On Mar 20, 3:08 am, "Tom Littleton" wrote:
wrote in message

oups.com...

actually,Mike, much of what you say is true. I think you are exaggerating
the reality a bit to make a point, but many of us overline a rod for certain
situations. I do so with a 5 weight for streamer presentations(7 weight head
and running line, or a 6 weight intermediate). And yes,
tension keeps the line aloft, but trust me, I have fished with a lot of
these guys, and trees keep the tension intact far longer than the rod or
casting motion. I remember distinctly hearing a certain member mutter
"****ing hemlocks!", and the vast bulk of his line stayed in the air for a
good half an hour......g
Tom

No, actually I am not exaggerating at all here. As long as the weight
matches the rod, the length of line is irrelevant within certain
limits. The longer the specific weight is, the harder it is to cast.

Heads under twenty five feet or so also become harder to cast properly
for other reasons.

In order to reach maximum distance with any rod of any nature at all,
one needs a piece of lead ( or similar) of the right weight. Any rod
will cast a range of lead weights, but there is one specific weight
which it will cast the furthest.

The same applies to lines, with a couple of other factors thrown in.

Using a matched head ( or other piece of line within the casting
capacity of the rod), is not the same as "overlining". Overlining is
generally not a good policy at all, as it may result in straining a
rod.

With a matched head it is not possible to strain a rod, as the weight
is matched to it. This also makes casting a lot easier.

TL
MC