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Stuff around the handle

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bartdezwaan
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Stuff around the handle

#1

Post by bartdezwaan »

I see quit some competition casters with the cork taped.
What kind of stuff is used for this and what is the advantage?

Cheers, Bart
Michal Duzynski
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Stuff around the handle

#2

Post by Michal Duzynski »

Hi Bart
It is tennis racket grip tape
( mostly) and it improves your grip.
Helps with sweaty hands on the cork when emotions take over.
Im using 2mm one...

Mike
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Paul Arden
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Stuff around the handle

#3

Post by Paul Arden »

The Swedes are using vulcanising plumbing tape. It’s for grip. Stefan covered my HT10. I haven’t decided if I prefer it or not but it’s still there. :D

Cheers, Paul
It's an exploration; bring a flyrod.

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Lasse Karlsson
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Stuff around the handle

#4

Post by Lasse Karlsson »

I use squash racket tape, beats cork all and any day, it's on my fishing rods too, swapped over in '10 after a fishing trip with Ulrik and Stefan where I borrowed Stefans rod with it on. Gets worn down after a while, then it's a 30 second job changing it :blush:

You can get shrinkwrap too...

Cheers
Lasse
Your friendly neighbourhood flyslinger

Flycasting, so simple that instructors need to make it complicated since 1685

Got a Q++ at casting school, wearing shorts ;)
Boisker
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Stuff around the handle

#5

Post by Boisker »

Lasse Karlsson wrote:I use squash racket tape, beats cork all and any day, it's on my fishing rods too...
Sacrilege... You’re going straight to hell... :D :D :D :D
You’ll be pro-plastic cork and screw top wine bottles next :D :D
Thomas
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Stuff around the handle

#6

Post by Thomas »

Boisker wrote:
Lasse Karlsson wrote:I use squash racket tape, beats cork all and any day, it's on my fishing rods too...
Sacrilege... You’re going straight to hell... :D :D :D :D
You’ll be pro-plastic cork and screw top wine bottles next :D :D

I use racket tape as well for all of my rods except the for the soft ones for stream work. I love the look and feel of high quality cork but it is not a good material for handles on flyrods. Its far too slippery. With racket tape on the handle you can relax the muscles in your hand more and still have good control over the rod. Its good for casting and fishing!

If I were manufacturing rods I would try hard to find a material that (1) offered a better grip than cork (more friction) and (2) were pleasing to the eye. That would be a real advancement in the design of flyrods! I really dont like to wrap ugly racket tape on the handle of a beautiful flyrod but I do it anyway...

Loop had an alternative to cork a couple of years ago called x-grip. The grip was much better than cork but it was heavy and not very classy looking.

Roddesigners of the world, get to work!

Cheers

Thomas
Boisker
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Stuff around the handle

#7

Post by Boisker »

Reddington had a different handle on some rods as well... I seem to remember you could get them with a red handle. I never fished with one, but spent some time casting with one and it was comfortable enough but not an earth shattering improvement for me.

I can see tape wrapping would be an advantage for distance casting, hot sweaty salt flats etc... rarely an issue for me in the U.K, I rarely cast more than 40’ fishing and it’s even more rare that it’s hot and sweaty :D
crunch
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Stuff around the handle

#8

Post by crunch »

I assume if cork gets wet it stay moist longer under tape? Have you noticed any "rotting" symptoms?

Perhaps glass or carbon fiber coated foam handles could make comeback with tape?

Esa
Thomas
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Stuff around the handle

#9

Post by Thomas »

Boisker wrote:Reddington had a different handle on some rods as well... I seem to remember you could get them with a red handle. I never fished with one, but spent some time casting with one and it was comfortable enough but not an earth shattering improvement for me.

I can see tape wrapping would be an advantage for distance casting, hot sweaty salt flats etc... rarely an issue for me in the U.K, I rarely cast more than 40’ fishing and it’s even more rare that it’s hot and sweaty :D
:laugh: I live in Sweden so I know what you are talking about! Its not exactly hot and sweaty here neither!

But I do prefer racket tape on heavy rods and on lighter rods that still will be used in heavy winds - like say a fast 6-weight. Racket tape helps in situations were heavy winds are pulling and pushing on your rod when casting. Try it!

Cheers

Thomas
Thomas
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Stuff around the handle

#10

Post by Thomas »

crunch wrote:I assume if cork gets wet it stay moist longer under tape? Have you noticed any "rotting" symptoms?

Perhaps glass or carbon fiber coated foam handles could make comeback with tape?

Esa
Hi Esa,

I have thought about that as well but have not yet noticed any "rotting".

Cheers

Thomas
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