I found something new on Youtube… a vid on rod selection. In this case the guy has two 8 wts and is talking about the amount of deflection each has, saying it is fast or slow.
http://youtu.be/S6ZVx9EjBbI
Now… I’m sure what he’s said is reasonable. I’d add, however, that I’d bet there are rods that are much slower that are used for bonefish. Just because a rod is slower doesn’t mean you can’t cast it in the wind or you can’t hit 70′ with it. We tend to use faster rods because they are easier to use, but it seems to me, that some of the best anglers (and I’m talking about the people here that are much, much better than I am) tend to fish with rods that are a bit slower than “fast.”
Thoughts?
- Unique Post
Is this a joke? Charming guy. But. The best bonefisherman I know, as you know, uses a soft old Orvis (and that is soft…) and a no drag Pfluger. All he does is catch lots and lots of really big fish ( after doing such excursions as living with Charlie Smith for two months in Andros…to learn the ways of the bones. I am sure you all know of Charlie Smith. Think Crazy Charlie…). Of course, said angler would never say have said that. about being a good angler.\. No point here. Other than…what racing sailors used to say. “It’s all HOT….hand on the tiller that wins races. I figure the rods are not so important as the rodders. On the other hand, why the hell do I have so many?
Yes… I like that…
“the rods are not so important as the rodders.”
You have so many because you are a man and men are drawn to beautiful things and today’s rods… even the old rods, are beautiful things.
Bjorn, I agree w/ you. The whole fast-action thing has gotten way out of hand. I disagree that one rod can be labeled a “bonefish” rod or a “bass” rod, or whatever. It comes down to the caster–their casting stroke (is it short and fast, long and progressive), whether they haul or not, and the conditions they’ll be fishing in.
Most folks pickup a #8 rod and see how far they can bang it out there. The farther they can cast they better they think the rod is. Sure, if you’re blind casting all day and just want to cover water, fine. However, bonefishing is the opposite of that. You need a rod that delivers accurate casts over a range of distance, starting w/ about 25 feet. That’s how far you should cast to see how well a rod performs.
Oh, and this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHlJQUOm7wM
So, you might have a slower action rod that is actually very powerful, and vice-versa.
Awesome points. I just added that video to the post after this one, which was more about rod selection.