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CHECK IT OUT
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RODS, THE MAGIC WAND
Fishing rods are a very important part of the fishing system.
They are the magic wands that help to control the fight with the fish. Rods
facilitate the cast allowing anglers to make precise casts. Rods flex to absorb
the shock of a fighting fish in order to take the pressure off the line.
without the flex of the rod tip, the shock of a fighting fish would be
absorbed by the line and cause line failure. Rods also guide the line during
the casting process as well as during the retrieve process. Rods actually act
as an extension of the arm. Rods consist of different actions that are suitable
for different conditions and challenges.
Actions are used to describe
the "stress" factor that is present in the rod. Generally, spin cast, spinning
and bait casting rods are described as having one of four actions. They are
ultra-lite, lite, medium and heavy. Some manufacturers describe a heavy action
rod as a "worm" rods. This is generally used for marketing purposes. Rods are
usually classified before all the pieced of the rod are installed therefore, when
the rod is complete with grips and guides the action will generally change
slightly. The best way to describe the action of a rod is to hold the rod out
straight and snap it downward. If the rod tip flexes along the top 1/4 it is an
ultra-lite; if it flexes along the top 1/3 it is a lite; if it flexes along the
top ½ it is a medium action and a heavy action rod flexes very little.
In fly rods, a fast action is equivalent to an ultra-lite spinning rod.
Medium action rods are the same in both fly and spinning, a fast action fly rod
is the same as a lite spinning rod and a slow action is a rod that flexes from
the grip to the tip. The action of the rod that is best suited for your use is
determined by the casting equipment, bait and lure weight
MORE FISHING RODS, THE MAGIC WAND
Today's modern rods come in various lengths, weights, actions and designs. All of today's rods have certain properties that
are common to all rods. These features determine the rod's quality. The
purpose of the rod is to work with the muscles of the arm to propel a weight and
to control a fighting fish. Therefore, a rod's stiffness, action, weight and
composition are important features. Stiffness and weight are generally
determined by the material used to build the rod while the rod's action is
determined by the actual construction of the rod.
MATERIALS
Modern rods are made of solid fiberglass, tubular fiberglass, graphite,
boron, bamboo and composites such as fiberglass and graphite. Other materials
are sometimes used but these are the most common.
Solid fiberglass rods
are strong and inexpensive. A good mix for most fishermen. There are
disadvantages though. The biggest disadvantage of a solid fiberglass rod is its
weight. A fisherman's are tires out rapidly with a solid fiberglass rod.
Tubular fiberglass, the most common type of rod, is inexpensive, strong
and easy to care for without being heavy. It's biggest disadvantage is that it
requires more care as it can be easily snapped. Tubular fiberglass is slightly
more expensive than solid fiberglass.
The graphite fishing rod has
become very popular over the past few years. Graphite rods are stronger,
lighter and more sensitive than fiberglass. Many tournament fishermen have
changed to graphite rods because the lightness of the rod allows for many more
casts before fatigue sets in. The sensitivity of the rod allows fishermen to
pick up on very lite hits. Unfortunately, the advantages of the graphite rod
have been overshadowed by its biggest disadvantage, the cost. Graphite rods can
cost considerably more than a fiberglass rod.
Graphite composite rods
allows fishermen to enjoy the best of both worlds. It exhibits the advantages
of a graphite rod while it is less expensive than graphite. Graphite rods are
rapidly becoming the rods of choice for fresh and salt water fishermen.
Ferrules are the connecting devices used to connect two and three piece
rods as well as a feature to determine the quality of a rod. Metal ferrules
were, at one time, the most popular way to connect rod pieces. Metal ferrules
were commonly used because of their inexpensive advantage. The biggest
disadvantage of metal. ferrules was that care was required to make sure the
friction fit remained easy to use, Metal rusts and requires constant cleaning.
Metal ferrules also created a "flat" spot in the rod as metal does not flex.
Shorter ferrules eliminated some of the stiffness problem. Fiberglass
ferrules, commonly called glass to glass ferrules are very popular and all but
eliminate the flat spot created by metal ferrules. The fiberglass ferrules
allow for a slight flex on the rod to smooth out the action and require a
tapered fit rather than a friction fit thus eliminating wear.
Handles and grips until recent years were almost
always made of cork. Now the more materials are available, fishermen and custom
rod builders have become more creative. Hypolon grips have become popular as
the biggest advantage is that the grip feels very comfortable in the hand. Many
custom rod builders like and suggest the rod grip be made of tennis grips, the
same material that is used on a tennis racket. Tennis grips seem to grip better
the wetter they get. The shape of the handle or grip becomes important for
casting and comfort.
Reel seats have seen big changes as stronger and
lighter materials have been developed. For years the "standard" reel seat was
made out of metal and usually chrome plated. The better quality reel seats used
a double ring locking system that secured the reel in the seat. Some of the
lighter rods used a plastic reel seat but these seats were subject to breaking.
Graphite composite reel seats are strong and now are widely accepted. Today's
reel seats are a far cry form the old days when reels were taped onto the rod.
Some bare bones surf fishermen still tape their reels to the rod.
Line
guides are a very important part of any fishing rod. They guide the line as it
"peels" off the reel and helps to keep the line in place upon the retrieve.
Line guides can make up a substantial part of the cost of the rod. Line guides
have evolved from stainless steel and ceramic to the modern guides of today
which include aluminum oxide, and other exotic materials able to withstand the
abrasion of some of the super lines and wire line. Guides can have one or two
guide feet depending on the rod it is put on. A single foot guide is used on an
ultra lite and some lite rods. Because they only have a single foot, they are
less likely to affect the action of the rod. Guides are secured to the rod by
wrapping thread around the guide foot and the rod. The "wraps" are coated with
a color preserver and then protected with one to several coats of a vanish or
epoxy. Each time a wrap is made around a guide foot to secure it to the rod,
the results are a secure guide and a slight stiffening of the rod blank. Guides
must withstand the constant abrasion of the new super braided lines. In order
to do this the guides must be made from a hard materiel. If stainless steel,
which is a soft material, is used the line will cut grooves into the guide.
Ceramic guised were the first hard guides to be used and they worked quite
well. The biggest disadvantage of ceramic guides were their weight. Often
times the weight of the guides weighed more than the rest of the rod. Newer,
harder and lighter guides were developed. Years ago, roller guides were used on
heavy. Offshore and big game rods. Although some offshore and big game anglers
continue to use roller guides, the trend today is to move the newer guides that
are stronger and lighter than ever before.
The new and hard guides of
today work to reduce the friction created by the line as it passes through the
guides and helps to increase casting distance. The number of guides that are
placed on a rod will vary. Too many guides slows down the line during a cast
and too few guides will cause the line to slap against the rod blank decreasing
the distance of the cast. There is no hard and fast rule to determine the
number of guides placed on a rod but they should work to gradually bring the
line off the reel into a cone as it reaches the tip top of the rod.
Basic care and storage is required in order to keep your fishing gear in
good shape and to avoid failure. A quality rod will last a long time if it is
cared for properly. Rods should be wiped off with a damp cloth after every use.
Guides should be inspected periodically for wear and if needed replaced.
Handles and reel seats should be inspected for wear, rust, corrosion and
cracks. Handles should be cleaned with soapy water and guide wraps or windings
should be inspected for wear and breaks. If needed the wraps should be redone
to avoid problems. If the finish is cracked, refinish to avoid moisture from
getting under the finish and causing the thread to rot. A little care now will
prevent an expensive replacement later. Rods should be stored in an upright
position with no bends in the rod. If bends are visible the bend could become
permanently set in the rod. A quality rod is a tool that deserves to be treated
with care. The way you treat your gear today will determine how your gear will
treat you tomorrow.
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