A fishing rod or a fishing pole is a tool used to catch fish, usually in conjunction with the sport of angling, can also be used in competition casting (sport). (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. They are most commonly made of fiberglass, carbon fiber or, classically, bamboo, and are the only fishing levers properly referred to as "poles". 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 20 feet. The longer the rod, the greater the mechanical advantage in casting.
Types
Carbon fiber rods
These high-tech rods are commonly used for coarse fishing in Europe, they are made using a variety of different qualities of carbon fiber which is reflected in the price, the prices range from about £100 to £5,000.
Varying in length from 3 feet through to the longest at about 18.5 feet, they allow very precise positioning of the bait, which in turn enables huge catches of fish with accurate feeding, catches of carp on fisheries in the UK frequently reach 90 kg (200 pounds) in a 5 hour match, mostly made up of carp ranging in size from 250 grams (0.5lb) to 1.3 kg (3lb) in weight....
Fly rods
Main article: Fly fishingFly tonp, thin, flexible fishing rods designed to cast an artificial fly, usually consisting of a hook tied with fur, feathers, foam, or other lightweight material. More modern flies are also tied with synthetic materials. Originally made of yew, green hart, and later split bamboo (Tonkin cane), most modern fly rods are constructed from man-made composite materials, including fiberglass, carbon/graphite, or graphite/boron composites. Split bamboo rods are generally considered the most beautiful, the most "classic", and are also generally the most fragile of the styles, and they require a great deal of care to last well. 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. Typically, a monofilament segment called a "leader" is tied to the fly line on one end and the fly on the other.
Each rod is sized to the fish being sought, the wind and water conditions and also 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 #000 to #0 rods for the smallest freshwater trout and pan fish up to and including #16 rods for large saltwater game fish. 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, most fly rods usually have little or no butt section (handle) extending below the fishing reel. However, the Spey rod, a fly rod with an elongated rear handle, is often used for fishing either large rivers for salmon and steelhead or saltwater surf casting, using a two-handed casting technique.
Fly rods are, in modern manufacture, almost always built out of carbon graphite. The graphite fibers are laid down in increasingly sophisticated patterns to keep the rod from flattening when stressed (usually referred to as hoop strength) See St Croix ART. The rod tapers from one end to the other and the degree of taper determines how much of the rod flexes when stressed. The larger amount of the rod that flexes the 'slower' the rodd. Slower rods are easier to cast, create lighter presentations but create a wider loop on the forward cast that reduces casting distance and is subject to the effects of wind. Fly Rods : Guide to Fly Rod Flex & Action. Furthermore, the process of wrapping graphite fiber sheets to build a rod creates imperfections that result in rod twist during casting. Rod twist is minimized by orienting the rod guides along the side of the rod with the most 'give'. This is done by flexing the rod and feeling for the point of most give or by using computerized rod testing (see Fly Rod Balancing ).
See also Fly fishing.
Custom rod building is an active form of hobby among fly fishermen. See Fly rod building.
Tenkara rods
Tenkara rods are a type of fly rod used for tenkara fishing in Japan. A mixture of the rods in the other categories, they are carbon rods, fly rods and telescopic rods all in one. These are ultra-light and very portable telescopic rods (read more about telescopic below). Their extended length normally ranges from 11–13 feet, and they have a very soft action. The action of tenkara rods has been standardized as a ratio of "how many parts are stiffer : how many tip parts bend more easily". The standard actions are 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, and 8:2, with 5:5 being a softer/slower rod, and 8:2 being a stiffer rod. Similar to western fly-rods tenkara rods also have cork, and sometimes even wooden handles, with wooden handles (such as red-pine, and phoenix-tree wood) being the more prized rods due to their increased sensitivity to fish bites and the heavier feel that helps balance the rods. Tenkara rods have no guides. Tenkara is a fixed-line fishing method, where no reel is used, but rather the line is tied directly to the tip of the rod. Like the carbon rods mentioned above this allows for "very precise positioning of the fly, which in turn enables huge catches of fish with accurate feeding". Tenkara fishing is very popular in Japan, where these rods can be found in every major tackle shop. In the US, tenkara seems to be becoming a new trend.
Spin and bait casting rods
Spin casting rods are rods designed to hold a spin casting reel, which are normally mounted above the handle (See Fishing reel). Spin casting rods also have small eyes and, not infrequently, a forefinger grip trigger. They are very similar to bait casting rods, to the point where either type of reel may be used on a particular rod. While rods were at one time offered as specific "spin casting" or "bait casting" rods, this has become uncommon, as the rod design is suited to either fishing style, and today they are generally called simply "casting rods", and are usually offered with no distinction as to which style they are best suited for in use. Casting rods are typically viewed as more powerful than their spinning rod counterparts - they use heavier line and can handle heavier cover.
Spinning rods
Spinning rods are made from graphite or fiberglass with a cork or PVC foam handle, and tend to be between 5 and 8.5 feet (1.5 - 2.6 m) in length. Typically, spinning rods have anywhere from 5-8 large-diameter guides arranged along the underside of the rod to help control the line. The eyes decrease in size from the handle to the tip, with the one nearest the handle usually much larger than the rest to allow less friction as the coiled line comes off the reel, and to gather the very large loops of line that come off the spinning reel's spool. Unlike bait casting and spin casting reels, the spinning reel hangs beneath the rod rather than sitting on top, and is held in place with a sliding or locking reel seat. The fishermans second and third fingers straddle the "leg" of the reel where it is attached to the reel seat on the rod, and the weight of the reel hangs beneath the rod, which makes for a comfortable way to fish for extended periods. This also allows the rod to be held in the fisherman's dominant hand (the handle on most modern spinning reels is reversible) which greatly increases control and nuance applied to the rod itself. Spinning rods and reels are widely used in fishing for popular North American sport fish including bass, trout, pike and walleye. Popular targets for spinning in the UK and European continent are pike, perch, eel and zander. Longer spinning rods with elongated grip handles for two-handing casting are frequently employed for saltwater or steelhead and salmon fishing. Spinning rods are also widely used for trolling and still fishing with live bait.
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 - 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 spo
Rod Building Supplies, Fishing Rod Parts, Rod Building Supplies
Looking for fishing rod building supplies? Check out the large selection of fishing rod parts at Janns Netcraft. We stock rod building supplies to include rod blanks, reel seats ...
Fishing rod, fishing reel, and trolling motor parts and services
Fishing rod, fishing reel and trolling motor parts and services are the core of Kel's Rod & Reel--a supplier of more than 50,000 components near Orlando. Order parts and ...
Dave's Parts & Service - FISHING REEL PARTS
Daves Parts and Service is the largest rod and reel component distributor in the country, with a full line of parts to support Penn, Daiwa, Shimano, Abu Garcia, Accurate and ...
Fishing Rod Repair Part 10 - Video
Waterline Custom Fishing JAG4fish@yahoo.com Part 10 in a series of lessons on fishing rod repairs by hand; step by step replacing repairing fishing ro. Watch Video about Fishing ...
Salt Water Fishing Rod Parts
Hundreds of pages on Salt wayter fishing rod parts, fishing rods, and fishing equipment
Fly Fishing Rod Parts: Fly Fishing Equipment | eHow.com
Fly Fishing Rod Parts. Part of the series: Fly Fishing Equipment. What are the parts of a fly fishing rod? Learn about fly fishing gear, supplies, and other equipment in this free ...
Fishing Rod Repair Part 4 - Video
Waterline Custom Fishing JAG4fish@yahoo.com Part 2 in a series of lessons on fishing rod repairs by hand; step by step replacing repairing fishing rod. Watch Video about Fishing ...
FISHING ROD REPAIR PART 4 on Yahoo! Video
Waterline Custom Fishing JAG4fish@yahoo.com Part 2 in a series of lessons on fishing rod repairs by hand; step by step replacing repairing fishing rod guides
FISHING ROD REPAIR PART 2 on Yahoo! Video
Waterline Custom Fishing JAG4fish@yahoo.com Part 2 in a series of lessons on fishing rod repairs by hand; step by step replacing repairing fishing rod guides
fly fishing part 1, the fly rod - The Hunter's Life
fly fishing part 1, the fly rod THE FISHING LURE