Bill, maybe you should have posted this on the recent "myth" thread, because last I knew, balancing your reel with your rod was an excepted fact.
I guess your sword fighting with your brothers trumps my personal experience
Bill, maybe you should have posted this on the recent "myth" thread, because last I knew, balancing your reel with your rod was an excepted fact.
I guess your sword fighting with your brothers trumps my personal experience
The simpler the outfit, the more skill it takes to manage it, and the more pleasure one gets in his achievements.
--- Horace Kephart
I'll chime in with Bill on this one.
'Balance' as associated with ANY fly rod is always purely subjective. It's only personal preference, and what 'feels right' to you won't neccessarily 'feel right' to someone else.
Dudley is absolutley corrrect, this should have been in with the 'myth' thing.
For me, the lightest possible overall set up is the aim, but it's NEVER critical with todays fly rods and reels. I'll not spend an extrra $25 to save a 1/2 or even one full ounce. Don't matter that much.
Don't sweat the weight of the reel, try the ones you can afford, and pick the one that feels best to you.
And, while 'balance' may be an 'accepted fact' there are lots of those out there. Many folks once actually believed the earth was flat, others thought it was carried around on the back of a turtle. Same kind of thing.
Good Luck!
Buddy
It Just Doesn't Matter....
I believe that on a fly rod/reel setup, it is better if the fly rod/reel (with line and backing), is somewhat butt end heavy.
When casting a fly rod, the fly rod is mostly in a vertical position. The reel, acts somewhat as a keel weight, if it is heavy.
I think the closest you can come to a balance fly rod/reel setup, is when the pivot point of the fly rod/reel is somewhere in the area of the handle grip region on the fly rod.
Your preference may be different.
~Parnelli
You might also want to consider the J. Austin Forbes Magnesium reel available at overstock.com. for $75 which is half price for this reel. I weighs 2.2oz and is a very nice little reel for that money. I own two of them and have been very pleased.
Just a thought...
Jim Smith
The whole rod and reel balance issue is 95% myth and 5% personal preference. The weight of the reel has no reel (pun intended) impact other than whether or not it feels right to the person casting it, and even that really only depends on what you are used to. Your casts should not be adversely effected by the weight of a fly reel, or lack thereof.
If it makes you feel better I was going to mention that perhaps it should go into the myth thread, but figured it was also relevant here.
Honestly, I was thinking of modern flyrods when I wrote it, but when dealing with modern rods and reels of only a few ounces with only a minute difference between reels, it's largely irrelevant.
The sword fighting thing was just making a point about how were all built differently, even dramatically so, what may fatigue one will be ideal for another. Now as to my qualifications, it's not my sword fighting past has nothing to do with it, I majored in physics. Fly casting has been studied at least several times and reel balance has been determined to have no bearing on the casting characteristics of a rod. Muscle fatigue and it's relation to fly reel weight hasn't been studied so much, but I'm willing to bet that for most of us (those who regularly with with modern rods) that handle shape has a much bigger impact on comfort.
Sorry Bill but I have to disagree.
I recently refinished an old cane rod.
When test casting it, the rod felt uncomfortably tip heavy, even with a medalist 1494 reel.
I went through my reels weighing them to find the heaviest one of a reasonable size.
I chose an old Bristol 24 reel that was a full ounce and a half heavier than the medalist.
The rod now balances and does not feel heavy in the hand.
This is not just personal preference, a balanced rod and reel is easier to cast and less tiring to use.
The simpler the outfit, the more skill it takes to manage it, and the more pleasure one gets in his achievements.
--- Horace Kephart
Reel Weight Vs. Rod Weight
I recently ordered a Dorber 2 wt, which has a weight of 2.9 oz. I'm shopping around for a reel, and have come across two that I like the looks of. The Battenkill Bar Stock 2 from Orvis (at 3.6 oz) and the White River Ultralite (at 2.2 oz).
I'd prefer to get the Battenkill reel, but I'm not sure if the reel weighing more than the rod is going to throw off the balance. Actually, I'd prefer to go elsewhere and get an even cheaper reel, but at least the Battenkill will come with free line.
jsalkas:
Unfortunately rod balance is a subjective thing and also has to do with the rod length, reel placement and even where you grip the rod.
The best advice is to WAIT until you get the rod and then take it with you while you try reels in the weight range you are considering.
[This message has been edited by Bamboozle (edited 23 March 2006).]
There are many variables when "balancing" reel to rod. The "dry" weight of the reel will increase dramatically when you put a line and backing on it.
The balance will change as you feed line thru the guides and out the tip of the rod. The 1.4 oz difference in the two reels your considering will be almost unnoticeable.
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