Fly Rods - slow or fast action

[Paul Arden]

You should make a 14 and a 16 instead and see if it gets you 4 meters more

Since the 12 is already causing issues I doubt it.

[Walter]

Since the 12 is already causing issues I doubt it.

Is it a problem with spine alignment!

[Paul Arden]

Is it a problem with spine alignment!

Funny. I hadn’t considered that

[Lasse Karlsson]

You should make a 14 and a 16 instead and see if it gets you 4 meters more

Since the 12 is already causing issues I doubt it.

Sounds like designer issues

[Bernd Ziesche]

Which is best for distance?

Hi Lou,
I see two sides:

A) the caster
B) the rod

A) mainly varies in:

- physical strength
- prefered casting style
- level of fixation to whatever specific rod (being used most)
- ability to adapt to whatever conditions (both wind and different tackle)
- knowledge of how to adjust in the specific conditions

B) mainly varies in:

- how much does it bend
- where does it bend over the mostly used level of bend

These are only some of the variables I can think of, but are already enough to be sure, that there cannot be one answer to your question. The answer will always remain individual depending on A) and B).

Here you are on SL. That means you get many tournament focused answers. But no one fishes a Tarpon rod to present a dry fly to a 40cm grayling at the end of a MED 5.
I don't think it makes much sense to leave real fishing out of the answer. Because that's what flyfishing is about. Catching fish.
Regards
Bernd

[VGB]

But no one fishes a Tarpon rod to present a dry fly to a 40cm grayling at the end of a MED 5.

Not when they could use a #9 BVK and #4 GT90

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

You should make a 14 and a 16 instead and see if it gets you 4 meters more

Since the 12 is already causing issues I doubt it.

Or maybe the rod is really a 14 or 16 already?

But seriously Paul... how did you decide to write "12" on that blank?

[Paul Arden]

But seriously Paul... how did you decide to write "12" on that blank?

Well this one is a prototype and it’s not that I decided to write 12 on the blank, but rather that we want to build a 12WT!!

Next I’m going to softer it up slightly. After building we test it with 12 WT lines. And fish it of course. That 12WT is very well travelled indeed.

We have another of these 12s that Tim has been using to chase Sails and Marlin.

I don’t expect to finish this rod before I’m sailing and SW fly fishing full time. But maybe.. we shall see.

I expect the 9 to come out long before the 12, because I have more opportunity to fish these and can in fact fish them every day. 12 is an overkill here, although I did manage to pull a 3.5KG Snakehead backwards

Cheers, Paul

[Lou Bruno]

Bernd

Great reply. Especially this: "I don't think it makes much sense to leave real fishing out of the answer. Because that's what flyfishing is about. Catching fish."

I just hosted a clinic on distance casting at my local fly fishing club. I helped to teach the advanced cast group of about 8 casters. I saw many expensive rods and reel combos. All but one caster used the 45 degree off shoulder style. That group had severe tracking issues. The one caster used the elbow in front style. He casted the farest, had nice loops and pretty close parallel fly legs . He was the oldest guy in the group...late 70s or early 80s. Point being...his distance cast was all about the skill of the caster. He had a mid price range fly rod Temple Fork.

Lou