What separates a good rod from a bad rod?

[dafack01 0]

I'm talking in generalities. Not this rod is better for X and this for Y. Just the good rods from the bad; lumping all the "good" rods from the "bad" rods.

 

I was practicing my casting yesterday (which I need to do more of), that popped into my head and I was just curious. I really haven't casted a "bad" rod. I was looking to get into fly fishing and wanted something good right away- so I got a 9' 6wt Scott V2 (my 8wt is an A2). It's probably not what you would consider the Rolls Royce of fly rods (I wouldn't know), but it's easy to cast and easy to feel what the line and fly are doing midflight. Light as well. Probably more of a beginner's rod, but it's comfortable whipping out the big weighted woolly buggers and stuff at the distances I fish. That's how I'm thinking "good" rods perform overall. There's probably a rod more adept at streamer fishing, and another more adept at dry fly presentations, but that's another discussion.

 

What do you all think? What constitutes a "good" rod to you all?

[Shaq 0]

Taking all the This for that out of it, I like to look at a flex of the rod. If a rod has a continuous flex, all the way through the blank, no matter the "Action" then it is probably a good rod. Bad rods have dead spots which tend to bend more at right angles, with somewhere which joints. Also, good rods recover from a cast quicker and don't keep boinging back and forth. Good rods can be wrapped bad creating dead spots and the rod builders can probably give you more info on that. But if you take a rod, bend the tip against the carpet, you should be able to find any dead spots and then when casting, if you feel the rod "Fold" on the power stroke, it's probably a bad rod. It should feel smooth and even the fast action rods should bend all the way to the handle, evenly

[Steeldrifter 0]

I think it's all what feels good to each individual caster IMO. What one caster considers a good rod may be junk to the naxt caster and visa versa, mainly because different people have different casting styles and certian rods suit certian styles better than others. What one guy feels is a great rod because it's a fast action, may be all wrong for the next guy that dosen't cast with a ton of line speed or has a bit wider casting arc. So I really can't say what makes a "good" rod anymore than just saying a good rod to me just has a feel that fits my own casting style.

 

SD

[Guest]

I'm more with Steve on this one. Sometimes it's the caster who has to decide on what's a bad rod vs. what's a good rod. I actually prefer some of the lower end Sages over the newer (and much more expensive) higher end rods. I like the slower actions (since it's what I started with). Had a friend who's an excellent caster. Boy has a cannon of an arm when it comes to flycasting (but sucks actually putting a fish on the fly LOL). He grabs one of my old fenwick glass rods, and can't get more then a 20' cast. LOL. So, think it depends on the person (where a real talented caster can grab about any rod and cast it). I'm not one of those, so I like my slower action rods.

[chrislorne 0]

a rod that is not spined properly is a bad rod, no matter how much it cost or what brand name it is !!

[Guest]

There are no good or bad rods, just good or bad fly fishermen. You either like a rod's action or you don't. I don't think I've ever casted a rod that I thought was a "bad" rod.

[Hot Tuna 0]

To quote one of my favorite saying regarding guitars and it applies to rods as well...

"It's not the arrow...it's the Indian."