What's the differrence between 'Reference Series' & 'Studio Built' fly rods?

With Studio Built Fly Rods, you can create a custom fly rod that's tailored to your exact preferences. Choose between different types of grips, reel seats and blank colors, plus add a custom inscription. *Please note that our Studio Built Fly Rods have a minimum 6-week waiting list. Our Reference Series fly rods also feature the same top-quality cork, blanks and components. But without any customisation options. Rest assured our Reference Series Fly Rods use the same industry leading blank and cast exactly the same as a custom built Studio Built fly rod - but without the price tag.

4wt fiberglass back packing fly rod building kit

fly rod building instructions free fly rod building book on how to build a fly fishing rod

Thread scissors and burnishing tool for fly rod building kits

4wt - Packlight FastGlass® Fly Rod Building Kit

Updated

$499.95

Blank Color:

Salsa

Olive Salsa

Reel Seat:

Black Carbon Fiber

Variant

30 Day Love it or Return it Guarantee

Lifetime Support

Free, no hassle returns

Speedy courier (3-5 days)

30 Day 'Love it or Return It' Money Back Guarantee

Ships Same Day

Multiple payment options at checkout

100% Guarantee

Lifetime Support

Easy Replacements

4wt - Packlight FastGlass® Fly Rod Building Kit

$499.95

SureFit™ Ferrule

Fast section replacement in case of breakage

SnakeBelly™

Delivers the toughest exterior finish possible

Premium Guides

TiCH (Titanium Chrome) hardwearing guides

Flor Grade Cork

The best cork in the business

476 Packlight Fly Rod Kit

4wt - Packlight Fiberglass backpacking fly rod kit (5 pieces)

Our famous 476 reconfigured as an ultra-packable backpacking fly rod. The Epic multi-piece Packlight fly rod is designed to pack into your favourite spot. Designed fish in tight confined creeks but still with the backbone and pulling power of a much larger rod - the 5 piece 476 Packlight is the deal.

Our Epic Ready to Wrap Rod Kit makes life easy - we’ve done much of the hard work for you. The kit contains all the components, glues, rod finish and instructions you’ll need to build your own unique custom Epic fly rod.

Recommended line weight: AFTMA #4
Length: 7'6"
Pieces: 5
Tube Lenght: 55cm / 22 inches

Each Kit contains:

Epic branded uplocking reel seat
Genuine Epic fly rod blank
High quality fiberglass rod tube + Premium hand sewn rod sock
Premium AAA cork grip
Snake guide set + High-quality stripper guide
Glue kit (preloaded syringes, grip & tip epoxy, brushes, mixing cups & full instructions)
Thread burnishing tool. Helps you smooth and flatten thread wraps on guides and butt wraps without fraying the thread
Precision Thread Scissors. Sharp thread scissors for precise trims
China-graph marking pencil + Rod stands
Comprehensive 50-page build book with step by step instructions
Stickers / Decals
*Japanese Silk threads. Each kit includes natural 212 silk (we include instructions on how to use this to make perfectly clear ghost wraps) and black thread for trims. These default threads can be substituted for other stock colours on request. View Stock Thread Colours

Got questions? - Drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you.

Why Buy Epic

More fly rod for your money. Servicing our customers direct means we’re free to use the highest grade components and materials available and offer outstanding service and support.

If you have any doubts as to our commitment to quality products and customer support please read our reviews.

Buy with Confidence. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Epic Lifetime Support.

The Epic® Difference

At Epic, we take huge personal pride in the quality of our products. We use only the best industry leading components and materials available, and our craftsmanship is unparalleled.

Epic is a premium, performance-driven fly fishing brand for discerning anglers who demand the best. Our fly rods offer unmatched accuracy, sensitivity, and versatility for a superior fishing experience. Built to last in challenging conditions, Epic Fly Rods are the ultimate choice for fly anglers who value performance, quality, and craftsmanship. Each Epic fly rod is carefully crafted using the finest materials, making them the ideal tool for anglers of all skill levels. Whether you're fishing for trophy trout in a remote mountain stream or targeting big toothy critters in the salt, Epic Fly Rods are designed to deliver an exceptional fishing experience that you'll never forget.

Industry-leading fly rod blanks using state of the art composites
Stunning FLOR grade cork grips that stand the test of time
Hard anodised reel seats ensuring a lifetime of service
Premium quality stripping Titnaium guides that will not rust
Corrosion proof Ion-plated snake guides
SureFit™ Ferrule System for immediate section replacement
Stealthy and chip-resistant SnakeBelly™ finish
Premium quality composite rod tubes and our unique 'flip top' rod sock
Superior service and ongoing customer support

The Materials
Epic fly rods are made to exacting standards using either a proprietary S2-glass composite or a multi modulus, helical constructed low resign Carbon Fibre system.

Our Carbon Fibre blanks are light, crisp and at the very forefront of fly rod design.

Each material features a unidirectional fibre layup which aligns fibers longitudinally along the blank. The result is an incredibly strong, light and powerful tube with a crisp, precise response. This recipe, rolled to our Epic tapers combine silky smooth easy loading with trophy pulling power.

Regardless of the material you decide to choose, you have before you what we sincerely believe is the very best fly rod produced.

All jargon aside, these fly rods are just fantastic to cast, they look incredible, are super tough, and are a hell of a lot of fun to fish with.

Why You'll Love It

These are the smoothest, most beautiful fly rods you’ll ever cast.
Purposefully designed and exquisitely handcrafted using only the very best components available.

Every grip is of premium FLOR grade Portuguese cork traced from the source; a more perfect grip you will not find anywhere.

Light in the hand and an absolute pleasure to cast; There is simply no better fly rod made - and your absolute delight is guaranteed.

The Technical Bits

Better Components
Each handcrafted Epic fly rod boasts the very best components available:

100% Carbon Construction. (Carbon Fibre / Graphite fly rods for our USA freinds)
The carbon helix core boasts true 100% carbon construction. These blanks contain no scrim.

FastGlass II™
All Epic "Glass" rods are produced from industry-leading 8 micron Unidirectional S-2 Glass. This next-generation fiber is specifically engineered for fly rod production and features 8 micron fibers developed and produced in the USA. These fibres are almost half the diameter of other unidirectional materials, resulting in tighter, more precise and stronger fly rods.

Built Epic Tough
Epic glass rods are incredibly tough. Our S2 FastGlass II has a far higher strength-to-weight ratio than Carbon fibre (graphite) rods. Epic FastGlass rods can endure more acute and severe bends than the equivalent Carbon fibre or even regular S2 glass, tip sections are stronger and far less susceptible to breakages due to high-sticking and problematic rod angles when pulling against load.

100% Uni-directional material - Non Woven.
Super light-weight construction and superior strength. Non woven Uni-directional material is up to 40% stronger than traditional woven material commonly used by fly rod manufacturers. A non woven fiber can achieve 100% of its tensile and compressive loading. Unidirectional material affords super lightweight construction and superior strength.

100% Carbon Helix Core
A 100% helical core forms the basis for hoop strength and fibre support in the zero/longitudinal axis and does away with traditional scrim based construction.

Graphene & Silica-nano technology. Super Low Resin Systems.
Utilising materials with resin content up to 30% less than conventional materials, Epic G series blanks are lighter and stronger. Low resin materials help increase bending limits & overall response.

Multi Carbon Construction (Multi modulus).
Using only the highest quality fabrics from the USA, Japan and Korea, up to five different types of carbon are used in each blank. Each type is placed at various parts of the blank to optimize strength and weight. Ultra-high modulus fibre boasts the highest tensile and compressive strength of any fibre in its class.

Internal High Strength Ferrule.
A high strength internal ferrule is placed at each join to provide superior crush and split resistance.

Target Zero Fibre Alignment.
Fibre alignment along the length of any blank is critical. Even the smallest deviation in fibre alignment from the axis of load will greatly reduce the strength of the blank.

Buy with Confidence: The Epic Promise.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Epic Lifetime Warranty

The Epic "Love it or Return it" Guarantee

Fish your Epic fly rod for 30 days. If, by the end of that, you don't think it's the best fly rod you've ever owned, we'll give you a full refund.

We are so very confident that every fly rod we make is of the highest quality possible we guarantee your complete and absolute satisfaction or your money back.

If one of our products fails to meet your expectations either at the time you receive it, or over the next 30 days, contact us and tell us why you are disappointed and we'll make it right or arrange a total refund without question.

Carl McNeil - Founder, Wanaka, New Zealand.

What About Breakages?

Break a tip? we've got you covered. We send out replacement sections the same day.

There's no need to send sections back to us!

Our Surefit™ ferrule system is so precise that breakages can be addressed by simply sending out the replacement part right away. Gone are the days of having to return a broken section and waiting weeks for a return.

The Epic Warranty

We've Got You Covered

Every Epic fly rod that we produce is covered by our lifetime, original owner warranty. This warranty covers failure due to defects in material or workmanship of our product.

This warranty is limited to repair and replacement of the rod or blank and does not cover direct, indirect, consequential, incidental or any other type of damage resulting from the use of the product. This warranty does not cover fire, theft, missing rod sections, intentional breakage, modification or customization of the finished rod, or damage during the assembly of a blank into a finished rod.

Epic Fly Rods reserves the right to determine whether to repair or replace any Epic Product covered by this warranty and the right to replace any discontinued models with comparable models when necessary. Colors and components may vary between original and replacement parts.

This Policy applies to the original owner only and may not be transferred to another person.

We will always do our very best to get you back out on the water fishing our gear again as soon as possible.

4wt - Packlight FastGlass® Fly Rod Building Kit

Specifications

Do you sweat the details? Yep, us too! In fact, it's a prerequisite when building the greatest fly rods in the world.

Recommended line

4 weight

Rod Color

Olive Green, Salsa Red

Rod Length

7' 6"

Rod Weight

103g

Pieces

Fly rod action

How does this fly rod perform? Naturally, we have taken the time to assess and record the unique characteristics of the 4wt - Packlight FastGlass® Fly Rod Building Kit. No guesswork or internet sleuthing required!

Fly rod action

A Better Fly Rod or Your Money Back

Fish your Epic fly rod for 30 days. If you don't think it's the best fly rod you've ever owned, we'll give you a full refund.

"I know that you’ll feel and appreciate the Epic difference.
You’ll be making better casts, tighter loops, better presentations, and ultimately catching more fish.
If any of our gear does not meet your expectation we’ll give you a full refund."

Carl McNeil
Master Fly Casting Instructor - Founder - Epic Fly Rods

Break a tip? We've got you covered.

SureFit Ferrule

Gone are the days of having to return a broken section and waiting weeks for a return. Our Surefit™ ferrule system is so precise that breakages can be addressed by simply sending out a replacement part - same day.

"Exceeded all expectations"

"Exceeded all expectations in every way" Bob Mallard. Author, Writer, Reviewer. USA

"Life Changing"

"This fly rod is a magnificent achievement, I sing it's praises to every serious fly rodder I know"
Macauley Lord. IFFF Master Casting Instructor. Author.

"The quintessential fly rod"

"The quintessential example of what a fly rod should be"
Ian Cole. Guide. Casting Instructor. New Zealand.

The 4wt - Packlight FastGlass® Fly Rod Building Kit in action

FAQ

Why buy Epic?

More fly rod for your money. Servicing our customers direct means we’re free to use the highest grade components and materials available and offer outstanding service and support.

If you have any doubts as to our commitment to quality products and customer support please read our reviews.

Buy with Confidence. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Epic Lifetime Support.

Do you ship overseas?

Yes, we ship all over the world. We ship tracked courier internationally every single weekday. Shipping and tracking information is emailed out to you and SMS updates provided also.

Do you offer a warranty?

Yes we do - the best in the business.

The Epic Promise

If you order one of our beautiful fly rods and are not delighted with it we'll refund your purchase in full. We are so very confident that every fly rod we make is of the highest quality possible we guarantee your complete and absolute satisfaction or your money back.If one of our products fails to meet your expectations either at the time you receive it, or over the next 30 days, contact us and tell us why you are disappointed and we'll make it right or arrange a total refund.

The Epic Lifetime Warranty.

Every Epic fly rod that we produce is covered by our lifetime, original owner warranty. This warranty covers failure due to defects in material or workmanship of our product.

This Policy applies to the original owner only and may not be transferred to another person.

We will always do our very best to get you back out on the water fishing our gear again as soon as possible.

How long will it take to get my order?

It depends on where you are. Overseas deliveries can take anywhere from 5-7 days. Delivery details will be provided in your confirmation email.

How do I contact you?

Easy! - just pop over to our contact page for all the details.

Your question may already be answered, check out our knowledge base here >

Or contact us here > - we'd love to hear from you

What if I break my fly rod?

Break a tip? we've got you covered. We send out replacment sections the same day.

Who is Epic?

We are a small, passionate team focused on designing & producing extreemly high quality fly rods & fly fishing accessories.

As fly anglers we delight in supporting our customers with outstanding customer service. Let's hook up.

The Epic Story Epic is owned and run by Carl McNeil and Jeanie Ackley, the filmmaking couple that produced the award winning fly fishing films Once in a Blue Moon, Casts that Catch Fish and Itu’s Bones.

As a Certified Master Fly Casting Instructor Carl has taught hundreds of fly casters and mentored many anglers to gain their fly casting and Master Fly Casting certifications.

Carl served on the Fly Fishers International fly casting and certification committees for 10 years, he is a past associate editor of the FFI fly casting magazine "the Loop" and has been extensively published in fly fishing magazines worldwide.

He was awarded the 'Presidents Pin' for 'Services to fly casting" and has also received the IFF Conservation Award.

His ground breaking fly casting DVD "Casts That Catch Fish" is one of the best selling fly casting DVD's of all time.

Jeanie is an award winning filmmaker, camerawoman & researcher, and has recieved an Oscar nomination from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her documentary camera work. She is an accomplished business woman.

Born & Bred in New Zealand We reckon New Zealand is the perfect test laboratory to develop great fly rods.

And in true Kiwi fashion we favor solid design, original thinking and good old fashioned service over mass production, fashion and fickle trends.

We strive to be the very best, not the cheapest nor the biggest - and we pride ourselves on astounding customer service.

Epic Beginnings "Epic was born out of two frustrations I experienced in fly fishing:

My students were coming to fly casting classes with new fly rods so stiff and so lifeless they were extremely difficult to cast - even for me! _ Probably great rods if you wanted to bust out a 100 foot cast on a football field, but a total impairment when used as practical fly fishing tools.

The second big driver was my own fishing experience. Like all fly anglers, I wanted to be a better fly fisherman, become a better caster and ultimately catch more fish. And like all anglers, I’d grown through experimentation and improvement on just about every aspect of the sport. Rods, lines, leaders, my casting - and thousands of flies.

Eventually I started fish lighter fly rods and lighter lines in order to make better presentations. You know, to get more feeling, better casts and better response.

While the lighter rods had better feeling for sure, I was regularly breaking tips by point loading when netting big trout - Yep, we have some fairly big trout here in New Zealand!

And so the journey began. A journey to "build a better fly rod” - that phrase still sits on the whiteboard above my desk to this day.

Many materials were tested and many tapers developed in the quest to leave behind the stiff lifeless rods I was so used to using. My first fly rod that went into production, the Epic 580, went through 15 iterations before we settled on a taper that could truly be called Epic - and that's how the brand began.

Our tapers are powerful, but not stiff. Incredibly tough, but impart wonderfull responsiveness and feedback. And test, they can still bust out those long casts

I know that you’ll feel and appreciate the Epic difference. You’ll be making better casts, making tighter loops, better presentations, and ultimately catching more fish. And if you don’t, we’ll happily take back the fly rod you are looking at"

Effortless Fly Casting - Smooth Like Butter, Sweet Like Honey. Carl McNeil - Master Fly Casting Instructor - Author - Photographer - Filmmaker - Founder - Epic Fly Rods

Where are you?

Epic HQ is based in Wanaka New Zealand (where the big trout are)

We ship internationally each and every day with 67% of our fly rods exported to discerning customers in the 'Good Ole USA' - Jeanie, one of our founders, was born in Nashville Tennessee and grew up in Columbus Ohio (She's still a Buckeye Girl)

Our other main markets are New Zealand, where we are proud to be ’New Zealand's Fly Rod’ - Japan, Australia and Europe.

Our customer support is available Monday to Friday: 8am-8:30pm.

Epic handcrafted fly rods the spirit of craftsmanship

Built Epic tough

Built to last.

Built to last a lifetime using only the very finest components money can buy.

Bullet proof hard anodised reel seats, premium titanium guides, flawless wraps, alignment dots and the best cork in the business - no detail is overlooked.

Each fly rod is backed by our industry-leading support.

You'll be passing this Epic onto your kids.

SnakeBelly™

Our distinctive SnakeBelly™ exterior finish delivers the toughest exterior finish possible. This two step process produces blanks that are incredibly scratch resistant and durable.

Our fly rods are designed to give you many years of quality service and still look great after years on the water.

These fly rods are not only incredibly tough and durable they look absolutely stunning.

Epic fly rods surfeit ferrule system for fly fishing rods

Surefit™ ferrule

Break a tip? We've got you covered.

A high strength internal ferrule is placed at each join to provide superior crush and split resistance.

5 star service

Great service never goes out of style, and we believe that a great fly rod company is as much about outstanding customer service and support as it is about making great fly rods.

We believe the very best investment we can make in customer service is to make the very best, most durable products possible.

And should have any issues; Yes, we actually fix and repair our fly rods - you know, the old fashioned way.

Our Surefit ferrule system is designed to support you immediately should you have breakage and get you back out on the water fishing again ASAP.

Just read our reviews.

Extraordinary fly rods

Extra care, extra effort, extra attention to detail.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little bit extra.

Our goal is that you will be passing your Epic onto your kids.

Built Epic tough

Built to last.

Built to last a lifetime using only the very finest components money can buy.

Bullet proof hard anodised reel seats, premium titanium guides, flawless wraps, alignment dots and the best cork in the business - no detail is overlooked.

Each fly rod is backed by our industry-leading support.

You'll be passing this Epic onto your kids.

SnakeBelly™

Our distinctive SnakeBelly™ exterior finish delivers the toughest exterior finish possible. This two step process produces blanks that are incredibly scratch resistant and durable.

Our fly rods are designed to give you many years of quality service and still look great after years on the water.

These fly rods are not only incredibly tough and durable they look absolutely stunning.

Surefit™ ferrule

Break a tip? We've got you covered.

A high strength internal ferrule is placed at each join to provide superior crush and split resistance.

5 star service

Great service never goes out of style, and we believe that a great fly rod company is as much about outstanding customer service and support as it is about making great fly rods.

We believe the very best investment we can make in customer service is to make the very best, most durable products possible.

Just read our reviews.

Extraordinary fly rods

Extra care, extra effort, extra attention to detail.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little bit extra.

Our goal is that you will be passing your Epic onto your kids.

Real reviews from real fly anglers

Our customers

What our customers have to say about Epic fly rods & our customer service

Fly rod and fly reels combos for fly fishing

Robert - USA

Super Impressed!

I just recently received my 8wt fast glass rod and reel combo. The ordering process, shipment communication, build quality, and packaging care have been first class. I can’t wait to get out and try this new rig on the water. Thanks for your commitment to excellence.

Backcountry Double Fly Rod & Reel Vault

premium quality fly fishing rods made in New Zealand

Richard - USA

A Real Performer

Nice feeling rod took it to NZ in January and it performed really well. When I needed soft presentations it was perfect but still handled everything else. It was great to be able to pack it down and put it in my back pack for those long walk ins.

Reference 5wt 586-6G Backpacking Fly Rod

Epic Fly Rods from New Zealand for fly fishing

Chris - Montana

Mind Blown

I am mind blown. Not only is the rod amazing, but after I had an issue with a damaged section of my brand new rod, I contacted Epic and was treated like a real person who was jist trying to get back on the water. Within jist a few days they responded, resolved and mailed my my replacement parts. That kind of respect and customer service is second to none and I will gladly purchase from them again.

Reference 8wt 888 FastGlass Fly Rod