Overlining question

[Joe Valencic]

I didn't want to highjack the thread about "0wt" and smaller blanks, so I'll start this thread.

It seems more and more people are overlining todays fast blanks just to get them to load and cast decently. This leads me to the question of wether or not the blanks are actuall the line wt they are being sold as. I have a Dan Craft 1wt that is so fast it needs a 3wt line to load and cast decently, and my 4-piece 2wt needs a 3wt to load at all, and a 4wt to cast nicely. Any thoughts on this? Are the manufacturers intentionally mislabeling the blanks or is there something else going on here that I don't understand? So much to learn...so little time.

Joe

[ducksterman]

Since it's been an hour and noone has said anything ...I will....I am far from an expert but these are thoughts that occur to me....

It seems to me it's a good basic question but folks that should know have said they no longer see manufactured rods that don't cast the designated wt the best....right JC?....but maybe rod blanks are different...

I would think that when a person says a rod wants overlining or not it is really the individual's casting style that does.

I'm not a light rod person but I can imagine this scenario.....the fishing conditions don't demand long casts when one choses to use a o/1/2/3/ wt rod so is there a tendency not to carry 30ft in the air??????

[fishbum]

I think you hit the nail on the head ducksterman. These plastic rods are very fast and it is difficult to feel the rod loading with a short line out. Sorta like trying to load a broom stick with a clothesline rope for a line. My opinion is that for these tiny little rods, bamboo really shines. I made a 2 weight for a fellow this spring and it is great from 4 foot to 40 foot. The threes forus and fives I make are the same way. I don't know that I would care to make a 1 weight or a 0 weight in bamboo. Maby glass would be a better choice.

Good fishing to ya

fishbum

[iflysw]

Joe,
I always believed that rod manufactures underlined there rods/blanks to protect there warranty. That's just my two cents.If you give a rod to a novice that loads a rod taper well into the blank it could fracture if to much line is out past the point of recovery.One time many years ago I watched a very well known flycaster at a sports show throw a line across the casting pool, every one was impressed with the distance and ease.I later found out the rod was a 7 wt. and line 9wt.
How's that for an allusion.
As for myself i always go at least one number up on a fast taper blank/rod.

[SMClark]

It sure was a relief to read this. Just got my first graphite rod (TFO 4wt), got really nervous when I tried to throw it with SA 4wt line. Bought a 5wt line at the same time, so hopefully that?ll improve things, and now I?ll be keeping my eyes open for a 6wt, just in case . . .

?smc?

[Bamboozle]

Bamboo & glass while sweet casting rods get kind of weird in the super light line weights. Try and get your hands on a Leonard Catskill Fairy or 36L sometime and you will see what I mean; VERY scary; extremely slow and we're NOT talking about a 1 wt.

The mass of cane causes issues with action when you try and combine feel or loading with the ability to throw a respectable amount of 0-2wt line. I have bamboo rods that were built as 4wts; but most people who have test cast them tell me they would use a 2 or 3 wt on them because they are not used to s-l-o-w. So in this case; they would underline the rod so possibly a 3wt to them is REALLY a 4wt to the builder.

Glass in very light line weights can also get "floppy" if you try and get it to have enough backbone to cast a decent line but load at short distances. It's the reason you just don't see glass rods in those line weights. I have a few 3wt glass rods that are awesome and probably could cast a 2wt or even a 1 weight line but again; it isn't the designed line weight and I don't do the underline or over-line thing; I just buy ANOTHER rod.

As much as I hate graphite; it has the ability when designed properly to have the backbone to throw 0-2 wt lines without the sloppiness that SOMETIMES plagues grass or glass in the super light line weights. I just think that a lot of the modern blank builders just got it wrong and make EVERYTHING too fast.

If you ever get the opportunity to cast either a 7'6" 3wt Winston DL4 or an 8'0" Winston DL4 you will see that even though these are 3wts; they COULD easily throw a 2wt or possibly less they have so much flex. So graphite with feel in light line weights does exist; it's just not common.

JMHO

[MontanaMoose]

Well said Bamboozle and now I have a better understanding of it all. Thank you !

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[Orthoman]

I just finished a 10ft. 8 wt. Dan Craft --- and just for fun, tried the "common cents" method of trying to figure out the "actual" line wt. needed.

An earlier 6 wt. Dan Craft Five Rivers cast best with at least a 7 wt. line. Still a great rod.

The 10ft. 8wt charted out to be something like a a 12 wt. rod. Although cast fair with 8 wt. line.

However, does anyone know if the common cents method applies to a 10 ft rod or only to 9 ft rods?

Interesting thread.

[flyandtie]

i just buy the SA GPX for my CANNON rods. i buy the line weight its rated for lets say my 6 weight. and i just get the 6weight sa line and its a half a line size heavier to properly load the rod. my rod loves that line.

[jkurtz7]

Hello,
Many of the fast graphite rods today are in fact labeled one, two, or even more line weights lighter than they really are. This may have to do with the whole "parking lot" mentality. This is very apparent if one looks at the Common Cents System data base. Many of todays rods are designed by tournament casters who only know how to cast long distances. Rods are now being designed to fully load with the specified line weight out at 60 feet or more instead of the standard 30 feet. I for one can't stand rods that are broom stick stiff line cannons. They have no feel or finesse. 95% of the fish I catch are inside of 40 feet, so I want a rod that loads well at 10 to 50 feet. The main problem I see is that the rod buying public is gobbling up these worthless distance casting rods. The rods with good tapers for actual fishing are starting to disappear.

Jeremy