Are you qualified to judge a fly rod? | Hatch Magazine
January 31, 2026 
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In the grand scheme of things, fly fishing really isn’t all that important. We’re not curing cancer, or ending world hunger, or housing the homeless. That said, our fishing is indeed valuable to us on an individual level. It makes us smile, helps us relax and gives us the perfect excuse to spend more time in nature. And since that’s the case, there are very few of us who would want to waste our hard-earned dollars, or diminish our time on the water, by using mediocre or poorly-designed fly rods.
Which raises a couple of simple questions. How, as anglers, can we tell if we’re good enough casters to tell a nice fly rod from a poor one? Is there a way for us to know for sure? Because if not, then we have to rely on a manufacturer’s marketing info, or on another angler’s subjective opinions. Those options are, of course, inherently risky.
At the School of Trout, we’ve developed a short test to determine if someone has the basic understanding of fly casting necessary to judge either the fly rods they already own or the rods they may hope to purchase in the future. And you, as a Hatch Magazine reader, can use this same simple test to see whether you are qualified to judge any particular fly rod that you might want to fish with down the road.
So grab your favorite rod, snag a target — a hat, or a frisbee, or a coffee mug — and head for a wide-open lawn with relatively few obstructions and no safety hazards. We’ll figure this out together. (You’ll want a WF or DT floating line on your reel, plus a new 9’ 3x leader and a small piece of colored yarn instead of a fly.)
#1 — Can you make a straight line cast?
The first criteria for our test is simple. Can you make an effective straight line cast that drives the fly to your target? It shouldn’t matter if your target is 22’ away or 52’ away. If you can make casts that unroll smoothly in a straight line, without curves or fluctuations, and if your casts consistently put your fly on (or right next to) your target, you’ve passed this portion of the test. Keep in mind, though, that the fly has to drive to the target. It can’t flutter or helicopter down, or curve in. And you need to be able to do this at normal fishing distances, from 20’ to 45’.
#2 — Can you vary the shape of your loop on demand?
Anyone hoping to judge fly rods should be able to change the shape of their casting loop. What does that mean? Well, your default loop should be a narrow U or V, without any evidence of a tailing loop. However, you should also be able to open up your loop a little (or a lot) by adjusting your casting stroke. Is that something you can do whenever you choose?
#3 — Can you false cast?
Most of us realize that false casting allows us to lengthen or shorten our line, or to change the direction of our cast. For this test, you’ll need to throw a forward cast that turns over just above your target and a back cast that unrolls higher in the back. Our false casts should be smooth and under control, and we should be able to keep from 10’ to 30’ of line in the air as we cast. If you can false cast various lengths of line, and if you can keep your line under control while it’s in the air, then you’ve aced this part of the test.
#4 — Can you control your turnover point?
When we false cast, there are times we’ll want our fly to turn over just above the water’s surface as we transition from a forward cast to a back cast. There are other times when we want a higher turnover point. You need to be able to adjust your casting stroke so that, regardless of how much line is off your rod tip, the fly is turning over exactly where you want both in front of you and behind you. Can you do that? If so, congratulations!
#5 — Can you change the vertical angle of your cast when necessary?
A solid caster should always be able to vary the vertical angle of his or her cast. There are times when we may want the entirety of our casting stroke to be perpendicular to the water. There are other times when having a stroke that’s parallel to the water is advantageous. And we should be able to cast at any angle in between — and on either side of our body. If you can change the angle of your casting stroke and still maintain your accuracy and loop control, you’ve met this particular criteria. If you can’t, then you still have some work to do before your ready to judge the quality of a fly rod.
#6 — Can you make accurate reach & pile casts?
Warm water anglers and salt water anglers can typically get away with straight line casts. Fly fishers who focus on trout, though, need to have presentation casts in their arsenal. Our next questions are simple. Can you make an accurate reach cast that unrolls smoothly and drives the fly to the target? And can you make an accurate pile cast that falls softly to the water and creates just the right amount of slack for a perfect drift? Try both these casts out on the grass. If you can execute them properly, at a variety of distances from 20’ to 40’, you’re doing great.
#7 — Can you cast in the wind?
Maybe it just seems like the world is getting windier, or maybe it really is blowing harder and more frequently. Either way, you need to be able to meet all six of the criteria above in a moderate wind. If you can do so, you’re all set. If not, you’ll want to put in a little more practice time on windy days.
So that’s it. You’ve just asked yourself seven simple questions and your performance on the grass (or on the water) will provide the answers you need.
If you’ve fallen short in one or more areas, please don’t get down on yourself. Now you know where you stand and where you need to focus your attention in the future.
And if you passed all seven parts of the School of Trout fly casting test with flying colors … congratulations! You possess the requisite skills to judge any fly rod you’re likely to run across.
Oh, and there’s one final thing I wanted to mention. You’ll notice that we didn’t have you setting up targets at specific distances, or casting through hoops, or trying to throw an entire fly line to prove your expertise. I should mention that you’re always welcome to add whatever additional obstacles you feel are important. You can test yourself on roll casts, or the double haul, or extreme distance. That’s completely up to you. But if you managed to demonstrate your proficiency with regard to the areas we detailed up above, you do indeed possess the necessary skills to accurately judge a fly rod, which will not only save you money down the road, but will place you squarely in the upper echelon of American fly casters.