Best Fly Fishing Rods

The Greys Kite pairs a high intermediate modulus Toreon carbon blank with a medium-fast action and a four-piece build. The range runs from 6ft to 10ft for #3 to #8 lines, and on stillwaters it's the longer #7 and #8 models you want.

Lined strippers, single-foot stainless snakes and an alloy seat with dual locking nuts are fitted throughout, along with AAA cork. Each rod comes in a bag and hard tube, and Trout & Salmon's testers found the 10ft #7 casts a long line with sinking lines.

Reservoir and big-lake anglers fishing sinkers, lures and nymphs from the bank or a boat will get the most from it. It matches the Guideline Elevation's score for less money, although the Elevation is the softer, more refined rod for floating lines.

To be fair, it lacks the finesse of a softer rod for small dries on a calm day. For distance work on reservoirs, though, I think it's the best stillwater rod here.

A super-light blank is the Guideline Elevation's calling card. This four-piece single-hander comes as a 9ft #5, a 9ft 9in #6, a 10ft #6 and a 10ft #7, and for stillwater work the 10ft #6 or #7 makes most sense.

It has a sensitive tip, a progressive bend and a strong butt, with full-wells 3A cork and bio-based epoxy. It's sold as medium-fast, but a published test of the 10ft #6 and #7 found a softer, slower action that's happiest with floating and intermediate lines.

That makes it the softer, more refined floating-line option for buzzers, dries and nymphs on fine tippets. Next to the Greys Kite it gives up power with sinking lines, while the Sharpes Ajax is the cheaper route into a traditional wet-fly rod.

To be fair, heavy sinkers and big lures into a headwind aren't its game. For floating-line anglers who want comfort and tippet protection, though, I think it's a superb rod.

Traditional wet-fly anglers are the natural audience for the Sharpes of Aberdeen Ajax, a four-piece trout rod on a multi-modulus carbon blank. It's listed as a 9ft #9, 9ft 6in #7, 10ft #6 and 10ft #7, and stillwater anglers should start with the 10ft #7.

Its cork handle and aluminium-and-wood reel seat give it a classic look, and a Cordura tube and rod bag are included. Trout & Salmon's testers found a softer, traditional action that suits wet-fly teams but not fast-sinking lines.

Boat anglers fishing loch style, and bank anglers on floating or intermediate lines, will get on with it. Next to the Guideline Elevation it's a more traditional rod for far less outlay, while the Snowbee Classic SW #8 has a faster blank for bigger waters and heavier lines.

To be fair, it won't punch a fast sinker and a big lure into the wind. For traditional wet-fly fishing on a budget, though, I think it's a very sound choice.

A 9ft, four-piece rod for an #8 line, the Snowbee Classic SW is made for larger stillwaters and reservoirs where you need extra distance. Its fast blank bends from the middle to the tip.

Heavier lines are well served by lined stripper rings and an oversize hayfork tip ring, and the Full Wells handle is A-grade cork. A rich hazel finish with matching whippings sets it apart, and it also works as a single-handed rod for grilse.

Big, windy waters are its home, and anglers throwing heavy lines and bigger flies from the bank or a boat will appreciate the muscle. The Sharpes Ajax is the gentler wet-fly rod, while the Wychwood Truefly FA brings a similar fast feel across a choice of lengths and lighter line weights.

To be fair, there's only the one 9ft #8 model, so there's no 10ft option for loch-style work. For reservoir anglers who want power on a budget, though, I think it's a smart buy.

With a fast action and a multi-modulus 30T carbon blank, the Wychwood Truefly FA is a four-piece stillwater rod made to cast a long way. It's sold in six models from 9ft #5 to 10ft #8, and the 10ft #7 or #8 is the reservoir choice.

Section alignment guides run throughout, the reel seat is CNC aluminium and a partitioned Cordura tube is included. It's made to fish lures deep on a fast sinker or put a dry fly on a floating line.

Bank anglers chasing distance on big waters will like the line speed. Next to the Snowbee Classic SW #8 it offers far more choice of lengths, and the Daiwa Wilderness Trout is the more measured medium-fast alternative with a loch-style 11ft 3in model.

To be fair, a fast blank is less forgiving for beginners and fine tippets. For anglers who want to cast a long way without spending much, though, I think it's a cracking rod.

From a 9ft #5 to an 11ft 3in #7/8 loch-style rod, the Daiwa Wilderness Trout covers pretty much every trout style with its medium-fast blanks. For stillwater banks the 9ft 6in or 10ft #7 is the one to pick, with the 11ft 3in for boat anglers.

Titanium stripper guides with lightweight LS rings, aluminium snakes, a cork handle and a low-glare finish are fitted throughout. There's a six-section 9ft #7 for travel, and the loch-style rod gets two detachable fighting butts.

If you fish rivers, small stillwaters and boats, one range for everything is a real convenience. It's gentler than the fast Wychwood Truefly FA, so it should suit mixed floating-line work, and it's dearer than the Shakespeare Oracle 2 Stillwater but with far more choice of models and lengths.

To be fair, a do-it-all action means it isn't as soft or as powerful as a specialist. For one trusted range across many styles, though, I think it's a really dependable choice.

Only two models make up the Shakespeare Oracle 2 Stillwater range, a 10ft #8 and an 11ft #7, both four-piece rods on a slim, fast-action carbon blank. The 10ft #8 suits windy reservoir banks and the 11ft #7 boat work.

Zirconium oxide strippers, stainless single-leg guides and AAA-grade full-wells cork are fitted, along with a screw-in extension handle. The blank has a matt-grey, low-flash gunsmoke finish, and a hard, partitioned Cordura tube keeps the sections apart in transit.

Budget-minded reservoir and loch anglers fishing sinkers and lures from the bank or a drifting boat are its natural audience. Compared with the Daiwa Wilderness Trout, it gives up the lighter models and titanium strippers, but adds an extension handle and costs far less.

To be fair, these are long, heavy rods that lack a delicate touch for small dries on calm days. For big-water power on a small budget, though, I think it's a terrific buy.

For rivers and streams, the Guideline Rivolt is the best rod here, with an unpolished 24/30T carbon blank, a mid-to-tip flex and a light tip. It comes in six four-piece models, from an 8ft 6in #4 up to a 10ft #7.

For running water, the 8ft 6in #4 is the model to pick for streams and smaller rivers, and the 9ft #5 covers bigger rivers. Each rod comes with a tube and a bag made from recycled materials, and the 10ft models add reach for sea trout.

Trout and grayling anglers who want one crisp, forgiving rod for dries and small nymphs are the target. Next to the Shakespeare Oracle 2 Stillwater, a powerful reservoir rod, it's lighter in the hand and kinder to fine tippets, and it costs less than the Guideline Elevation Brook & TLT while covering far more water.

To be fair, the unpolished finish is plain to look at. For river anglers who want one rod they won't outgrow, though, I think it's the one to buy.

Short rods for small water are what the Guideline Elevation Brook & TLT is about. It comes as a 7ft 2in #3 for the tightest brooks and an 8ft #4 for slightly bigger rivers, both three-piece with a smooth medium-fast action.

Matte, lightly buffed graphite-grey blanks keep flash down over clear water, and the grip is 3A cork in a half-wells shape. Light-wire single-leg guides keep the short blanks light, and a recycled REPREVE rod bag comes with it.

Wild-trout anglers working overgrown becks and creeks with small dries will get the most from it. Next to the Guideline Rivolt it's a narrower, dearer specialist, as the Rivolt covers far more water, and the Greys Lance gives you a wider spread of sizes for less money.

To be fair, two models and a premium price make it a niche buy. For tight, tree-lined streams, though, I think it's a lovely fit.

Built on an intermediate modulus carbon blank, the Greys Lance is a four-piece single-hander with a forgiving medium-fast action. It runs from a 7ft 6in #3 up to a 10ft #8.

Build quality is a highlight, with AAA cork, an all-alloy anodised reel seat with dual locking nuts and alignment dots on each section. River anglers should look at the 9ft #5, and every rod comes in a sectioned tube.

Newer fly anglers who want a rod to grow with are its natural buyers. Next to the Guideline Elevation Brook & TLT, it covers far more water for less money, and over the Snowbee Classic you gain AAA cork and a much wider spread of sizes, though the Snowbee costs less.

To be fair, it won't throw a long line like a stiffer, dearer rod. For learning and for river trout at sensible ranges, though, I think it's a smart buy.

As the best value pick for rivers and small stillwaters, the Snowbee Classic offers a four-piece fast-action blank in three sizes, the 7ft #3, 9ft #5 and 9ft 6in #6.

A-grade cork, lined stripper rings, high-lift snake intermediates and an oversized Hayfork tip ring are more than you'd expect at the price, and the rich hazel finish looks the part. The 9ft #5 is the all-rounder, and an Original Purchaser's Lifetime Guarantee is included.

First-time fly anglers and anyone wanting an affordable spare will get the most from it. Next to the Greys Lance it has fewer sizes and A-grade rather than AAA cork, though it costs less, and it's a clear step up from the Shakespeare SKP Select's simple fibreglass blank.

To be fair, a fast blank asks a beginner for decent timing. For a first rod that won't need replacing after a season, though, I think it's hard to beat for the money.

Beginners learning the casting stroke are who the Shakespeare SKP Select is made for. It's an 8ft three-piece rated for a #5 or #6 line, with a fibreglass blank and a moderate action that lets you feel the rod load.

You get an EVA foam handle, lined stripper guides, a lightweight graphite reel seat and a carry tube. The green glass blank is light and tough, which suits careless hands and car boots, and the three sections pack away easily.

Small stillwaters and rivers suit it, in the hands of a newcomer or as a cheap spare. Next to the Snowbee Classic it's a slower, simpler rod for even less money, while the Greys Wing Streamflex is a far dearer specialist for a very different job.

To be fair, glass feels heavier and slower than carbon. For learning to feel the rod load, though, I think it's an ideal first rod.

Long, light and well balanced, the Greys Wing Streamflex 10ft is the best nymphing rod here, a four-piece in 2WT or 3WT on a medium-fast Powerlux carbon blank.

A lower-profile blank helps line control, and there's an RHW cork handle and an alloy reel seat with wood spacers and dual locking nuts. Alignment dots speed up assembly, the keyed and milled slide band saves weight, and a rod bag and hard tube come with it.

River anglers who euro-nymph or fish light lines for trout and grayling should look at the 3WT first, with the 2WT for the finest tippets. Next to the Shakespeare SKP Select it's a world apart in refinement, and it costs a little less than the Guideline Elevation Nymph while finishing to a higher standard.

To be fair, a 2 or 3 weight lacks the backbone for big fish. For light-line river nymphing, though, I think it's a superb rod.

Guideline's Elevation Nymph is a long four-piece built for modern nymphing, including euro nymphing, in 10ft 2in #2, 10ft 6in #3 and 10ft 2in #4 models. All three give you plenty of reach.

Its high-modulus carbon blank has a medium-fast flex and a sensitive tip that protects thin tippets. A down-locking reel seat and a snake guide beside the tip, which cuts tangles, are thoughtful extras, and the matte, spiral-pattern finish keeps flash down.

Anglers fishing wide runs, or wanting a #4 option, should consider it. Next to the Greys Wing Streamflex it's slightly dearer and less refined in its fittings, but the 10ft 6in #3 gives you extra length and the #4 adds backbone that the Streamflex's lighter ratings can't match.

To be fair, it's a serious spend if you only nymph now and then. For anglers who want extra reach on bigger rivers, though, I think it's a very capable choice.