The short answer
Trout & Salmon called the Greys Lance “a lot of rod for the money and an excellent entry-level choice” after testing the 9ft 5wt; the Echo Carbon XL is a moderate 9-foot 5-weight with an independent review of that exact rod; and Snowbee pitches the Snowbee Spectre Pro 9ft #5 as “the perfect small river or brook rod”.
Our verdict
Top Picks for 5 Weight Fly Rods
Trout & Salmon magazine opened its 2024 group test of thirteen 9ft five-weights by calling the 9ft five-weight “the best-selling fly-rod in the world” and “the Swiss Army knife of fly rods” (Trout & Salmon). Many of the pages that rank for this search are fly shops reviewing rods they sell. This guide compares eight 5-weights stocked on Amazon at the time of writing, each linked at the exact length and piece count its review describes.
Related guide: Weight Forward Fly Lines: 9 Picks Compared
Related guide: Best Crappie Rods for Jigging: 8 Picks Compared
The eight come from six makers: six 9-foot rods from entry level to a premium moderate-fast upgrade, one 10-foot rod for nymphing and line control, and one 8-foot fiberglass rod for small water. Every review says what kind of evidence sits behind it: an independent test, a fly shop that sells the rod, owner reports or maker specs only. If you are still deciding on line weight, our fly rod size guide covers which weight suits which fish, and our hub of fly rods from 5 wt to 8 wt compares across weights.
Rod finder
Find a 5 weight for how you fish
Pick what you fish for and what you want to spend. The suggestion is our editorial starting point, drawn from the eight rods below, not a test result.
Price tiers in this guide are relative: $ = entry level, $$ = mid-range, $$$ = premium, relative to the products in this guide; the live price and seller are in the product table and review boxes.
Compare the picks
Compare the 8 Five-Weight Fly Rods
Each row is the exact rod the link opens. Action and blank are written as each maker words them; “not published” means the maker’s pages we read do not give it. Warranty cells give each maker’s own wording and are not a ranking of one policy against another: read the maker’s page before you buy.
Greys Lance 9' 5 wtMedium-Fast All-RounderTrout, tailwaters, dry flies9 ft 5 wtMedium fast$259.95 Prime
Evidence: Trout & Salmon group test, this exact model
Echo Carbon XL 590-4Moderate 9 ft Trout RodTrout, dries and nymphs, lakes9 ft 5 wtModerate$289.99
Evidence: Man Makes Fire, this exact model
Douglas ERA 9' 5 wtFast-Action Entry RodTrout, beginners, backup rod9 ft 5 wtFast
Evidence: maker-hosted customer reviews of the ERA 9' 5wt; not independent
Snowbee Spectre Pro #5Small-River 9 ft RodSmall rivers, stillwater, trout9 ft 5 wtMiddle-to-tip$214.28
Evidence: Trout & Salmon group test, this exact model
TFO Pro III 9' 5 wtLearner's Moderate RodBeginners, trout9 ft 5 wtModerate$229.95
Evidence: Outdoor Life, 9' 6 wt; same series, not this 9'0" 5 wt 4-piece (TF 05 90 4 P3)
Douglas DXF Gen2 5904Moderate-Fast UpgradeTrout, nymphs, dries9 ft 5 wtModerate fast$549.00
Evidence: Yellowstone Angler (a retailer), 9' 5 wt DXF Gen 2; not independent
Redington Vice 5100-410 ft Line-Control RodTrout, nymphing, wind10 ft 5 wtFast$199.99
Evidence: maker-hosted customer review of the 8'6" 5 wt (586-4), not this 10 ft
Butter Stick v3 580-48 ft Fiberglass RodSmall streams, panfish, bass ponds8 ft 5 wtClassic medium$329.99
Evidence: Hatch Magazine, previous generation
How the Eight 5 Weights Were Chosen and Graded
How this guide was built
built from manufacturer documentation, published third-party reviews and owner reports; we have not tested these products ourselves. Prices change, so the live price and seller sit in the product table and review boxes, not in the text.
What a rod had to meet
- A 5-weight rod sold on its own (no combo kits), with the line weight and length named in the Amazon listing’s title, and only one rod at that weight and length in that model’s current line-up on the maker’s page, so the link opens the rod the review describes. Four titles (Greys, TFO, Redington Vice and Butter Stick) also give the piece count; for the Echo and both Douglas rods the piece count is from the maker’s page, and for the Snowbee from Trout & Salmon.
- A current maker page for that model, the source of the length, action and warranty here (where the maker states a warranty). Rod weights are the maker’s where published; the Echo’s 3.5 oz is from Man Makes Fire.
- In stock and new on Amazon at the time of writing, with the seller named in the review when it is not Amazon.com or the maker.
- Six makers, each pick with a stated role and a trade-off against the closest pick.
Who tested what, and who sells what and what the r/flyfishing posters said
Who tested what, and who sells what
Among our sources, one is an independent group test of this weight and length: Trout & Salmon, a UK magazine, where editor Andrew Flitcroft and tester Don Stazicker cast thirteen 9ft five-weights, the Greys Lance and the Snowbee Spectre Pro among them. Man Makes Fire reviewed the 9-foot 5-weight Echo Carbon XL on its own. Outdoor Life and Hatch Magazine tested other weights or an earlier version of two picks, and the reviews say which.
Two of the ranking pages for this search are fly shops. Yellowstone Angler’s 2024 5-weight shootout is a detailed side-by-side cast, but the shop says that “this year we were only including rods that we sell”, so its notes are graded as a retailer’s. Trident Fly Fishing also sells the rods it reviews. Maker pages are the makers’ own claims, and the customer reviews hosted on them are labelled as such.
What the r/flyfishing posters said
The r/flyfishing thread that ranks for this search is one angler asking for a 5 wt with a mid-sized budget. The top reply questions the purchase: “If you already have a 4wt and a 6wt, I’d follow the rule of 2’s and seriously consider whether you really need a 5wt as well.” One poster writes, “I didn’t love the carbon xl, I found it kinda lacked some backbone,” without saying which weight. Another names the Redington Vice and Wrangler as “two other great casting rods I’ve fished”. A third argues that most budget rods “will cast within a few inches” of rods three times their price, and points to how each maker handles broken rods as worth weighing. These are individual posters, not owners we could confirm, and none names a pick’s exact length.
Detailed Reviews: 8 Five-Weight Fly Rods
Greys Lance, Medium-Fast All-Rounder
Anglers buying a first 9-foot 5-weight for trout at short and medium range, who are fine with a slim grip.
$259.95 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 09:39 UTCVerdict
The 9ft 5wt that Trout & Salmon’s testers called “a lot of rod for the money and an excellent entry-level choice”, sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing.
Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Trout & Salmon group test: 9ft 5wt 4pc.
Trout & Salmon tested the 9ft, 5wt, 4pc Lance and wrote: “The Lance was a crisp rod, stable and accurate at close and medium range. It struggled a little at distance and with long roll casts but was powerful enough to cope with a downstream wind yet gentle enough to feel like a true five-weight.” The same entry adds, “While there were better all-rounders in the test, the Lance is a lot of rod for the money and an excellent entry-level choice.”
Yellowstone Angler, a fly shop that sells it, named the Lance its “Best Inexpensive Tailwater 5-Weight” and agrees on range: “It cast especially well at the shorter distances and only out long did it suffer.” Its caveats sit beside the praise: “The Lance does have a very thin cork grip,” which the shop says is “likely to be too skinny for most anglers”, and on streamers it “didn’t have the backbone to cast an articulated #2 Dungeon.” The shop also notes that “Grey’s is an inexpensive offshoot of Hardy, and the rods are made in Korea.”
Related guide: Fly Rods for Streamers: 8 Picks Compared
Greys lists the GROLAN905 as 9 feet, medium fast, with 11 guides, on an intermediate modulus 4-piece carbon blank with an AAA cork handle and an all-alloy anodised reel seat. Greys does not publish a rod weight, and the Greys pages we read state no rod warranty. Two fly shops print a lower price for this rod than Amazon showed at the time of writing, so compare the live price before you buy.
Specs: Greys Lance, 9′ 5 wt, 4-piece (GROLAN905)
Pros
- Independently tested in this exact 9ft 5wt, accurate at close and medium range per Trout & Salmon
- Recommended by two fly shops that sell it: as a first rod or backup (Trident) and for tailwaters (Yellowstone Angler)
- Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing
Cons
- Thin cork grip that Yellowstone Angler calls “likely to be too skinny for most anglers”
- Struggles at distance and with long roll casts, per both tests
- Amazon’s price was above the price two fly shops print for this rod at the time of writing
Who should buy it
Anglers buying a first 9-foot 5-weight for trout at short and medium range, who are fine with a slim grip.
- Linked variant: 9′, 5 wt, 4-piece (GROLAN905)
- Action: Medium fast (Greys)
- Blank: Intermediate modulus carbon (Greys)
- Handle and seat: AAA cork, all-alloy anodised reel seat with dual locking nuts (Greys)
- Guides: 11; single-foot snake guides, lined stripper guides (Greys)
- Rod weight: not published
- Warranty: not stated on the Greys pages we read
- Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)
Echo Carbon XL, Moderate 9 ft Trout Rod
9'0" 5 wt 4-piece (590-4) · Moderate
Trout anglers who want a moderate 9-foot 5-weight for dries and nymphs, with an independent review of the exact rod.
$289.99 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 09:39 UTCVerdict
A moderate 9-foot 5-weight with an independent review of this exact rod, which Echo itself calls “The most versatile ECHO freshwater trout rod, period.”
Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Man Makes Fire: 9′ 5 wt.
Man Makes Fire fished the 9-foot 5-weight on the Owyhee River and wrote, “The 9-foot 5-weight Echo Carbon XL is a joy to cast and fish.” The same review keeps it in proportion: “I didn’t get the sense that it made me any more accurate than usual, nor did it allow me to cast appreciably farther than I already can with most other decent 5-weight fly rods.” Echo calls the action moderate; the reviewer found a rod “that loads easily yet responds with a good amount of crispness.” The r/flyfishing poster quoted above “didn’t love the carbon xl” for lacking backbone, without naming a weight.
Echo’s model note for the 590-4 reads “Dries, nymphs, small streams and lakes. Your ‘swiss army knife’ trout rod.” Echo does not publish the blank material on the page we read; Man Makes Fire gives the 9-foot 5-weight as “3.5 ounces” with “lightweight single-foot guides”. Echo’s warranty page says, “ECHO fly rods are covered against manufacturing defects for the life of the original owner.” Sold by The Kingfisher on Amazon at the time of writing, not by Amazon.com or Echo.
Trade-off against the TFO Pro III (pick 5): both are moderate 9-foot 5-weights. The Echo has the independent review of this exact rod and sits in a higher price tier; the TFO is the one built as a casting-practice rod, and its independent test covered the 6-weight.
Specs: Echo Carbon XL, 9’0″ 5 wt, 4-piece (590-4)
Pros
- Independent review of this exact 9-foot 5-weight, which found it “a joy to cast and fish”
- Moderate action that Echo pitches for dries, nymphs, small streams and lakes
- Echo’s warranty covers manufacturing defects for the original owner
Cons
- Its reviewer found no extra accuracy or distance over other decent 5-weights
- One r/flyfishing poster found it “lacked some backbone” (weight not stated)
- Sold through a fly shop’s Amazon storefront rather than Amazon or Echo
Who should buy it
Trout anglers who want a moderate 9-foot 5-weight for dries and nymphs, with an independent review of the exact rod.
- Linked variant: 9’0″, 5 wt, 4-piece (590-4, CBXL-590)
- Action: Moderate (Echo)
- Blank: not published
- Guides: Single-foot (Man Makes Fire)
- Rod weight: 3.5 oz (Man Makes Fire)
- Warranty: Manufacturing defects, life of the original owner (Echo)
- Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)
Douglas ERA, Fast-Action Entry Rod
9'0" 5 wt 4-piece (F5904) · Fast
Anglers who want a fast-action 9-foot 5-weight as a first rod or a spare, and accept owner reviews in place of a test.
View on AmazonVerdict
Douglas’s entry-level fast-action 9-foot 5-weight, sold at its MSRP by a fly shop on Amazon at the time of writing, with owner reviews but no independent test.
Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. Douglas ERA page, maker-hosted customer reviews: ERA 9′ 5wt, 5904.
Douglas describes the ERA as “a fast action fly rod” and pitches it plainly: “Whether you’re looking for an entry level fly rod or a solid backup rod – the ERA is for you!” It adds, “From presenting dry flies, tossing streamers, or indicator fishing – the ERA rod can handle it all,” which is the maker’s claim. The F5904 is 9’0″, 4 pieces and 3.14 oz with Douglas’s handle A, packed in a Cordura tube with a rod sleeve. Douglas states a “Limited lifetime warranty on all Douglas fly rods.”
We found no independent test of the ERA. The customer reviews on Douglas’s ERA page are hosted by the maker; three are labelled “ERA 9′ 5wt” and one “5904”. One reads, “It’s a sweet casting, light and sensitive rod that feels alive in the hand.” Another, from “a first year fly fisherman”, says “the accuracy of this rod for me in the 20-40′ range was exceptional.” Every review shown is five stars, which is what a maker chooses to host, not a measure. Sold by Ed’s Fly Shop on Amazon at the time of writing.
Trade-off against the Greys Lance (pick 1): both are entry-tier 9-foot 5-weights. The Lance has an independent test and a medium-fast action; the ERA is fast action, with owner reviews only. Against the Douglas DXF Gen2 (pick 6), the ERA is the same maker’s entry rod: fast rather than moderate fast, and 3.14 oz against the DXF’s 2.98 oz in Douglas’s own table.
Specs: Douglas ERA, 9’0″ 5 wt, 4-piece (F5904)
Pros
- Fast-action 9-foot 5-weight that Douglas pitches as an entry rod or backup
- Maker publishes rod weight, handle and MSRP for this model
- Sold at Douglas’s MSRP at the time of writing
Cons
- No independent test found; the reviews are hosted by the maker
- Fast action, which Trident (a fly shop) says is “generally less forgiving of poor timing”
- Sold by a fly shop’s storefront rather than Amazon or Douglas
Who should buy it
Anglers who want a fast-action 9-foot 5-weight as a first rod or a spare, and accept owner reviews in place of a test.
- Linked variant: 9’0″, 5 wt, 4-piece (F5904, SKU 21210)
- Action: Fast (Douglas)
- Blank: not published
- Handle and seat: Douglas handle A
- Rod weight: 3.14 oz (Douglas)
- Warranty: Limited lifetime (Douglas)
- Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)
Snowbee Spectre Pro, Small-River 9 ft Rod
9' 5 wt 4-piece · Middle-to-tip
Anglers fishing small rivers and stillwaters who want a forgiving 9-foot 5-weight (Trout & Salmon's word) with an independent test behind it.
$214.28 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 09:39 UTCVerdict
A 9ft #5 that Snowbee calls “The perfect small river or brook rod”, tested by Trout & Salmon, and sold by Snowbee’s own Amazon store at the time of writing.
Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Trout & Salmon group test: 9ft 5wt 4pc.
Trout & Salmon tested the 9ft, 5wt, 4pc Spectre-Pro: “Easy to cast with a forgiving action, the Snowbee delivered both lines well, but it performed better all round with the Airflo.” Its testers said, “It was a rod that took no effort yet exceeded our expectations.” The caveats come in the same paragraph: “Although not the best roll-caster in the test”, and “While it didn’t respond well when extra force was applied, it didn’t need it to deliver flies accurately.”
Snowbee’s page gives the 9ft #5 at 101 g (3.6 oz) with a half wells handle and an “un-ground natural finish blank”, built on “multi-modulus carbon blanks”, and says the rod suits small stillwaters too, “where a slightly softer action allows a more delicate presentation when seeking spooky fish.” Snowbee describes a “precise, crisp, middle-to-tip action” but names no fast/moderate class, does not list the piece count on that page (Trout & Salmon lists 4pc), and states no warranty on the pages we read. Snowbee is a UK maker and prices this rod in pounds; it publishes no US list price.
Trade-off against the Greys Lance (pick 1): both were in the same Trout & Salmon test, and both were called forgiving. The Lance (medium fast, per Greys) was praised at close and medium range and has a slimmer grip; the Spectre Pro, which Trout & Salmon found “accurate at all ranges” but not the best roll-caster, has what Snowbee calls a “middle-to-tip action” and is the rod Snowbee aims at small rivers and stillwaters, in the same entry tier on Amazon at the time of writing.
Specs: Snowbee Spectre Pro, 9′ 5 wt, 4-piece (735-10261)
Pros
- Independently tested in this exact 9ft 5wt, “easy to cast with a forgiving action” per Trout & Salmon
- Snowbee aims it at small rivers, brooks and small stillwaters
- Sold by Snowbee’s own Amazon store at the time of writing
Cons
- Not the best roll-caster in Trout & Salmon’s test, and it “didn’t respond well when extra force was applied”
- Snowbee’s pages state no warranty and no US list price
- Piece count is not on the maker’s page (Trout & Salmon lists 4pc)
Who should buy it
Anglers fishing small rivers and stillwaters who want a forgiving 9-foot 5-weight (Trout & Salmon’s word) with an independent test behind it.
- Linked variant: 9′, 5 wt (#5), 4-piece per Trout & Salmon (Snowbee SKU 735-10261)
- Action: “crisp, middle-to-tip” (Snowbee); Snowbee adds that “a slightly softer action allows a more delicate presentation” on small stillwaters
- Blank: Multi-modulus carbon, un-ground natural finish (Snowbee)
- Handle and seat: Half wells (Snowbee)
- Rod weight: 101 g (3.6 oz) (Snowbee)
- Warranty: not stated on the Snowbee pages we read
- Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)
TFO Pro III, Learner’s Moderate Rod
9'0" 5 wt 4-piece (TF 05 90 4 P3) · Moderate
Beginners who want a forgiving 9-foot 5-weight built to teach timing, and a rod to keep as a spare later.
$229.95 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 09:39 UTCVerdict
A moderate 9-foot 5-weight that TFO builds for “New to intermediate anglers focused on improving casting consistency”, sold by Backcountry at TFO’s list price at the time of writing.
Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Outdoor Life: 9′ 6 wt (690-4).
TFO says the Pro III “is built to help anglers understand their cast” with “a wider sweet spot” so anglers “feel the rod load more clearly”. The TF 05 90 4 P3 is 9’0″, moderate action, 4 pieces and 3.2 oz, with cork grips, an anodized aluminum reel seat with a carbon fiber insert, SiC stripping guides and double-foot snake guides, and it ships with a rod sock and tube. TFO’s warranty page says, “During the life of the registered owner, TFO will repair or replace any product that breaks due to defect at no charge.”
Outdoor Life tested the Pro III 690-4, a 9-foot 6-weight, not the 5-weight we link: “The Pro III is the newest iteration in TFO’s Pro series, which are designed with beginner to intermediate anglers in mind.” Its tester also found it “noticeably slower than the LK Legacy and it’s not quite as accurate or powerful as that rod. But it’s not supposed to be.” Sold by Backcountry on Amazon at the time of writing.
Trade-off against the Echo Carbon XL (pick 2): both are moderate 9-foot 5-weights. The TFO is built as a learning rod and sits in a lower tier; the Echo has the independent review of the exact 5-weight.
Specs: TFO Pro III, 9’0″ 5 wt, 4-piece (TF 05 90 4 P3)
Pros
- Moderate taper TFO designs so new casters feel the rod load
- TFO publishes rod weight, guides and seat for this exact model
- Sold by Backcountry at TFO’s list price at the time of writing
Cons
- Slower and less accurate than TFO’s faster rods, by Outdoor Life’s account of the 6-weight
- The independent test covered the 6-weight, not this 5-weight
- Sold by Backcountry rather than Amazon.com or TFO
Who should buy it
Beginners who want a forgiving 9-foot 5-weight built to teach timing, and a rod to keep as a spare later.
- Linked variant: 9’0″, 5 wt, 4-piece (TF 05 90 4 P3)
- Action: Moderate (TFO)
- Blank: not published
- Handle and seat: Cork grip (handle A), anodized aluminum reel seat with carbon fiber insert (TFO)
- Guides: SiC stripping guides, double-foot anodized snake guides (TFO)
- Rod weight: 3.2 oz (TFO)
- Warranty: Lifetime of the registered owner, breakage due to defects (TFO)
- Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)
Douglas DXF Gen2, Moderate-Fast Upgrade
9'0" 5 wt 4-piece (5904) · Moderate fast
Anglers stepping up from a first rod who fish mostly at close and middle distances with dries and nymphs.
$549.00 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 09:39 UTCVerdict
The premium-tier pick here: a moderate-fast 9-foot 5-weight that a fly shop’s shootout praised for close and mid-range casting, with power fading at long range.
Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Yellowstone Angler 2024 5 Weight Shootout: 9′ 5 wt (DXF Gen 2).
Douglas describes the DXF Gen2 as “Moderate fast action, lightweight and sensitive” on a “Multi-modulus blank construction”, with a self-aligning reel seat with dual locking rings, a reverse half wells grip and AAA cork. The 5904 is 9’0″, #5, 4 pieces and 2.98 oz, and Douglas states a “Limited lifetime warranty on all Douglas Fly Rods.”
Yellowstone Angler, a shop that sells Douglas, cast the DXF Gen2 9’#5 in its 2024 shootout: “The Douglas DXF Gen 2, is another good rod that has been improved.” It found the rod “easy to cast, even using two nymphs and an indicator”, and one of its casters wrote, “if you are looking to step up from your first rod this would be a great buy.” The caveats sit beside that: “This is one of the softer rods in the Mid-Priced rods group, and out long it suffers from lacking the power of the stiffer-tipped rods,” and “the quality of the cork rings is not very good and shows a lot of filler.” Sold by Ed’s Fly Shop on Amazon, at Douglas’s MSRP, at the time of writing.
Trade-off against the Douglas ERA (pick 3): same maker and length; the DXF is moderate fast and lighter in Douglas’s table (2.98 oz against 3.14 oz), with a fly shop’s side-by-side test behind it, in the premium tier; the ERA is the fast, entry-tier rod.
Specs: Douglas DXF Gen2, 9’0″ 5 wt, 4-piece (5904)
Pros
- Moderate-fast 9-foot 5-weight that a fly shop found easy to cast with two nymphs and an indicator
- 2.98 oz in Douglas’s own table, under the ERA’s 3.14 oz
- Sold at Douglas’s MSRP at the time of writing
Cons
- Premium price tier ($$$) in this guide
- Power falls off at long range, and the cork shows filler, per Yellowstone Angler
- The one test we found is by a shop that sells it
Who should buy it
Anglers stepping up from a first rod who fish mostly at close and middle distances with dries and nymphs.
- Linked variant: 9’0″, 5 wt, 4-piece (DXF GEN2 5904, SKU 20125)
- Action: Moderate fast (Douglas)
- Blank: Multi-modulus (Douglas)
- Handle and seat: Reverse half wells, AAA cork with rubber tips; self-aligning seat with dual locking rings (Douglas)
- Guides: SiC stripping guide, hard chrome snake guides (Yellowstone Angler)
- Rod weight: 2.98 oz (Douglas)
- Warranty: Limited lifetime (Douglas)
- Price tier: $$$ (live Amazon price in the table above)
Redington Vice, 10 ft Line-Control Rod
10'0" 5 wt 4-piece (5100-4) · Fast
Trout anglers who nymph bigger rivers or fish in wind and want a 10-foot 5-weight for reach and mending.
$199.99 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 09:39 UTCVerdict
A 10-foot 5-weight that Redington made for “superior line control” when nymphing and casting into wind, sold by Far Bank, Redington’s parent company, at the time of writing.
Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. Redington VICE page, maker-hosted customer review: VICE 586-4 (5 wt 8’6″), not the 10 ft.
Redington’s page for the VICE 5100-4 says it “was made for the trout angler who is looking for a rod that offers superior line control with the capability to cast into the wind or turnover larger stonefly style nymphs”. The VICE range is “fast-action” on “multi-modulus carbon fiber blanks”, with black anodized snake guides, an anodized machined aluminum reel seat and a Cordura tube; the 5100-4 has a fighting butt handle. Redington lists “Lifetime Warranty” on the page, and its parent company’s FAQ says, “Repairs covered under warranty are deemed those due to defects in materials or workmanship and are free”; repairs outside that carry a fee.
We found no independent test of the 10-foot 5-weight. A customer review hosted on Redington’s VICE page for the VICE 586-4, a 5-weight at 8’6″ rather than this 10-foot rod, says, “Vice’s fast action strength is very suited for casting heavier streamers for bigger fish.” An r/flyfishing poster lists the Vice among “great casting rods I’ve fished” without naming a weight. Amazon’s title calls this listing “All-Water”; Redington lists the 5100-4 in its single VICE range, whose reel seat it calls “ideal for all water conditions”.
Trade-off against the 9-foot picks: the extra foot is for reach and mending on bigger water and nymph rigs, per Redington and Trident (a fly shop), which says “longer rods such as 10′ 5wts are commonly used for indicator nymphing, Euro-style techniques, and better line control on larger rivers.” On small, brushy streams a 9-foot or shorter rod is easier to place.
Specs: Redington Vice, 10’0″ 5 wt, 4-piece (5100-4)
Pros
- 10-foot length Redington built for line control and casting into wind
- Fighting butt and Cordura tube included
- Sold by Far Bank, Redington’s parent company, at Redington’s price at the time of writing
Cons
- No independent test of the 10-foot 5-weight; the hosted review is of the 8’6″ 5-weight
- A long rod is harder to use on small, overgrown streams
- Rod weight is not published
Who should buy it
Trout anglers who nymph bigger rivers or fish in wind and want a 10-foot 5-weight for reach and mending.
- Linked variant: 10’0″, 5 wt, 4-piece (VICE 5100-4)
- Action: Fast (Redington)
- Blank: Multi-modulus carbon fiber (Redington)
- Handle and seat: Fighting butt handle, anodized machined aluminum reel seat (Redington)
- Guides: Black anodized snake guides (Redington)
- Rod weight: not published
- Warranty: Lifetime, defects in materials or workmanship (Redington; Far Bank)
- Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)
Redington Butter Stick v3, 8 ft Fiberglass Rod
8'0" 5 wt 4-piece (580-4) · Classic medium
Anglers who fish small creeks and ponds at short range and want the feel of a fiberglass 5-weight.
$329.99 from AmazonAs of Nov 4, 09:39 UTCVerdict
An 8-foot T-Glass 5-weight that Redington calls “the do-it-all glass offering in our lineup”, for small streams and ponds; the independent review we found covers an earlier version.
Evidence: Independently reviewed, previous generation. Hatch Magazine: 7′ 3 wt and 7’6″ 4 wt (2019 version).
Redington pitches the 580-4 at “blue lines for brook trout”, dries on a tailwater and “your local bass pond”. The v3 has a semi-translucent yellow T-Glass blank, a “classic medium action casting stroke”, a traditional half wells handle, a cork reel seat with a threaded lock nut, alignment dots and a Cordura case, and Redington lists a “Lifetime Warranty”. It is now 4 pieces.
Hatch Magazine reviewed the 2019 Butter Stick in 3 and 4 weights, not this v3 5-weight. Its reviewer wrote, “The new Butter Stick is a throwback rod when it comes to both appearance and performance,” and warned that with glass, “If you’re too fast with your cast, you’ll pile line around your feet in no time.” He also reported that the 2019 rod “suffers from some significant line slap”; we found no review saying whether the v3 changes that. Sold by Far Bank on Amazon at the time of writing.
Trade-off against the Snowbee Spectre Pro (pick 4): both are aimed at small water. The Butter Stick is shorter and fiberglass, for anglers who want a slow glass stroke and close-range casting; the Snowbee is a 9-foot carbon rod with an independent test.
Specs: Redington Butter Stick v3, 8’0″ 5 wt, 4-piece (580-4)
Pros
- T-Glass fiberglass blank with a classic medium action, per Redington
- 8-foot length Redington aims at small brook trout water and bass ponds
- Sold by Far Bank at Redington’s price at the time of writing
Cons
- Glass punishes a rushed cast, per Hatch’s review of the earlier version
- Hatch reported line slap on the 2019 version; no review of the v3 found
- Mid-range price tier ($$) for a specialist small-water rod
Who should buy it
Anglers who fish small creeks and ponds at short range and want the feel of a fiberglass 5-weight.
- Linked variant: 8’0″, 5 wt, 4-piece (BUTTER STICK v3 580-4)
- Action: Classic medium (Redington)
- Blank: T-Glass fiberglass (Redington)
- Handle and seat: Traditional half wells, cork reel seat with threaded lock nut (Redington)
- Guides: not published
- Rod weight: not published
- Warranty: Lifetime (Redington)
- Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)
Choosing a 5 Weight: Length, Action and Water
9 ft, 8 ft or 10 ft?
Trident, a fly shop, puts it this way: “The most popular and versatile configuration is a 9′ 5wt,” while “Shorter rods like 8’6″ models are often preferred for small streams and tighter casting environments, while longer rods such as 10′ 5wts are commonly used for indicator nymphing, Euro-style techniques, and better line control on larger rivers.” Six of our picks are 9 feet; the Butter Stick is the 8-foot small-water option and the Vice the 10-foot option. Our guide to choosing a fly rod walks through length, action and pieces in order.
Moderate, medium-fast or fast?
Trident says fast rods “are not necessarily harder to cast, but they are generally less forgiving of poor timing,” while “Medium-action rods usually load more easily at short range and provide more feedback to the caster, which many beginners find easier to learn with.” Here, the Echo Carbon XL and TFO Pro III are moderate, the Greys Lance medium fast, the Douglas DXF Gen2 moderate fast, the Douglas ERA and Redington Vice fast, and the Butter Stick a fiberglass “classic medium”. Action names are each maker’s own, not a shared scale.
Which 5 weight for which angler
- Beginners: the TFO Pro III, which TFO builds for learning timing, or the Greys Lance, which Trout & Salmon called “an excellent entry-level choice”. The Douglas ERA is the fast-action entry option.
- Small streams and brooks: the Snowbee Spectre Pro (9 ft, Snowbee’s “small river or brook rod”) or the Butter Stick (8 ft glass).
- Bigger rivers, nymphing and wind: the Redington Vice 10 ft. If you mostly throw heavy streamers, Trident suggests that “a 6wt or 7wt may be a better tool”; see our 6 wt fly rod picks.
- Stepping up from a first rod: the Echo Carbon XL or the Douglas DXF Gen2.
Once you have the rod, our guides to fly reel sizes and setting up a fly rod and reel cover the rest of the outfit.
Frequently Asked Questions About 5 Weight Fly Rods
Q. What is the best 5-weight fly rod for the money?
No test we read answers that for every budget. Trout & Salmon called the Greys Lance “a lot of rod for the money”, and Yellowstone Angler (a fly shop) named it its “Best Price” rod in 2024. One r/flyfishing poster argues that most budget rods “will cast within a few inches” of rods three times their price. Within this guide, the entry-tier picks are the Greys Lance, Douglas ERA, Snowbee Spectre Pro and TFO Pro III.
Q. What is the best length for a 5-weight fly rod?
For most trout fishing, 9 feet: Trident (a fly shop) calls the 9′ 5wt “The most popular and versatile configuration,” with 8’6″ and shorter rods for small streams and 10-foot rods for nymphing and line control. Our picks include all three lengths.
Q. What is a 5 wt fly rod good for?
Trout first. Trident lists “dry fly fishing, indicator nymphing, dry-dropper rigs, and light streamer fishing” and adds grayling, smallmouth and largemouth bass, panfish and smaller carp. Trout & Salmon says it “will also handle most average-sized freshwater fish”.
Q. How big of a fish can a 5 wt fly rod handle?
It depends on the fish, the water and your tippet, and the maker pages we read give no fish-size limit. Our fly rod size guide collects what makers and guides say about trout sizes on a 9-foot 5-weight. For heavy streamers or steady wind, Trident (a fly shop) says “a 6wt or 7wt may be a better tool”.
Q. Should I buy a 5 weight combo instead?
This guide covers rods sold on their own, so you choose the reel and line separately. Our fly reel size guide explains which reel sizes match a 5-weight line.
The bottom line
Final Verdict
For a first 9-foot 5-weight with an independent test behind it, start with the Greys Lance (check price), and expect a slim grip. The Echo Carbon XL (check price) is the moderate trout rod with an independent review of the exact model, the TFO Pro III (check price) the moderate rod TFO builds for learning, and the Douglas ERA (check price) the fast-action entry rod with owner reviews only. For small water, choose between the forgiving, middle-to-tip 9-foot Snowbee Spectre Pro (check price) and the 8-foot glass Redington Butter Stick (check price). For bigger rivers and nymph rigs, the 10-foot Redington Vice (check price) adds reach, and the Douglas DXF Gen2 (check price) is the premium-tier, moderate-fast step up from a first rod.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
