Thoughts on the Hardy HBX, good rod!

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi Lasse,

I'm sure you know

Tip action rods flex in the upper third I find that anglers do exchange terms a lot. My feeling is that Fast, medium and slow describe the recovery of the rod, and tip-through action describe how a rod bends when it is flexed and loaded.

What rod do you like to use for general trout fishing, Lasse?

Thank you for the welcome!

Kind regards

Nick

Hi Nick

Sorry about the delay, travelling in the US.

Actually I don’t know, every single rod I have ever thrown will bend into the butt, but I guess you are talking about a "extra super fast" kind of sales blurp

Something like this:


And like James, they can all be thrown with whatever technique one likes

But people like Paul who spends days in a jungle having nightmares about ghost women coming to steak his rods, sort of dream up limitations on tackle, so I can see where you'd get the ideas from

The rod tip is basicly always pulling on the line when we cast, pushing a string is damn hard, and would be a very ineffectieve way of trying to cast

Cheers
Lasse

[nicholasfmoore]

The Arden stroke? I have seen a lot of people use an open stance or sideways stance for short distances. Just seems a bit strange to me.

[nicholasfmoore]

Hi Lasse,

I'm sure you know

Tip action rods flex in the upper third I find that anglers do exchange terms a lot. My feeling is that Fast, medium and slow describe the recovery of the rod, and tip-through action describe how a rod bends when it is flexed and loaded.

What rod do you like to use for general trout fishing, Lasse?

Thank you for the welcome!

Kind regards

Nick

Hi Nick

Sorry about the delay, travelling in the US.

Actually I don’t know, every single rod I have ever thrown will bend into the butt, but I guess you are talking about a "extra super fast" kind of sales blurp

Something like this:


And like James, they can all be thrown with whatever technique one likes

But people like Paul who spends days in a jungle having nightmares about ghost women coming to steak his rods, sort of dream up limitations on tackle, so I can see where you'd get the ideas from

The rod tip is basicly always pulling on the line when we cast, pushing a string is damn hard, and would be a very ineffectieve way of trying to cast

Cheers
Lasse

Thank you very much for the response! What are you up to in the US, are you fishing? That's awesome stuff, Lasse. I much prefer using a pull through stroke, but that's just me i see your point, though!

where about's do you fish, Lasse?

All the best

Nick

[Paul Arden]

Hantu Terek is not to be taken lightly, Lasse. She’s a very dangerous ghost.

[Magnus]

Hi Nick

When a rod used to say "5/6/7" my understanding was that the recommendation would be a #5 DT, #6 weight forward and a #7 shooting head. Would you say that was the accepted thing back in "tut" day?

Yes, Paul is of course wrong - see signature. That was how a few UK builders marked rods for line-weights. I was recently given a carbon fibre rod built in 1972/3 for my grandfather - 10ft 7/8/9 - he used for grilse and seatrout in the last few years he could fish when a cane DH rod was too demanding. The rule of thumb was the shooting head would be, in that case, cut from a #9 line. Head length would be judged by casting. Hardy, Bruce and Walker and others used that convention. That was often shortened to two numbers - say 7/8 with tackle dealers saying DT7 WF8 for that rod - American rods then came with a single line rating and it became old/fashioned or confusing to give broader line ratings on a rod - that fashionable tide seems to be turning in some odd ways.

Magnus

[Paul Arden]

Really? Wow that’s interesting indeed. I’m amazed that shooting heads were deemed so popular by B&W to do this. In 18 years on a pretty big public fishery I came across their use twice! I know the guys in the Midlands were more into them but they were fishing on the rudder.

Maybe their use predates my fly fishing beginnings 72/73 I definitely don’t remember. I started in 1980 where two line ratings were more common. When were shooting heads popular in the UK, Magnus?

Cheers, Paul

[Magnus]

To my knowledge shooting heads have never been that popular Paul. We tended towards WF, but there was a market for shooting heads for large stillwaters - that market was damped down on reservoirs when competition rules forbade the use of shooting heads. Hence I was out earlier casting a 120ft line 47ft head WF #7 fast sink head with floating running line - shoots like a barstool (as an alternative to another line maker) - I'm holding my breath to hear about the aerodynamics of this beast (You noticing how useless those threads actually are?)

I'm trolling through a Trout and Salmon from September 1974 - old mags are a pretty good source for this sort of ephemeral historic details. I can show you several adverts mentioning 'reservoir' rods with three line ratings from Tony Fordham for example, or Berkley 'behave well with all sizes from 6-10'. Then there is the Rayex Super Line tray. Oh and then there's the article from Geoff Bucknall talking about bank tackle adapted from tournament casting - his preferred kit at that time "I use for 80 per cent of my fly-fishing a light rod of just under 9ft coupled with either an AFTM 6 forward-taper line, or a size 7 shooting head." Page 40

Magnus

[Paul Arden]

Interesting. That I didn’t know. Right must go to bed -
Have had rather a long day

Thanks, Paul

[nicholasfmoore]

Interesting stuff! I must say, i remember reading it somewhere. Nice to see i've retained reliable info! Why were they banned by the way, was it not considered 'cricket' or was there another reason?

All the best

Nick

[Magnus]

Hi Nick

Competition fly fishing rule makers like banning things - it's their sport. For example, they recently banned the Squirmy Wormy from competitions.

Magnus