fishing rods

A fishing rod or a fishing pole is a tool used to catch fish, usually in conjunction with the sport of angling. (Sustenance and commercial fishing usually involves nets). A length of fishing line is attached to a long, flexible rod or pole: one end terminates in a hook for catching the fish. A 'fishing pole' is a simple pole or stick for suspending a line (normally fastened to the tip), with a hooked lure or bait. In contrast, 'fishing rod' refers to a more sophisticated casting tool fitted with line guides and a reel for line stowage. Fishing rods vary in action as well as length, and can be found in sizes between 24 inches and 16 feet (4.9 m). The longer the rod, the greater the mechanical advantage in casting.

Types of fishing rods

Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing rods are long, thin, flexible fishing rods designed to cast a fly (see Fly lure), usually consisting of a hook tied with fur, feathers, foam, or other lightweight material. Originally made of split bamboo, most modern fly rods are constructed from man-made composite materials, including fiberglass, carbon/graphite, or graphite/boron composites. Instead of a weighted lure, a fly rod uses the weight of the fly line for casting, and lightweight rods are capable of casting the very smallest and lightest fly or lure.

Each rod is sized to a particular weight of line: larger and heavier line sizes will cast heavier, larger flies. Fly rods come in a wide variety of line sizes, from size #0 rods for the smallest freshwater trout and panfish up to and including #15 rods for large saltwater gamefish. Fly rods tend to have a single, large-diameter line guide (called a stripping guide), with a number of smaller looped guides (aka snake guides) spaced along the rod to help control the movement of the relatively thick fly line. To prevent interference with casting movements, fly rods usually have little or no butt section (handle) extending below the fishing reel. See Fly fishing.

Fly rods are manufactured by a number of companies and custom rod building is an active form of hobby among fly fishermen. See Fly rod building.

Bait Casting

Bait Casting (or simply "Casting") rods are made from graphite or fiberglass with cork or foam handles, and are generally 6 to 7 (1.8 to 2.1m) feet long. They are generally stiffer than other rod types, and intended for use with heavier artificial lures and natural bait. Casting rods have the reel and guides mounted above the rod due to the design of the reels used for casting, which require the use of the thumb for better control. Casting rods were originally developed for larger fish and saltwater fishing. Since the end of World War II, they have become increasingly popular for freshwater fishing, especially for bass.

Spin Casting Rods

Spin casting rods are rods designed to hold a spin casting reel, which are normally mounted above the handle (See Fishing reel). Most spin casting rods are similar in design and action to bait casting rods.

Spinning Rods

Spinning rods are made from graphite or fiberglass with a cork handle, and tend to be between 5 and 7 feet (1.5 and 2.1 m) in length. Typically, spinning rods have anywhere from 5-8 small guides arranged along the underside of the rod to help control the line, as well as a sliding or locking reel seat for attaching a spinning reel (either open- or closed-face) below the rod handle. Spinning rods and reels are widely used in fishing for popular North American sport fish including bass, trout, pike and walleye. Spinning rods are also widely used for trolling and still fishing.

Ultra-light Rods

These rods are used to fish for smaller species, they provide more sport with larger fish, or to enable fishing with lighter line and smaller lures. Though the term is commonly used to refer to spinning or spin-cast rods and tackle, fly rods in smaller line weights (size #0 - #3) have also long been utilized for ultra-light fishing, as well as to protect the thin-diameter, lightweight end section of leader, or tippet, used in this type of angling.

Ultra-light spinning and casting rods are generally shorter (4 to 5.5 feet is common) lighter, and more limber than normal rods. Tip actions vary from slow to fast, depending upon intended use. These rods usually carry 1 to 6 pound (4.5 to 27 N) test fishing line. Some ultra-light rods are capable of casting lures as light as 1/64th of an ounce - typically small spinners, wet flies, crappie jigs, tubes, or bait such as trout worms. Originally produced to bring more excitement to the sport, ultra-light spin fishing is now widely used for crappie, trout, bass, bluegill and other types of panfish.

Ice Fishing Rods

These are typically very short spinning rods, varying between 24 and 36 inches in length, used to fish through holes in the cover ice of frozen lakes, rivers and ponds.

Surf Rods

Surf fishing rods resemble spinning rods with much larger proportions. Generally between 10 to 14 feet (3 to 4 m) in length, surf fishing rods need to be larger and more robust in order for the user to get the lure beyond the breaking surf. Shallow water and low visibility of surf break zones means that fish tend to congregate just beyond this area. Some people can use surf rods to cast six ounces of lead weight, artificial lures, and/or bait hundreds of feet.

Cane Poles

Normally, these are fabricated from long, slender pieces of bamboo. They are often used for jigging or bait fishing in calm water, allowing the angler to reach out across small ponds without disturbing the fish.

History of fishing rods and rod design

Judging by stone inscriptions, fishing rods go back to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Prior to widespread availability of synthetic materials, such as fiberglass and graphite composites, fishing rods were typically made from split Tonkin bamboo, Calcutta reed, or ash wood, as it was necessary that they be made light, tough, and pliable. The butts were frequently made of maple, with bored bottom; this butt outlasted several tops. Handles and grips were generally of cork, wood, or wrapped cane. Guides were made of simple wire loops or, later, loops with ring-shaped agate inserts for better wear. Even today, Tonkin split-bamboo rods are still popular in fly fishing.

Rods for travelers were made with nickel-silver metal joints, or ferrules, that could be inserted into one another forming the rod. Some of them were made to be used as a walking cane until needed for sport. Since the 1980s, with the advent of flexible, yet stiff graphite ferrules, travel rod technology has greatly advanced, and multi-piece travel rods that can be transported in a suitcase or backpack constitute a large share of the market.

Modern Rod Design

In theory, an ideal rod should gradually taper from butt to tip, be tight in all its joints, and have a smooth, progressive taper, without 'dead spots'. Modern design and fabrication techniques, along with advanced materials such as graphite and boron composites have allowed rod makers to tailor both the shape and action of fishing rods for greater casting distance, accuracy, and fish-fighting qualities. Today, fishing rods are identified by their weight (meaning the weight of line or lure required to flex a fully-loaded rod) and action (describing the location of the maximum flex along the length of the rod).

Modern fishing rods retain cork as a common material for grips. Cork is light, durable, and tends to transmit rod vibrations better than synthetic materials, although EVA foam is also used. Reel seats are often of graphite-reinforced plastic, aluminum, or wood. Guides are available in steel and titanium with a wide variety of metal alloy inserts replacing the classic agate inserts of earlier rods.

See Also

• Bass fishing
• Fishing reel
• Fly fishing

External links

• Fly Casting Techniques