- Lifting power.JPG (19.8 KiB) Viewed 5138 times
Let’s consider two situations where an angler fishing from a boat tries to lift a fish with a given torque, once with a butt action rod (noted b) and once with a tip action rod (noted t). The butt action rod is supposed to be softer here (smaller stiffness). In each case his torque corresponds to a force (Fb or Ft) applied on him at a different lever arm. The torque being the same, and being equal to the force multiplied by the lever arm, the force applied on the fish is smaller for the rod with the longest lever arm, that is to say the tip action one.
Now if the fish goes under the boat the longer lever arm will be more convenient to try controlling the fish. So for the angler, the “ideal” rod is a compromise between lever arm and force applied on the fish.
What happens if he wants to use a stronger rod, let’s say 15% stiffer (one line size approximately)? If the rod is from the same series (either a butt action or a tip action), it means that for a given rod deflection the force applied on the fish will be 15% higher. But, and this is the key point, if the angler is unable to produce a 15% higher torque, he will never be able to take advantage from the higher
lifting power of the stiffer rod, the rod will likely be more tiring to use.
On the paper, the stiffer rod has a higher
lifting power but it may not be possible for the angler to produce the necessary torque. The challenge for the angler is thus to choose a rod which can cast the fly used for the type of fish he is looking after, and try to compromise between the various qualities needed: line number,
lifting torque, minimum lever arm for fish control, and other things I did not mention likely.
Depending on from where you look at “
lifting power”, understood as the force one can apply to a fish, two different anglers are likely to chose two different rods, mainly depending on their physical strength. A weaker angler will have difficulties to catch a big one on a high line size rod, because he will not be able to apply enough torque. If he can he should use a rod on the butt action side to take maximum advantage of his torque capacity, or he might even go for a rod of a lower line number, overlining it if necessary to cast the fly. Possibilities are numerous. Sakke is right, but manufacturers look at the problem from the perspective of the fish.
Merlin
