Fly Line Weight

Seems to me I read or heard somewhere that one can go up one line
weight without a problem. That is, with a 5 weight rod one can use a
6 weight line. Can there be a problem with this??

Tony

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 11:51:19 GMT, (Tony & Barb Vellturo)
wrote:

Seems to me I read or heard somewhere that one can go up one line
weight without a problem. That is, with a 5 weight rod one can use a
6 weight line. Can there be a problem with this??

_CAN_ there be? Sure. Is there likely to be? No. Look at it like this:
there could be, in theory, only 1 grain of difference between the heaviest 5 wt
line and the lightest 6 wt. line (although there should be about 5-10 grains),
and should have no more than about 35-40 grains between the lightest 5 and the
heaviest 6. Now, does this mean that there is no risk whatsoever in such
overloading with a particular rod? No, it does not, and at some point of
overload, all rods _will_ give (and how it gives could be interesting, depending
on its material and previous condition), but the greatest likelihood is that
going up one line weight from the stated line weight rating on the average rod
is not going to affect the rod at all, and in fact, some people prefer to
overline this or that particular rod.

TC,
R

Under certain circumstances, I have gone up three line weights without
problem. (I put the wrong reel in my travel bag - duh). The fly line rating
is for the first 30 feet of line. If you are making very short casts,
increasing a line weight or two allows the rod to load more quickly, making
it perform more like the designers intended. Conversely, if you are making
extremely long casts, sometimes going down a line weight or two makes sense.
A recent article in one of the FF mags included interviews with many top rod
company designers. They almost universally agreed that if the rod was well
designed, it would perform well at a wide range of distances without the
need to change line weights. From their perspective, it must be some sort of
insult to even consider using an over or under-weight line, but I can tell
you from experience, it does work. I always overline my wife's rods because
even with a mid action rod, she just doesn't have enough strength to load
the rod. Since doing so, her casting has improved dramatically, her
confidence is sky high, and she is catching a lot more fish because she can
put the fly where it needs to go.

HTH

Jim Ray
"Tony & Barb Vellturo" wrote in message
...
Seems to me I read or heard somewhere that one can go up one line
weight without a problem. That is, with a 5 weight rod one can use a
6 weight line. Can there be a problem with this??

Tony

Tony & Barb Vellturo wrote:
Seems to me I read or heard somewhere that one can go up one line
weight without a problem. That is, with a 5 weight rod one can use a
6 weight line. Can there be a problem with this??

For my casting style(?) I find it more critical on lighter weight rods.
For example, I have no problem with a 6wt line on a 5wt rod (other than
the normal problems we won't cover here), but I have a harder time with
a 4wt line on a 3wt rod.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Rod manufacturers suggest a certain line weight for a particular rod based
upon the average anticipated casting distance and the intended action of the
rod. Also factored in is the casting ability of the majority of anglers who
will be buying the rod. You can take a six weight rod and underline it,
thereby changing the action and usually making for a faster action.
Assuming you can keep the appropriate amount of line in the air for distance
casting, you might find that you could throw a further line. But...try to
throw a short line and you'll find that the rod isn't loading. Conversely,
if you overline the rod, you can't keep to much line in the air for distance
casting or it will overload the road. But, for short distance, you won't
have to have as much line out to bring out the action in the rod. Also a
factor (and related to changing the action of the rod) is that overlining a
rod will tend to open up the loop while underlining will tend to close the
loop. And...every angler has a different opinion about what is the best
action. Personally, I like a variety of actions depending on the
circumstances....but tend to go toward fast actions rods most times as I
prefer a short casting stroke.

I remember an argument I got into with Harry Wilson, who used to be with
Scott PowrPly i.e. Scott rods. I believe Harry is deceased now (does anyone
know?). I had ordered a ten weight rod from him and when I got it, I found
that in order to bring out the action, I had to use at least a thirteen
weight line...or more. I felt that a ten or eleven weight was horribly
underlining the rod...and that you couldn't possibly keep enough line in the
air except under ideal conditions to allow the use of the recommended line
weights. Our "argument" was through an exchange of letters and several
phone call conversations. It was not until we met personally at the Scott
plant in the Bay area that I realized the problem. I was a relatively young
and aggressive caster (6'2" 225) and he was an older man at the time. With
a rod that heavy, he was really uncomfortable casting aggressively enough to
load it. Yes, Scott did their flex tests even back then...but Harry had
such an amount of "say so" that his opinion carried a disproportionate
amount of weight. I acquiesced and told Harry that he was right....but that
I wanted to trade my ten weight Scott for a nine weight...which better met
my needs. Harry was a true gentlemen IMHO. I often wondered about his
background.

Bottom line? Most rods can handle five or more different line
sizes...depending.

Barry

"Tony & Barb Vellturo" wrote in message
...
Seems to me I read or heard somewhere that one can go up one line
weight without a problem. That is, with a 5 weight rod one can use a
6 weight line. Can there be a problem with this??

Tony