Match rods/ line ratings / strengths

[Vagabond]

Some years ago I did some similar experiments with rods ranging from roach poles to 80lb test marlin rods.

 

Shoved the butt down a bit of horizontally mounted and clamped scaffolding tube and then hung various weights on the end of the threaded rod and observed how much the rod bent. It was amazing how far "progressive" rods differed from their official test curve ratings ! ( For newcomers, Test Curve = the weight needed to bend a progressive rod into a quarter circle)

 

But I did get a useful indication of how my lighter rods responded to pulls less than the TC - (say) one of 1 lbs, so gained a bit of insight re using a 1 lb hooklink and how much pressure I could get away with.

[Tigger]

Well funny you should say that as spent a day trotting the lowere Thames in a boat with Thames Steve and Steve Walker off here with my Normark |Steves ultralight and a acolyte side by side and I wouldn`t have swapped my Normark for the acolyte but was curious as to what the plus stepped up version was like .

Believe that Drennan frown on discounting there rods esp the acolyte so you did well to get a discount mate .

 

You'd be best off having a look at one Steve and make your own mind up m8. They are ok, they just don't do much for me (especially after all the hype) but they seem to have a lot of other fans who are well happy with them, I might be the odd one out . They are quite light !

 

Brian, they all seemed to be pretty much maxed out and I would have been a bit nervous of putting on much more pressure for fear of breaking them, maybe the higher rated rods did have that bit more left in them but I doubt anything like the difference suggested in the line ratings. I was just going off how far round the rods had bent over before the clutch released line and from where I was they all seemed to be in a very similar hoop. Probably my test was nonsense.

[lutra]

You'd be best off having a look at one Steve and make your own mind up m8. They are ok, they just don't do much for me (especially after all the hype) but they seem to have a lot of other fans who are well happy with them, I might be the odd one out . They are quite light !

 

Brian, they all seemed to be pretty much maxed out and I would have been a bit nervous of putting on much more pressure for fear of breaking them, maybe the higher rated rods did have that bit more left in them but I doubt anything like the difference suggested in the line ratings. I was just going off how far round the rods had bent over before the clutch released line and from where I was they all seemed to be in a very similar hoop. Probably my test was nonsense.

I'm not sure how line ratings are tested Ian. Wouldn't think its an indication of what can be lifted off the floor or swung to hand.

 

If you run out of rods to swing barbel to hand come the start of the river season, don't come knocking on my door.

[Tigger]

I'm not sure how line ratings are tested Ian. Wouldn't think its an indication of what can be lifted off the floor or swung to hand.

 

If you run out of rods to swing barbel to hand come the start of the river season, don't come knocking on my door.

 

Lol Brian, youv'e got your own Normark factory at your gaff so I know where to replenish stocks if I break mine doing bending tests .

[Phone]

Tigger,

 

I'm trying, honestly I am. What is it you are trying to determine - what's the goal?

 

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), Power (the “strength” of the rod or ability to lift weight from the tip; it is the amount of force needed to bend the rod), Stiffness, Shape, Number of pieces, Balance and Length (longer rod allows you to cast at a greater distance and it also affects your ability to fight against a fish).

 

The above is a quote from this URL. http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Fishing-Rods-Characteristics.htm

 

Since the "terms" (words) may be different while talking about the same thing what I have to say may be confusing. Hence, a rare silence from me.

 

Phone

[Tigger]

Phone,

My aim was to put a reel on a rod rated to 2 1/2 lb line, put the line through the guides and tie the line to a bush. Then set the clutch on the reel so it only releases line when the rod is bent to it's limit or what feels/ appears to be very near to it ...then to do the very same thing with a rod with a line rating of say 8lb line rating to see how much more easily it could pull line from the reel which had been set for the power of the 2 1/2 line rated rod. What I found was the rods all seemed to max out at the same clutch setting on the reel.

I would have thought that the rod rated to 8lb mono would have been bent over much less before pulling line from the reel....do you get what I was trying to determine now ?

I can only conclude that the test I did doesn't work correctly or else the line ratings are a load of old tosh.

 

As I said, I did try another more powerfull rod, a rod rated to 12lb lines (I don't think it is strong enough to be rated for 12lb lines) and it pulled the line from the clutch with ease and with much less bend in it.

[Steve Walker]

I wonder if you are bending them beyond the point where they can usefully act as a spring?

[Phone]

Tigger,

 

""""I can only conclude that the test I did doesn't work correctly or else the line ratings are a load of old tosh.""""

 

Prolly both. I have never seen line that wasn't under rated (except certified line for "line weight record" angling). And, for that matter a rod that couldn't control double the stated line rating.

 

While the URL I posted is for US rods - it may shed some light on your dilemma (question). This kind of testing is "bench proving" and has little application to maximum angling pleasure. For some reason very skilled anglers almost always step down in equipment.

 

As for the reel - A common mistake is using yesterdays drag setting. RESET EVERY SESSION. You want to set the drag on a fishing reel before your first cast of the day. Without any influence from the rod, to set the drag on a fishing reel, you don’t set it by the size of the fish, rather set it by the breaking strength of your fishing line, experience and knowledge of the venue.

 

Disclaimer (1992 and before). Maybe a new Stradic Ultra Light is in order.

 

Phone

[Kappa]

Surely the other way round ! The stronger the rod, the less far down it will bend for a given clutch setting - consider the extreme - like a beachcaster !

This article suggests you can exert more force with a lighter rod...

 

http://www.barbel.co.uk/site/articles/testcurves/test_curves.htm

 

Perhaps retry the test but tie the line onto a set of scales and see what you actually achieve in terms of force exerted.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Kappa

[Phone]

Tigger,

 

Or, you could go fishing. I'd bet a nickel you intuitively know how "horsey" you can be. I'd equally bet you don't "trust" the clutch as much as you trust your instincts.

 

Phone