How To Look For The Best 6wt Fly Rod

While 6-weight fly rods are the most versatile, multi-functional, and all-around fly rods, there is, it’s still hard to choose the best 6wt fly rodif you do not know what to look for. So, in this article, I reviewed five of my favorite high-rated products today.

But do not become overwhelmed or confused about choosing a rod just yet! To help you choose the best one for your needs, I also included the most important things you should consider.

So, what are you waiting for? Read on to find out more!

Preview	Product	Out Rating
	Fenwick HMG Fly Rods - Editor’s Pick	Check it on Amazon.com
	Maxcatch Extreme Graphite Fly Fishing Rod - Alternative Pick	Check it on Amazon.com
	Piscifun Sword Graphite Fly Rod - Budget Pick	Check it on Amazon.com
	Temple Fork Outfitters BVK Series Fly Rods - Upgrade Pick	Check it on Amazon.com
	Redington Crosswater 690-4 Fly Rod	Check it on Amazon.com

Best 6wt Fly Rod For the Money Reviews:

1. Fenwick HMG Fly Rods - Editor’s Pick

Via Amazon.com

First on the list and my best pick among all listed here is the Fenwick High Modulus Graphite (HMG) Fly Rods. These are easy to use medium fast action rods that many users recommend, including me.

The graphite material not only gives the rods a nice stylish appearance but also makes them very light and comfortable to use. This latest version also offers a forgiving action for higher accuracy and line speed.

These rods are very user-friendly. It has matte smoke stripper guides and double foot snake guides. The stripper guides also have wide diameters for smooth and efficient casting. The matte black blank has four sections and features a carbon binding.

Additionally, the reel seat is made of an aluminum anodized material with a matte smoke finish and a double up lock function. The handle is made of high quality, AAA’ grade cork.If you buy the 4-piece pack, you also get a Fenwick cloth-covered rod tube and bag. The gear is also covered by the company’s 5-year warranty.​

2. Maxcatch Extreme Graphite Fly Fishing Rod - Alternative Pick

Via Amazon.com

This Extreme Graphite Fly Rod from Maxcatch is not only relatively cheaper but is also the most popular product out of the five.

If you couldn’t afford the Fenwick HMG set, this is a great alternative. Many who bought this said they are thoroughly impressed and very satisfied with their purchase.

Well, this is not hard to believe given the many features this rod has to offer. First, it is made with pure IM6 24T carbon fiber material featuring an innovative A-Helical technology for sensitivity and strength. This medium fast action fly rod is also lightweight, slim, and adequately tapered for better line control and quick, accurate, and powerful casting.

The durable and light reel seat is made of solid airspace graded 6061T aluminum steel and had twin locking rings.

The handle is made of A-grade, high-quality cork. It even has corrosion-resistant hard chrome, stainless steel snake and tip-top guides for a smooth performance. The ceramic ring stripping guides also reduce friction and allow you to control the line better.

This package includes four-rod pieces and comes with a plastic rod tube. Maxcatch also offers 1-year warranty on all of their gears.

3. Piscifun Sword Graphite Fly Rod - Budget Pick

Via Amazon.com

If you’re looking for a fly rod that performs well but doesn’t break the bank, Piscifun came up with this affordable yet high-quality graphite fly rod set.

Great for general trout fly fishing in rivers, streams, and other moving freshwater bodies, this medium action rod features a universal size that both beginners and experts will benefit from!

This high-performing rod set is made with quality IM7 graphite for accuracy, durability, and performance. The machined aluminum reel seat is also equipped with double lock rings to ensure the secure attachment of the reel.

Additionally, it comes with chrome guides and ceramic stripping guides and inserts for the smooth release of fly lines. The materials used are lightweight and paired with a PVC rod tube for protection and portability.

The rod itself has guiding white dots for better and easier alignment. The competitive half wells cork handle makes it comfortable to use and prevents hand fatigue while also adding accuracy. The handle is also lightweight, warmer to the hand, and more sensitive than EVA.

4. Temple Fork Outfitters BVK Series Fly Rods - Upgrade Pick

Via Amazon.com

On the other hand, if you don’t mind spending more for an ultimate rod, the TFO BVK Series Fly Fishing Rods is a good option for you.

Although the most highly priced in this list, it is probably the lightest rod with the best presentation you can get for aggressively strong and powerful performance.

The construction of this series revolves around using the best and lightest materials that can meet the highest performance standards. These fast action rods are said to perform excellently with distance.

The translucent olive-colored blanks are matched with braided carbon fiber reel seats. The Flor grade grips are also fashioned and contoured for comfort.

Another good feature of this product is the exclusive Tactical Series anodized steel stripping and snake guides that are impregnated with lightweight ultra hard-chromium for durability.

On top of all that, the series is advertised to perform great and last long both in freshwater and saltwater. It even comes with rod tubes although the quality should not be expected to be that good.

5. Redington Crosswater 690-4 Fly Rod - Best 6wt Fly Rod For Beginner Freshwater Fly Fishing

Via Amazon.com

Last but not the least is the Crosswater 690-4 Fly Rod by Redington. At a competitive price, you can get this rod set with good quality and performance.

This medium action rod is specifically made for freshwater fly fishing in large rivers or smaller streams. The lightweight construction allows for versatility while the large arbor design lets you retrieve quickly and easily.

At first glance, I immediately noticed the stylish appearance and trimmed details of the rod. It also has helpful alignment dots for easier setup. You can even easily switch from a left hand to a right hand retrieve and back.

It also has an anodized aluminum reel seat that makes it durable and suitable for most fly fishing applications. The strong disc drag system also gives you greater control and power over larger fish.

The rod comes complete with a Crosswater reel pre-spooled with quality RIO MainStream fly line and a RIO tapered leader. Included in the package is a rod sock made of black cotton while outfits come with a navy blue reel and rod case. Everything is backed by a 1-year company warranty.

What’s A 6wt Fly Rod?

We’ve been talking about fly rod weights since the beginning, but what does it really mean? Unlike what you might assume at first, this “6 weight” level does not refer to the weight of the rod itself.

Instead, this corresponds to the rod’s weight class or the specific weight rating of the fly line it was made to balance with.

Fly lines are classified by a weight system depending upon how much the working portion of the first 30 feet of the line weighs in units called grains. A grain is a unit of measure used for the portion of the line without the tips or tapers of a fly line.

Usually, however, what’s important is knowing these measures relative to another line or rod instead of knowing what they actually mean. So, a 6 weight rod means it is made to match a 6 weight fly line. This weight rating is the most important factor when choosing a rod for fly fishing.

Typically, rods with the same rating from different manufacturers perform differently from each other. Also, a fly rod with a faster action tends to fish more heavily than a rod of the same weight but with a slower action.

Although fly rod weight comes in a range of 1 to 12 scale, freshwater weight ratings only range from 2 to 10. To give you a better idea about each weight rating, a rod of 3wt can handle panfish and small trout while a 9wt rod is used for ocean and large saltwater fish or large bass.

For this reason, 5wt to 6wt rods which are more or less in the middle of the spectrum are the most popular. These can be used for both small fish and heavy, large game fish.

In this article specifically, 6wt rods are used because of the following reasons:

• It provides adequate power for heavier flies.
• It can be used for deep waters both in freshwater and saltwater.
• It can cast longer than a 5wt rod.
• It can handle most fly lines with a 6-weight rating or less, which is the most common kind you can find. 6wt rods can either be medium-action to fast action.

What to Look For The Top 6wt Fly Rod?

Aside from the rod weight, some of the other criteria I used in choosing the 6 weight fly rod. They are rod action, length, and material.

1. Action

​Action, when it comes to fly rods, refer to the flexibility or stiffness. One key consideration in choosing the right rod action is your skill level. To help you, here are the three categories of action and their characteristics:

Slow action rods are the most beginner-friendly and flexible. They are great for those who are just beginning to learn since their flexibility allows for better fly presentation. However, they are more difficult to control on the backcast, and their usability is limited.

Medium action rods fall between stiff and flexible. They offer longer, harder casts than slow action rods but allows better cast control than fast action rods.

Fast action rods allow for very little bending and are the stiffest of all types. This gives them the ability to perform better in providing more powerful casts over longer distances. However, using fast action rods require experience and skill so are often used by advanced anglers. The downside of fast action rods is that the casts can be too hard and might scare potential fish away.

2. Fly Rod Length

Generally, rods range from 7 feet to 10 feet long, but 9 feet rods are the most common. Longer rods give more power while casting and are ideal for high stick nymphing or for covering long distances.

However, longer rods can also get caught more easily in the brush, or branches and creeks. So, if you prefer hiking or trekking to remote tributaries but don’t need very long casts, choose a lightweight rod that’s 7 to 8 feet long.

For larger bodies of water with less brush and vegetation, 9- or 10-foot rods are your best bet.

Based on this, rods 8 to 9 feet long are the most versatile.

3. Fly Rod Material

Different materials are used for fly rods, but the most predominantly used are fiberglass, bamboo, and graphite.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass rods are durable, cheap, and beginner-friendly. However, graphite rods are gaining more popularity nowadays.

Bamboo

If fiberglass rods are ideal for beginners, bamboo rods are for those with experience. They are naturally slow-action rods that are heavy and require great care and maintenance.

They are generally considered the best looking regarding aesthetics due to their natural and rustic feel.

Graphite

The latest and most popular rods available today are made of graphite, such as those listed here. Graphite rods can be quite heavy or also very light. They are lighter than fiberglass rods and provide more accurate and longer casts.

Graphite rods are considered the most sensitive among the three, which is why they are preferred for easier spotting, hooking, and keeping a catch.

Conclusion

In choosing the best 6wt fly rod, it is important to consider factors like action, fly rod length, and material. Other features are just secondary to all of these and depend on your personal needs and preferences.

I personally chose the Fenwick HMG Fly Rods which are medium fast action rods that are user-friendly, accurate, and durable. The bundle is also relatively cheap, stylish-looking, comfortable to use, and is covered by 5-year warranty.