I am looking for advice on my 2nd rod building project.
Basic Info:
Since I have no need for a 7 or 8 wt rod I am thinking about building a 6 wt Fast Action.
My question is if this is a logical next step? Any feedback and/or advice would be appreciated.
Why do you not fish for steelhead and salmon? No rod? 8)
Work schedule limits my fishing opportunities to May - August.
Jeff,
You didn’t specify the length of your rods. That might influence some suggestions. I recently finished a small rod, 6’6" 2 weight. Wanted it for some small creeks I might fish. Really like it and I can get a long, by my standards, cast out there when I need to.
Allan
3 wt is a 7’ rod
5 wt is a 8 1/2’ rod
I guess one of the things I am hoping to find out is the functional difference between a “moderate action” rod and a “fast action” rod. Perhaps if I better understood the specific fishing applications of each I would be in a better position to know which best fits the environments I fish.
From the limit material I have reviewed I get the impression that the fast action is better in windy conditions???
AH HA just found this!!!
Advantages of Fast Action Fly Rods
Longer Casts - A fast action fly rod is ideal where the angler needs to make consistently long casts.
Landing Large Fish - A fast action fly rod makes it much easier, and quicker, to land very large fish.
Windy Conditions - Due to the high line speed generated by fast action fly rods, casting in windy conditions is much easier and more effective using a fast action fly rod - especially if used in conjunction with advanced casting techniques that help reduce some of the effect of wind resistance.
Quick Casts - The stiffness of fast action fly rods allow for very quick casts - something that is often appreciated by advanced anglers since more casts allow for more potential fish to be caught.
SO now do you consider am IM7 fast???
You write:
“Advantages of Fast Action Fly Rods” - According to who?
“Longer Casts - A fast action fly rod is ideal where the angler needs to make consistently long casts.” - Define ‘long’ and does this take into account roll-casting?
“Landing Large Fish - A fast action fly rod makes it much easier, and quicker, to land very large fish.” - It’s also more likely for a good trout to break off from a fast action rod. This depends on the technique(s) used by the fisherman.
“Windy Conditions - Due to the high line speed generated by fast action fly rods, casting in windy conditions is much easier and more effective using a fast action fly rod - especially if used in conjunction with advanced casting techniques that help reduce some of the effect of wind resistance.”- While I generall agree with that comment,distance of the cast required is important and may negate the advantage of a fast action rod.
“Quick Casts - The stiffness of fast action fly rods allow for very quick casts - something that is often appreciated by advanced anglers since more casts allow for more potential fish to be caught.” - Not sure if this is true.
“SO now do you consider am IM7 fast???” - I think ‘fast’ is in the eye of the individual caster. What I consider fast may be different from what a professional caster would typically say is fast which may be different from what you would consider fast. My point is that you should be comfortable casting a rod regardless of how it is labeled by the manufacturer. Also,there are ways of increasing the ‘fastness’ of a rod if you’re building it. The number of guides and guide spacing are two ways to alter the speed of a rod. Another is overlining or underlining.
These are just some thoughts and you should consider the water and the fish you’re after as well as the general conditions you’ll be facing.
Allan
I was used to fishing the Sage XP rods which I guess would be considered fast for that generation of graphite. Sage now has much faster blanks.
My first build was an IM6 that I just can’t stand – it came out ok but so slow compared to the XP that I usually fish with. I can’t stand the IM6 but that is just my preference. I’ll probably leave it out somewhere so it looks like I forgot it and some (un)lucky guy can find it and call it his own.
For the second rod I went looking for something faster - like the XP - but I didn’t want to pay for the high end Sage Rods (or similar brand names). I was ready to buy the Batson RX8+ which is considered very fast; however, they don’t sell direct. I went to a supplier named Dan Craft Enterprises in West Fir, Oregon. While speaking to him, he said he had a very fast blank that he has made (Fiver Rivers Series) and I decided to try it – and I am very glad I did. The rod is light and lightening fast and fund to cast. I now use it almost exclusively and the Sage stays in the tube. The price was also very reasonable and Dan Crafts service was also very good.
I think it is difficult to really determine what to get and how fast it will be. I don’t have access to different blanks to try out before buying so I have to take a shot in the dark. Especially if not buying one of the brand blanks.
I know that everyone looks down on the term modulus and would prefer to evaluate taper; however, I haven’t seen much in catalogs on taper and I wouldn’t really know what it means. Whereas modulus is at least something that I can kind of relate to. Also, terms like fast, medium fast, slow, etc. are all relative to someone elses perception - in my opinion.
Whatever you decide, have fun and good luck. This is a great site for getting advice and some of those responding have been very helpful to me.
Thanks for all your comments.
Since I live in Muskegon, Michigan I have decided to attempt some streamer fishing on the Muskegon River therefore I selected a 9 ft. ?moderate/fast? action 6wt. IM7 rod for my next project. Supposedly this rod will also be adequate for Bass fishing should I be inclined at some point in the future.
Again, thank you
I’ll second Dan Craft’s Five Rivers rods. A pure pleasure to cast. JGW