The Rod Loading Red Herring

[Rickard]

But some say I can cast, so I do not count, even if I claim I'm crap....

Cheers
Lasse

Im pretty sure we can see a strong inverted correlation in skill between casters claiming they are crap and good.

[Torsten]

Hi Paul,

But that's rather optimal stiffness, right?

Mechanical load are the external forces that you're applying. Let's say the optimality criterion is a flat tip path (during line acceleration), so the optimal load in this case is the right amount that would produce such a path for a given stroke.

Greetings,
Torsten

Optimal loading is an interesting one. I agree with all the comments above.

https://www.sexyloops.com/sparton/rodrating.shtml

Optimal rod loading with a shooting head does become quite interesting, because if you have ever cut back a DT to a shooting head with trial (and hopefully not error) then you will have an opinion. I know Lasse’s opinion will be different to Dmitri’s opinion. But it’s definitely there.

[Lasse Karlsson]

Mass is king, heavier line goes a bit further for almost everyone. That's why beginners love them.

If that was the whole explanation then why isn’t the recommendation to get a heavier matching outfit instead of overline to “load better”?

Because fishing with a 8 weight outfit screams crap caster, fishing with a 4 weight outfit screams streetcred (or coast cred...) didn't you know? And it's the number on the rod that matters, not the affta number on the line, no one understands that anyway, and the standard is dead and grams is better and stuff...

Psychology matters

Cheers
Lasse

[Paul Arden]

Hi Paul,

But that's rather optimal stiffness, right?

Yes I agree. But most people unfortunately buy the rod first.

Cheers, Paul

[Graeme H]

Because fishing with a 8 weight outfit screams crap caster, fishing with a 4 weight outfit screams streetcred (or coast cred...) didn't you know? And it's the number on the rod that matters, not the affta number on the line, no one understands that anyway, and the standard is dead and grams is better and stuff...

Psychology matters

Cheers
Lasse

Scribble out the number and write your own. You'll be a great caster in no time!

[Rickard]

Mass is king, heavier line goes a bit further for almost everyone. That's why beginners love them.

If that was the whole explanation then why isn’t the recommendation to get a heavier matching outfit instead of overline to “load better”?

Because fishing with a 8 weight outfit screams crap caster, fishing with a 4 weight outfit screams streetcred (or coast cred...) didn't you know? And it's the number on the rod that matters, not the affta number on the line, no one understands that anyway, and the standard is dead and grams is better and stuff...

Psychology matters

Cheers
Lasse

People are morons, nothing new. And I'm a crap caster.

[Lasse Karlsson]

Because fishing with a 8 weight outfit screams crap caster, fishing with a 4 weight outfit screams streetcred (or coast cred...) didn't you know? And it's the number on the rod that matters, not the affta number on the line, no one understands that anyway, and the standard is dead and grams is better and stuff...

Psychology matters

Cheers
Lasse

Scribble out the number and write your own. You'll be a great caster in no time!

Have a friend who fishes a rod he rated and wrote -1 on in protest he uses a 14 gram shootinghead on it btw

[Lasse Karlsson]

People are morons, nothing new. And I'm a crap caster.

Yes
And welcome to the club

Im pretty sure we can see a strong inverted correlation in skill between casters claiming they are crap and good.

[Merlin]

Scribble out the number and write your own.

Graeme

Is it what you did for the rods you designed for yourself? If not maybe you can tell us how you proceeded to get the desired rods.

Merlin

[Graeme H]

Scribble out the number and write your own.

Graeme

Is it what you did for the rods you designed for yourself? If not maybe you can tell us how you proceeded to get the desired rods.

Merlin

I didn't put any label for line weight on them.

I achieved the rod I wanted by understanding the characteristics of other fibreglass rods CTS had made for Epic. I spoke to the rod blank technician at CTS and asked how their own branded rods compared with Epic fibreglass rods wrt to taper designs (are they more tip-action or about the same?).

Armed with that information, I asked them to build a one piece 'glass blank with tip, mid and butt section "labels" that matched my ideas.

The first blank sent to me was perfect as the 10wt I had planned. As it turned out, the forgiving material characteristics of their 'glass made it a good rod for any line weight between 6wt and 12wt. When fishing, I use it as an 8wt, a 10wt (most common) and a 12wt, depending on the situation. Placing a line label on it is absolutely redundant.

I've been asked by 4 other people to make rods for them based on that blank. I have three of them in my own quiver, plus another that is a 4 piece version for travel.

I didn't use any special blank modelling software or spreadsheets. I just used my ideas of what I wanted to achieve and my casting experience. It worked out very well, even if I do say so myself.

Cheers,
Graeme