On Feb 18, 10:11*pm, Larry L wrote:
"much less leverage" is ambiguous.....at best. *Personally, I'm
inclined to the believe that it's flat out wrong.

Put a rod together and grip it as you normally would (everyone seems
to have his own grip, but, I assume your whole hand is on cork, often
towards the tip end of that cork ) and wave it back and forth ...
concentrate on feeling it trying to bend your wrist as you wave

now grip it with the heal of your hand over the reel on the reel seat
( i.e. grip as close to the butt as possible still using all your
fingers ... my little finger is actually touching the front of the
reel and is behind the cork, under the rod ) * .... wave it back and
forth, feeling as above

If you don't feel a clear difference in the amount the rod tries to
bend your wrist .... what I have called less leverage ... then you
certainly wouldn't like the modification I do to grips ..... which
just adds cork where I want the heel of my hand and cork doesn't
normally exist

FWIW, this is not my idea, I saw it on a website 8 or 10 years ago ...
tried it on my stillwater rod ( the one I want power with, most
often ) and have added it to all my rods except the 2 wt ... * There
is/ was a fly shop somewhere offering new Sage rods with a grip like
this, custom made ... can't find a link in my bookmarks ...

I have no problem with the idea. As I said, if it works, do it.

But the less leverage part is wrong.

I've held many a fly rod in many ways.....but I also know how a lever
works.

g.