Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Noob Question: Line Choice

I actually don't prefer overlining rods most of the time ;).  I generally stick with the line printed on the rod.  I've never really been a believer in the "overlining slows the rod's action down" idea.  I prefer to think of it as "making the rod cast as if it has more line out of the tip" since the action of the rod is always set (fast, med, slow, etc.).  In other words, a 7wt fenwick ff80 with a 8.5wt line casts (to me) like a 7wt fenwick ff80 with more fly line out of the tip....not so much "slower" like most people say, though I agree that timing is slower as you extend more line out. 

Lefty has an excellent cast -- only a food would say otherwise.  I cast heavily in his style, so if anything I should buy into everything he says 100% and keep my mouth shut ;). 

His answer absolutely has some truth to it -- a thinner line with have less wind resistance, but the overall suggestion is.....well, wrong.  It's not so much a difference of opinion, what he's saying is incorrect unless the laws of physics cease to exist for Lefty Kreh.  It's important to get facts straight sometimes.  I don't have the physics background, but I read that article once and immediately knew it wasn't right.  That's all.  ;)

This is WAY off topic now, but I think "slow" action fly rods are the best teachers for teaching how a rod loads and unloads because the feel and timing seem a bit easier to grasp.  I cast rods of every action and like them all at various times. 

Gene

On Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 1:58:11 PM UTC-4, Matthew Longley wrote:

Hahaha - Dave, this is exactly what I meant.

I'm sure Gene is correct, that for his cast, overlining is better in wind. And Lefty Kreh... well Lefty Kreh is probably one of the foremost experts on fly fishing in the history of fly fishing, so its safe to assume his answer also has at least some truth to it.

At the end of the day, its about how you feel when casting, and the results you get from it. BTW, I would highly recommend asking others you are out fishing with to try casting their rigs as often as you can. I recently tried a buddy's rig and it was like turning on a light in a dark room - So that's the difference between fast and slow action!

On Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 1:38:17 PM UTC-4, Dave J wrote:

This is all interesting, for sure. More mass and velocity is better for distance, all else being equal. But is it all equal? Wouldn't heavier lines deform a given rod more as it bends, and therefore affect loop size, line speed, how much line you can carry, and how the rod recovers? 

With respect -- to take your example, Gene, and flip it: instead of going to a three weight line, take an eleven weight line on whatever mid-weight example we're using here. I doubt you will throw a tight loop a great distance by overlining that much, just as I won't gain the advantage described by going down several line weights. Of course, taking it to extremes and *grossly* over- or underlining might not make either point... maybe instead that takes this all into other properties of physics and rod performance, magnifies problems in the casting stroke that screw things up in different ways... I don't know :) 

As far as wind resistance by going up or down a line size, doesn't seem like it would matter much to me, but who knows.

So if you stay within the rod's performance window and slightly overline and compensate with stroke and hauling... couldn't you also slightly underline and do what Lefty describes? I've overlined and underlined rods before and played around with how they cast, but I can't say I've tried underlining specifically to gain distance in howling wind. Think I will try it when the wind kicks up again. Will probably just frustrate myself but maybe it will help. Or it won't :)

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