RECENT POSTS
CATEGORIES
- Rigs and tips (193)
- bonefish fishing (2)
- snook fishing (1)
- tarpon fishing (1)
- fly fishing (6)
- Bahamas fishing (1)
- Florida fishing (1)
- Florida Keys fishing (1)
- fishing knots (1)
- surgeons loop (1)
- Lefty (2)
- fly fishing knots (1)
- Lefty Kreh (1)
- loop knots (1)
- flyline backing (1)
- Cuba (1)
ARCHIVES
- May 2013 (1)
- March 2013 (1)
- January 2013 (6)
- December 2012 (5)
- October 2012 (2)
- September 2012 (2)
- August 2012 (2)
- July 2012 (1)
- June 2012 (3)
- May 2012 (2)
BLOGS
- Q&A with Lefty Kreh (230)
- Editor's Blog (85)
Posted on Sep 17, 2012 in Q&A with Lefty Kreh
Do fly rods weaken or lose their action after extended use?
by Lefty Kreh
During the late 1950s and 1960s, I used Fenwick FF85 rods. There was no question that after long and hard use, the blanks would soften and the action would slow a bit. I had Temple Fork Outfitters check with legendary rod builder Gary Loomis, who replied that modern fiberglass rods will not soften or change in action simply from being cast. Nice to know.
Comments (3) Post A Comment
post a comment
All submitted comments are subject to the license terms set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
From Our Sister Sites
Copyright © 2013 Fly Fishing in Salt Water Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
I suspect (& hope) that he does.
In years past, most fiberglass rods were made with woven fiberglass and polyester resins. The weave had a natural sleaze, which combined with lower strength polyester resins would allow the composite to very gradually weaken with extended use. Although still very functional, this would make a rod seem slightly softer over time.
Today's graphite rods are mostly made with unidirectional (non-woven) carbon fibers and high strength epoxy resins. They can go through a million+ casting cycles without any noticeable change in action.
Over time, all rods are exposed to impacts (from weighted flies, branches, etc.), which can fracture the resin and lead to premature breakage under relatively light loads.
Does Lefty mean graghite rods? ...Chuck