I have found that different "weight" fly rod blanks of the same brand and model blank vary widely in how well they cast. To put it bluntly, the 9wt. can cast like a dream, while the 8 wt. casts like a broom stick. Has anyone else come to this conclusion?

Absolutely. Depends on the designer and what any specific blank was designed for. Not all are intended for the same type fishing under the same type conditions.

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Every one of the dozen or so fly rod blanks I've CCS checked for power and action have been right at the high end of the power range for their weight designation. All the 8's are 9 or very close, the 3's are very close to 4, the 9's very close to 10. Every one.

They all cast well with the right line and at the right distance.

a lot depends on how an who but it together like Tom said ,

William Sidney
AK

I was thinking specifically fly rods and double-haul casting, not bait rods or trolling rods or plugging rods or . . . For some types of fishing let's be honest. It doesn't matter much what kind of rod you use - but it's still nice to have a good-looking rod!

It also depends on the fly line. A "heavy" 9 weight WF on the 9 weight rod vs a "light" 8 weight WF line on 8 weight rod could certainly contribute to what you described as a dream vs a broom stick.

Donald: I just received a $100 "9 wt+" line for my 9 weight rod. Double haul as I might it wouldn't cast cleanly much over 60 feet. I put this line on a 7 wt. rod and found it would cast 90
feet nicely. I suspect line makers label their fly lines for the majority of fly casters - who don't double haul. I would be helpful if fly lines were also labeled with the weight of the first 40 feet of line. Long back-casts and casts are not uncommon on salt water, and despite claims to the contrary longer is frequently better.

Phil, if you have not gotten into the CCS evaluating of fly rods and the weighing fly lines (method by Hanneman is very easy) I suggest you do. I think it will clear up a lot.

The power/action measurement can be done without resorting to the 4 x 8 sheet of pegboard.

One of the problems with fly tackle is that not 1 in 10 fly fishermen understand the relationship of line length to actual line weight. Most would assume that any "4-weight" rod should cast a 4-weight line equally whether the caster is holding 25 or 65 feet of line beyond the tip during the cast. Big difference in actual weight there.

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I'm not a fly fisherman, but what Tom just said is something I think non fly fisherman need to take into consideration when they are choosing rod power, as well. The weight of submerged fishing line can and will, depending on the power of the rod, put a pretty substantial bend in the rod. That's rod power that is being used in just moving the line. Add the weight and water resistance of your bait, and that adds up to a lot of rod power. It's why I prefer more powerful rods.

That,s also why it,s a good idea to use braided lines, much thinner and less line drag and more lure action or freedom of movement and still plenty strong..

You nailed it, Tom. Some fly lines have a head shorter than the traditional 30 feet and others have a head over 40 feet long. Some anglers never cast more than 30 feet of line and some anglers regularly false cast 40 feet of line. It would be nice if fly-line marketers stated the weight of the first 40 feet of their fly lines so that fly casters could match the line to their rod AND to their casting - and so that fly rod builders could build rods that match the needs and abilities of their customers.

I see it all the time - a guy walks into a fly shop and asks to test cast a rod. He goes outside and starts making long casts - maybe 30 to 50 or more feet and exclaims what a great rod it is. He buys it, takes it to his favorite trout stream and makes 10 to 15 foot cats and then calls the dealer and tells him the rod is no good - won't load.

And this is where a good custom builder can greatly aid the fly fisherman. You have to ask him where and how he's actually going to use the rod. If the guy is planning on fishing, small, narrow close in streams and plans to use a 4-weight line, the builder might want to provide him with a 2 or 3-weight rod so it'll load at those shorter distances. You don't even have to tell him - just say it's a 4-weight for small stream, short cast fishing.

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Small-water fly fisherman would probably be best served by line with all the taper in the first 15' and maybe 20' of running line. That would make it hard to swallow paying $100 for a 35-foot long line but it would make it much easier to get the best fly line for his fly rod.

Or let him buy a standard line with the weight concentrated in those first 30 feet, and have a knowledgeable custom rod builder build a rod that would cast that line at the distances the angler was planning to fish at.

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I think the problem is that rod manufacturers (and blanks) are all underrated at this time. It is like they are making blanks that are supposed to be say an 8 wt but are actually an 8.75 wt. The line makers are making lines that are also underrated except with different head lengths and tapers. The AFTMA standard was established in 1962 regarding the weight of the first 30’ of the fly line. The current more complex fly line tapers have made AFTMA standards ineffective. A new standard may help the current situation, but it will be more complex due to the complexity of the lines. What we are experiencing is an arbitrary value being assigned to a designated line to a rod/blank that also is arbitrary. They just don’t match up in and you may have to spend hundreds of dollars to find a fly line that will work perfectly for your rod. To compound the problem are inconsistencies in blank production. I would like to think that that if I spend a lot of money on the blank then it will have been made to be consistent with every blank made in that model, this is not always the case.

The AFTMA ratings are, as Lance wrote, 50 years old. Ounces and grains have not changed since then, but rod materials and designs, and line materials sure have changed - and forced line and rod makers to fudge their line "weight" information. The goal is to steer the right fisherman to the right line for the right use. Roll casters and double-haulers do NOT want the same weights or types of lines. More published physical facts about lines and less hype about them would be a boon to fly rod anglers. For example: how much does the first 40 and 50 feet of a line weigh?

Here we go, another business opportunity for someone who sees clearly the opportunity offered by the failure of others.

Dealing with complexities and variables of blanks and fly lines is where a knowledgeable custom builder really adds value! As mentioned above it is very important to know your customers experience level and proposed use of the rod.

Todays fly line offerings are well suited to the experienced fly fisherman who fishes for different species and venues. When AFTMA standards were developed there were not these variables!

Fly casters range from wrist flippers to arm-fully-extended-full-body double haulers. Wrist flippers don't CARE about the last 75 feet of line. Double haulers don't worry much about the first 15 feet of line, as long as it unrolls. Fly line vendors rightly assume the majority of fly casters don't CARE about line after the first 10 to 30 feet, but it would benefit big-water fly fishers to know the weight of not just 30' of line but the weight of the first 40', 50', 60', and even 70 feet of fly line. It wouldn't take much time to figure these weights or much ink or space on the new line box - maybe half a penny more for a $100 line box and the line in it.