Blog
February 8, 2010
In praise of short fly rods
I love short fly rods. Carp rods under 8 feet are my absolute favorite. There I said it.
But beyond personal preference, there is a reason that short rods perform better than the standard 9 foot rods. They are simply more accurate. There are some mathematic models and triginomitry applied to explain this, but I was never good at math.
The best analogy is in golf clubs. If you are looking for distance, you go for the longer club like an iron or a driver. The ultimate accuracy is with the wedge, the shortest club available.
So why does accuracy matter in carp angling? Outside of being on a boat in the Great Lakes, most of our carp angling is done shore stalking fish looking to place casts directly in their line of feeding. Fewer casts means less of a chance of spooking fish.
Another plus side is that a shorter lever is easier to cast on a long day. Less fatigue means more energy to fight and land carp!
So take a look at shorter rods if you are in the market this season, and watch your days on the water get longer, your accuracy increase, and your carp fishing become more enjoyable.
But beyond personal preference, there is a reason that short rods perform better than the standard 9 foot rods. They are simply more accurate. There are some mathematic models and triginomitry applied to explain this, but I was never good at math.
The best analogy is in golf clubs. If you are looking for distance, you go for the longer club like an iron or a driver. The ultimate accuracy is with the wedge, the shortest club available.
So why does accuracy matter in carp angling? Outside of being on a boat in the Great Lakes, most of our carp angling is done shore stalking fish looking to place casts directly in their line of feeding. Fewer casts means less of a chance of spooking fish.
Another plus side is that a shorter lever is easier to cast on a long day. Less fatigue means more energy to fight and land carp!
So take a look at shorter rods if you are in the market this season, and watch your days on the water get longer, your accuracy increase, and your carp fishing become more enjoyable.
Patrick Sievert - 2010-02-09 15:21:12
My brother uses a 6'6" 2 wt for carp. I use a 7'6" 3 wt. Short rods are the way to go. But we like them for a different reason. We almost never cast to fish. Instead, we sneak and stalk them, the dapple the fly in front of them. The short rod allows better maneuverability if a fish starts to move on you as you're getting close. Also allows for better control in the weeds and in the wind. Here's an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApoLbOT0nZs
Jack Walters - 2010-03-05 20:04:04
i have fly fished for 40 years for trout and panfish using 6 and 7 ft rods. I have been contemplating buying a 8.5 ft rod and a large arbour real, your blog has changed my mind. Thanks for the tip. I have never fly fished for carp, but I'm very excited to get started.
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