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Rod reviews

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piffilus
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Rod reviews

#1

Post by piffilus »

I just clicked the link to Fly Fishers Pro and their page title "What are the Best Fly Rods in 2019?" There I saw a summary of the pro's and cons of the rods tested. I guess that they want to sell rods so probably there is marketing bullshit mixed in their reviews but it made me curious.

What makes me write this is that I don't have much experience of that many rods and when I read about the cons of some rods they list "less accuracy in the short range" or "great accuracy". I thought accuracy depends more on how accurate the caster is than how accurate the rod is. I read that Steve Rajeff? used a very soft/slow rod in the WC and won with high points. Would a soft/slow rod be easier to cast accurately with than a fast rod?

Cheers, Piffen
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Paul Arden
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Re: Rod reviews

#2

Post by Paul Arden »

I don’t know what the Norwegians use, but I do know the US team use what I think most would describe as soft rods. I think that the same applies to the Australians although hopefully John can chime in.

If they selling rods it’s not independent. Yellowstone Angler approached me (years ago) because they wanted to put the HT in, I said I’m sorry we don’t have the margins for shops. I knew full well in that case they wouldn’t want it and that was Indeed the answer!

The one thing that I would like to see, which we are not going to see, is retailer margins :laugh: History with suppliers would be another one. And maybe customer service with repairs.

Look they’re in business so I understand it and it’s more apparent in these cases where they are selling the gear that it is tied to marketing. When you look at reviews in magazines (not all, but certainly most) then you also have to look to see what is being advertised and how big an advert they are buying.

About 20 years ago a friend and I considered redoing T&S reviews the week after publication. We didn’t do that and probably just as well :laugh:

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

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Lasse Karlsson
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Re: Rod reviews

#3

Post by Lasse Karlsson »

It's the caster not the rod.

What competition casters use have more to do with repetition and familiarity than the rod delivering more accurate than the next one, we are talking about a bendy stick used to drag a line through the air...

Rods are the hardest thing to sell, after all its not doing much more than a hammer does when you drive nails into a wall, but marketing would like to have you believe it does much more than that 😉

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

Got a Q++ at casting school, wearing shorts ;)
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Graeme H
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Re: Rod reviews

#4

Post by Graeme H »

I love that analogy Lasse. I hope you don't mind if I steal it.

Cheers,
Graeme
FFi CCI
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Paul Arden
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Re: Rod reviews

#5

Post by Paul Arden »

Hi Lasse,

There are actually advantages with a softer rod for this game. The stroke is longer, the tip travel is longer, you have more time. Line speed compared to hand speed is slower relative to faster rods. In Cumbria however when the wind was... how shall I put it, much more active... the US team used stiffer rods.

Believe me, if they are heavily involved in leader configuration, they have definitely experimented with rod stiffness!

Something I’ve noticed with softer rods is you don’t get the hand cramps from having to stop so much of the lever immediately. It’s a much more comfortable rod for repeated hovering.

FWIW I’ve gone from HT6 to HT4 for this game. Of course I agree that “it’s what you are used to” to an extent. But the real matter is what happens when you get used to something else and then making the comparison.

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

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piffilus
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Re: Rod reviews

#6

Post by piffilus »

Paul: Of course they sell the rods and Before I bought I bought my first rod I read the Yellowstone Anglers review and believed them. Then I happened to stumble upon Sexyloops and some things came to light.

Lasse: When I worked as a carpenter I had certain favourite hammers within the same given weight (not AFFTA) :D

Thanks for clarifying this for me, my friends.
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Lasse Karlsson
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Re: Rod reviews

#7

Post by Lasse Karlsson »

Paul Arden wrote: Fri Dec 13, 2019 2:10 pm Hi Lasse,

There are actually advantages with a softer rod for this game. The stroke is longer, the tip travel is longer, you have more time. Line speed compared to hand speed is slower relative to faster rods. In Cumbria however when the wind was... how shall I put it, much more active... the US team used stiffer rods.


Cheers, Paul

Have you got some real world data to back those claims up?



:upside:

I agree that tendency to get a hand cramping up probably is less, most get a death grip on a stiffer rod (and not the Karlsson one) , being fully focused on a target for several minutes doesn't help either, so a softer rod probably helps.

There's also such a thing as mind games 😉

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

Got a Q++ at casting school, wearing shorts ;)
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Lasse Karlsson
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Re: Rod reviews

#8

Post by Lasse Karlsson »

piffilus wrote: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:51 pm
Lasse: When I worked as a carpenter I had certain favourite hammers within the same given weight (not AFFTA) :D

Thanks for clarifying this for me, my friends.
Do Carpenters still use hammers 😉
I'm a painter by trade, I have favorit brushes, but thats the same as having a favorite rod, it still doesn't paint (throw) by itself, and no brush makes a straight line when my hand doesn't... 😉

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

Got a Q++ at casting school, wearing shorts ;)
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Lasse Karlsson
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Re: Rod reviews

#9

Post by Lasse Karlsson »

Graeme H wrote: Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:50 pm I love that analogy Lasse. I hope you don't mind if I steal it.

Cheers,
Graeme
Steal away 🙂

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 ;)
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Re: Rod reviews

#10

Post by Geenomad »

piffilus wrote: Fri Dec 13, 2019 6:35 am What makes me write this is that I don't have much experience of that many rods and when I read about the cons of some rods they list "less accuracy in the short range" or "great accuracy". I thought accuracy depends more on how accurate the caster is than how accurate the rod is.
A long time ago in another of my lives I worked as a carpenter's labourer. Pneumatic nail guns were just appearing. I bought an Estwing. It's still my favourite. It has driven thousands of nails from tacks to 75mm and 100mm bullet heads by the box. If somebody said you don't need an Estwing, you just need a hammer, here use this crappy ball peen with the plastic handle I wouldn't pay any attention.

I don't own a lot of fly rods but I like what I use. A couple are classics ie renowned among anglers as being special. My best source of review are the opinions of people I know and who tend to share my preferences in rods. They narrow the field but the choice is always made by me after testing. Are there rods out there that are "better" than mine? Possibly, but who cares?

Reading internet reviews of fly rods rates no higher with me than puff pieces on a performer who has just released new work and is promoting it. The idea that a fly rod determines casting accuracy rates with the idea that if you buy an Estwing you will hit the nail on the head more often. :)

Cheers
Mark
"The line of beauty is the result of perfect economy." R. W. Emerson.
https://thecuriousflycaster.com
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