You guys have been a great help in my quest for a new rod. Another question. Most all my rods currently are two piece. I don’t really have a need for say a 4 pc rod but if the right rod is available in say 4 pc would I be sacrificing anything by buying a 4pc. Do you folks think it takes anything away from the action?
Bill from PA
Bill -
I have 2,3, & 4 piece rods and they all do a fine job. One of my truely enjoyable rods to cast is a St. Croix 9’ 5wt 4 piece. I think today’s design & engineering makes all of these options viable. I believe it’s really a question of how the rod feels to you and will it meet your fishing requirements.
Three-piece graphite rods are being replaced by four-piece graphite as the standard. No action is lost in a modern four-piece graphite rod. Fly casters far better than I should be able to confirm this. If you find the convenience of a four-piece suits you and are ok with the price differential, I think the four-piece rod is the best choice.
Some people have told me that the two-piece rod is more convenient for them. For me, the ease of transportation far outweighs a few extra seconds putting the rod together.
Of course, in a bamboo rod or fiberglass rod, the number of pieces may affect the rod’s action because metal ferrules do not flex.
If you can tell the difference I would be surprised. I haven’t bought a 2-piece rod in over 10 years. They are a pain to travel with.
-John
I can’t tell the difference in casting, but then I’m not a great caster. I can tell a huge difference how much easier my 5 and 7 piece rods are to transport and store. I don’t expect to ever buy another 2-piece rod as a result.
The less pieces I have to lose, the better. Ideally I would prefer a one-piece for the best strength possible and then go from there. I don’t travel far or very often so multi-piece rods are not critical for me. If I don’t want to stick a one-piece out of the vehicle window, the two-piece travels inside just fine for me. So I don’t need more pieces to deal with if I don’t have to.
Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL
“Flip a fly”
I have never seen a 3-4 pc blank in a catalog that was not (allbeit slighly) heavier than its 2 pc counter part. There has to be a difference in taper of multi pc rods because of the ferrules that will result in a difference in the way the rod cast…it could cast better but there has to be a difference.
If I like a rod the number of pieces it has is my last consideration.
I have rods of 2-3-4-5-9 piece…I love um all. I only have minor thoughts with any of um…multi piece and their smaller package make them easier to transport…I also like a rod that breaks in the middle…2-4 pc etc.