In this post we give you our top picks for the best fiberglass fly rods currently available. We included the best (and worst features) in our fly rod reviews and where to purchase them. Read on to know more.
Fiberglass fly rods have made a comeback over recent years with more and more fishermen discovering the unique qualities they offer over graphite rods. Yes, graphite rods have their advantages but once you fish a fiberglass stick you will understand why they are gaining popularity.
| Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Best OverallEagle Claw Featherlight Fly |
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| Best Entry Point RodMoonshine Rod Co. The Revival Series |
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| Best DesignRedington Butter Stick Fly Rod |
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| Most DurableEcho Bad Ass Glass (BAG) |
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| Best PremiumEpic 580 FastGlass Fly Rod |
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| Most VersatileOrvis Superfine Glass |
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Detailed Best Fiberglass Fly Rods Review
Below we will run through what we think are the best fiberglass rods available for fly fishing. Whether you want to cast delicate dry flies or want to fish with a modern take of a glass rod from years ago, the below list should have you covered.
Eagle Claw Featherlight Fly
Eagle Claw Featherlight Specs:
| Line Weight: 5 – 6 | Length: 8ft |
| Action: Fast | Handle: Full Wells |
| Rod Weight: 4.5oz | Rod Tube: – |
| Color: Yellow | Sections: 4 |
| Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty for Trailmaster Rods Only | Country Of Manufacture: USA |
Overall Score
Key Features:
- 2 Piece blank
- Traditional cork style
- Aluminum-oxide guides
- Aluminum Reel Seat with added Cherry wood
A proudly American brand that has been making fishing equipment for over 90 years. Their Featherlite fly rod series rods have huge popularity amongst traditional fly fisherman.
The added graphite gives it a fast action which provides a quicker response time, the ultimate in-hand feel, durability, and forgiveness.
Available in 3/4, 5/6, and 6/7 weights they cater to all freshwater fishing. The 6/7 wt makes for a great bass rod and at $30 for the rod, we can’t really complain about anything.
Eagle Claw really does put the fun into fly fishing and at their prices, you can’t go wrong.
Moonshine Rod Co. The Revival Series
Moonshine Revival Specs:
| Line Weight: 3 – 5 | Length: 7 – 8ft |
| Action: Fast | Handle: Multi Burl Cork Grip |
| Rod Weight: | Rod Tube: – |
| Color: Vintage Orange | Sections: 4 |
| Warranty: No Fault, Lifetime Warranty to the Original Owner with Proof of Purchase | Country Of Manufacture: USA |
Overall Score
Key Features:
- Lifetime warranty
- Extra tip section and hard rod case for protection
- Burnt orange and tan blank with copper thread wraps
- Spalted Burl reel seats
- Copper anodized guides
The Moonshine rods‘ Revival Series is a great entry point rod for a fly fisherman that wants to give fishing with a glass rod a try. It boasts a ‘Full Flex’ action which is the main attraction of these fly rods, they bend like your grandfather’s bamboo fly rod. This is a sure sign of a quality fiberglass fly rod.
The revival series fiberglass rod comes in two weights, 3 weight one of the best small stream fly rods and creeks and a 5 weight rod for larger trout waters. The 5 weight which is 8 feet in length has become a very popular choice and is a great classic style trout fly rod.
The lightness of this revival series fly rod is also worth mentioning as with most glass they can be on the heavy side but the revival series rod weighs 138g. The price of the Revival series glass rods is $229.
If you’re still looking for a 3wt fly rod, you can see our recommendations for 3 weight fly rod reviews here.
Redington Butter Stick Fly Rod
Redington Butter Stick Specs:
| Line Weight: 3 – 5 | Length: 7 – 8ft |
| Action: Medium-Fast | Handle: Half Wells |
| Rod Weight: 2.8 – 3.4oz | Rod Tube: – |
| Color: Red | Sections: 4 |
| Warranty: Lifetime Warranty | Country Of Manufacture: USA |
Overall Score
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Key Features:
- Traditional Glass rod taper
- 1-5wt have standard cork handle with slide rings
- 6-8wt have anodized aluminum reel seat and additional fighting butt
- Protective rod tube
- Lifetime warranty
With the fast pace of modern life we sometimes just need a reminder to slow it down, the Redington butter stick does just this.
With its T- Glass construction and heritage taper it gives a beautiful slow action that will make for a great day’s fishing. The slow action allows anglers to very delicately present a dry fly even in the tightest areas.
Available in weights 1 up to an 8 weight the Butter Stick series caters to all conditions. The 1 wt being just over 5 feet long it is a great small stream rod for anglers targeting those natural trout.
Retailing for $249 it has retro features and looks and will make you will feel like a kid from the past.
Check out our post here for a full review of the Butterstick.
Echo Bad Ass Glass (BAG)
Echo BAG Specs:
| Line Weight: 5 – 10 | Length: 8ft |
| Action: Fast | Handle: Full Wells w/Fighting Butt |
| Rod Weight: 4.4 – 5.8oz | Rod Tube: Unique Fiberglass Tube |
| Color: Blue | Sections: 4 |
| Warranty: Echo Fly Rod Lifetime Warranty | Country Of Manufacture: USA |
Overall Score
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Key Features:
- 4 piece sky blue blank available in 8-12 weight
- Low friction stripper guide, all guides are stainless steel
- A maintenance-free aluminum reel seat
- protective rod tube
- Lifetime warranty
Released in 2017, the Bad Ass Glass fly rod was built for the fly fisherman who wants to tackle the last fiberglass frontier: big fish on big water!
There is nothing small about this fishing rod available from an 8-12 weight it can be used for stalking bonefish on the flats or targeting massive tarpon in the keys.
The Bad Ass Glass is a faster action rod than most other glass rods. This is because you will generally be fishing heavier flies and line for big fish, and a stiffer rod (faster action rod) is needed to turn those flies over and fight those big fish.
Retailing at $289 it is a great price for a rod of this caliber.
Fenwicks Fenglass Fiberglass Fly Rod
Fenwick Fenglass Specs:
| Line Weight: 3 – 8 | Length: 6 – 8ft |
| Action: Medium | Handle: Full cork |
| Rod Weight: 2.1 – 4.1oz | Rod Tube: Rod Tube and Bag |
| Color: Orange / Brown | Sections: 4 |
| Warranty: Manufacturer Warranty | Country Of Manufacture: USA |
Overall Score
Key Features:
- Unidirectional S2 glass construction
- Superior response in all casting phases
- Medium action, 4 piece blank
- Quality cork handle
- limited lifetime warranty
The Fenwicks Fenglass isn’t the latest glass rod out on the market, in fact, the Fenglass has been around for a while. Most rods that have been around for years tend to become remnants of the past and get forgotten about. Not the Fenglass.
The Fenglass is still a firm favorite amongst fiberglass fisherman. With its medium action and decent accuracy, it’s about as smooth as a glass rod gets and has been used in numerous casting competitions.
With six available options, from a small 6’6″ 3 weight to an 8’3″ 8 weight, priced from $199 up to $249 there is a rod for everyone.
Epic 580 FastGlass Fly Rod
Epic 580 Specs:
| Line Weight: – | Length: 7 – 8ft |
| Action: Medium-Fast | Handle: Western / Slimm Wells |
| Rod Weight: – | Rod Tube: Epic Tube |
| Color: Olive / Amber | Sections: 4 |
| Warranty: Lifetime Warranty | Country Of Manufacture: New Zealand |
Overall Score
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Key Features:
- Graphene fly rod blank
- Stunning FLOR grade cork grip
- Premium quality stripping guide
- Corrosion proof Ion-plated snake guides
- Stealthy and chip-resistant SnakeBelly Finish
The Epic FastGlass fly rod is about as good as it gets when it comes to modern-day fiberglass fly fishing rods. The Epic 580 ticks all the right boxes.
The new S2 Zentron composite fiberglass has unidirectional materials which make tighter, more precise, and stronger fly rods.
With these fly rods, you can comfortably fish a delicate dry, high stick nymph rig or throw a big streamer if needed.
The 5 weight is the most popular rod they also make a 3 weight 7′, 4 weight 7’6, and a 6 weight 8’6. A rod made with this quality and performance ability is not going to be cheap but it will be with you for a lifetime.
The rod retails for $795, what is a very cool add-on by Epic is if you are wanting to build your own, they provide a very comprehensive kit at half the price.
You probably won’t find these rods in the local fly shop but you can get them on the Epic website. Epic has a range of other fly fishing gear so do check them out.
Orvis Superfine Glass
Orvis Superfine Glass Specs:
| Line Weight: 2 – 8 | Length: 6 – 8ft |
| Action: Medium-Fast | Handle: – |
| Rod Weight: – | Rod Tube: Nylon-Covered tube |
| Color: Green | Sections: 3 |
| Warranty: 25-Year Guarantee | Country Of Manufacture: USA |
Overall Score
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Specs:
- Versatile fiberglass design
- Weights 2 up to 8
- Aluminum rod tube
- 25-year warranty
Voted best fiberglass rod by Fly Fisherman magazine, Orvis isn’t messing around with the Superfine Glass series.
Representing a new standard in fiberglass fly rods they offer the classic bend the glass rods are known for with the accuracy and feel of a more modern rod.
Built-in the USA and cost $449 no details were spared in the making of this soon–to–be classic.
Ideal for trout streams you could also have great fun targeting bass with it as well.
The medium-fast action has a softness in the tip that allows you to present a delicate dry fly and use a lighter tippet whilst having enough strength to fight bigger fish.
Available in weights 2 to 8, a beginner angler to guide is covered, regardless of the water scenario.
You can take a look at our in depth Orvis Superfine Glass review here.
Why a fiberglass fly rod
Fiberglass fly rods have always been seen as old school or specialist fly rods with carbon and graphite taking the world by storm the old heavy glass rod got neglected. But with modern designs and manufacturing techniques, there are some amazing lightweight fiberglass rods being made.
What does a fiberglass rod give me?
Firstly is its action, fiberglass rods are much slower than fast-action graphite rods. When you cast with them you can feel the fly rod bend from the mid to lower base of the blank giving it a very flexible feel.
The soft bend gives the caster a great ‘feel’ and allows for very subtle presentations which are ideal for dry fly enthusiasts. There is nothing quite like catching a trout on a dry fly rig with a fiberglass rod.
In recent years fishermen have been pushing glass rods to their limits by targeting saltwater species like bonefish and redfish.
Fiberglass rod history
A brief look back at the history books shows that fiberglass fly rods came onto the scene in the 1940s, replacing bamboo fly rods. The glass fly rods were lighter, ‘whippier’ than their wooden counterparts and quickly became popular. Up until the 1970s, they were the main type of rod anglers fished with.
The carbon and graphite fly rods took over and have been evolving ever since. The recent resurrection of the fiberglass fly rods has forced fly rod companies to redesign and relook at the rods of yesteryear and improve them. These guys have done a great job and below is a list of what we think are the best fiberglass fly rods available for fly fishing today.
Conclusion
One could say that these rods are too pricey for what they offer but regardless of what people say, Glass is here to stay so best you give one a go.
My personal choice would be the Epic 580 FastGlass with the Moonshine Revival series and Orvis Superfine Glass coming in as close second and third choices.
The smoothness, whippiness, and versatility of the Epic are what I like about it and if I wanted to attempt to build my own rod, the Epic kit would be great as well.
