I only meant to say that all distance casting records have been set using casting, not spinning reels, and this is probably attributable to a difference in friction between the reel spool and the tip-top. If the line billows away from the lip of a spinning reel spool there is no friction here, so the friction which causes spinning rods to be less efficient than casting rods must occur when the lo
Forum: rodboard

The reason a revolving spool reel can cast farther than a spinning reel can only be attributed to the friction between the line and the lip of the spinning reel spool plus the friction between the line and the choker guide on a spinning rod. After the loops generated by the spinning reel spool straighten out there can't be much difference between the friction in the guide train of a conventional
Forum: rodboard

The line will follow the path of least resistance, which is probably a straight line from the axis of the reel spool to the center of the stripping guide, and the farther the line is forced to deviate from a straight path the more friction it will encounter. I believe this is the central assumption in the design of the ideal guide train.
Forum: rodboard

I flunked geometry, but if the direction of the axis of the reel spool is not important then the direction of the axis of the stripping guide is not important either?
Forum: rodboard

Exactly how much does a weight saving of, say, 12 grains in the guide train improve the performance of, say, a 9wt. fly rod in MEASURED distance or accuracy? Real differences can be measured and are preferable to casual opinions.
Forum: rodboard

A hotshot blank would be way too much blank. A noodle rod blank would be closer to what you want.
Forum: rodboard

There is little if any difference in performance between one, two, three, or four piece blanks. Fly casters, unlike spin casters, rely more upon their rods than their reels for casting, and four-piece rods outsell any other configuration of fly rods/blanks. Many anglers are style and fashion conscious. It is the nature of style and fashion to change frequently. This keeps tackle makers and rod bu
Forum: rodboard

Is there any information about using light-curing epoxy on rod windings? It seems like the viscosity of LCE could be tailored to the ambient temperature, and an intermittent UV light source would allow the epoxy to flow out to level and still be fully cured in five minutes. Dentists use the stuff to glue teeth together. It should be rugged enough to secure a guide on a rod.
Forum: rodboard

The Temple Fork BVK blank in 9 wt. is a rocket launcher, but there are a bunch of blanks for less than $150 out there which are excellent performers. Truth be known, nearly any fly rod blank which doesn't have to cast more than 40' on a calm day or 25' on a windy day will do just fine.
Forum: rodboard

If you are dealing with a slow rod blank do not expect changing guides will turn it into a crisp, fast action rod.
Forum: rodboard

If you build any bamboo fly rod, any fiberglass fly rod, or a graphite rod with anything but an extra-fast action you will be wasting your time agonizing over saving tiny fractions of an ounce in the guide train, for you have already settled upon a slower rod .
Forum: rodboard

The first rod I ever repaired - before I built a rod - was a fly rod with guide rings dangling from keepers wound onto a cane blank. Since the introduction of snake guides I have seen no innovation in fly-rod guide design which measurably improves fly rod performance. If scientific, repeatable test data exists to document superiority of snake or single-foot guides such data has been kept secret.
Forum: rodboard

I imagine few recreational kayak users practice deep-water re-entry into a capsized kayak. It is not as easy as you would think. Re-entry into a capsized decked kayak is probably more difficult than re-boarding a sit-on-top kayak.
Forum: rodboard

One hour with a competent fly-casting instructor will do 100X more for your casting than any weight savings possible with single-foot guides. However, halving the number of guide wraps is a real benefit to the rod builder. Snake guides will pass larger knots/obstructions than single-footers, but the difference is not great. Aesthetics aside, there is not much difference between the performance o
Forum: rodboard

I take it the durability of these two finishes is comparable, and so is the weight they add to a finished blank?
Forum: rodboard

Looks like there will soon be stand-up and sit-down kayak rods, trolling, casting, spinning, fly casting, pitching, worming, jigging, and dead-bolting kayak rods, and species specific kayak rods.
Forum: rodboard

I have finished rods both with two-part epoxy and with permagloss and I am aware of many of the pros and cons of each in terms of their application and curing. I'm still not too sure of the comparative advantages and disadvantages of these finishes in use or for use in what conditions. Advertising hype aside, what are the practical strengths and faults of these finishes when they are in use?
Forum: rodboard

I do not think thread strength is an issue in building 12 weight or even heavier fly rods. Twenty turns of four pound test thread (without epoxy) will lift 80 pounds, much more than any fly rod can stand.
Forum: rodboard

Or you could have your computer print your text in an exquisitely small font using any style of type or script imaginable.
Forum: rodboard

50# butt sections are frequently used on leaders for 8wt. rods. A loop-to-loop leader to line connection with such a leader will be difficult if not impossible to pass through a #1 or #2 guide. I would also test to see how easily a nail knot connecting a 50# or 40# butt leader to your fly line passed through your #1 or #2 guides. Even barrel knots in your leader can be a problem with too-small gu
Forum: rodboard

REC lightweight snake flyrod guides bend easily and immediateIy spring back to shape. That should make removing ice build-up as quick and easy as a light tap against a hard object. I would go with bigger guide sizes since casting is not an issue. I suggest you take two or three Forhan wraps around each leg of each guide before you epoxy. Otherwise when they flex these guides are flexible enough t
Forum: rodboard

True, and an accomplished fly caster can also successfully cast a wider range of weights of one-piece fly lines and a wider range of shooting heads. Failure to consider all crucial information when devising an optimal system leads to disappointment and wasted time.
Forum: rodboard

The functional "weight" of a rod - which means the ideal weight of line to use with it - depends upon the ability of the caster. An angler with a good double-haul usually prefers a different weight line with a particular rod than an angler who can not double haul.
Forum: rodboard

A fishing outfit is an integrated unit, consisting of hook(s), bait or lure used line used, rod blank, guides. reel seat, grip, and reel. Then we must factor in the target species, the casting technique, and the expertise of the individual angler. A recommendation of rod components based exclusively on one or two of these variables has limited value.
Forum: rodboard

Concur the 8.5' Rainshadow hot-shot blank has plenty of power in the butt section, enough to handle any carp I've ever seen. And with a bow in NY I shot one that weighed 48 lbs. on a DEC scale.
Forum: rodboard

I'm surprised that a species-specific fisherman would seek tackle appropriate for an average sized specimen rather than a big one - "just in case"!!!
Forum: rodboard

I don't know what a "bolt rig" is, but an extra fast rod is more likely to throw soft baits like maggots and dough balls off the hook.
Forum: rodboard

Polishing compound on a rag and a lot of elbow grease will give you a shiny finish with very little chance of damaging the blank.
Forum: rodboard

Definitions of "best" vary: best looking or best functioning or lightest or most durable? It is doubtful one reel seat would be best in all categories. The user has to set his priorities.Some people assume the most expensive is the "best".
Forum: rodboard

Is it possible to make a 12' graphite pole which duplicates the feel of a 12' cane pole? Not a rod, a pole. Not split bamboo, the whole bamboo cane.
Forum: rodboard