Does size matter ?

[scotview]

The current ethic is that a 15' rod is the optimum all rounder.

Assuming that the average salmon fisher has more than one rod and that the new fisher will eventually purchase more tackle, I would put forward the following thesis :

There is not much difference between a 14 & 15 foot rod (I am now wearing my bullet proof vest !)

Technology is progressing so fast that I would advocate that the best solution would be a 14 footer coupled to a modern 16 footer.

A modern 14 foot rod will do almost anything a 15 footer will do, give or take a few yards. Whereas a modern, lightweight 16 footer will increase an average casters distance by at least 5 to 10 yards.

Is the current best solution not a 14 footer and a 16 footer in the newcomer's armory?

................discuss

[Sloggi]

For a start, it depends which river you're fishing and what time of year. I go from 15' down to 13' then 11' and 10' before returning to 15'

No optimum size - just good water sense. Sometimes a big wide river needs a 10' single-hander while a small overgrown spate stream works best with a 15' rod.

[scotview]

sloggi,

I am not saying that you dont need a 12 or 13 footer for grilse or for a summer level river. What I am suggesting is that for a big wide water the difference between 14' & 15' rod is relatively small, whereas the difference between 15' & 16' for the "average" fisher is significant .

[ibm59]

scotview said:

A modern 14 foot rod will do almost anything a 15 footer will do, give or take a few yards. Whereas a modern, lightweight 16 footer will increase an average casters distance by ar least 5 to 10 yards.


/quote]
Can't figure the maths out on that one. And havn't had a dose for some years now. ;D

[scotview]

ibm59,

what I am advocating is that there are such relatively small incremental differences between 14', 15' & 16' rods but relatively significant differences between 14' & 16' rods the biginner should now consider either a 14' or 16' rod for starters depending of course on the general water he will be fishing AND on the assumption that he will PROBABLY buy more rods.

[ibm59]

As sloggi says "horses for courses". Personally , I can cast just as far with my 14' as I can with my 16' but will always fish with the longest rod that's comfortable in the conditions at the time , purely for water coverage/line control. I just hate using the 16' in strong winds and , in those conditions , will fish more effectively with one of my three 15' rods.

[scotview]

ibm59,

title changed, thanks.....but too much info on your medical history.



For the beginner or salmon fisher on a budget (like me) what do would think of the idea of only having rod sizes of:

11, 13, 15, 17 feet

or

12, 14, 16, 18 feet

??

[elwyman]

As Scotview has said 15' is often quoted as the best all purpose rod length. I wouldn't disagree for medium and larger rivers, but using a 15' rod is probably a bit of a compromise under extreme conditions of high & low water levels, and on small rivers.

There can also be big differences in the capabilities and performance of different 15' rods. I'd happily use my Hardy Gem on a big water on a windy day, but I'd rather use my Norway 9/10 at lower water levels,

You can fish a season through with one rod, but I'd say a minimum of two is better, either 13'/15' or 14'/16' would seem to be a good choice.

I now have 13/14/15 rods. I'd only consider a 16' rod if I was doing a lot of sunk line fishing with big tubes, which is unlikely at the moment.

I used the 14' Norway rod for all of my fishing last season, and it coped perfectly well!

Let's face it, we don't need all these rods, we're just tackle tarts really! ;D

[ibm59]

Forget the 16 , 17 & 18 footers. The big rods are specialist bits of gear and you won't use them much unless you are REGULARLY fishing large rivers or can cast like Para1.
A good ,sturdy 15' that can handle any line/ fly combination that you throw at it is the boy to have.
Pick one more that you're comfortable with from the other lengths and you're just about there.
Used to be a tackle tart but I'm allright now. ;D
Regards. B.

[scotview]

elwyman,

Until recently I would have agreed with your comments, but I have recently tried intermediate and floating shooting heads on a light weight 16 footer.

This definitely gave me more distance AND allowed me to make a decent D loop when wading.

I am not an expert caster by any means but I know when something can get my line out a bit further.

This is just my personal observations as an average fisher's point of view.

[elwyman]

Yes I'd have to agree that rods have become lighter, and rods like the 15' 9" (or is it 8"?) Le Cie seem very popular.

Longer rods must have advantages, as you say, but they are presumably more tiring to use all day, particularly in windy weather?

[scotview]

ibm65,

You have three different 15 footers,

maybe you could give the subtleties of these different rods.

[elwyman]

ibm59 said:

.
Used to be a tackle tart but I'm allright now. ;D

Glad you're cured ibm59. ;D

[ibm59]

elwyman said:

Longer rods must have advantages, as you say, but they are presumably more tiring to use all day, particularly in windy weather?

You better believe it. 8 hours fishing a 16 footer on a windy day leaves me looking like Quasimodo and I usually end up with gravel rash on my knuckles after the walk back to the car.

[elwyman]

ibm59 said:

elwyman said:

Longer rods must have advantages, as you say, but they are presumably more tiring to use all day, particularly in windy weather?

You better believe it. 8 hours fishing a 16 footer on a windy day leaves me looking like Quasimodo and I usually end up with gravel rash on my knuckles after the walk back to the car.

Sounds almost enough to make me get the spinning rod out! ;D

[scotview]

I have an 18' Diawa Whisker fly (I have accounted for a November Traquair fish and a February Elchies fish on this)

Now after a day with THAT rod you know what muscle ache is!

These new 16 footers are a breeze, and I'm nearly a pensioner !!

[ibm59]

scotview said:

ibm65,

You have three different 15 footers,

maybe you could give the subtleties of these different rods.

Two Lochmor Z's 9/10. Liked the first one so bought another as a spare. Great with floaters/intermediates but not so great with fast sinkers or in a strong upstream wind. Bees knees for double spey with a Lee Wullff 70' head floater in anything of a downstream puff.
One Altmor 15' 10/12 , non exploding type, for, as I've already said , anything I want to throw at it. It'll quite happily handle a Snowbee 2D 9/10 if I feel the 10/11 is not delicate enough.

[elwyman]

scotview said:

I have an 18' Diawa Whisker fly (I have accounted for a November Traquair fish and a February Elchies fish on this)

Now after a day with THAT rod you know what muscle ache is!

These new 16 footers are a breeze, and I'm nearly a pensioner !!

Traquair - you must have been catching the bushes on the far bank with the rod tip! ;D

[scotview]

Elwyman,

fair point, touche.

[ibm59]

Off to bed to prove that size doesn't matter. ;D ;D ;D