A fishing rod including a rod body, a free line cast control and drag mechanism operatively connected to a proximal end of the rod body, and a line operatively threaded through the free line cast control and drag mechanism and running through a hollow passageway of the rod body and out a distal end. A method of fishing with the fishing rod by casting the line out of the distal end of the rod body onto a body of water, detecting that a fish is on the line, and pulling the line through the proximal end of the rod body and through the free line cast control and drag mechanism.

A fishing line guide system for use on a fishing rod comprising at least two fishing line guides or concentrically aligned guide rings to reduce the helix formed in the fishing line during casting including a primary or proximal guide ring and a secondary or distal guide ring disposed in planes substantially parallel to each other and spaced within a predetermined range or distance relative to each other.