Over the past couple years as About.com’s fly fishing guide, I’ve received a ton of e-mails from anglers asking about everything from the best places to fish to the best gear to pick up for whopper fish.

But the question I receive most often, by far, is what brand of fly rod is best?

Well, I have my particular favorites, many of which you’ve probably never heard of, and am pretty picky when it comes to rod selection. If it doesn’t feel just right for this finicky fisherman, I won’t even demo the rod – I don’t care how many stars or how many bucks a particular rod is worth. In fact, I have plenty of no-name, hand-me down rods that are made by companies you’ve never heard of but get the job done.

So when recommending fly rods, I always caution anglers to try them out for themselves, and pick the rod that feels most comfortable in their hands … and on the particular fisheries they fish. A thousand-dollar rod is only worth so much if it wasn’t made with your favorite little trout creek in mind.

But if you want to know what the record-breakers use, those who have landed certified world-record fish, look know further than the International Game Fish Association’s World Record Game Fishes book. The numbers don’t lie, and with 75 world records, Sage Fly Rods are in a class of their own.

Here’s a list of the other top fly rod companies in terms of world records.

Caught the new fishing series “Hooked” on National Geographic tonight and couldn’t help but think about some of the biggest fish I’ve landed in my lifetime.

If you haven’t seen the show, it follows fish biologist Zeb Hogan around the globe in an attempt to study and conserve what he calls “mega fish” – behemoths that measure 6 feet or more. Pretty good stuff if you ask this fishing fanatic.

I’ve only caught one “mega fish” in my life, landing what was nearly a 6-foot leopard shark on a solo kayaking trip off the coast of Central California (not on a fly I must confess).

But catching monster fish on a fly is no easy task, as Hogan's adventures ... as well as my own ... have shown. See those "monster fish" I've caught on a fly, and off, on the jump.

And share your monster fishing tales on our own "mega fish" page.

Another fly fishing catch is before the world records committee and could just make the next edition of the IGFA record book. Bud Rowland of McAllen, Texas, caught this beast on March 14 in the South Bay, fighting the black drum for 18 minutes on 12-pound tippet. The drum weighed in at 59 pounds, 8 ounces and is making a run at the current men’s International Game Fish Association record of 57 pounds, 8 ounces, set back in 1995 at Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. Photo courtesy IGFA

The International Game Fish Association will welcome five new members into its Hall of Fame on Oct. 27.

This year’s inductees – who will bring the list of HOFers to 75 – include Carlos Barrantes, Jack Erskine, Guy Harvey, Harlan Major and Stephen Sloan.

They will be honored at the 11th Annual IGFA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Dania Beach, Fla., for the contributions they have made to sportfishing through angling achievements, literature, the arts, science, education, invention, communication or administration of fishery resources.

Check back at About.com closer to the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony for extended profiles on the five inductees. For more information, go to www.igfa.org