[Rob Brownfield]

Just an observation from the weekend and certainly not having a pop at anyone....

A chap next to me hooked a fish and started to play it. Within 20-30 seconds I hit into a fish....and in the time it took me to land my fish, make a few further casts and land and release another 2 trout, the gentleman next to me finally landed his fish.

I play my fish hard and my 5 weight (tip flex) was bent double whilst his rod, obviously a fast taper jobbie, only had the top third bent over. He appeared to be applying the same pressure but the fish seemed to be giving him the run around. All the fish he hooked took a long time to get in, as did his mates..again with a fast action rod.

My experience of fast action rods is that they not only play the fish, but also the angler. I have and still use some very tippy rods and feel that the lever effect works against the angler. A more through action rod stops a fish in its tracks and you can really clamp down and hold a fish hard without fear of the line snapping or the hook pulling.

I later changed to a 7 weight "tippy" rod (due to the howling gale) and started to bump fish constantly as the bloody thing just would not absorb the lunges and runs of the fish, popping hooks out of the trouts mouth.

Anyone feel the same way??

[Dave Olley]

yes

[Graham Ritchie]

It is exactly the same with salmon rods, you can land a fish in half the time with a through action rod such as a Bruce & Walker compared with a more tippy rod such as a Guideline. Certainly something to consider if you are releasing the fish.

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Rob

Yes, this is something that we've discussed quite a few times on here over the years

Best wishes
Mike

[Ben Dixon]

I am not sure I totally agree with that, I tend to fish quite fast rods most of the time and I have few problems getting fish in, usually they are fast lighter line rods.  I frequently use fast 6wt trout rods when salmon fishing and have little problem there either, saying that I have little experience of fishing the sort of fast heavy line rods that are often used for rainbow fishing, these are often a bit too stiff for the diameter of tippet that is used.  I would not think about using a 108 tipflex with 3.5lb tippet but, the flies I would be casting on tippet of that diameter would not require an 8wt line to carry them.  An 8wt line really is not required to cast a couple of buzzers and a rod with an ERN of 8+ is not required to land a stocked rainbow   

Cheers

Ben

[Rob Brownfield]

Ben, as you know I have the Tip Flex ZG (10.5) and the Tip Flex TLS (9.5) and although both rods are classed as tippy, they still bend when playing fish. The ZG was prety much bent double  . Thats what I like about these and the XP I have..although classed as tippy, when you bend them, they still bend.

I also have a very special Bob Church prototype 10'3" 9 weight that is "proper tippy". That thing, even with a large Pike on it, only really bends in the top third. The butt is as straight as a dye

I guess thats the difference between a £150 tippy rod and a £500-£600 tippy rod. 

[Ben Dixon]

I think the problem is more one of stiffness Rob, many rods are too stiff for the applications they are used for.  I have never understood why folk want to use a poker for fishing for trout, it is not neccessary.  faster rods tend to be stiffer (softer tip relative to stiffness of blank) although there are exceptions to this, BIIx for example.  My Helios 905 is almost as fast as my TCR 590 but very much more pleasant to play fish on, the TCR is about 1.5 ERNs stiffer.  The Zero G you have is not as fast as some other fast rods.  I think the one I CCSd had an ERN of 6.4 and an AA of 67, think that is right but will have a check later, I am away fishing just now 
There is a rod database on Sexyloops with data for various rods & blanks if you are interested.

Cheers

Ben

[Paul Rankine]

Hi All,
         An interesting topic. I always thought that it was the angler that played the fish not the rod .......

Paul.

[Rob Brownfield]

Ben..

Words!!.. ...i know where you are comming from though.

I'll pretty much stick to the supplier I use for my blanks as he seems to be able to produce a rod that not only casts exceptionally well, but also has the ability to bend and subdue fish. I have one of his new blanks on the way to me so I will be interested to see how this performs. He has promised me that although it is "faster", it still has a nice playing action....going to be fun me thinks