And I thought this thread had gasped for it's last breath months ago...
Devil’s advocate… always welcome. These forums would be boring without it. You raise some interesting points.
The rod is a crosscurrent. I admit, I had no idea what I wanted when I started. My newly formed opinion of what type of gear was best, was molded by the salesman to conform with what he considered was right. No blame on him, he was just doing his job. But, there weren’t many resources available to the guy starting out that might indicate their may be another way to cast other than high line speed, fast rods and light reels.
I did push the line weights up quite a few to get it where I wanted it. And I can also cast the line it’s rated for now, although I would never go back to fish with it. Not a crutch, but you are partially right, it is a preference. Besides, there’s no way to choose a right rod for your style if you haven’t had the chance to develop a style yet.
I like the way the rod feels with the higher line. It softens right up and even fishes the line in the water better.
You may have more experience with fighting fish on the flyrod than me. My basis for the opinion you referenced, "a flyrod stinks as a fish fighting tool" are based on my comparison between the flyrod and other rods used to fight fish (spinning, etc.). The mechanics of fighting fish on either type of gear are similar in theory. I like the tip down, flexed out to one side or the other. Use the rod as a cushion for the line rather than a stick to yank the fish in on. This cushioning effect makes it easier than pulling a line in with your hand, and the rod pointed toward the fish gives the animal less mechanical advantage over you during the fight.
Even with spinning gear, when possible I like the tip low and only use short pulls on the rod to beat the fish. Much more efficient that way. Big long strokes and a high tip can only cause trouble and ultimately kick your ass in the end. A high tip is just creating a larger lever arm for the fish to pull against. You can fight a fish well on a flyrod if you adopt this philosophy, but it’s less comfortable and more work than the same fight on equivalent sized spinning gear. Just take 1:1 line ratios compared to the 4:1 and 5:1 of other types of gear. Never mind not having a drag that’s independent of the spool. But it is a skill that needs to be developed and I’m sure after a while the quirks of fighting fish on a flyrod become second nature to an experienced angler. But it will never be more effective than other gear.
I talk about this stuff because very few others seem to, outside of some very limited resources. I want other people starting out to know that flyfishing didn’t start with high line speed techniques, casting lessons and fast rods. They should know that this “new” stuff is just that… New. It’s not necessarily the best way for everyone and certainly not the only way.
Fish are fish. Many people long ago, much smarter than myself, figured out what needs to be done to catch them. We should take advantage of the lessons they learned and shared over the years. Take the time to understand them and then work to develop our own skills from them.
To quote a friend… “It’s a stick and a string”… nothing more.
Thanks for the feedback CR!
