I read an article recently extolling the virtues of longer rods for nymphing. While it wasn’t strictly czech nymphing they were talking about, that and other methods where you’re high sticking and leading the nymphs through the intended lie were clearly the types of nymphing these “new” rods were most intended for. Sounds like they’re typically 10 to 11 feet long and 3 or 4 weight on average. I guess my question is, for those that have used them, do these rods make the kind of difference in your nymphing that justifies buying and using one in place of a more typical 9’ rod? And to take it a step further, are they so “specialized” that it makes it awkward to fish dries or streamers when the opportunity presents itself in a day of fly fishing? Much as I wish I was fishing more pocket water or more heavily featured water, I spend a good deal of my time on a tailwater patterning relatively featureless and deep water, sometimes at distances that make high sticking an impractical choice. As a result, it’s typically dead drift nymphing under an indicator. While a longer rod might offer some benefit it terms of mending in those circumstances, it’s hard for me to imagine that being so great as to justify investment in another rod for that benefit alone. The other thing that’s important to me is being able to have the flexibility to switch up as the opportunities present themselves, with minimal drop off in functionality. If I’m lucky enough that a hatch comes off, I like being able to switch over to dries without having to walk up to the bank and grab another rod. Likewise if circumstances call for streamer fishing. With most of the 9’ rigs I fish with, I can comfortably switch to heavier flies or even second spools that I keep with sink tip lines. Much as I like to joke that there’s always room for another gear purchase, for me to justify the expenditure, I’d have to feel like such a rod would make an appreciable difference in nymphing the kind of water I’m stuck with most of the time AND wouldn’t leave me feeling like I was stuck with a very narrow purpose rod when the opportunity came up to fish some other way. Any thoughts?
OK, make that a 10 - 11’ rod! (Rather than 10-11" - couldn’t edit the title for some reason)
I had an 11’ switch rod, and now have a 12’ Tenkara, and each has its special uses. The Tenkara is great for reaching across conflicting currents on small streams, and the switch rod was super good mending, but was just not my cup of tea for normal fishing. I think if I were a better roll caster I would have enjoyed the switch rod for more different kind of fishing.
John,
Longer rods make all the difference in the world. Personally, I use two rods that are 11 feet long. Many who buy nymphing rods buy 10 footers. Both work better than 9 footers with the advantage going to the 11 foot. Also, I use 6 weight rods to be able to cast the line farther and handle the larger fish on many western rivers. What advantage? Well, for instance when making your cast you can toss in a large reach cast upstream then as soon as the line strike indicator hits the water you can do a quick wrist flip and toss in a great upstream mend. To do the same with a 9 footer, which I have upon occasion, requires a ton of arm movement to try to achieve the same results. The longer reach cast and bigger mend give you a longer drag free drift when nymphing with strike indicators.
Also, line pickup is much easier since you have an extra 1 or 2 feet of leverage. I let the line go straight down from me and let the fly rise up the the surface, just in case a trout is looking for an emerger, then I strip in just a little line and can make my pick up and with one change of direction cast I am back in the water upstream for another drift.
The longer rods act as great shock absorbers when fighting fish, far more than a shorter rod so you don’t have to feed line out nearly as often.
If you know someone who has a 10 or 11 foot rod ask if you can take it out for a date, I mean a day 
and give it a try. There is a very short ‘learning curve’ with longer rods. Spend a day with it before you decide.
Don’t get me wrong, I fish with many 9 foot rods and all the way down to 7 bamboo rods, but for nymphing, the 10 or 11 footer is great.
Larry —sagefisher—
I bought one in a 4 weight, tried it a couple of times, then donated it to a charity auction. The guy who bought it says he really likes it. But I didn’t like the way it worked when tossing the line back upstream after a drift. It was just too limp for me.
I suspect I should have bought a faster rod in that length. I liked the reach for nymphing.
John, your question requires many answers. First 10-11’ rods are used almost specifically for euro techniques, especially in the light line catagory. Lighter lines in these rod lenghts allow the use of lighter tippett ranges, sometimes down to 6-7x. You can still fish indicators and multiple fly rigs but 9’ heavier rated line sizes actually handle that set up much easier. The question of different stratagies during the day and multiple applications is also my problem. Many people either choose to euro fish speciffically or carry two rods. I usually do the two rod thing, but admittedly not very often. I should add that the extra lenght does add to better and more controlled drifts.
Gene
I use a 10 ft GLoomis GLX classic exclusively on the Madison River and Hebgen Lake.
The 10 ft length makes a great deal of difference in reaching out further both for standard indicator nymphing and tight line nymphing. IT is not only distance and mending. The extra length helps to avoid the brush and high grass behind me.
Think of it this way. That extra foot of reach is like having arms that are 1 foot longer. Would that be an advantage in your fishing? If the answer is no, then you don’t need a 10 foot rod. The only thing you give up is some casting accuracy for dry flies. Otherwise, my 10 ft GLX is better in every way on big water.
One year I broke the tip section while in Montana. I missed the 10 footer so much I bought a new GLX just as a back up. That is how much I missed having that fly rod. Now I take both rods with me.
I have a number of 10’ rods and started using them back in the mid 1980’s when Scott made a 10’, 5wt. G series for me. I, because of location, wind and big water, prefer 5wts.-7wts., in the longer rod configurations. I use them for nymphing, streamers and on occasion, dries. They are GREAT for drift boats!
It makes it a lot easier to get the bugs across the white water to where Mr. Brown lies…on the East Walker River…Loomis 10’, 5wt. Streamdance
Or, on this water…
to fish directly upstream or over on the right, in the faster water…
Me and my son, both using 10 footers…line control and distance…can’t beat 'em…
PT/TB 
LOOOOVE my 10’ 6" rod for float tubing. The extra keeps the backcast off the water.
I’ve owned three 9’6" rods, and of those, one I liked and the others I did not. For me, any advantage given by the extra length is offset by the extra weight I have to move around all day. I don’t need to cast a mile and I can control line just fine with a shorter rod. I stick wtih 8-9 foot rods any more. Just my opinion.
I fish my favorite small stream…and lakes out of a boat wtih my old 11’ 6wt rod. I can fish any fly with it. It is an old Cabelas Float Tuber rod. Only one I have ever seen. But I like it. All the above delicate and or precise info aside…and it is all good info…without going into all of that mending and stuff. I just fish it. And I like it.
From 11-12’ away I can creep up on my stream and drop a fly in before exposing my body to the fish. Meaning not spooking them. I can mend, cast up stream, dead drift, dapple…etc. And I can cast a bass popper with it if I want to…
just fyi since you are pondering rod lengths…
BTW…you can fish good with any rod…as long as it is the ONLY rod you ever use. You will get very very good with it in one season…you don’t go out and golf with a different set of rental clubs every time and expect to get good…when you are changing clubs all the time. One rod is all you really need in my opinion.