Overlining or under?

[OldLefty]

I've learned a long time ago not to attempt to express my understanding of a subject such as this on a forum. Way too much potential for omission of critical info and too much potential for someone to misunderstand what I mean.

I will say that, when it comes to the rod itself, there are two (2) factors to consider: action and stiffness. They are not one and the same.

Further, I believe personal preference in rod choice is very heavily influenced by the caster's level of proficiency. None of us are "perfect" casters - that is, we all have casting faults. Mastery of good casting mechanics by the caster can have a real impact on results whether casting a particular rod with the recommended line weight or a heavier or lighter line weight. Style, on the other hand, doesn't come into play here as long as it is not a style which would restrict the caster, such as casting only with the wrist.

FYI, I routinely fish a 2 wt. line on a 4 wt. rod later in the season. This is on a 9' rod.

I've demo'ed with a 6 wt. rod and a 2 wt. line and I would have no problem fishing this combo when conditions are o.k. for casting an ultralight line wt.

I've probably expressed too much already.

 

[JackM]

Since afish liked my post, and in light of Lefty's admonishment regarding leaving too much out when we try to simplify for communication, I want to acknowledge that it is true that a "fast action" rod, even when overlined, will not flex in the same manner along the length from butt to tip as would a soft, properly matched rod. But, it will definitely flex more overall, that is, "feel softer." The soft matched rod will curve more along the whole shaft, whereas the overlined rod will flex more than typical (when properly matched, thus feeling softer) even though the flex will be more pronounced toward the upper 3rd or so.

The point for me is that your casting stroke will need to adjust to these subtle variances, and I believe thay are often very subtle, and most of us, including me, will probably be unable to appreciate the difference and know what particular combination is most useful for a given casting circumstance. This is why except for my enjoying the soft-5-weight rod with a 3-weight line, I typical match line weight to recommended rod weight.