Quick questions for those of you familiar with fiberglass compared to carbon fiber, I have had very limited experienced with fiberglass.

1. Does fiberglass' 'stiffening effect' (for the lack of a better word) differ from carbon fiber if the two are of the same diameter? Lets say two rods exhibit the same power and action with a 1 lb load. Would fiberglass generally bend MORE when one increases the load - say with a 3 lbs load? This means that fiberglass stiffens up more slowly than carbon fiber. Curious why some say fiberglass has a softer feel.

2. What types of fiberglass is there out there and which has the highest strength to weight ratio that still behaves like typical fiberglass.

Thanks in advance for any help.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2021 04:34PM by Mo Yang.

#1 - If same action - both carbon and glass will bend same.
If same diameter and wall thickness the glass will bend more.
You're asking wrong questions.
#2 Many types - but for rod blanks "E" glass and "S" glass. CTS uses glass "S" glass.

Glass makes for a slower rod - i.e. bends deeper for a given line weight.
It also has a much slower recovery rate - not to be confused for a fast or slow rod.
Glass is also much heavier for a given line weight.
When casting a glass rod vs a carbon rod - one must slow the casting stroke.
Don't make it more complicated than it is.

There are wonderful glass blanks - and not so wonderful - same as carbon.

Herb



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2021 04:58PM by Herb Ladenheim.

Action is independent of material. Two rods, one of glass and one of carbon, both "fast" in action, will exhibit the same flex profile initially. From there it's really matter of how the rods are designed and built, no so much the material.

Now Speed is a different thing - two rods, one glass and one carbon, identical in both power and stiffness, will possess different Speeds. The carbon model will react and recover more quickly than the same rod in glass.

The final part of your question, I think, is that if both rods have the same power, will the same load cause one (glass) to deflect a greater distance than the other (carbon). The answer is no.

You can build two rods, one glass and one carbon, to have the same power and action, but they will posses different Speeds. If you build the rods so that they possess the same Speed, then they will possess very different actions and powers.

................

Thanks Herb and Tom, both of your comments makes sense. That's what I needed.

Herb, the only comment I did not get is you observation that 'Glass makes for a slower rod - i.e. bends deeper for a given light weight.' Do you mean slower recovery or slower action? I would think that you meant slower recovery but you state that the next sentence and your comment that it bend deeper suggests that you mean slower action. I am not understanding this as I assume that action depends on the application/placement of material on the blank.

Thanks.

An unfortunate leftover from days past, that we describe action with words that sound like speed, when rod speed is another distinct characteristic of a blank/rod. IMHO, Tom has it exactly right, but it takes some time and deliberation to see it.

So why the love for fiberglass blanks in some circles? Why not just make carbon fiber that weighs and recovers more slowly?

glass costs much less..

Glass is more forgiving in terms of abuse and in many cases related to fly casting, timing. Neither makes it better or worse, just different. There is no single blank material that is the "best." It all depends on what you're doing and which material allows you to do what you're doing in the way you want do it.


...........

Mo Yang Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks Herb and Tom, both of your comments makes
> sense. That's what I needed.
>
> Herb, the only comment I did not get is you
> observation that 'Glass makes for a slower rod -
> i.e. bends deeper for a given light weight.' Do
> you mean slower recovery or slower action? I would
> think that you meant slower recovery but you state
> that the next sentence and your comment that it
> bend deeper suggests that you mean slower action.
> I am not understanding this as I assume that
> action depends on the application/placement of
> material on the blank.
>
> Thanks.

Mo,
Do you mean this?
"Glass makes for a slower rod - i.e. bends deeper for a given line weight."
"It also has a much slower recovery rate - not to be confused for a fast or slow rod."

If so - My first statement was meant to describe the following: "My 8wt CTS has a slower ACTION than my 8wt carbon Affinity-Xl. Meaning that the glass #8 will stop flexing closer to the butt than the carbon affinity-X when subjected to a static weight."

My second statement means that glass will recover from its flex slower (no relation to the above "fast/slow") the carbon Affinity-X. The result of this is that the glass will produce less line speed than the carbon blank.
Herb

Herb Ladenheim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mo Yang Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks Herb and Tom, both of your comments
> makes
> > sense. That's what I needed.
> >
> > Herb, the only comment I did not get is you
> > observation that 'Glass makes for a slower rod
> -
> > i.e. bends deeper for a given light weight.'
> Do
> > you mean slower recovery or slower action? I
> would
> > think that you meant slower recovery but you
> state
> > that the next sentence and your comment that it
> > bend deeper suggests that you mean slower
> action.
> > I am not understanding this as I assume that
> > action depends on the application/placement of
> > material on the blank.
> >
> > Thanks.
>
> Mo,
> Do you mean this?
> "Glass makes for a slower rod - i.e. bends deeper
> for a given line weight."
> "It also has a much slower recovery rate - not to
> be confused for a fast or slow rod."
>
> If so - My first statement was meant to describe
> the following: "My 8wt GLASS CTS has a slower ACTION
> than my 8wt carbon Affinity-Xl. Meaning that the
> glass #8 will stop flexing closer to the butt than
> the carbon affinity-X when subjected to a static
> weight."
>
> My second statement means that glass will recover
> from its flex slower (no relation to the above
> "fast/slow") the carbon Affinity-X. The result of
> this is that the glass will produce less line
> speed than the carbon blank.
> Herb

Mo,
For some reason I am unable to edit the above.
So I quoted it and edited it to include "GLASS"

It is unfortunate that no interested angler/rod-builder has taken the trouble to actually measure the difference in line speed in feet per second or cast distance in feet and inches between a glass rod and a carbon rod. On the other hand, speculation is more fun than observation: what might be rather than what is.

Phil, it looks like your the only interested angler..so get to work!..lol.

ben: Nah. Instead I'm going to read and write about how "smooth" and "powerful" and "soulful" and "accurate" and "fast" (or slow) glass blanks are - or aren't. Numbers just confuse me, and apparently a whole mob of other rod builders.

phil, you love numbers..i think in a past life you were an accoutant..lol.