Rod Loading and Unloading - feeding the line
Ward Nicholas
 ready to go |
 the eager students |
Loading a rod and then unloading a rod (a part of casting) is of greater and greater importance as accuracy and distance are considered. As a caster there should be a time when you can feel the rod load (with the apparent weight of the line) and unload as the line and rod are moved forward and the line released into the forward cast.
A good way to feel the rod load is to put a line which is up to 2 weights above the recommended weight for the rod. For instance putting an 8wt line on a 6wt rod. This will allow you to feel the load on the rod (only cast over a short distance until you know what this will do to the rod!) There is a group of folk that suggest to over line the rod by a line weight, but this is up to the caster and how the rod and line combination feels to them. Be careful if you do over weight the rod as the extra weight in the line may cause some damage to the rod if applied over a long distance!
To get a sense of loading and unloading close your eyes and do some false casting and "see" if you can feel the line pull from your fingers. This pulling action shows that the road is loaded by the line. yes you can just grab the rod and bend it and yes this does load the rod but not what we are looking for here. If you can watch another person cast you can easily see the rod load and where on the rod by watching. In general terms a tip cast will load the top third, a more robust cast with the full head out will load to the middle of the rod and a full cast will load from the butt. The type of rod will also effect how a rod loads and unloads with slower action rods loading easier and quicker than their faster action cousins.
A good way to feel the rod load is to put a line which is up to 2 weights above the recommended weight for the rod. For instance putting an 8wt line on a 6wt rod. This will allow you to feel the load on the rod (only cast over a short distance until you know what this will do to the rod!) There is a group of folk that suggest to over line the rod by a line weight, but this is up to the caster and how the rod and line combination feels to them. Be careful if you do over weight the rod as the extra weight in the line may cause some damage to the rod if applied over a long distance!
To get a sense of loading and unloading close your eyes and do some false casting and "see" if you can feel the line pull from your fingers. This pulling action shows that the road is loaded by the line. yes you can just grab the rod and bend it and yes this does load the rod but not what we are looking for here. If you can watch another person cast you can easily see the rod load and where on the rod by watching. In general terms a tip cast will load the top third, a more robust cast with the full head out will load to the middle of the rod and a full cast will load from the butt. The type of rod will also effect how a rod loads and unloads with slower action rods loading easier and quicker than their faster action cousins.