I can remember it as if it were yesterday, in fact it was forty-seven years ago. I was attending a meeting of the NFSA, the British equivalent of the NZACA. One member, who was a highly accomplished angler, suggested there was too much emphasis being placed on the callisthenics of the sport, at the expense of 'fishing'. This drew loud applause from the members, mainly because they had just added a new word to their vocabulary: callisthenics. To put it simply, the speaker was saying there is too much emphasis on casting and not enough talk about fishing.
This has been brought home to me twice in recent days: first by carefully noting the difference between two makes of rod I own, then this morning by a pretty clued up sales person in a local sports shop. I will refer to the salesman first.
This guy told me anglers are buying rods for their advertised ability to cast a long way, not their ability to help the angler control and eventually subdue a large fish. I have held those thoughts for a very long time.
The other instance is far more personal. I own two rods that are advertised as long casting rods, I also own a rod that is much softer in its action. The rod maker makes no claims regarding the distance pendulum casters with overhead reels can achieve, it simply does the job it is used for: it helps me land big fish.
The difference between the rods is truly remarkable, when a large fish makes a sudden run, the cheaper rod absorbs a huge amount of the pressure, there is no sudden strain put on the line, or more importantly, the reel. Now I land a lot of big fish, I target them for it's my belief that is what fishing is all about. My softer rod is well ahead on the 'fish landed' chart, but the strange part being, it cost half of what the other rods cost.
The salesman illustrated my belief when he gave the example of a the top section of a fly rod, soft and very pliable, brilliant at absorbing the pressure when a trout makes a sudden run or worst still when it jumps.
I peruse a lot of Internet YouTube sites (not that kind) and have been a long admirer of the rods available in Europe. Most of these rods are very soft in the tip section but that is to show the smallest take, not just to subdue large fish. In all fairness these rods are very expensive, most in the vicinity of $1000.00, but their worth can easily be seen when watching them in action.
So what do you go for? Is it your wish to own a rod (or rods) that are capable of casting large distances or are you mindful of how the rod will handle a larger fish by improving the chance of a successful landing.
This morning I was quoted a horrendous price for replacing two cracked eyes on a rod. I decided I would rather invest in another rod that fell into my scheme of things, soft in the tip and pliable, ideally suited to the fishing I love. Depending on cyclone Pam (bloody women), I will get back and let you know how it behaves, although the chances are it will be caught on video.
I have just made another video and this is bound for YouTube late next week. It shows me landing an eagle ray of thirteen pounds. The part the rod plays is captured perfectly, I was using a Go-Pro head video as well as my wife using a handicam. Two days earlier I videoed the same rod handling a ray estimated at forty pounds, it's a joy to use and on film it is easy to see why.
Its a tough question with answers that can only be answered by the fisherperson themselves.
I have rods that are frankly uncomfortable to fish with . Stiff heavy and with very poor bite detection However for what they are designed to do .eg blast a bait out a long way or deal with big swell/wind /snags etc they excel.
At the other end of the scale I also have some very soft rods that are great to fish with BUT they are as limited as the big stiff rods in that they can not cope with big baits or rough conditions .
They cast ok but you can not push a decent bait out into any sort of breeze .
In the middle are my mixed condition rods . Enough guts for most condition and soft enough to be ok to fish with .
Would I settle on only one type of rod ...Hell no different tools for different jobs . Just the same as most fly fishers 3wt 5wt 8wt rods and matching reels to suit how and where they are fishing .
Personally....what is a cast? It is the rod correcting itself or straightening after energy applied has made it bend. The speed in which this correction is made will determine what speed the sinker will be sent out. Slower rod = slower sinker speed meaning small cast and vice versa. Aerodynamics plays a part when we look at the air turbulence created by the sinker bait etc.... But to get distance it comes down to that rod straightening. I have several rods to choose from but always like a rod that is capable of a distance cast. This is what determines what I look for in a new rod and what I will buy. A good fisherman can bring in a fish using any rod. Thats where skill becomes the game maker.Take less, leave more...tomorrow is another day
I dont fish for rays any more after getting a Club record 108.8kg Black ray off the marine parade and 43.5 kg eagleray at Porangahau for the 6 kg line class NZ record. Although recently I did land one eagle ray of over 50kgs at Porangahau. I chose to release that one. They are just hard work for no reward. Unless you eat them. (not for me thanks.) This is a Blue Spotted Eagle Ray The Pania Surfcasting club no longer weighs rays for club points but you can have a go for club records. Note, rod is a 14'6: Veritas. Casting a long distance was required to catch this specimen.The snapper don't know where the car park is! Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.
Well done Neil, you have covered the subject of this thread perfectly, especially with your mention of different fly rod weights. The subject is the conflict of casting, as against angling finesse, what specie of fish is caught doesn't come into it.
Gary, if you rate the skill of landing a very large fish on light fishing gear, also landing a very large fish as a lot of work for no reward, you must be fishing for the pot and not enjoyment ... why don't you simply hold the reel and snap them off. This thread is about angling 'skill' and the reward of beating the odds, which can be considerable. Each to his own I suppose. However, I do note you saw fit to claim records and a nice 'smiley' picture of your catch.
The comments from overseas anglers with regards to the good fortune we have of landing such fish here in Hawke's Bay, are mostly of envy at our extreme good fortune. Strangely, that is the exact way I look at it, also the adrenalin rush is what real sport is all about not the species of fish.
A few nights ago I took a virtual novice angler to the beach and gave him my rod when I hooked a ray. The result being we may now have a very keen angler in the family and 'that' is what sport is all about. I was able to give him a DVD record of the ten minute dual he had with a large fish; to paraphrase a popular advert: the reward was priceless. It didn't stop there, two of his offspring have also visited the same spot trying their hardest to catch 'the big one', sport fishing in my family seems to be alive and well.
With regard to eating eagle rays, a couple of America tourists told me that in the States, they are considered to taste like scollops or scallops (correct spelling) as they pronounced them. Having eaten them I would not agree with the suggestion but I can say the smaller fish, between ten and twenty pounds are delicious if cooked correctly.
Hangler, theres nothing wrong with claiming a few records during your lifetime. I am proud of my catches over the years. You are 100% wrong about fishing for the pot. I dont eat fish! I am pleased that you are excited about catching rays. I hope you have some fun. If you want to catch a bigger than normal one (not sure if you want to do this or not) try fishing in the pond beside the road at Westshore where they have the triathalons and kids sailing. There have been a couple of people injured there recently by rays so you could be doing everyone a favour by catching and eating them.The snapper don't know where the car park is! Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.
Good question and observations Hangler. I also wonder what you call a horrendous price for the guides to be replaced. If I was doing them you should be pay around $40. I believe the rest of you covered the sugect well. I have found over the years people who knock casting at distance usually can not.
I doubt you would buy much of a surf rod for $40.00 You could always fix them yourself but that would be dearer by the time youu buy the guides at about $20 each, thread and epoxy and then factor in your time. I think $40.00 is quite fair.The snapper don't know where the car park is! Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.
on 14/3/2015, 5:40 pm
