemplative boob, rods were made of bamboo—a material still used by companies like Hardy, R. L. Winston, and Scott. Though fiberglass and graphite are now more popular, the fly rod’s shape, length, and use have remained the same: cast and don’t miss the strike.