fishing rod
| Dictionary: fishing rod |
n.
A rod of wood, steel, or fiberglass used with a line for catching fish. Also called fishing pole.
| How Products are Made: How is a fishing rod made? |
Background
A fishing rod is a device used in sport fishing that consists of a long pole with a line held in place alongside it with the use of guides. Usually the line is kept in storage on a reel that the angler spins to both take up and let out the line while casting. At the loose end of the line is a hook to hold the bait, either live worms and insects or artificial lures, as well as bobbers (or floats) and sinkers that keep the bait at the proper level in the water.
History
Ever since humans began gathering foods, the living creatures in water have been considered possible sources of nutrition, and many ways were devised to catch a sufficient number of fish in a simple fashion. Nets and weirs, which are dams often woven from reeds and placed in streams, were both used to gather a great number of fish, which could then be sorted into edible and undesirable fish.
The very earliest rods were made of wood, bone, or stone and were called gorges. These gorges were only about 1 in (2.54 cm) long and were pointed at both ends. A bait and line were attached to these gorges, which soon were made of metal. Fishers would use gorges to fish from boats. Longer rods began to be used soon after, at first just a simple tree branch about a yard (0.9 m) long, and anglers could then fish from shore with ease. Pictures of angling show it as an accepted sport in ancient Egypt around 2000 B.C. A Chinese written account from around the fourth century B.C. describes a bamboo rod, with a silk line, a needle used as a hook, and rice as bait.
In ancient Greece and Rome, fishing with a rod was already a common activity. In Homer's time, or around 900B.C., and in Plato's time, or around 400B.C., fishing with a barbed hook, rod and line were known. The line was made from either horsehair or finely woven flax. The rod is believed to have been made from Arundo donax, a plant native to the Mediterranean area and the largest of European reeds. It grows up to 20-30 ft (6.1-9.1 m) long, and it is knotted. A plant known as ferula might have been the source for smaller rods, but cornel wood, a slender hardwood, or juniper might also have been used. The rod was jointed, either by tying the parts together with string, or tiny pieces of metal known today as ferrules could have been used. The bronze hook was not tied on; rather, the top of the hook extended over the string in a sheath to keep fish from biting through the line. Sometimes a piece of lead was attached to the hook to ensure depth, while fly fishing quickly developed when it was learned that some kinds of fish would eat flies off the surface of the water. The bait used in fly fishing was a piece of red wool with rooster feathers attached. The feathers presumably appeared as a waxy color to the fish, hence resembling fly's wings, and they helped keep the bait afloat. Anglers had no running tackle—they had to pull the line in using force.
Angling captured the imagination of Greek and Roman scholars. Plutarch wrote that a good rod must be slender and springy, because a heavy rod would cast a shadow and scare the fish. The line must not have knots or be coarse, and it should be white so as to match the color of the water. Dionysius wrote that an angler with two rods, four hooks apiece, and an assistant could catch more fish than a net, if good bait is used.
Fishing rods changed only slightly for more than a thousand years. In England in 1496, a nun named Dame Juliana Berners wrote The Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle. This book described artificial flies, some of which are still used today, and rods 18-22 ft (5.5-6.7 m) long with lines made of horsehair.
During the middle of the seventeenth century, the fishing rod was greatly improved by adding a wire loop or ring at the tip. This allowed the line to be let out and pulled in easily. Lines at least 26 yd (23.8 m) long were mentioned by 1667. Such lengthy lines led to the development of the reel. The first reels were wooden spools with a metal ring which fitted over the fisher's thumb. By 1770, fishing rods with guides along the length and reels were in common use.
Fishing rods were improved during this period by replacing heavy European woods with tough, elastic woods, such as lance-wood and greenheart, both from the New World. Bamboo from the East was also used. By the late nineteenth century, hexagonal fishing rods were made by laminating six triangular strips of bamboo. At the same time, reels were greatly improved. Horsehair lines were replaced by silk coated with oxidized linseed oil.
During the twentieth century, fishing rods became shorter and lighter without losing strength. Bamboo was replaced by fiberglass or carbon fiber. Nylon became the dominant material for use in fishing lines after World War II, and plastic became used to make artificial flies. Fishing became an increasingly popular sport in the late twentieth century. Thirty-one million fishing licenses were sold in the United States in 1992, compared to 20 million in 1959.
Raw Materials
Although some fishing rods are still made of bamboo, most modern rods are made of fiberglass or carbon fiber. The ferrules, which hold the portions of the rod together, are made of metal or fiberglass. The grips on fishing rods are usually made of cork, but are sometimes made of plastic, wood, or cloth. Reel seats are made of aluminum or other metals or plastic. Guides are made of chrome-plated brass or tungsten carbide and an alloy called nickel silver.
The Manufacturing
Process
Fishing rods consist of tubular sections, known as blanks, and various smaller components attached to them. Blanks are sometimes made of bamboo, but most blanks are made from strong, flexible fibers, such as fiberglass or carbon fiber.
Making bamboo blanks
- Bamboo is shipped to the fishing rod manufacturer in the form of hollow canes about 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) long and about 1.25-2 in (3.2-5.1 cm) wide. The canes are split in half lengthwise with a heavy knife or a cutting machine. The interior of the split cane contains thin partitions spaced about 15-18 in (38.1-45.7 cm) apart. These natural partitions occur at the points where leaves emerge from the bamboo plant. They are removed with a chisel or cutting tool. The bamboo may then be heated briefly to harden it. Some makers of bamboo blanks soak the bamboo with a liquid plastic resin to strengthen it and to make it waterproof.
- Precision cutting tools cut the bamboo into long strips. An accuracy of about one one-thousandth of an inch (0.03 mm) in the width of the strips is necessary to ensure that the strips will fit together properly. Six strips are usually used to make a hexagonal blank. Some manufacturers use five strips to make a pentagonal blank. The strips are glued together under heavy pressure. Strong thread is wrapped around the strips to maintain pressure at the points where they meet. The glue is allowed to dry, the string is removed, and the blank is lightly sanded to remove excess glue and to provide a smooth surface.
Making synthetic fiber blanks
- Fiberglass can be made from a variety of glasses. Sand (silicon dioxide) and limestone (calcium carbonate) are mixed with varying amounts of other ingredients, which may include sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, or boric oxide. These ingredients are added to waste glass of the same type, known as cullet. The cullet acts as a flux, causing the other ingredients to melt together at a lower temperature than they would without it. The mixture is melted into a liquid in a furnace to form molten glass. The molten glass is then forced through a steel device containing numerous small holes known as spinnerets. The emerging glass cools into fibers, which are spun into yarn. The yarn is then woven into sheets.
- Carbon fiber is derived from various synthetic fibers. These fibers are polymers, which consist of long chains of molecules which contain numerous carbon atoms. Carbon fiber can be made from rayon, a synthetic fiber derived from cellulose, a natural polymer found in plants. It can also be made from acrylic, a synthetic fiber derived from an artificial polymer of acrylonitrile molecules, which are obtained indirectly from petroleum. The synthetic fiber is heated, forcing out atoms other than carbon, resulting in long chains of carbon atoms. (If the fiber is heated too strongly, the carbon atoms will form sheets instead of chains, resulting in graphite.) The carbon fiber is spun into yarn, which is woven into sheets.
- The fiberglass or carbon fiber sheet is dipped into a solution of liquid plastic resin, then squeezed between metal rollers to leave a controlled amount of resin in the sheet. The sheet is then heated to remove excess solvent and to partially harden the resin until it is slightly sticky. A metal template is laid on top of a stack of sheets. A sharp blade cuts around the template, producing several cut sheets of the same shape. The exact shape varies with the type of rod being made, but generally resembles a tapering rectangle.
- One edge of the cut sheet is heated in order to attach it to a tapered steel rod known as a mandrel. The sheet is oriented so that the majority of the fibers line up along the length of the mandrel, with about one-tenth to one-sixth of the fibers at right angles to the rest. The mandrel is rolled between two heated metal rollers, known as platens, that apply pressure as layers of fiber are wrapped around the mandrel. A thin film of a synthetic polymer, such as cellophane or polyester, is wrapped around the layers of fiber.
- The wrapped mandrel is heated in an oven to about 300-350° F (150-180° C) for about 30-60 minutes. The heat causes the polymer film to shrink, applying pressure to the fiber as the resin hardens. The mandrel is removed from the hardened fiber by using a pressurized ram to force it through a die. The polymer film is removed using a wire brush, a tumbler, high-pressure steam, splitting, or stripping. The blank is lightly sanded to remove excess resin and to provide a smooth surface. It is then coated with layers of various protective materials. The blank is buffed between each coating to give it a smooth finish.
Assembling the fishing rod
- Most fishing rods are made up of two or three blanks, allowing the rod to be disassembled for ease in storage and transportation. Usually the blanks are attached together with connectors known as ferrules. Ferrules are made from metal or fiberglass, and are attached to the ends of the blanks with strong cement.
- Grips for the handles of fishing rods are made from natural cork, obtained from the outer bark of certain evergreen oak trees found in Mediterranean regions. They may also be made from synthetic foam rubber. The grip is attached to the end of the blank with epoxy glue.
- Guides are small rings which are attached along the length of a fishing rod in order to control the line during casting. They also distribute the stress of the line evenly on the rod. The guides are made by cutting and bending wires of steel or chrome-plated brass. They made also be made from a combination of tungsten carbide and nickel silver. The guide is taped into position on the blank. Nylon thread is wrapped around the base of the guide to secure it in place. The wound thread is then coated with lacquer or varnish.
- A reel seat is the part of a fishing rod to which a steel reel, containing nylon fishing line, can be attached. Reel seats are made from aluminum, chrome-plated brass, or plastic, then attached to blanks.
- The fishing rod is packaged and shipped to retailers. The consumer assembles the fishing rod, attaches a reel, and threads the line from the reel through the guides.
Quality Control
Testing of a fishing rod begins soon after a new design is developed. A prototype of the new product is manufactured and used to catch fish in a variety of outdoor conditions. The design is altered as necessary, and the process is repeated until the new design meets its desired goals.
During the manufacture of the blank, the pressure applied to the fiber sheet as it is wrapped around the mandrel must be uniform, or the rod will be uneven. Protective finishings applied to the blank must be even and not too thick, or the rod will not function correctly.
During the assembly process, all the parts must fit together correctly. Ferrules must be lined up correctly and must have the proper dimensions to allow the fishing rod to be assembled easily without being too loose. Guides must be spaced the correct distance apart. If they are too far apart, the line will sag. If they are too close together, the line will not move smoothly.
The Future
Manufacturers of fishing rods are constantly developing new products which enable consumers to cast lines farther and more accurately. The future is likely to see this trend continue. Fishing rods are also likely to become more and more specialized, with each rod designed to catch fish of a certain weight.
A recent development suggests that fishing rods may be very different in the near future. The Interline fishing rod, manufactured by Daiwa, has no guides. Instead, the line runs through the center of the rod and emerges from its tip. This revolutionary design avoids the common problems of broken guides and lines tangled in guides.
Where to Learn More
Periodicals
Gorant, Jim. "The Guideless Rod." Popular Mechanics (October 1997): 40-42.
Merwin, John, and Ken Schultz. "A Century of Piscatorial Progress." Field and Stream (October 1995): 38-41.
Pfeiffer, C. Boyd. "Fishing Rod Repair." Outdoor Life (June/July 1997): 128-129.
[Article by: Rose Secrest]
| Word Origin: fishing pole |
Origin: 1791
Although in the eighteenth century Americans were busy asserting independence, inventing a new government, and rearranging the continent, we found time to go fishing too. And we were not entirely satisfied with the fishing rod of the English. Some of us preferred a fishing pole, as in New Englander "Nailer Tom's" journal for 1791: "I broke my Fishing Pole Cought 4 Pickrel 3 Eels and 6 Trout." By 1834 we find fish pole too, this time in Texas.
| Wikipedia: Fishing rod |
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007) |
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It has been suggested that Bamboo fly rod be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) |
A fishing rod or a fishing pole is a tool used to catch fish, usually in conjunction with the sport of angling, can also be used in competition casting (sport). (Sustenance and commercial fishing usually involves nets). A length of fishing line is attached to a long, flexible rod or pole: one end terminates in a hook for catching the fish. A 'fishing pole' is a simple pole or stick for suspending a line (normally fastened to the tip), with a hooked lure or bait. They are most commonly made of fiberglass, carbon fiber or, classically, bamboo, and are the only fishing levers properly referred to as "poles". In contrast, 'fishing rod' refers to a more sophisticated casting tool fitted with line guides and a reel for line stowage. Fishing rods vary in action as well as length, and can be found in sizes between 24 inches and 20 feet. The longer the rod, the greater the mechanical advantage in casting.
Contents |
Types
A fiberglass spinning rod and reel circa 1997.
Carbon fiber rods
These high-tech rods are commonly used for coarse fishing in Europe, they are made using a variety of different qualities of carbon fiber which is reflected in the price, the prices range from about £100 to £5,000.
Varying in length from 3 feet through to the longest at about 18.5 feet, they allow very precise positioning of the bait, which in turn enables huge catches of fish with accurate feeding, catches of carp on fisheries in the UK frequently reach 90 kg (200 pounds) in a 5 hour match, mostly made up of carp ranging in size from 250 grams (0.5lb) to 1.3 kg (3lb) in weight.[1]...
Fly rods
Main article: Fly fishing
Fly tonp, thin, flexible fishing rods designed to cast an artificial fly, usually consisting of a hook tied with fur, feathers, foam, or other lightweight material. More modern flies are also tied with synthetic materials. Originally made of yew, green hart, and later split bamboo (Tonkin cane), most modern fly rods are constructed from man-made composite materials, including fiberglass, carbon/graphite, or graphite/boron composites. Split bamboo rods are generally considered the most beautiful, the most "classic", and are also generally the most fragile of the styles, and they require a great deal of care to last well. Instead of a weighted lure, a fly rod uses the weight of the fly line for casting, and lightweight rods are capable of casting the very smallest and lightest fly. Typically, a monofilament segment called a "leader" is tied to the fly line on one end and the fly on the other.
Each rod is sized to the fish being sought, the wind and water conditions and also to a particular weight of line: larger and heavier line sizes will cast heavier, larger flies. Fly rods come in a wide variety of line sizes, from size #000 to #0 rods for the smallest freshwater trout and pan fish up to and including #16 rods[2] for large saltwater game fish. Fly rods tend to have a single, large-diameter line guide (called a stripping guide), with a number of smaller looped guides (aka snake guides) spaced along the rod to help control the movement of the relatively thick fly line. To prevent interference with casting movements, most fly rods usually have little or no butt section (handle) extending below the fishing reel. However, the Spey rod, a fly rod with an elongated rear handle, is often used for fishing either large rivers for salmon and steelhead or saltwater surf casting, using a two-handed casting technique.
Fly rods are, in modern manufacture, almost always built out of carbon graphite. The graphite fibers are laid down in increasingly sophisticated patterns to keep the rod from flattening when stressed (usually referred to as hoop strength) See St Croix ART. The rod tapers from one end to the other and the degree of taper determines how much of the rod flexes when stressed. The larger amount of the rod that flexes the 'slower' the rodd. Slower rods are easier to cast, create lighter presentations but create a wider loop on the forward cast that reduces casting distance and is subject to the effects of wind. Fly Rods : Guide to Fly Rod Flex & Action. Furthermore, the process of wrapping graphite fiber sheets to build a rod creates imperfections that result in rod twist during casting. Rod twist is minimized by orienting the rod guides along the side of the rod with the most 'give'. This is done by flexing the rod and feeling for the point of most give or by using computerized rod testing (see Fly Rod Balancing ).
See also Fly fishing.
Custom rod building is an active form of hobby among fly fishermen. See Fly rod building.
Tenkara rods
Tenkara rods are a type of fly rod used for tenkara fishing in Japan. A mixture of the rods in the other categories, they are carbon rods, fly rods and telescopic rods all in one. These are ultra-light and very portable telescopic rods (read more about telescopic below). Their extended length normally ranges from 11–13 feet, and they have a very soft action. The action of tenkara rods has been standardized as a ratio of "how many parts are stiffer : how many tip parts bend more easily". The standard actions are 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, and 8:2, with 5:5 being a softer/slower rod, and 8:2 being a stiffer rod.[3] Similar to western fly-rods tenkara rods also have cork, and sometimes even wooden handles, with wooden handles (such as red-pine, and phoenix-tree wood) being the more prized rods due to their increased sensitivity to fish bites and the heavier feel that helps balance the rods. Tenkara rods have no guides. Tenkara is a fixed-line fishing method, where no reel is used, but rather the line is tied directly to the tip of the rod. Like the carbon rods mentioned above this allows for "very precise positioning of the fly, which in turn enables huge catches of fish with accurate feeding". Tenkara fishing is very popular in Japan, where these rods can be found in every major tackle shop. In the US, tenkara seems to be becoming a new trend.
Spin and bait casting rods
Spin casting rods are rods designed to hold a spin casting reel, which are normally mounted above the handle (See Fishing reel). Spin casting rods also have small eyes and, not infrequently, a forefinger grip trigger. They are very similar to bait casting rods, to the point where either type of reel may be used on a particular rod. While rods were at one time offered as specific "spin casting" or "bait casting" rods, this has become uncommon, as the rod design is suited to either fishing style, and today they are generally called simply "casting rods", and are usually offered with no distinction as to which style they are best suited for in use. Casting rods are typically viewed as more powerful than their spinning rod counterparts - they use heavier line and can handle heavier cover.
Spinning rods
Spinning rods are made from graphite or fiberglass with a cork or PVC foam handle, and tend to be between 5 and 8.5 feet (1.5 - 2.6 m) in length. Typically, spinning rods have anywhere from 5-8 large-diameter guides arranged along the underside of the rod to help control the line. The eyes decrease in size from the handle to the tip, with the one nearest the handle usually much larger than the rest to allow less friction as the coiled line comes off the reel, and to gather the very large loops of line that come off the spinning reel's spool. Unlike bait casting and spin casting reels, the spinning reel hangs beneath the rod rather than sitting on top, and is held in place with a sliding or locking reel seat. The fishermans second and third fingers straddle the "leg" of the reel where it is attached to the reel seat on the rod, and the weight of the reel hangs beneath the rod, which makes for a comfortable way to fish for extended periods. This also allows the rod to be held in the fisherman's dominant hand (the handle on most modern spinning reels is reversible) which greatly increases control and nuance applied to the rod itself. Spinning rods and reels are widely used in fishing for popular North American sport fish including bass, trout, pike and walleye. Popular targets for spinning in the UK and European continent are pike, perch, eel and zander. Longer spinning rods with elongated grip handles for two-handing casting are frequently employed for saltwater or steelhead and salmon fishing. Spinning rods are also widely used for trolling and still fishing with live bait.
Ultra-light rods
These rods are used to fish for smaller species, they provide more sport with larger fish, or to enable fishing with lighter line and smaller lures. Though the term is commonly used to refer to spinning or spin-cast rods and tackle, fly rods in smaller line weights (size #0 - #3) have also long been utilized for ultra-light fishing, as well as to protect the thin-diameter, lightweight end section of leader, or tippet, used in this type of angling.
Ultra-light spinning and casting rods are generally shorter (4 - 5.5 feet is common) lighter, and more limber than normal rods. Tip actions vary from slow to fast, depending upon intended use. These rods usually carry 1 to 6 pound (4.5 to 27 N) test fishing line. Some ultra-light rods are capable of casting lures as light as 1/64th of an ounce - typically small spinners, wet flies, crappie jigs, tubes, or bait such as trout worms. Originally produced to bring more excitement to the sport, ultra-light spin fishing is now widely used for crappie, trout, bass, bluegill and other types of panfish.
Ice rods
Modern ice rods are typically very short spinning rods, varying between 24 and 36 inches in length. Classic ice rods - still widely used - are simply stiff rodlike pieces of wood, usually with a carved wooden handle, a couple of line guides, and two opposing hooks mounted ahead of the handle to hand-wind the line around. Ice rods are used to fish through holes in the cover ice of frozen lakes and ponds.
Sea rods
Sea rods are designed for use with huge fish from the ocean. They are long (around 4 metres on average), extremely thick, and feature huge and heavy tips, eyes, and handles. The largest of sea rods are for use with sport fishing boats. Some of these are specialized rods, including shark rods, and marlin rods, and are for use with very heavy equipment.
Surf rods
The most common type of sea rods are for surf casting. Surf casting rods resemble oversized spinning or bait casting rods with long grip handles intended for two-handed casting techniques. Generally between 10 to 14 feet (3 - 4 m) in length, surf casting rods need to be longer in order for the user cast the lure or bait beyond the breaking surf where fish tend to congregate, and sturdy enough to cast heavy weighted lures or bait needed to hold the bottom in rough water. They are almost always used in shore fishing (sea fishing from the shoreline) from the beach, rocks or other shore feature. Some surfcasters use powerful rods to cast up to six ounces or more of lead weight, artificial lures, and/or bait hundreds of feet.
Trolling rods
Trolling is a fishing method of casting the lure or bait to the side of, or behind, a moving boat, and letting the motion of the boat pull the bait through the water. In theory, for light and medium freshwater gamefishing, any casting or spinning rod (with the possible exception of ultralight rods) can be used for trolling. In the last 30 years, most manufacturers have developed a complete line of generally long, heavily built rods sold as "Trolling Rods", and aimed heavily at ocean anglers and Great Lakes salmon and steelhead fishermen. A rod effective for trolling should have relatively fast action, as a very "whippy" slow action rod is extremely frustrating to troll with, and a fast action (fairly stiff) rod is generally much easier to work with when fishing by this method. Perhaps the extreme in this philosophy was reached during the 1940's and early 1950's, when the now-defunct True Temper corporation - a maker of garden tools - marketed a line of trolling rods of 4.5 to 5 foot length made of tempered steel which was square in cross section. They acted as excellent trolling rods, though the action was much too stiff for sportsmanlike playing of fish once hooked. As Great Lakes sportfishing in particular becomes more popular with each passing year, all rod manufacturers continue to expand their lines of dedicated "trolling" rods, though as noted, for most inland lake and stream fishing, a good casting or spinning rod is perfectly adequate for trolling.
Telescopic rods
Telescopic fishing rods are designed to collapse down to a short distance and open to a long rod. 20 or even 30 foot rods can close to as little as a foot and a half. This makes the rods very easy to transport to remote areas or travel on buses, compact cars, or public buses and subways. Telescopic fishing rods are made from the same materials as conventional one or two piece rods. Graphite and fiberglass or composites of these materials are designed to slip into each other so that they open and close. The eyes are generally but not always a special design to aid in making the end of each section stronger. Various grade eyes available in conventional rods are also available in telescopic fishing rods.
Care for telescopic fishing rods is much the same as other rods. The only difference being that one should not open the telescopic rod in manner that whips a closed rod into the open position rapidly. Whipping or flinging a telescopic fishing rod open may and likely will cause it to be difficult to close. When closing the rods make a slight twisting motion while pushing the sections together. Often the rods come with tip covers to protect the tip and guides.
Telescopic rods are popular among surf fishermen. Carrying around a 12 or 14 foot surf fishing rod, even in 2 pieces, is cumbersome. The shorter the sections the shorter they close, the more eyes they have, and the better the power curve is in them. More eyes means better weight and stress distribution throughout the parabolic arc. This translates to further casting, stronger fish fighting abilities, and less breaking of the rod.
History
Judging by stone inscriptions, fishing rods go back to ancient Egypt, China, Greece, Rome and medieval England, where they were called "angles" (hence the term "angling" as a synonym for fishing). Prior to widespread availability of synthetic materials, such as fiberglass and graphite composites, fishing rods were typically made from split Tonkin bamboo, Calcutta reed, or ash wood, as it was necessary that they be made light, tough, and pliable. The butts were frequently made of maple, with bored bottom; this butt outlasted several tops. Handles and grips were generally of cork, wood, or wrapped cane. Guides were made of simple wire loops or, later, loops with ring-shaped agate inserts for better wear. Even today, Tonkin split-bamboo rods are still popular in fly fishing.
Rods for travellers were made with nickel-silver metal joints, or ferrules, that could be inserted into one another forming the rod. Some of them were made to be used as a walking cane until needed for sport. Since the 1980s, with the advent of flexible, yet stiff graphite ferrules, travel rod technology has greatly advanced, and multi-piece travel rods that can be transported in a suitcase or backpack constitute a large share of the market.
Modern design
In theory, an ideal rod should gradually taper from butt to tip, be tight in all its joints, and have a smooth, progressive taper, without 'dead spots'. Modern design and fabrication techniques, along with advanced materials such as graphite and boron composites have allowed rod makers to tailor both the shape and action of fishing rods for greater casting distance, accuracy, and fish-fighting qualities. Today, fishing rods are identified by their weight (meaning the weight of line or lure required to flex a fully-loaded rod) and action (describing the location of the maximum flex along the length of the rod).
Modern fishing rods retain cork as a common material for grips. Cork is light, durable, keeps warm and tends to transmit rod vibrations better than synthetic materials, although EVA foam is also used. Reel seats are often of graphite-reinforced plastic, aluminum, or wood. Guides are available in steel and titanium with a wide variety of high-tech metal alloy inserts replacing the classic agate inserts of earlier rods.
Specifications
There are several specifications manufacturers use to delineate rod uses. These include power, action, line weight, lure weight, and number of pieces.
Power
Also known as "power value" or "rod weight." Rods may be classified as Ultra-Light, Light, Medium-Light, Medium, Medium-Heavy, Heavy, Ultra-Heavy, or other similar combinations. Power is often an indicator of what types of fishing, species of fish, or size of fish a particular pole may be best used for. Ultra-light rods are suitable for catching small bait fish and also panfish, or situations where rod responsiveness is critical. Ultra-Heavy rods are used in deep sea fishing, surf fishing, or for heavy fish by weight. While manufaturers use various designations for a rod's power, there is no fixed standard, hence application of a particular power tag by a manufacturer is somewhat subjective. Any fish can be caught with any rod, but catching panfish on a heavy rod offers no sport whatsoever, and successfully landing a large fish on an ultralight rod requires supreme rod handling skills at best, and more frequently ends in broken tackle and a lost fish. Rods are best suited to the type of fishing they are intended for.
Action
"Action" refers to the responsiveness of the rod to bending force (bending curve), and the speed with which the rod returns to its neutral position. An action may be slow, medium, fast, or a combination (e.g. medium-fast.) Fast Action rods flex most in the tip section. Slow rods flex more towards the butt of the rod.
The construction material and construction method of a rod affects its action. Action, however, is also often a subjective description of a manufacturer; some manufacturers list the power value of the rod as its action. A "medium" action bamboo rod may have a faster action than a "fast" fiberglass rod. Action is also subjectively used by anglers, as an angler might compare a given rod as "faster" or "slower" than a different rod.
Line weight
A rod is usually also classified by the optimal weight of fishing line or in the case of fly rods, fly line the rod should handle. Fishing line weight is described in pounds of tensile force before the line parts. Line weight for a rod is expressed as a range that the rod is designed to support. Fly rod weights are typically expressed as a number from 1 to 12, written as "N"wt (e.g. 6wt.) and each weight represents a standard weight in grains for the first 30 feet of the fly line established by the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Association. For example, the first 30' of a 6wt fly line should weigh between 152-168 grains, with the optimal weight being 160 grains. In casting and spinning rods, designations such as "8-15 lb. line" are typical.
A rod's action and power may change when line weight is greater or lesser than the rod's specified range. When the line weight used greatly exceeds a rod's specifications a rod may break before the line parts. When the line weight is significantly less than the rod's recommended range the line may part prematurely, as the rod cannot fully flex to accommodate the pull of a given weight fish. In fly rods, exceeding weight ratings may warp the blank or have casting difficulties when rods are improperly loaded.
Lure weight
A rod may also be described by the weight of lure or hook that the rod is designed to support. Lure weight is usually expressed in ounces or grams.
Number of pieces
Rods that are one piece from butt to tip are considered to have the most natural "feel", and are preferred by many, though the difficulty in transporting them safely becomes an increasing problem with increasing rod length. Two-piece rods, joined by a ferrule, are very common, and if well engineered (especially with tubular glass or carbon fibre rods), sacrifice very little in the way of natural feel.
See also
References
- ^ Fishing Tackle
- ^ Johnson, Paul, Sage Manufacturing News Release of 16-weight 1680-4 Xi2 Saltwater Fly Rod, 24 August 2005
- ^ Tenkara USA, About Tenkara
External links
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| Translations: Fishing-rod |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - fiskestang
Français (French)
n. - canne à pêche
Deutsch (German)
n. - Angelrute
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - καλάμι ψαρέματος
Italiano (Italian)
canna da pesca
Português (Portuguese)
n. - vara (f) de pescar
Русский (Russian)
удилище, удочка
Español (Spanish)
n. - caña de pescar
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
钓杆
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 釣杆
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - קנה-החכה
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 | fly rod |
| angling |
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 | How do you reel in a fish with a fishing rod? Read answer... |
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| What is the string of a fishing rod called? Read answer... |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| How Products are Made. How Products are Made. Copyright © 2002 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Word Origin. America in So Many Words, by David K.Barnhart and Allan A. Metcalf. Copyright © 1997 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fishing rod". Read more |
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| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- fly rod
- angling
- pirn
- Class Iii Lever (science)
- fly-cast
- Inside Sportfishing: Custom Rod Building & Wrapping with Doc Ski (2000 Sports & Recreation Film)
- spinning
- overcast
- Vademberek (2002 Film)
- The Stray: The Waltons (TV Episode) (1977 Drama TV Episode)
- fishing
- reel
- Fine Woodworking: Small Shop Projects - Boxes (Leisure Arts Film)
- rod
