Are the flyrods of today too light?

[Thomas]

Hi everybody,

On a Swedish flyfishing forum there currently is a discussion about flyrods made out of graphene. Some say graphene is the next big thing in flyrods and as usual their promise is even lighter flyrods. But do we really want lighter flyrods right now? I can see the benefit of even lighter flyrods in the heavier line-weights but 4,5 or 6 weights? Do we really want them lighter than they already are? I dont think that a little bit of weight in the blank is a bad thing. It helps on shorter casts, rollcasts and speycasts. It also feels good.
What do you think?

Cheers Thomas

[piffilus]

Is that on Edgeforum? Could you tell me where to find that discussion if that's the case?
Peace!

[Lasse Karlsson]

Its on edge, in the tackle area under rods and its hilarious

https://www.edgeflyfishing.com/ipb/topi ... amla-spön/

Cheers
Lasse

[piffilus]

Cheers Lasse, I found it. It will be interesting to read.

[Lasse Karlsson]

Thomas, are rods really becoming lighter? Its a bit as they are getting alot stiffer etc.

The hardware is basicly setting a limit, making a 9 feet rod for a 5 weight line and getting much under 80 grams using a reel seat, cork grip and a normal amount of rings is damn hard. Personally, I like light rods but saving 5 grams on a rod, and then wearing a fleece because it's cold sort of cancels out each other (don't mention a wristwatch like the ones in fashion ) so we're not really seeing lighter rods, but alot of adverticing stating that they are lighter and accurate, and throws further, loads easily, makes you irresistabel for the opposite sex, or same or both, catches you more fish, makes life easier, but they still can't make a decent cup of coffee

Cheers
Lasse

[piffilus]

Hilarious indeed!

[sms]

Lasse,
Kevin builta a Red Truck Diesel #6 9’ and the ens result was 66,3g. He did use slide rings over cork for the reel seat and saved some weight.

Graphene composite or nanotube composites will probably be the next big thing. Using just a bit in the mix doesn’t really make big difference. But with these materials, there’s a big potential. And the rods will be very resilient if the resins are good enough.

[Boisker]

Won’t it reach a point where the reduction in rod weight makes no noticeable effect when compared to the weight of the actual line...
that’s assuming a 6w line remains a 6wt.... which may very well already be a 7w

[Paul Arden]

I think it’s an important attribute of a rod that it flexes under its own weight for short casts. There is a belief by some that the ideal fly rod would have no weight. This is obviously untrue. Apart from that I like lighter rods, but not at the expense of strength.

Haven’t checked the forum - at a casting/fishing weekend. Will have a look later!

Cheers, Paul

[Thomas]

Hi everybody,

Lasse, I do think that rods are getting lighter. For example, if I compare my old 6 weight XP with a friends 6 weight ONE I think the difference i quite noticeable. And its not just the reelseat and the handle. The whole rod feels lighter and stiffer.

/Thomas