Over the past year, we have totally revamped our rod lineup. We know that we have some really nice rods that are a seriously good value. ...
Over the past year, we have totally revamped our rod lineup. We know that we have some really nice rods that are a seriously good value. We have our rods made at the industry-leading facilities, the same facilities that make many of the other fly rods on the market. We spent countless hours designing and testing these rods to make sure that we are providing a superior rod at an amazing price, and we think we have a great lineup.
All Big y Fly Co rods feature a lifetime warranty with no-hassle repairs. We have your back if something goes wrong with your rod. Here is our warranty info.
Big Y Natural
The Natural is the first rod that we produced with our new manufacturer. This is an easy-casting, medium (maybe close to medium/fast) action rod that packs a ton of power with really nice and accurate presentations. This is an all around fly rod that throws nymph rigs well, but really excels at presenting dry flies.
The 7'6" 3wt is my favorite of the bunch. I replaced a Redington Classic Trout with one this year and am very impressed at how much more reactive it is. It is light and accurate, and I have not had much trouble battling the wind. It packs a little punch when you push it. My favorite little creek rod.
The 8' 4wt is a really smooth casting rod that can accurately deliver flies at 40 feet. Again, very lightweight and really responsive. It has a soft mid-section that will allow you to be as delicate as possible while still having the power to get a fly to where it needs to be. A really nice rod for larger creeks or small rivers.
The 9' 5wt is the workhorse of the bunch as most 9' 5wts are. It has plenty of power behind it and will handle nymphing well, and does cast just fine with a heavier line like an MPX. While you can nymph and throw the occasional streamer, it really excels at casting dry flies with a lighter line like the other Naturals. It is a nice alternative to stiff broomstick rods that are prevalent in the industry.
Preferred Lines:
Scientific Anglers Mastery Trout
Scientific Anglers Mastery Double Taper
Big Y Olympia Switch Rods
We love steelhead fishing at Big Y Fly Co. There is a steelhead stream within a quick walk from the shop, and at least six more within a 40 minute drive, including some juggernauts; famous (or infamous) streams like the Deschutes, Sandy and Klickitat. That being said, we really wanted a line of switch rods that we could use here with confidence. The Olympia rods are just that.
The new Big Y Olympia rods are really snappy and crisp without being terribly stiff. Both the 7wt and the 8wt are on the lighter side of typical grain windows, as well as having thinner handles and thinner butt sections than most comparable rods. We wanted to keep the rod feeling light-in-hand while still having the power that you need to deliver larger flies.
The 11' 8wt Olympia is my go-to lately. It has a pile of reserve power to throw big rigs if needed, but the average winter steelhead rig is no problem. Its like firing freaking laser beams. It has plenty of bend in it too. A stiffer butt section allows this rod to have extra power without being too thick or clunky.
The 10'6" 7wt Olympia is the little switch rod that can. Being only 10'6", it is not too long to throw a nymph rig if needed, but it swings a fly just right. We wanted to be able to swing our little summer steelhead stream without having to bring a rod that is comically too long for our tiny stream. This one fits the picture nicely. Several locals have been using the Olympia 7106 to tight-line nymph for steelhead this year.
Preferred Lines
Rio Switch Chucker - get one line size lighter. This line is reaaaalllly heavy.
Big Y Standard Rods
The new Standard Rods replace the popular Nano series that we carried forever. The Nano was in need of an update. It was really smooth casting, like a freshly groomed ski slope. We really wanted to keep that same feel, and our manufacturing team delivered! Technology improvements have meant that the new rods have reduced weight, are more responsive and should be even more fun to cast. We made upgrades to the rods, but we also were able to cut about $40 from the price WITHOUT reducing any quality. While these are set at entry-level pricing, these rods perform well beyond their price tag. We have five models of the new standard rod to choose from.
Standard Nymph 3100
We designed this new nymph rod as a jack-of-all-trades. Some "nymph rods" are really noodly and do not throw typical fly lines very well. Mending with a noodle is hard. Other nymph rods are too stiff and they have a tendency to snap off light tippets. Our new Standard nymph rod should be a good balance in between stiff and noodly rods. It does throw an indicator rig pretty well for a 3wt, but it does a really fantastic job at tight line nymphing while protecting tippet. It can throw a dry fly in a pinch too. A couple of dozen big Deschutes River Redside trout will testify to the performance of this rod.
Standard 9'0" Models
Four models of 9'0" Standard Rods are available from a 4wt-7wt models. All of these models are a medium-fast action. We built these rods to be pretty much right in the middle of desired actions. Not too fast, not too slow, but right in that comfortable medium-fast area that is very popular. Nothing fancy about these rods, they are nice, easy to cast, have a comfortable action and a clean look.
These rods will take either a heavier "bump" line or a more traditional fly line. If you are still working on your casting skills, a heavier line like an MPX from Scientific Anglers is preferred. If your casting skills are solid, try a more traditionally weighted line like the Mastery Trout.
Preferred Lines:
Scientific Anglers Mastery MPX
Big Y Boss Rods
Another upgrade for 2021! The old Boss Rods were great. They were a really powerful, easy-casting rod and they were made down the road here in Washington State, USA. We have a good news/bad news situation about those. We wanted to update the Boss Rod, and spent the better part of a year trying to work something out with our US manufacturer, but we they were not able to move forward with the newer technology that we were looking for, so we moved it over to our Korean facility, and they did a fantastic job with it.
These rods are faster than the Standard or the Natural, and they have some nicer components as well as an upgraded technology platform. The upgrade over the older model is more than noticeable putting the two up to each other. The newer rods have a much smaller butt diameter, they are much lighter, faster, more responsive and they look better.
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| First catch on the new Boss! |
The freshwater models have a rosewood seat, but the saltwater models have an anodized aluminum seat to help with saltwater exposure. All of these rods feature top-end guides, multi-modulus graphite, the latest and greatest technologies, and a really sleek look. The 5wt and 6wt rods are a nice graphite with gold color, while the saltwater models are blue. The best part is that these rods cast as well as anything that we have put them up against. This is an amazing rod that costs less than half of what it would if there was a different name on it.
Preferred Lines:
Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX
We really hope that you can try out one of our Big Y fly rods. Whether you are looking for an entry-level rod to learn with, looking for a backup rod, or looking for that new top-dog in your arsenal, we have a rod or two that will fit your budget and angling style.
