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Steeldrifter

10ft 4wt Xi Series rod

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silly question,

how much farther can one cast a 10' compared to a 8'?

also

when I went to a fly show recently I was handed a rod to try out, I only glanced at it and started casting, it was a 10' 6 weight new orvis something,

with my first cast it went out perfect and landed soft exactly where I aimed it, after a few more cast, I really wanted one!

after I set it down, someone from orvis came out and took it inside, my guess it was one of the super expensive ones.

 

the only way I could afford something like that would be if I won the lottery!!

(boy, would I love to find one of those for 50 bucks!)

are blanks like that super expensive?

 

the reason I ask about casting distance is because I primarily fish from shore.

(freshwater ponds/small lakes)

man,.. you do some beautiful work!

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Team that rod -- or even your existi ng 9'er -- with an OPST skagit line would allow you to make long casts all day with minimal effort and w/o a back cast! With floating, interrnediate, and various weight sinking tips you'd also have a quick change system for almost any situation. It could be perfect for your lake/pond needs..

 

Rocco

 

P.S. Steve,

 

I really like the subdued colors on that rod. But I'd end up adding a 3" fighting butt because of my penchant for two hand casting and clearing the reel from ground/body contact .

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I really like the subdued colors on that rod.

That's pretty much what I was going to say. Subtle ... but a little flash in the sun.

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Xterrabill, I use a 9'10" 4 at and 10 ft 8 wt I love them my buddy used my 4 wt trout fishing I the river and was blown away by the easy distance he was getting. Mine are on blanks from anglers roost the 4at blank looks the same as this one.

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I have 2 rods, a 7' 11'' sage 3 LL 4 weight

and a

9 weight, I forget the length at the moment.

now maybe you guys will understand why I asked the question better.

 

I Can back cast in areas without problems, there is low brush.

 

Wouldn't a longer rod help keep my back cast higher and allow me to cast farther?

 

the 9 weight is a salmon rod, I don't want to cast that all day.

the sage is ultra nice, but it is short, its worth 3-4 hundred bucks and I don't want to break it

nor use it constantly.

look up sage one 7'11'' graphite III LL 4 weight on ebay,

it is not a rod I want to break while fishing for 3 inch bluegill.

 

EDIT.....

the ponds get stocked with trout 2x a year and are completely gone in a week

(they wouldn't live through summer anyway)

but I can and do, out fish the spin tackle folks.

smile.png

the rest of the year its bass and sunfish unless I make it out to a lake with toothy critters

or go for steels (the root river).

always wanted to get up to your neck of the woods steel drifter.

 

sorry for hijacking your thread sir.

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Not a problem it's not a hijack.

Distance is more a factor of casting ability than anything else (don't take that the wrong way lol ;) ) but someone with a good double haul can cast even a short rod a long distance. Now with that said, some people do feel a longer rod does help them to cast further. One advantage is just like you mentioned about keeping the backcast up. When a cast is done properly the line will travel forward and backwards on the same exact plane. The problem is when someone tries to cast further than they are able too then they start trying to muscle the cast, which inadvertently forces the rod to travel back further on the backcast and when that happens the tip goes downward on the back cast which drops the line down under the parallel plane it should be on and causes it to hit the bushes or ground etc.

 

So basically it's not so much that a 10ft rod will help you cast that much further than an 8-9ft rod if the cast is done properly on each, it's just that the extra length can overcome some common errors which in turn does help to cast further if that makes sense.

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that makes perfect sense and the kind of an answer that I half expected.

you being a rod builder had me wondering if some rods were built with lake fishing specifically in mind?

being that my sage was designed LL (lite line)and short, I think its more of a finesse rod than one I should try (and do)

muscle out into the wind or put a shooting head on.

the docks/fishing piers allow me to cast as far as I can.

I have spent many, many hours on them over the years and I know when the cast (double haul) is just right.

I am no judge at guessing distance, but I can and do send it out far with a weight forward line.

 

the brush on the shore does interfere with the back cast when I am less then perfect, wind,

not paying attention, ect. when I fish from other area's.

 

so the long and short of it is...

a longer rod will not necessarily improve your distance, but maybe a rod designed for less finesse might

when set up for it.

Does that sound correct?

 

on a shorter cast, that sage is Very accurate and sets the fly down like feather.

it also is forgiving allowing fish to remained hooked.

 

the other thing I have noticed about my longer rod (9 weight, bass fishing with waders in heavy weeds)

I am able to lift the rod up over my head high, straight up with a fish on, and retrieve by stripping fast

to keep them from diving under the lily's and getting tangled/lost.

so that might be another advantage to rod length.

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I Can back cast in areas without problems, there is low brush.

 

You don't really need a longer rod. You can just follow me. After I've tried casting from the shore, the brush is usually cleared out pretty good.mad.gif

 

I love fishing from a boat !!!

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so the long and short of it is...

a longer rod will not necessarily improve your distance, but maybe a rod designed for less finesse might

when set up for it.

Does that sound correct?

 

From what you are describing I would say yes that does sound like it would help you with more distance. Sounds like maybe the rod you have is a bit more moderate through the mid/tip most likely. A faster action / quicker tip flex rod will make for tighter loops and easier hauling which will give you further casts for the most part.

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that's it, I think you just said it.

its a little difficult to get a tight loop to make it carry far with that rod, where as that orvis rod I was handed

corrected even my first cast, it was a little weird to tell ya the truth.

but anything is better then the Cortland buggy whip wet noodle I started with.

 

I am not an orvis fan btw, I think their materials are soso, over priced, and the rods are outrageously over priced.

 

mike,

I would fish with you anytime man, love seeing your vids, want to see one with you catching something of size,

yeah that's it, A nice 4-5 lb. bass pulling your boat around.

smile.png

I used to have a pond here stocked with 3-4 pounders but no longer have access since my buddy passed away.

10 fish each in 4 hours just about every time we went.

 

 

I would be out fishing today, its 59 deg right now!!!!

but stupid virus cold thing has me tied to a hook.

 

I thank you all for your reply's.

peace

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Thank you, xterrabill. If we ever get in the same area, I'll take you up on that offer. You're welcome on my boat. ONE of us should be able to land a bigger fish !!!

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