The Secret to Fly Rod Design
When it comes to fishing, novices often think the gear is the same for just about every type of fishing. This, of course, is no more true than saying all golf clubs are the same and usable in any circumstance.
Even if you do not play golf, you know a putter and driver are two entirely different clubs for two entirely different situations. One is for handling the fine work around the hole and the other is for working out the stress in your life by swinging with all your might!
Fishing is all about specialization. Trying to use a fly fishing rod to bring in a sail fish off Cabo San Lucas is not going to go well. Fly rods are unique and we can see why when we break down the design into certain components.
Our first area of focus is the grip of the rod. You will notice it is longer and comprised of cork. Fly fishing involves a lot of repetitive casting. The grip is designed to give you plenty of room to do it and cut down on hand friction.
The other major differences with the rod deal with the issue of friction. A thinner line is typically used with a bait casting or spinner rod. The line typically gets a lot less wear and tear, so the rod has few attributes to deal with friction issues.
A fly rod, on the other hand, is designed with a lot of thought given to the issue of friction. The problem that arises is the fly line is much thicker and is sent out and pulled back repeatedly as fly fishing is basically repetitive casting.
To deal with this issue, the first alteration you will note is a subtle difference. The first loop off the reel is known as the stripping guide. It is lined with a ceramic material to cut down on friction and heat, but will limit your casting distance.
Moving up the rod we find some odd looking wire guides. Most rods have simple and traditional metal loops. The purpose is simply to make sure the line moves efficiently up and down the rod.
Our fly rod line is going to take a bigger beating than a spinner rod. To cut down on friction and heat, fly rod guides are designed in a spiral form. This snake like look diffuses the friction as the line moves around and cuts heat damage.
A fly rod is distinctly unique in fishing. Part of the glory of fly fishing is mastering the use of the rod. Understanding the components of it is the first step.
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