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Rod Length

2K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  juro 
#1 ·
Concering rod length:

1.
I would like to know if a 7'6 rod with 5 weight line is a good outfit for panfish and small trout. I would like a rod and reel that is small and light so that I could actually "feel the fight."

How far can a reasonable caster cast a line on a 7'6 rod? 8'6? 9'?

Just to clarify; I was told the shorter rod lengths were for "kids" and for some reason that does not seem true.

2.
When you retrieve the line in the reel, is the reel suppose to make the clicking noise when you retrieve in or is it supposed to be silent when you retrieve in and click when drag is taken?

Also, I've seen some rods where the retrieve is reverse and when retrieve is forward? Is this a preference issue or is there a standard?


Thank you for your time. :wink:
 
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#2 ·
TxBassAngler said:
Concering rod length:

1.
I would like to know if a 7'6 rod with 5 weight line is a good outfit for panfish and small trout. I would like a rod and reel that is small and light so that I could actually "feel the fight."

How far can a reasonable caster cast a line on a 7'6 rod? 8'6? 9'?
7.5' 5wt is a stream rod length in conventional terms, but it would work fine for panfish/trout unless you are fishing lakes and ponds from a float tube, sitting in a boat or casting from a deep wading position, in which cast you might consider a little longer rod like an 8'6" or a 9".

Casting distance is not simply a function of rod length; line also plays a role as does shooting line diameter, etc. BUT most important of all is the effectiveness of the caster in throwing a controlled shock wave through the air within an imaginary cylinder both directions.

A good caster can cast further with a 7.5' rod than a less efficient caster can reach with a 10'. If you can get the rod to accept a load by flexing and apply the proper acceleration and stopping point in the casting stroke (among other things) the line will cast quite well with a 7.5' rod.

All things being equal, the longer rod provides a longer stroke length which can potentially put more energy into the cast in the right hands. But the thing to think about for you is more how you will be fishing than distance of relative rod lengths, IMHO.

Distance: Some guys can put 100-110ft out there with that 5wt using a shooting head. Most will call a consistent 50-60ft cast quite accomplished with that rod. Hitting what you aim for within 40ft consistently is all you will ever need.

A shorter rod makes it easier to fight fish from a boat, and makes it easier to cast in brushy streams.

A longer rod makes it easier to keep the loop aloft when deep wading or float-tubing.

Just to clarify; I was told the shorter rod lengths were for "kids" and for some reason that does not seem true.
Tell whomever to read the studies of Lee Wulff, one of the most notable flyfishermen in history.

2.
When you retrieve the line in the reel, is the reel suppose to make the clicking noise when you retrieve in or is it supposed to be silent when you retrieve in and click when drag is taken?
Depends on the brand. Some reels click in, others out, while still others click both ways. What is the brand? Did you try the drag to see which direction gets hard to pull line when the drag is tightened?

Also, I've seen some rods where the retrieve is reverse and when retrieve is forward? Is this a preference issue or is there a standard?
Reels can be left-handed retrieve or right-handed retrieve, your preference - no standard.

Here's my advice: buy from a bona fide flyshop. You aren't just buying gear, you are buying a relationship with experts. Their knowledge is worth much more than the savings you might find on-line or in a megastore.
 
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