What are advantages of longer rods

grouse11

grouse11

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Joined
Apr 29, 2012
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Other than for fishing on larger streams and rivers. When I decided to try fly fishing a year ago, my grandfather gave me an 8' fiberglass rod in 7wt that kind of resembled a pool cue. Once I decided to stay with it, I ended up buying a 7' 4wt rod. I fished that for a year and recently purchased the cabela's 50th anniversary glass rod in 5'9" 3wt. I see everybody using rods that are 8' and longer and wonder what the major advantage of a longer rod is.

Take into consideration that i do not fish any big streams. The biggest is a little over 30 feet across and I have no trouble casting that with either rod.
 
i couldn't tell you. my longest rod is an 8'-''6 8wt. my trout rod is a 6' 3wt. also used on a little creek and gets the work done.
 
Rods are like golf clubs in that you have the right tool for the situation. If I'm fishing in tight quarters on a mountain stream, a short rod will handle everything I ask of it. I am a big fan of short rods and own 5 under 6'6". However, they cannot do everything.

When I'm fishing larger water or a spring creek where you can expect to encounter high vegetation to your rear or casting nymphs or streamers, I prefer a longer rod that allows me to reach above and over vegetation or mend the line. My favorite fornthe above situation is an 11' 3 weight that can cast a dry better than any rod I own while also being capable of casting 3 heavily weighted nymph rigs or weighted streamers.


 
A longer rod gives you better line mending capabilities whether nymph fishing or extending reach casts with dries.

I have both short and long rods and will always fish the long rods over the short rods.
 
I agree with what has been said. Further, any rationale to spend more on fly tackle that is acceptable to the "boss" is good. Increasing (or decreasing) rod length in order to make for better angling in certain situations is one rationale. It also happens to be true depending on the stream and how you approach tactics, so you don't even have to lie, which is sometimes preferable when dealing with someone you love.

 
Greenweenie1 wrote:
A longer rod gives you better line mending capabilities whether nymph fishing or extending reach casts with dries.

I have both short and long rods and will always fish the long rods over the short rods.
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Me too. I fish the longest rod I can get away with on a given stream for the reasons stated above by GW.
 
When I first started Fly-fishing I had one rod a 6wt. 9 ft. Loomis IMX. I used it everywhere, but always had trouble with short cast, because in short it's a beast of a rod. It takes a lot of effort to load the rod, so it really is only effective for large streams. Other long rods I have are much better suited to small to meduim size streams, I have an 8 ft. 8 1/2 ft. and a 9 ft. 4wt. All have their place, but my most used rod is my 7 1/2 ft. 4 wt.
You may eventually find a use for a longer rod, but stream size is probably it for me.
 
grouse11 wrote:
Other than for fishing on larger streams and rivers. When I decided to try fly fishing a year ago, my grandfather gave me an 8' fiberglass rod in 7wt that kind of resembled a pool cue. Once I decided to stay with it, I ended up buying a 7' 4wt rod. I fished that for a year and recently purchased the cabela's 50th anniversary glass rod in 5'9" 3wt. I see everybody using rods that are 8' and longer and wonder what the major advantage of a longer rod is.

Take into consideration that i do not fish any big streams. The biggest is a little over 30 feet across and I have no trouble casting that with either rod.
Click to expand...

The latest generation of rods are much lighter than the older ones so fishing a long rod is much easier than ever. Shorter rods may be better in small streams / tight quarters, but longer rods have a lot of advantages.

There is no big casting advantage with a long rod, except roll casting, where a longer rod has an advantage. Also, he longer the rod, the more line you can pick up off the water and mend. In addition, you can high-stick or Euro nymph more effectively with a longer rod. Many of the nymph guys now use rods 10' or longer.

IMO, you will be at a disadvantage with only a 7' and a 5'9" 4 wt rod in most circumstances. (at least that's the story you can tell your wife ;-))
 
It's a 3rd class lever designed for speed not power. Longer rod more line speed. Line speed = distance. I watch those spey rodders in action and it's pretty cool how they cast and for amazing distances. I'd like April Vokey to give me a few lessons. GG
 
The more line you can keep off the water, the better off you'll be in most circumstances. More control, less opportunity for drag, ect. There are disadvantages as mentioned above, casting, getting caught in the trees, ect. It's a trade off.
 
Yep, the big thing is line handling. Longer rods enable you to keep more line off the water, better enabling mends and allowing you to get a better drag free drift. Especially important for high stick nymphing, where you're often fishing current seams across heavier currents.

That's why you see the spinning rod guys in Erie using noodle rods which run well over 10 ft. Those aren't big streams.

Here south of the mountains, where streams tend to be slower, it's probably less important.

There is a casting advantage if you're fishing big water, but like you said, most of the time that doesn't come into play. There's also an advantage when fighting fish, but again, most have little problem regardless of rod length in that category.

The bottom line is, what's the disadvantage? Most agree that brookie fishing is an exception, walking through thick stuff and casting with branches everywhere, short rods have their place. But on streams >10-15 ft across, there are no disadvantages of longer rods!
 
I think a shorter rod allows you to be more accurate on shorter casts. My dry fly rods are shorter than my nymph/streamer rods.

Longer rods are more forgiving in fighting a fish as well as the line management.


Like it was said before, a different tool for a different job. That said, I need more tools.
 
More than the length of the rod, it is the action of the rod that allows for faster line speeds. There are many 9’ medium action 5wt rods that max out at 45-50 feet and are not designed for maximum line speed.

As for accuracy, a shorter rod will be more accurate than a longer rod in instances where you are holding the rod off target at the grip. The reason is if your hand angle is off target by say 5 degrees at the grip, the tip of a 6 foot rod will be less “off target” than the tip of a 9 foot rod so the shorter rod will be more accurate, or more precisely, not as far off target as the longer rod.

The other reason why longer rods are perceived to be not as easy to fish at close distances is because most longer rods are modern “fast action” rods (stiff tip that gets progressively stiffer) designed to cast 60+ feet of line and are therefore far too stiff to load at short ranges. However, a well made traditional fast action or medium action 9 foot rod will perform just as well as a shorter rod at close ranges provided you’re on target at the grip.
 
I'm generally a longer rod guy and mostly fish a soft, 10 ft rod. basically the longer rod handles line control better when the fly is in the water. Longer rods do fine for dries too.

That said, for dry fly fishing in my usual spots a 7 1/2' 4 wt is a sweet option. For larger streams I like my Z-Axis 9 1/2' 5 wt. That rod can launch a cast and I can actually set the hook a good distance away.

I'm a rod junkie and collect pre WWI bamboo rods and fiberglass rods and fish them all. They all have their day.

I have played around with shorter rods down to 5 feet. They all cast well, but for rods below 7 ft long I have trouble setting the hook unless I'm stripping streamers (those 5 footers are Lil Streamer rods made for chucking streamers in tight spots). I bought a 6' Cortland fiberglass rod one day on the Housatonic. It was an October Day when the size 24 olives had the fish going nuts. The 6 foot rod softly dropped the flies on the money and I had take after take, but I couldn't hook up at all.
 
I only have 1 rod (3wt) that isn't 9' long. Clarks is pretty tight and I'll use a 9' rod there. If you've got some shorties in the closet already, you're due for a 8 1/2 - 9' rod.
 
I think I get what everyone is basically saying. I already have the short rods covered and should start looking for a decent longer rod to balance out my inventory. There is no such thing as too many rods IMO
 
You are becoming wise, grasshopper.

Time and a place for everything. Rule of thumb on rod length:

"Use as long as you can get away with, but not longer."
 
Which for me is about 6'. Even if there are no trees behind me, I'm snaggin' something on my back cast!

I jest, of course.
 
pcray1231 wrote:
"Use as long as you can get away with, but not longer."
Click to expand...

This is largely true and good standard advice for most I think. Just a bit of a different perspective though...I'm a short rod guy...part of that is the kind of streams I most often fish, but even still, my rod of choice is probably shorter than most guys on a given stream. For instance my "big" rod is an 8'6 5wt and I do most of my trout fishing with either a 7'0 or 8'0 4wt. I just like the casting options a shorter rod opens up on the stream, and am willing to give up a little in terms of mending and line control for the greater maneuverability and easier casting clearance in tighter spots. As mentioned before it's a tradeoff, and personal preference to a large degree. That said, looking at your current lineup grouse I agree with the consensus that your next rod should probably be on the longer end of the spectrum.
 
What are advantages of longer rods?

Wow! I can't believe noone answered "Just ask my wife." ;-)
 
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