Fly fishing gear by the numbers
Jerry Smalley | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 14 years, 6 months AGO
What fly rod should I buy? That's one of the most common questions I hear in my casting classes.
With a plethora of brands, models, lengths, weights, flexes, composites and colors of fly rods, there's certainly no easy answer and certainly no "one-size-fits-all." No doubt the "what to buy" question is asked to guides and instructors of all types of fishing activities.
Southwick Associates, based in Florida, monitors the buying habits of anglers. The following list, compiled from more than 31,000 Internet-based surveys, shows brands and products anglers purchased most frequently in 2010:
Top rod brand: Shakespeare (12 percent of all purchases)
Top reel brand: Shimano (19.4)
Top rod and reel combo brand: Shakespeare (23.6)
Top fishing line producer: Berkley (12.8)
Top hard bait brand: Rapala (25.7)
Top soft bait brand: Zoom (13.3)
Top spinner bait brand: Strike King (16.7)
Top hook brand: Eagle Claw/Lazer Sharp (28)
Top sinker brand: generic (29.7) and Water Gremlin (12)
Top fly rod brand: L.L. Bean (25.6)
Most fly rods purchased: Temple Fork Outfitters (15.4)
Top fly reels brand: Orvis (17.5)
Top fly line brand: Rio (31.2)
Top fly leader brand: Rio (31.2)
Top fly tying material brand: Wapsi (14)
Top fish finder or sonar brand: Humminbird (34.7)
Top tackle box brand: Plano (45.5)
Top landing net brand: Frabill (33.4)
Top fishing knife brand: Rapala (22.4)
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