Rod Weight

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

My brother gave me an older fly rod. I've looked it over top to bottom and can't find any markings. Is there any way of determing what weight the rod is?

 

Rob

[Goduster 0]

Short of doing a CCS on it, just try different weight lines until you reach that confort level between what you and rod like.

[utyer 0]

There are several ways to determine line weight.

 

Start with a known rod of the SAME length that is marked for line size. fix the reel seat and handle in a horizontal position, and hang a weight (about an ounce,) from the tip. Measure the deflection of the tip when it is weighted. Then fix the second (unknown rod,) in the same exact position, and use the same weight. Again measure the defection. If it didn't bend as much as the known rod, then its for a heavier line. If it bent more, then its for a lighter line. That will get you fairly close.

 

String up the rod with your best guess, and lay out about 35 feet of line. Try casting that back and fourth. If its hard to load the rod then try the next heavier line, if it loads too much use a lighter line.

 

Most any rod will cast a range of line sizes, usually one size on either side of the "optimum" line size. Side by side comparisons with known rods will get you very close, but that pre-supposes that you have a few different rods on hand all the same length, and different line sizes to compare to.

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

Thanks guys, I have a properly loaded 7wt of the same length. That should get me in the ballpark or atleast a good jump off point. Appreciate the help!

 

Rob

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

Rob you might try posting a pic of it some of the rod builders like Goduster and Steeldrifter might be able to help also some measurments of the rod may help

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

Can't seem to get a decent pic that'll show any detail. It's an 8' fiberglass rod (was that boos and hisses I just heard? ) It's cream colored with dark brown wrappings if that helps. My brother gave it to me, but it originally belonged to my grandpa. He was an avid fisherman, but not that into fly fishing. Where I grew up, fly fishing was really more of a novelty. Kind of a shame I think, but that's how it was. I'm gonna say this pole probably dates to around 1960, give or take a few years.

 

Rob

[Steeldrifter 0]

Most of them glass rods from that time frame where 7/8wts. If you can get a pic that would for sure help.

[Goduster 0]

Very rarly in that era did you ever see a glass rod that was under 6wt. If it was possibly white and faded to like a cream color, it could possibly be one of the early Shakespeare blanks and they did produce a 5wt. Really like to se some pics of it, especially the grip and seat area.

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

That I can do. Working on pic resizing, so hopefully this will be ok.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

Still too big, let's try this.

 

 

That's a little better.

 

Rob

[ditz2 0]

I would agree with most of the others. It is probably in the area of an 8wt. The rod may be an old South Bend. Seems like they used that color combo on some of thier rods. I don't ever remember a handle haveing the thumb flat though.

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

Thanks guys, i'll probably just start with about a 7wt line and see how it does.

 

Rob