I think Spencer's post nails it. Fly casting distance depends entirely upon line speed, not rod speed. A fly rod stiff enough not to "fold up" at the end of the cast, no bending of the wrist in the cast, and a short, brisk double-haul should easily provide you with 90 foot fly casts.
Forum: rodboard

A rod pulls (doesn't push) the line. A spinning rod or casting rod can cast only as far as the caster can speed his rod swing. See for yourself: a casting or spinning rod is bent BACKWARD to its greatest extent at the moment the caster releases the line. A fly caster casts his line, not a lure or a sinker, but he can cast a greater distance than just rod speed will produce by "hauling"
Forum: rodboard

The harmonic period of a rod blank gives solid information of how a rod built on that blank will feel and respond. Harmonics aren't a question of individual or advertising opinions, it's science. Rod marketers prefer not to provide useful scientific facts about the physical qualities of their blanks. Instead, you are promised blank or rod with a "smooth" or "fast" or "p
Forum: rodboard

There is a never-ending supply of butt sections of broken rods, while sandpaper and contact cement is cheap. I find a section of a broken rod about one quarter inch thinner than butt diameter of the rod I'm building. I cut 1/2" wide strips from a piece of #80 grit sandpaper and coat the broken rod blank and back of the sandpaper strips with contact cement and let it dry. Then I wind and pre
Forum: rodboard

Are there any publications of objective measurements comparing performance of a variety of guide trains? Much as I like to speculate I am not particularly interested in the speculations of others. Static measurements of a rod's elasticity don't interest me, since I don't know how static measurements relate to casting performance. I'm beginning to suspect the reason there are no reports of the di
Forum: rodboard

You can easily overpower a fly rod cast with the arm/hand holding the fly rod. You will end up with a mess of line a few yards in front of you. But you can learn to double-haul with your free hand as hard as you wish and significantly increase your fly casting distance - with no loss of accuracy. Just don't rely upon your rod, or line, or advertisers, to make you a successful fly-caster or fly-f
Forum: rodboard

I appreciated Tom sticking to rod-building and discouraging advertising. Thanks for a job well done.
Forum: rodboard

There is confusion about the "power" of fly rods. An efficient fly cast requires the line to be released when the rod is bent the farthest - backward! Watch a cast and you can see this is so. The rod does not store energy and then release it to push the fly line forward. You can't push on a rope - or a fly line - regardless of ERN or any static measurement.
Forum: rodboard

Rod, reel, and line are an integrated unit. Spinsters should take into account the type of line they are using. its flexibility and perhaps the ambient temperature it will be used in. Using braid or monofilament, #10 or #30 test line, even ambient temperature air/water temperature should definitely be considered in selecting guides, even before size, brand name, or number of feet.
Forum: rodboard

Line speed, not rod action, is the only predictor of fly cast distance. All fly rods are equally accurate in their casting ability, but all fly casters? Not so much.The best rod-line combination for any fly caster is the one that feels and casts best, not one that matches some numbers, no matter how or how many test numbers you generate - or what advertising agents for fly rods promise.
Forum: rodboard

There are two causes of rod breakage: manufacturing error and user error. I would guess the latter is responsible for 96% + of all rod breakage.
Forum: rodboard

My videos require a wide-screen projector with a zoom lens. Otherwise, you might mistake my species-specific rod for an ordinary fishing pole.
Forum: rodboard

A good general rule for fly casters to follow is "shorten up". Shorten up your forward and back arm/hand movement to 12" - 18" - in a straight line. If you double haul, shorten your hauls to 10" or less. It's line speed, not muscle power, that produces effective casts.
Forum: rodboard

Lefty K. coud cast a full fly line with his bare hands. So what? So you can't spend enough money on rods or lines to make you a proficient fly-caster. "It's a poor workman who blames his tools." - and a frustrated fly caster who expects he can buy equipment which will make him a competent fly caster.
Forum: rodboard

No matter how much a rod bends or where a rod bends or the rod's recovery rate one fact remains the same: the rod can only pull a line, not push it.
Forum: rodboard

The profusion of names for specific rod builds for specific species zooms upward. My guppy rod is an example.
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I avoid recommending a line to a fly caster until I watch him/her cast. I believe this habit has spared me and the person seeking a recommendation a fair amount of grief.
Forum: rodboard

I am temporarily unable to build more guppy rods. My sole source of guppy rod grips has taken up flamenco dancing. I hope to be able to modify some goldfish rod grips into guppy rod grips . . .
Forum: rodboard

Ben, those diatoms are the reason I never put any goo, grease, wax, or line dressing on my lines. Years ago (when I put line dressing/goo/grease on my fly lines) guide grooving was a problem for me. Not any more. Both my guides and my fly lines last much longer - and my casts are longer too.
Forum: rodboard

Politics and politicians make and interpret laws, including fish and game laws, regulations, and licenses. If you build rods strictly for display you can probably ignore politics, but if you build rods to catch fish you can't afford to ignore the impact of politics and politicians on your hobby/addiction. If rod builders were obliged to cite and discuss the specific law or regulation (politics) t
Forum: rodboard

"Just want to load the rod to make sure it doesn't break." Rods don't break at the ferrule, so just bending each section separately between right and and left hand will do the specified job. No need to build or buy specialized equipment, take exacting measurements, or apply advanced mathematics.
Forum: rodboard

David: I was still waiting for an answer . . . but I think Kent has provided it. I am going to renounce my claim to building the world's only guppy rod.
Forum: rodboard

There is a considerable difference in flexibility between different types of fly line, say, between a full floating line and a fast sinking line. It would be no surprise to learn that different size guides work better for different types of fly lines. Also, the best fly lines and guides for the Salmon River in December are not the best fly lines and guides for the Mosquito Lagoon in July - and th
Forum: rodboard

Assuming the rod will not break at the ferrule (something I have never seen) you could test-flex each segment of the rod separately against the floor. Just pad the small end of the rod segment where it touches the floor and hold the rod segment at a 45 degree angle to the floor to flex it.
Forum: rodboard

Rod builders often mention species-specific rods. Is this meant to identify the size of the expected catch or are there rod-building materials and techniques specific to individual species of fish?
Forum: rodboard

Why put ceramic guides on a fly rod? Fly lines don't groove guides.
Forum: rodboard

Michael: I ask questions about prospective product purchases BEFORE I buy a product - and found I have purchased a lemon. This cautionary purchasing procedure works well for me. I don't trust advertisers' claims and double-talk, so I seek the opinion of knowledgeable rod builders rather than buy now and regret later. You need not reply to my requests for opinions (or better yet, experience) with
Forum: rodboard

Is there any hard evidence that ceramic guides perform better than carbide or chromed guides? Hard evidence comes in inches, feet, and yards - not vague, undocumented personal claims. I would like to see what all the fuss about guides boils down to - in reality.
Forum: rodboard

Old-time fly casters advocated learning how to fly cast by pressing a book between the rib cage and elbow of the casting arm. The sole purpose of their free hand was to pinch the line, then let it go - and a 30 foot cast was a boomer. They gladly suffered short casts and painful shoulder joints in the pursuit of tradition, and were quick to criticize those who fly cast differently - and better.
Forum: rodboard

With gel-spun line a surprisingly small reel can handle a surprisingly big fish. A fiberglass rod is more resistant to breakage than a graphite rod. Your friend should consider these facts when selecting his blank and components.
Forum: rodboard