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NJ All Day

Difference between fast and slow action fly rods?

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Hi all, i'm looking for a new rod for myself. As i look i see fast action fly rods, and slower action fly rods.

 

What is the difference between the actions?

 

I was looking for a rod for pike and some stripped bass fishing, I was looking at an 8 weight, so what would be the better action?

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So would a slower or faster action throw bigger flies farther?

 

Here is some info about rod action from Wikipedia. As it seems your a little confused on this subject. Hope it helps you out... B)

 

Action

 

"Action" refers to the responsiveness of the rod to bending force (bending curve), and the speed with which the rod returns to its neutral position. An action may be slow, medium, fast, or a combination (e.g. medium-fast.) Fast Action rods flex most in the tip section. Slow rods flex more towards the butt of the rod.

 

The construction material and construction method of a rod affects its action. Action, however, is also often a subjective description of a manufacturer; some manufacturers list the power value of the rod as its action. A "medium" action bamboo rod may have a faster action than a "fast" fibreglass rod. Action is also subjectively used by anglers, as an angler might compare a given rod as "faster" or "slower" than a different rod.

 

A rod's action and power may change when line weight is greater or lesser than the rod's specified range. When the line weight used greatly exceeds a rod's specifications a rod may break before the line parts. When the line weight is significantly less than the rod's recommended range the line may part prematurely, as the rod cannot fully flex to accommodate the pull of a given weight fish. In fly rods, exceeding weight ratings may warp the blank or have casting difficulties when rods are improperly loaded.

 

The action refers to how much a rod bends when a fisherman is casting or have a fish at the end of the line. An extra fast action rod bends just at the tip. A fast action bends in the last quarter of the rod. A moderate-fast action rod bends over the last third. A moderate action rod bends over the last half. A slow action rod bends all the way into the handle. Fast action rods allow the fisherman to make longer casts.

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I would go faster. With bigger flies and casting in the wind your going to want a faster action rod. And casting distance is going to be a big issue if you end up going with a slow rod.

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Many ff buy a fast action rod and say they are great. Of course most of them will then over line the rod which is actually slowing down the action of the rod. I personally like medium to medium slow rods to fish the small creeks that I spend most of my ff time on. It is very unpleasant to make short casts. Fast rods will cast any given line further but it also requires more line in the air to get the rod loaded to cast well. If you need to make 70 to 90 foot casts all day long I would recommend a fast to medium fast rod. If 40 to 70 foot casts will work for you then a slower rod will probably work better for you and is IMO easier to cast. A fast rod requires spot on timing to properly do it's job.

 

I have a 2 wt rod that I sometimes use for casts of 20 to 45 feet that is lined with a 5wt wt line that has a very long front taper and it works great for this. The rod is over loaded though when the casts get to 50 feet. It also roll casts very well at these shorter distances. Great BG rod.

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I beleive that a slower action rod is going to give you a much better feel and give a little more when playing fish. I my self just bought a fast action rod to use when I need to get distance easier. My new stomping grounds require a lot of bushwacking and not very much back casting space. I opted for the faster rod to be able to shoot line out easier with on short back cast and for better roll casts. Worked great for me last week. My 4 weight medium slow just wont shoot as well as the fast action rod.

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NJ, depends on your casting style/ability. If you are a good caster, the faster rod will allow you to generate faster line speed and help cut in to the wind. The line size will determine the size of the fly you can use.

For the difference, a fast rod generally has tip or tip to upper mid rod flex. A slow rod will have from tip to mid rod or tip to butt flex.

A slow rod is easy to load with less line, great for close in and tight fishing. A slow rod depending on the caster can be harder to carry a lot of line in the air during false casting. A faster rod will load best with a bit of line out past the tip and allow you to carry more line in the air, again depending on your casting ability.

 

Kirk

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