The ideal sm yellowfish rod

[Andre]

And the other half? What are they basing their votes on then?



Exactly the point of my discussion, yes.



In all-day czech nymphing? Plop drift plop drift the whole day your arm nearly falls off at the end of the day, even with a 9 foot rod. Sure, you can change arms, dig your elbow into your side to limit fatigue, etc etc etc...but the extra swing weight of the 10 footer definitely has an effect on your arm fatigue.
Plus...in normal casting...take this example.
Two guys, casting side by side...one with a 10 foot rod, the other with a 8 foot rod. They carry on casting indefinitely. Who's arm do you think will tire out first? We're talking swing-weight here.
Or make the 10 foot rod a 15 foot rod! Really get the point accross. The longer the rod...the more the swing weight becomes, and the more the arm needs to work, the quicker the fatigue.
Sure...the difference between 9 and 10 feet is not that much, but it does make a difference.

i have never struggled with arm fatige during a full day of Yellowfish nymping. I vary the technique the whole time. What i do suffer from, is leg and knee fatigue, from wading and bracing against the flowing river. This drives me out the water sooner than the arm fatige. If my 10 foot fod were to give me arm fatige (which it doesn't), the first thing i would do, is look at the reel and its balancing effect on the complete outfit. I certainly would not change to a 9 foot rod, based on my experience with the advantages of the 10 foot rod. I can safely say, based on my "pitifully limited" yellowfish experience, that the advantages of the 10 foot rod, over the 9 foot rood, are significant, when Czech and mono nymphing, but when applying my favorite short line nymphing techniques, the advantages become even more noticeable. I guess it's also got a lot to do with your technique, and how you actually fish the total setup. each to his own I say, but for me, having fished the same techniques with a 9 footer, and a 10 footer, I cannot even begin to compare the advantage that the longer rod gives to me personnally. I also have 10foot3 inch Czech nymphing rod, and this is even better, in certain case, but lacks a little in the "pulling power" stakes, due to it being a 4/5 wt. But for certain situations, cannot be equalled.
I think theis thread is going around in circles. Forgive me

[Korrie]

Looking at the poll, and seeing the guys who advocate a 9' rod, makes me wonder "have the guys who fish with a 9' rod and recommend it, tried to fish a 10' rod long enough, to get to grips with all the advantages of a 10' rod, or gave it a 5 minute trail and said not for me?"

I made this statement from a personal point of view. AND A KLIP IN DIE BOS STATEMENT.
I do not fish for the SM every weekend, But I have lots of other fishing experience (CV available )
So I might not be the expert on SM, but maybe I might be able to offer other insights, that could be valualbe.
Don't let this evolve into a free for all bashing each other.

And diffirent strokes for diffirent folks. Some prefer a family car, others wants a Double Cab, other a sport car, The same applies to the rods. Some wants and advocate a 9' other a 10' some a fast action other a slow action

[FastAction]

You're right, it is going around in circles. I give up...I bow down to the smallmouth yellowfish g0ds...

[chris williams]

My tuppence worth, I generally am one of the guys who fishes a 10' 5wt on average as my first choice SM rod - depending on conditions of course where I may scale up or down a bit on the weight or down a bit on rod length. I never get tired fishing this either CZNing or other dry/nymphing techniques. As Pieter implies, I agree the only time my arm/wrist does get a tad weary if I'm having a lucky day, and that's from playing fish! I do understand your principle, Jason, that a shorter rod may prove less tiring. At my ripe old age, I always try and fish using greatest economy of exertion with no false casting and I find trying to fish this way I could fish all day if I wanted provided thirst and the smell of the braai didn't tempt me away! I find it's more my knees taking a pounding rather than the upper body that may make me 'retire hurt' if the wading's especially difficult

However it's an interesting thread and we're all entitled to our own opinions, preferences, and in my case, idiosyncracies!!

[Jasper]

BOO HOO! ... I REALLY find these comments a bit weak about your poor arms getting tired using 2 more ounces on a fly rod!! ... I would hate to see some of you casting a 7oz spinner from the yellowtail ledges for several hours at a time!! ... 100 to 150 yard casts with a 14' surf stick!!

[Jasper]

... as for questioning the credentials of the two main protagonists of 10' rods, I have had the privilege of fishing with both of them ... all I can say is they are both VERY VERY experienced and accomplished fly fishermen - right across the range - and I for one really value their input.

... BUT this thread was about a POLL .. good old democracy ... and thanks to all who have made their points _ I now have a much clearer idea of what is required

[FastAction]

BOO HOO! ... I REALLY find these comments a bit weak about your poor arms getting tired using 2 more ounces on a fly rod!! ... I would hate to see some of you casting a 7oz spinner from the yellowtail ledges for several hours at a time!! ... 100 to 150 yard casts with a 14' surf stick!!

As I said...I bow down to the sm yellow fly fishing g0ds...

Chris, I like your post...very "this is my opinion and I value yours". Unlike most!

I'm going to go work out my weak arms now...

[chris williams]

Hi Jason,

Talking about exercising arms, I mentioned a year or so back that whilst training for my social soccer, I still do some upper body exercise. I seriously find this does help me when fishing, not in terms of using brute strength, but more in terms of making the whole day a lot more comfortable. The soccer strength in the legs I find does of course does help when wading and taking less injuries. At the time when I mentioned exercise for flyfishing (including a couple of stretching exercises prior to wading or heavy-duty casting), most people 'poo-poo'ed' the idea. Maybe you and I can go for a work-out at an Army Boot camp sometime - where the beer's on tap and the instructors are all from the Swedish Female Army Gym!

Sound more fun than standing on a dangerous rock face casting heavyweight tackle at monsters in a pounding Cape gale with Jasper as your only company!

Anyway Jasper will shortly get the feel of various length SM rods when he's up here and he can then test his Popeye biceps on all of them!

[Jasper]

Failing the Swedish Female Army Gym you can always go the Oudtshoorn Female Army Camp!! ... a VERY VERY scary establishment .. very few men have come out alive!! .. or for that matter come out at all!!

[FastAction]

Hi Jason,

Talking about exercising arms, I mentioned a year or so back that whilst training for my social soccer, I still do some upper body exercise. I seriously find this does help me when fishing, not in terms of using brute strength, but more in terms of making the whole day a lot more comfortable. The soccer strength in the legs I find does of course does help when wading and taking less injuries. At the time when I mentioned exercise for flyfishing (including a couple of stretching exercises prior to wading or heavy-duty casting), most people 'poo-poo'ed' the idea. Maybe you and I can go for a work-out at an Army Boot camp sometime - where the beer's on tap and the instructors are all from the Swedish Female Army Gym!

Sound more fun than standing on a dangerous rock face casting heavyweight tackle at monsters in a pounding Cape gale with Jasper as your only company!

Anyway Jasper will shortly get the feel of various length SM rods when he's up here and he can then test his Popeye biceps on all of them!

For sure...I think exersize is important in any sport! (Except maybe Darts and Boilie fishing! ) After gym for a year, I will get myself a 15' spey rod and THEN CZN like the pros in the Cape!

(All tongue in cheek guys...keep them knickers on)

Instructors from Swedish female Army gyms don't sound all that appealing...Martina Navratilova types come to mind. Or female drill sergeants with hairy armpits, no boobs, and muscles bigger than Jean Claude Van Damme. (And maybe some unwanted facial hair too).

Shooting for a "fly fishing" cover of Sports Illustrated with their swimsuit models...now THERE'S a good thought!!!!