Now that is a great idea, seriously!!!! I look for that type of information online daily. There is no good resource for reviews of fly rods by those who fish the rods and do not have hidden agendas.
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Now that is a great idea, seriously!!!! I look for that type of information online daily. There is no good resource for reviews of fly rods by those who fish the rods and do not have hidden agendas.
We do?Quote:
by those who fish the rods and do not have hidden agendas.
Be sure and include all the different sytles of casting :)
Well, maybe I could find time to do that this fall if everyone is intrested. Might be worth while. If anyone feels strongly about what should be in it they could pm me. Remember, I have controversial ideas about rods and such but I could keep most of them out so as not to spoil it. I think it would require some interviews with rod manufacturers. Some way to keep the stuff logical too - so much is opinion - not that there is anything wrong with opinions - we all have them. If anyone else wanted to volunteer, I could be talked out of it.
Bob Bolton
dogtown and bob;
That would be one big data base!! How would you control it to make it understandable?!
I consider my self a good caster but, that is my opinon so my rating may not be accurate, This would be a very interesting project that's for sure. Maybe I can help.
I think duckster hit it with "Casting Styles". A short bio of the person reporting would help.
Yes a very interesting project!!
Castwell,
I didn't say that you do. I don't think a fly rod review database exists on this site in the terms we are speaking of. Reviews in magazines etc are never negative so they mean nothing.
How can any not have some 'hidden agenda'? All opinion is subjective.
And that's what makes forums like this interesting. There's the minutia that some believe is the cornerstone of fly fishing, while glossing over important topics like great lunch spots, senior discounts and equipment clearance websites. :shock: :shock: I say build the database so we have something to talk about when the weather gets too bad to go fishing. You can even interview me about rod performance. Since I don't know anything about it, I cannot have a bias, so everyone will believe me. Makes sense to me!Quote:
Originally Posted by J Castwell
Joe
Most fly rod manufacturing companies try to explain on their web sites what action their rods have and that is the best they can do since casting styles are so different among fly fishers. I think a data base of what actions a certain fly rod blank has would be more of a benefit to most. I see more questions from members asking what type action a certain blank has and I see a lot of questions and concerns on whether a certain blank will be what the rod builder hopes it will be once he has received it and built it. I have seen posts where the first time rod builder was not satisfied with the action on a blank after they have purchased it and built it. I know that I have been giving some thoughts to building a rod for the first time and I am hesitant to purchase rod building kits because I am uncertain of the action of the blank. My casting style requires that I use either a fast action or somewhere between med and fast. I know that when I do decide to build my first rod that I will take a lot of time and try very hard to build a rod with as few mistakes in it as possible because that is just the way I am and I would hate to put that much time into a rod and then not like the rod action and never use it and have to try and sell it. I feel that rod companies like St. Croix, Sage, etc. will provide blanks that you could use their description of the action and be safe. I am more concerned with blanks like RainShadow, Forecast, etc. because these are the kits that the beginner can afford at the start of their rod building adventure and then they can upgrade to the more expensive kits if they should decide that rod building is for them.
Just my thoughts and opinion and nothing more....
I have no hidden agenda, only to share my experiences with equipment. I think those that have a stake in the industry or a business that relies upon it may, at times, have a reason to skew their reports on gear. I like hearing information from those that use it but have absolutely no connection to the industry. Even if it is purely subjective, we all cast differently, target different species, fish different water, have different abilities, etc. I own rods that others would say are pieces of junk and that is fine, I just enjoy reading reviews on the subject by those who can honestly state how they feel about the gear they have used. It sounds like I am not the only one who feels this way. I have read and appreciate your reviews on products, but it is limited in scope, I go to sites like epinions.com or amazon.com etc and read reviews on products before I buy them. Usually there is quite a limit on fly fishing gear reviews on those sites. It is nice to say, "I am considering getting a TFO TICR rod"... Simply scroll down to that model, click on it, and read reviews from numerous people on the advantages and disadvantages of that gear. I think we all know that it is a matter of opinion, that is what makes it so intersting to me. I read reviews on gear that I have no reason to purchase all the time, just for entertainment value.
As someone who is new to fly fishing I think the idea of a rod database is a great one. As many have noted however the downside is that there is no empirical way to rate fly rods. Every caster is different so my rating of a rod may not be the same as someone who is a considerably better caster than I am. That being said I would love to see the industry begin policing itself in creating a "standard" for defining the action of rods. I currently own three rods and of those three two are classified by the manufacturer as being medium/fast. The reality is that one of the rods is definitely a medium action and the other is closer to medium/fast but many have noted this rod is more medium than fast. On the other hand my third rod is classified by the manufacturer as a fast action rod and from what I can tell it is a fast action rod as it only flexes in the top 1/3 of the rod.
I will be honest and say that I don't own an Orvis rods but I do like the fact that they have tried to quantify their rod flexes by creating a rod flex index. At least among Orvis rods a buyer can compare one rod another in their "flex index" and not have to worry about nebulous terms like "slow, traditional, medium, medium/fast, fast, etc.". It would be nice if the industry would adopt such a standard so that buyers have a way to objectively measure the differences between rods.
Just my .02
Brian
There is one. It is the CC system. Objective and thousands of rods. Created by Bill Hannemam
JC,
You are right, I had forgotten about this database. I think Dr. Hanneman's approach is unnessarily complex to explain flyrod action but that is just my opinion. Maybe we mechanical engineers think more simply than chemical engineers.
But the database is excellent. With cost #'s and in a database format so you can sort, the job is nearly done.
Again, I stand corrected. Right again Castwell.
Bob Bolton
I'm pretty sure that something like this is already underway. I was discussing this same concept with someone not to long ago at a show...a field review for all gear not just rods (which I agree are difficult to compare), by pretty much anyone who wants to submit it. His main concern was getting people to put out reports. I am supposed to get a link at some point, and will keep everyone updated. Its a pretty cool concept though...kind of like the reviews on amazon, except for fly gear.