Longer Trout weight rods

[Chuck S]

"I think a longer rod will give you more tip speed. Think of the old crack the whip game. While the guy at the axis of the whip barely moves the guy at the end moves at very high speed and the longer the whip the faster he moves." If you make a long rod stiff enough and have the muscle to move it, that's partially the case, but as I said they take more muscle to gain that advantage. Many of the ten ft, single handed rods in trout weights are a bit whippy making the longer tip a bit useless as it bends and in effect becomes part of the line. I readily agree that reach and mending are definately improved.

[EdD]

Chuck, I'm not looking to start an argument, but I think that even a very slow rod might have fast tip speed if the rod loads and unloads properly. I have cast an exceptionally slow rod that loaded beautifully and with which I was able to cast farther than most other rods that I tried that day. I could feel the rod load, and I had to have the patience to wait for it to unload. But it really laid out beautiful loops when it did unload. It was decidedly a "delayed gratification" sort of rod. It did not come home with me because I needed a much faster rod to use in a driftboat.

Ed

[Silver Creek]

I('m)....... a guy who typically likes medium action graphite, and faster fiberglass rods.

Everytime I have handled and cast anthing longer than 9', I can't seem to get over the "tippyness" feeling. Just can't imagine casting one all day: even with the advances in rod design which have allowed for lighter postal scale weights.

Can you define what you mean by "tippyness". I can think of several meanings and I am unsure what you are refering to. I think you mean they fell tip heavy but that is just a guess.

[appalachian angler]

Can you define what you mean by "tippyness". I can think of several meanings and I am unsure what you are refering to. I think you mean they fell tip heavy but that is just a guess.

Silver,

Yes "tip heaviness" in a static sense, is a more obvious deduction. I was referring more to the 'feel' as line is unloading on the foward cast where the tip portion of the rod feels as though it is driving the line, rather than the smoother feel of a progression of energy transferred along the whole blank from handle to tip. Does that make more sense? A sort-of over-the-top feeling that seems to create a feeling of exaggerated follow-through, and often excessive tip bounce or delayed tip recovery.

aa

[DaleW]

I've gave a try to 10' rods and they are simply not my "fit" ... My favorite is a niner, it performs best the way I hack at it. Perhaps if I were to get into two handed long range casting (and maybe heavy lures), I'd consider a longer rod.

[drew03cmc]

I prefer to fish creeks and anything over about 8' is too much rod for me. I like 7'6" for a standard length.