Rod length
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tomgamber
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I have a 10ft 7wt I like. Fighting leverage on rivers and casting distance on lakes is why I like it.
JoeE
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I mostly fish an 8’10” 7wt the 10’ 7wt I don’t use as much I can cast bigger bugs with the 8’10”. I can cast and control 2 wollybuggers with it as well. But only a single on my 10’er. But then again that is why they make all kinds of rods and line weights.
Trails and trout
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PennKev
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The longer the rod, the less leverage you have. You are on the wrong end of the lever.
Swattie87
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That would’ve taken pcray til next Christmas to explain.
Never thought of that. Thanks
PennKev
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I used up my daily limit of words in the guide career thread.
dryflyguy
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Interesting.
I've always thought that a longer rod is better for playing out large fish
Kms
Active member
My understanding has always been that a longer rod is primarily for longer casts. I don’t know about playing out, but a shorter stronger rod is better for fighting bigger fish. Because as noted above, your hands are the fulcrum, and you’re on the short side of the lever.
PennKev
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Maybe, but it's not due to a leverage advantage.
6xAdams(Jones)
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I have absolutely no experience with a rod heavier than 5 weight or longer than 9'. Will heavier weight combined with longer length exhaust an old guy like me, who does more casting than catching?
Thanks.
Thanks.
^Yup.....no doubt.
Science: Clarifying the Advantages of Long Rods – BassBlaster
This one is a pet peeve of mine. And yes, it might just be a semantics argument, but I’ve got to rant anyway. Check out the catalogs, read an article or listen to an interview with a pro angler, and the first advantage they’ll mention when discussing their 7′ plus rods is how they get more […]
bassblaster.rocks
PennKev
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If it's a rod made in the last decade and not a total el cheapo... ...you'llprobably be fine..
Personally I think for most trout fishing a 10ft rod is advantageous from a line handling/reach perspective.
Now, when 10ft rods first appeared on the scene, there were a lot of rods that were very tip heavy and cumbersome feeling, but those are generally a thing if the past in quality rods.
With all that said I guess this a good case for test casting, or at least a lot of research before purchase.
I've thrown 7'11", 8'6", 9", 9'6" and 10'. The 10 footer will put A LOT more stress on your elbow and wrist. If you were mending over complex currents the extra length might be helpful but I don't think you need it for bass.
To me, a 9-footer does it just fine. Gives you a little bit of extra length over a 7 1/2 or 8 1/2 ft rod and isn't quite as punishing to your elbow and wrist as a 10-footer. I think the most important thing is to pair up the correct line with that rod and pair up the correct line with the types of flies and fishing you intend to do. I have a couple of older rods that I've matched up a line to and anyone that uses them has been amazed at how easy they cast. Still experimenting with another one or two rods to get those dialed in but I'll figure it out sooner or later.
To me, a 9-footer does it just fine. Gives you a little bit of extra length over a 7 1/2 or 8 1/2 ft rod and isn't quite as punishing to your elbow and wrist as a 10-footer. I think the most important thing is to pair up the correct line with that rod and pair up the correct line with the types of flies and fishing you intend to do. I have a couple of older rods that I've matched up a line to and anyone that uses them has been amazed at how easy they cast. Still experimenting with another one or two rods to get those dialed in but I'll figure it out sooner or later.
Clams
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Can't believe no one's made a Beavis and Butthead joke yet. Very disappointing.
dudemanspecial
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The thought crossed my mind.
TimMurphy
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Dear scs,
The short answer is no. The only advantage to a 9'6" or 10' rod might be in instances where you are wading rivers and mending line or wading a lake or float tubing where the extra length is an advantage as you wade deeper or sit lower in the water.
I have a 9'6" 7 weight rod I bought for steelhead. I got it because of better mending and line control, and it excels for that. I also have a 9' 7 weight rod that I use for 99% of my warm-water fishing when fishing a 7 weight. I'm not interested in having a 7-weight reel and multiple spools with different lines to make sure I have the right line for a particular rod. Both rods work great with a regular old 185 grain WF 7 fly line. Ironically, the 9' 7 weight casts a SA Sonar intermediate line weighing 185 grains just swell, even though the line is marked as a 6 weight.
If you have a 9' 7 weight you like just use it until you can make sure that the rod is not holding you back before you drop the coin on something new and wonderful. I'm 64 and still fish with fly rods that are decades older than I am. They still fish just fine.
Regards,
Tim Murphy 🙂
