Hi Rob
"Sum awe"
It was late!!!
You seem to be missing my point entirely...which is...when a fish taps a fly or lure, there is a pull on the rod tip. If it is a stretchy line then yes, some of that "may"be lost due to stretch...BUT...a line will only stretch if there is a lot of weight on one end.
Lay a fly line out straight (one of mikes, not an Airflo floater, it will never lay straight
) and pull one end a foot. I will guarentee you the other end moves a foot. because it wont stretch as there is no weight on it.
Tie on a 6 oz lead and do the same. It will move about 11.5 inches.
Tie on a 5lb lead and it it wont move as all and stretch.
So taps and plucks at a fly or lure will register on the hand, as the line does not stretch much, or else we would never ever be able to use buzzers or nymphs as you are implying the line will stretch and we wont feel a thing. I am not talking about vibration as in a constant "buzz" through the hand..but when that tip is pulled an inch or so, it is transmitted up the blank to the hand. Some of that will be felt in the hand. Having said that...with Recoil rings there is most deffinately a "buzz" when double hauling!.
As for braid....been using that for just over 10 years although when fishing for soft mouthed fish such as Perch I use a very soft rod or nylon as braid pulls lures from a Perch's mouth if fished on a stiff rod.
And as for tapers...I clearly stated I was comparing like for like when it came to actions.
"yet both rods have an identical (as near as you can get) action and test curve." Of course the action comes partly from taper, partly from material, partly from construction techniques.