Thinking of a 9’6" 7wt…but I have a 9’ 6wt and 9’ 8wt. Trying to figure out if there would be any advantage to having a rod that is a little longer. I’m considering a float tube soon and thought that maybe a longer rod would help me pick up line better. fishing for warmwater species. Anybody notice that they can accomplish something with a 9’6" that they can’t with a 9’ rod?
Janus
They can be nice in a float tube, especially when you’re using bulkier flies (i.e., poppers). They’re a bit difficult in the wind, and the extra length can sometimes make landing fish a bit interesting, but over all, I like a longer rod in a tube or canoe/kayak.
All I can tell you is I sure miss mine. It was stolen out of my van.
It was a 9’6" Orvis Trident (the older model that was around $600. new)
Mine was a 6 weight. Perfect for Toon, Tube, rivers, whatever.
If you do any kind of long distance nymph fishing or if you fish polish nymph style you will find the extra 6 inches is fantastic.
I love my 9ft 6inch rod from my toon as well.
Anyway any excuse for a new rod is good. :lol:
All the best.
Mike.
I prefer shorter rods of 7 to 8 feet in a float tube and generally find them more effective from a tube compared to longer rods. I came to this conclusion after several years of experimenting with longer and shorter rods. Most of the fly fishing kayakers that I know are now using the shorter rods availabe in the 7 to 8 ft range in sizes up to 10wt. It is easier to land fish with a shorter rod because it is easier to grab the leader and because a shorter rod reduces in the leverage advantage of the fish that is inherent in all fishing rods (think class three lever) . Some people like longer rods because they think it helps keep line of the water on the back cast. However if you throw your backcast towards the water, it will hit it regardless of how long the rods is. Also, if you think about it, does an additional 6 inches of rod really make that much difference in keeping line off the water on the back cast. You only have six inches of extra height if the rod is pointing straight up without a bend.
Longer rods will require more effort to stop, making loop control a bit more difficult. Thus I find shorter rods better tools when fishing in a stiff wind where tight loops are key to defeating the breeze. Longer rods will also be more tiring to cast all day because of the additional weight farther away from your wrist and arm. Leverage again. (Two handed rods are a different story)
Longer rods are helpful for the extra reach when mending and holding line off the water with short line dry fly and nymphing techniques. I like the advantages of longer rods for these techniques but do find it more tiring to use a longer rod all day. This again is due to the leverage issue.
I like long rods. … I have 10 ft rods in 8, 7, 6 and 5 wts. I also have 8, 8’6", 9’ and 9’6" rods in the same weights.
Longer rods are NOT for longer distance or heavier flies!
The shorter rods are easier to cast and MUCH easier to stop on the forward and back casts. The longer rods are useful for line control. 'fur instance, my favorite big trout rod is a 6wt 10ft on my home waters. I often fish medium to BIG dries, long leaders (22 ft) and need lots of line control (mending etc).
I don’t nymph, but I can see the advantage of the longer rod on many nymphing techniques.
I didn’t buy my 10’ or even the 9’6" for the tube/toon, but more for shore lines or rivers.
They are easier to mend and much easier on roll casts. They have their place for sure. Plus they are great on tubes/toon. That 6" does make a difference, at least to me it does.
Hi FG,
How does the longer rod work for midgeing/indicator fishing?
ed
Fine, but so do 8’ers. The longer rods work for everything. In other words they will do everything a shorter rod will do and more.
EXCEPT is thick bush and trees and narrow little streams…LOL
The big fish was hooked and landed with the Orvis TL 9’6" 4 piece 6 weight, intermediate line and a Hot Chocolate.
Like I said, it was my favorite rod till stolen.
Thanks for the replies I’m leaning towards going for it. I might not end up with the float tube but I am going to fish the shores of Lake Erie more this summer. It would come in handy in certain situations…now I need some 7wt line!!(it never ends).
Janus
I have to disagree a bit.
If you have the ability and strength to control a longer rod, it will cast further than a shorter rod of the same action.
A rod is just a flexible lever. The caster is on the short end of the lever arm. Because the angler is on the short end of the lever arm, the fly rod magnifies the motion of the angler. This increase in motion comes at the cost requiring increasing power to move the the rod through an equal arc as the rod gets longer. In other words, to move a 10 ft rod through a 45 degree arc requires more energy than moving a 7 ft rod through a 45 degree arc, but the tip of the 10 ft rod moves faster and farther, and therefore will cast further as long as the angler has the power to control the rod.
The very reason that fly fishers go to double handed fly rods as rods lengthen is because we need both hands to power the rod through the casting arc. The reason two handed rods cast farther is because of the increased speed and longer path of their rod tips and the increased energy provided by using both hands.
But nothing is free. What you lose with a longer rod is accuracy. Because the longer rod amplifies motion and speed, it requires more control to be accurate. As long as the target is within the nominal range of the shorter fly rod, it will be more accurate than a longer rod of the same design.
So you need to decide whether you want accuracy wihtin the range of the shorter rod or want to cast longer and have more mending capability.
I have to disagree a bit.
If you have the ability and strength to control a longer rod, it will cast further than a shorter rod of the same action.
A rod is just a flexible lever. The caster is on the short end of the lever arm. Because the angler is on the short end of the lever arm, the fly rod magnifies the motion of the angler. This increase in motion comes at the cost requiring increasing power to move the the rod through an equal arc as the rod gets longer. In other words, to move a 10 ft rod through a 45 degree arc requires more energy than moving a 7 ft rod through a 45 degree arc, but the tip of the 10 ft rod moves faster and farther, and therefore will cast further as long as the angler has the power to control the rod.
The very reason that fly fishers go to double handed fly rods as rods lengthen is because we need both hands to power the rod through the casting arc. The reason two handed rods cast farther is because of the increased speed and longer path of their rod tips and the increased energy provided by using both hands.
But nothing is free. What you lose with a longer rod is accuracy. Because the longer rod amplifies motion and speed, it requires more control to be accurate. As long as the target is within the nominal range of the shorter fly rod, it will be more accurate than a longer rod of the same design.
So you need to decide whether you want accuracy within the range of the shorter rod or want to cast longer and have more mending capability.
Honestly I want to zing it out there as far as I can. Blind casting really …the farther the fly is out and stripped back in the longer opportunity a fish would have to see it and take it…at least in my experience at certain lakes.I fish rivers mostly so this is a new thing for me and I am really enjoying it.
My preference for a longer rod has less to do with the ability to keep line off the water in the backcast (tailingloop is right on that one.) than the ability to lift line off the water for the backcast. I find a longer rod does that a little better when making long casts from my tube.
I wonder…I have been a proponent of that thought…however a recent experience makes me wonder…
Fishing a lake with a friend…he’s rigged with an intermediate floating line…I have a full sink intermediate…
I’m casting farther than he is [notice I didn’t say" further"]…
He’s getting more strikes than I am…
I shorten my casts and start retrieving sooner than I was and he is…strikes become equal or maybe a little more often…
It’s the depth where the fish are…fire it out there a long distance and it drops through the zone and then when closer to the tube/toon it comes through the zone…I think it’s easier to control the depth with a little shorter cast.
Naturally there are always exceptions.
BTW…I believe JC would agree with tailingloop…
quote: But nothing is free. What you lose with a longer rod is accuracy. Because the longer rod amplifies motion and speed, it requires more control to be accurate. As long as the target is within the nominal range of the shorter fly rod, it will be more accurate than a longer rod of the same design.
So where does muscle memory and practice come to play?
How about different rod weights and flex actions?
At what nominal range would you say the 7’ rod is going to have the accuracy advantage over the 9.5’ rod?
Also where does the Switch rod fit into this?
Right on Hardhat. I watched Dec Hogan nail a duck in the rear with accuracy several times(with a 13’ switch rod) In fact the duck was quite upset.
I think accuracy comes with practice and flat out doing it over and over no matter what the length of the rod.
If going with a 7wt, suggest you consider making a real differential move and go with a 11’ “Switch Rod”.