9ft versus 10ft for tube fishing

[Fly-o-holic]

Afternoon to all,

After my recent dilemma in choosing between a braided or monofilament cored intermediate fly line, problem number 2 has arised.
There is so much talk about using a 10ft rod for tube fishing and more I see most people fishing with a 10ft rod from their tubes.

Is there realy such an advantage with using a 10ft rod as with a float tube you can cover the distance in any case. If there is a plausible case for a 10ft rod, should it not be for bank angling?
Currently I'm fishing 8'6" rods from my tube and are reasonably happy. Need to confirm whether I'm missing out somewhere?

Oh yes, I have a 9' Bomber that I'm considering to change to a 10ft, anyone aware of inserts like the new Xplorer rods, or has anyone tried this?

Kind regards,
Pierre

[leo1357]

I reckon if you can cast fine with your 8'6" then great, no point changing. Unless you just want to get a new rod, that's a different story :P

[Korrie]

I know one or 2 guys that hate a 10' rod.
But then again, a lot love it.
the best will be to borrow someone's 10', fish with it a couple of times, until you get the feel of the rod.
Then decide if you like it or not.
The advantage of a longer rod, is that the fly is a bit higher above you head.
It is not fun, being struck by a #6 heavily weighted fly at the back of your head.
Not that it does not happen with a 10', just less.

[Korrie]

Another factor to consider is what type of float tube will you be fishing from.
How deep in the water will you sit, or how high will you sit above the water.
The higher you sit, the shorter the rod can be, that you fish with from a comfort point of view.
The modern float tubes are much better, as you sit much higher.
A Closed cell foam seat etc, lifts you out of the water.
The old style float tubes had a sling type seat, which made you sit deeper in the water.
So, if you do not have a float tube yet, look for the design that keeps you the most out of the water. or as high as possible

[Fly-o-holic]

I reckon if you can cast fine with your 8'6" then great, no point changing. Unless you just want to get a new rod, that's a different story :P

Hi Leonardo,
Ok you got me, would a new rod. Yes, I'm trying to understand what the 10ft fuss is about?

[Fly-o-holic]

Another factor to consider is what type of float tube will you be fishing from.
How deep in the water will you sit, or how high will you sit above the water.
The higher you sit, the shorter the rod can be, that you fish with from a comfort point of view.
The modern float tubes are much better, as you sit much higher.
A Closed cell foam seat etc, lifts you out of the water.
The old style float tubes had a sling type seat, which made you sit deeper in the water.
So, if you do not have a float tube yet, look for the design that keeps you the most out of the water. or as high as possible

Hi Korrie,
I fish from an Xplorer v boat. So not too low, do hit the pontoon now and then, but not to much.

[dollar]

i moved from a 8 footer to 10 footer. when i used the 8 ft rod i found me stretching my arm straight out on almost every cast and my arm got tired. with the 10 ft the elbow remains low besides me and suffer no more strain. also the water around me is much calmer. i would suggested (as Korrie did) to borrow a 10 ft before taking the plunge

[Dan Factor]

hey bud,

different strokes for different oke..

I prefer 10ft rods to 9fft on the bank, tube and the boat. some guys say 9f rods are better casting rods but I cant agree. 10ft rods have plenty of advantages and no disadvantages in my book. to name a few: softer tip, longer long, find it easy to cast multiple fly rigs, line much higher while casting and you have a longer reach when netting fish from a boat o a tube.

Stealth have 10ft rods in magnum,bomber and infinity. The 10ft #5 infinity or 10ft #6 bomber for the win.

enjoy

[Zoran]

If you ask me (Ok, I know you didn't asked me ) there is my few comments ..sorry if they may sounds bitter , this is about my sense of humour ..

1. 10 footer is just a compensation for the outstanding casting skills (OCS) (except in nymphing)
2. Bunch of extremely stiff rods on the market recently (Sage Method as a good example of wet broomstick rod ) are also compensation for OCS .
3. Unnecessary heavier weight rod applied on fishing situation where 2 weights down is optimal , is also clear diagnose of OCS
4. Over-lining - the same thing(using one weight heavier line than rod AFTMA is)
5. Using short leaders - Ha ! you didn't expect this , didn't you ? (every leader length shorter than 1 1/2 of rod length is short)

So, instead to work on 5 Casting Principles , and applying them on casting routine , people spend more and more money on OCS compensations .

There is still no cyborg arm invented for proper fly casting , but once invented, it will be ultimate OCS compensation tool ! :biggrin:

Learn proper casting , and you will realise that shorter rods are much better for tube fishing , mainly because of handling and landing a fish .

(one of the main thing I teach in casting is asking the student to learn casting from seating or even laying down position ...here we go- tube casting !)

All the non-fly fishing , boat rods are extremely short - ask your self why ?

Have a nice long weekend and great fishing !
(and pay attention to your casting , we only have two ears )

[Andre]

Ok, heres my take on it....
Again, the discussion comes back to the casting benefits of each rod over the other, and not the actual fishing advantages that each rod can give.
Basically it all depends on how you fish, and apart from the casting advantages, which I believe are better with the longer rod, my preference for the 10 foot rods are as follows:-
When fishing from a tube or a drift boat on a still water, you drift with the wind generally, and cast with the wind, or breeze, so it is better to be able to get the line higher in a better position to take advantage of the wind to carry the line. If you are fishing a long leader with multiple flies, which you will almost always do from a tube, you would want to cast a nice open loop, and allow the breeze to play its part. 10 foot rods are better for the shape of the loop that you want to create, whereas 9 foot rods are better at casting a tight loop, which is not ideal for this type of fishing. Coupled with a leader of about 20 feet, with three flies spaced a meter apart, a tight loop is not ideal.
Also theres the question of line and leader management. When the retrieve is complete and you need to lift the flies up to make another cast, the extra length helps a great deal in managing the process. Basically 10 foot rods and 9 foot rods have a remarkable diference in leader management an control, and the correct kind of control is needed for tube fishing, especially when using multiple flies.
When bringing the fish to the net, the longer rod is also useful.
There is no advantage to having a 9 foot rod, only disadvantages in my opinion, and we haven't even begun to discuss the various rods suitable actions for the fishing application.