Gordy..there's been a lot of discussion about rods,action and power but nothing about the caster. You wouldn't talk about golf clubs without the golfer.
The best pieces I've come across are Tim Rajeff's articles on Rajeff Sports website. Under General Fly Fishing & Distance and Casting Performance are 4 articles which are well worth reviewing. They cover understanding the difference between action and power and fitting the proper rod to the caster.
Different casting styles call for different rod action and power depending on anatomical makeup and temperament as well as the fishing situation. These are great articles and are very helpful in recommending and fitting rods for students....Peter
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[GH]
Peter,
Glad you brought that up. We've learned a lot from Golf teaching and Ski schools. Most of their teaching methods apply to fly casting instruction.
Tim is correct.
I suppose we could take what we've discussed and say that these rod parameters apply when casting by the "average caster" ...... Well, there may actually be no such person. We casters are all different from one another physically and emotionally.
As an example; I can't even make a decent cast with one of Rajeff's favorite competition distance casting rods !
Then, too, no two casting or fishing circumstances are exactly the same.
However, if we start comparing the different characteristics of fly rods as they relate to different casters and at the same time relate all this to various casting and fishing circumstances we can get into so much detail as to blunt the thrust of the primary message.
So I see the study of fly rod characteristics including action, speed and power a separate subject. To ignore the caster ? certainly not. As we learn, we mentally divide and conquer. One way of doing that is to learn about fly rods and about casting as well as fishing and about casters. Then as a final exercise, relate these things to the individual caster.
I'm glad you have reminded us of Tim Rajeff's website : www.rajeffsports.com . Tim is truly expert in that last phase of relating fly rods, casting conditions and fishing demands to the caster .
Gordy
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[GH] Shaun ash answers my question on Strudwick rods from an earlier message :
Gordy,
I did some with Strudwick they are still around but not as they were. I fished and learnt heaps with Rod Harrison...... he taught me a lot.
Thread, epoxy, do effect the rod. A blind test of a number of the same blanks with different guides, build etc would be a fun and interesting thing.
Shaun
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[GH] Shaun,
I have spent time with Rod Harrison. Had him as my guest here in the Keys. He had caught about everything Australian waters have to offer (and that is a LOT !) but had never caught a big Atlantic Tarpon.
We got into some brutes and he caught a couple of monsters from my skiff.
Harro is a powerful and accurate caster with a modification of Lefty's style. Instantly on target with suburb presentations. He gives credit to Lefty for many things including his casting as well as his prolific writings and "down under" fame. Hardly an AU fishing mag. without an article by or about him.
I love sharing "Harro stories" with Lefty !! They go on and on.
I never came across anyone who fought a large fish as hard and as well as he does.... a combination of brute power and yet the finesse of many years experience.
Gordy
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>From Troy Miller on the past message we seek on fly rods :
Well, here’s one that kinda hints at some of the concepts. I’ll go to Clark’s bamboo board and see if the messages are archived there. I’m not done looking in my own message archive by any means, just wanted to send this one your way…
Troy
This from 7-25-2007 :
Troy....
Yes .... seems you would also need to know a lot about the taper, too.
Gordy
Yes. A larger OD tubular shaft will be stiffer than a smaller OD tube of the same material and wall thickness. A thicker walled tube of some OD will be stiffer than a thinner walled tube of the same OD and material. And if two tubes are identical geometrically, but made from different materials, then the one of higher Young’s Modulus will be stiffer. None of these examples describe the way the rod performs DYNAMICALLY. You need to know the density of the material to understand the inertial effects.
Regards -- TAM
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