underlining a slow action rod?

[k-bob]

You can often overline fast action rods and cast pretty well... For ex. put a 4 weight line on your fast action 3 or even 2 weight rod, it may cast well... Anyone ever try underlining a slow action rod, for ex putting 3 line on 7' 4 weight superfine trout bum? Thanks.

 

[turkey]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. You see examples of this with bamboo rods such as, "its rated a 5 but it really shines with a DT4."
I guess it also depends on how much line you have beyond the tip top or what length casts you're typically making. A rod might not load to your liking with a 15' cast but with 40' of line out it feels perfect. Anymore I just use the line rating on a rod as a guideline.

 

[k-bob]

Thanks. May just try it ... Maybe it would cast just a bit more like a fast rod and still have the full flex in fish handling.

 

[turkey]

I would definitely try it. At least with underlining you won't overload the rod. I do love those SFTBs from Orvis. Sweet rods.




edit: if you ever want to sell it, hit me up.

 

[k-bob]

Thanks will try to remember if ever want to move the 7' 4w sftb. I found some silver label 3w line I had and did some yard casting w the 4w sftb. Felt good w 3 w line and may let me cast with a bit faster motion. May be good for smallstream brookies on dry flies set up that way.

 

[krayfish]

You should be good. 1/2 of my rods are underlined and work well

 

[k-bob]

Thanks havent had it on a stream yet, but the underlined trout bum felt fine in the yard.

 

[Machocheese]

I pretty much underline all my older Orvis rods by default. I have a couple bamboos, a Golden Eagle glass rod and a few of their first gen. graphites and they all seem to do better down one line weight.

 

[sandfly]

rule of thumb from manufactures is one line size over or one line size under, other wise you can void warranty's. or put to much stress on the rod.

 

[PENZZZ]

Fly rod manufacturers aren't held to any standards when they label a rod a five weight or a four weight. So there will be differences between manufacturers' products. Add to that the fact that there is some manual sanding/shaping when blanks are made and you will have variability inside of a specific manufacturer's product line (differences in blank strength between two "five weight" rods).

This means you can test cast a demo 5wt fly rod with a 5wt line and love it, then the off-the-rack new rod you buy feels different when you get home. One way of determining the objective strength of a fly rod is the Common Cent System. I won't go into details here, but do a search and you'll find what you need.

Aside from strength (line carrying capability) of a blank, another objective measurement you can do is to determine where and how the rod flexes. "Fast" rods flex mostly out toward the tip and "slow" rods flex more deeply into the blank (toward the handle). This flex point will still be the same whether you over or under line your rod, so you won't affect the action of the rod by over or under lining.

Jeff

 

[RLeeP]

Although it has been literally decades since I monkeyed around with this, I have a pair of older Far & Fines (7'9", 5 wgt.) that I used to routinely underline with a DT4F later in the season when the water got skinny. The rods are both from the period between 1978 and 1982, so they're first generation (or maybe first and a half generation) graphite and pretty slow. They cast the 4 wgt. line as well as I needed them to. Distance is probably slightly reduced and delicacy maybe slightly enhanced.

I will say though that in retrospect, I'm not sure I accomplished anything by doing this other than demonstrating I could get away with under lining the rods. That is to say, in terms of actual fishing, I don't think doing this presented any advantages of real value. I didn't catch any more or less fish.

But sure it can be done and sure, it works..

 

[just_jon]

I purchased a 4wt 6'6" Superfine Trout Bum last July. Was looking for the 6' 3 wt Touch, as I own a number of other 3 wt outfits and did not want to spring for a new line, but the deal was too good to pass up. Lawn casting a 3wt line did not reveal any mjor flaws, but fishing for brookies in tight cover exposed a number of issues, most notably unusually large, open loops. Was also not satisfied with my bow casting. My fishing partner was using 4 wt which I tried after finishing for the day. The rod cast perfectly with incredible power and super tight loops. It bow casted very well. I would have bet a considerable sum that a 4wt line could not make that amount of difference, but I was so impressed that I ordered a 4 wt Superfine line from Orvis on the ride home.

 

[k-bob]

Jon... Your comments make sense to me, underling the 7' 4w sftb may be better for short casts with small or medium dry flies on a relatively open stream, but not so good for pushing casts under branches on a less open stream. Orvis just had a sale on superfine lines but I didnt get a 4 w one!