I was thinking about lengths of fly rods for casting from a sitting position in a canoe. I have 9-foot rods. However, both Echo and Orvis are recommending 10-footers to keep the backcast off the water (see, for example, the descriptions for Echo's Lago and Orvis' 10-foot Clearwater).

Thoughts? Experiences?

I always used a. 9' 8wt until a couple of years ago I found a 2 handed 10', 8wt on clearance in Cabelas. I forget the model, but it is a Cabelas "brand".....I think I paid $60.00 for it. Being an 8 wt, it is light enough to cast one handed or if your arm is getting tired use both hands or even cast spey style if you have the room. It's amazing what difference the added 1' will make on your back cast.....especially as the day wears on and your casting arm/shoulder starts getting tired......

Mike

Thanks for sharing your experience, Mike. I appreciate it.

I have rods from 7 ft up to a 14 ft Two Handed Spey type.
I have 10 ft 5wt. that I built on a G.Loomis blank for Trout.
The idea was to have a longer length to aid in tight line nymphing.
It did serve the purpose well for that use, however that leverage of
the 10 ft. length sure added to the arm and shoulder stress during
a day of fishing. Even though it was a very light rod.
Another thing to think about is if you are in a canoe how will you
go about landing a fish of any size from a rod that long.
Will you use a landing net with a 5 ft. handle ?
I only use the long rods for wade fishing.
I like an 8 or 8 1/2 footer for use out of the canoe. You can always
paddle a little closer if you can't keep your backcast up.
Larry S

I've been tempted, but the price hasn't been right. My last purchase came down to choosing between a redington vice 9'6" 6wt and an Echo ion XL 10' 6wt. I went with the redington because it was on sale for about $60 off. I can definitely cast it farther than a 8' or 9' 6wt in general and from a canoe (granted, my other 6wts are a daiwa Apollo which is probably the slowest graphite rod ever made and a st croix pro graphite which is pretty moderate). Then I clousered the tip and redington's repair department is closed until march.

I would not do it. The extra length makes it difficult to land fish and more difficult to store when paddling. It is also quite fatiguing on the arm. Better to spend time improving casting technique. Wind and canoe control are much bigger obstacles than the back cast hitting the water. On the other hand, beefing up the rod helps some. I use a 9-ft 8-wt rod. Also, using a fat tapered head like Rio Outbound line or similar helps reduce the amount of false casting.