TFO BVK Fly Rod Review

A Real-world test of the TFO BVK Fly Rod in the wilds of Patagonia.

Most fly rod reviews are written by people who are like professional daters. They try it out for a while on their favorite trout streams, or out on the driveway, and make polite comments about its finer qualities, but can’t help comparing it to their previous rod relationships or lost loves. Then they part ways and continue searching for their ultimate fly fishing partner. For me, the Temple Fork Outfitters BVK has turned out to be like a blind date that I fell madly in love with and married. It became and continues to be my favorite rod and constant companion in every stretch of fly water in Patagonia. Guess its no surprise where this fly rod review is headed.

First, all the stuff you can find in brochures but you expect to hear from me anyway. I’m fishing the BVK 6 weight 9’, and also the 9’6”, (interesting character blends). This rod came to be during the race for weight reduction, and at first it felt alarmingly light. I had visions of it snapping under the pressure of a big brown trout in early summer current, but my fears were unfounded. Its strong and fast, which is exactly what I need in my home waters. It’s quite a bit more handsome than my old standby (TFO Lefty Kreh Pro). The glossy olive blank is handsome; it comes with high quality stripping guides, stainless snake guides, and Flor grade grips that I find very comfortable. I’m still not a fan of the matching carbon fiber reel seats, but it’s a cosmetic thing, not a functional issue.

The TFO BVK fly rod took my favorite quality from the LK Pro, and upped it a notch. It’ a canon, with a precision rifled barrel. You’ll find me on the water with streamers in hand or occasionally big attractors, and I enjoy fishing fast water from a moving boat. I need a rod that fires quickly, accurately, and effortlessly; and that’s exactly what I found in the BVK. And more importantly, it does it with almost no professional input needed from the caster. You don’t have to be a graduate of the master fly casting institute to be successful with this fly rod. Switching over to the 9’6” model yields absolutely elegant roll casts and single-handed spey-type casting I never thought possible.

How much do I like it? The TFO BVK fly rod has transformed me into a Patagonian River God. I can punch a bird-sized streamer through a keyhole of tangled tree limbs in a 20 knot cross wind, (where the biggest browns are laying up in the shadows of a cut bank). Homer would have written tales about my fly fishing exploits. Ok, maybe that’s a little arrogant, but confidence is a good quality in fly fishermen and fighter pilots. The BVK inspires confidence; and I’ve shamed more than one big-name casting pro from the back of the boat with the BVK in my hands.

For me, its not about all that touchy-feely, casting sensitivity, metro-sexual vibe people say they get from the fly rod. Nor how many times I can hit the Hoola-Hoop with a yarn fly in front of non fly-savvy neighbors. I make my home in the Andes Mountains of Patagonia, and fly fishing for me is serious business. If the gear doesn’t make me a better fisherman, or at least perform as advertised, I send it to the junk pile; usually broken in several pieces.

Temple Fork Outfitters has always sought to marry performance with solid price points for fly fishermen, but truthfully, I can fish any rod I want regardless of price. My interests are simple, I want to catch fish; big ones; a lot of them. With the TFO BVK in my hands I do exactly that.