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This is a mess. Everyone knows it. It has been griped about all over the board, but no one seems to have come up with any answers as to how to remedy the problems so here goes. Open mouth, insert foot.
One of the problems I have encountered is that a Spey rod has a two or three line size designation. To me this is a clue that:
One of the problems I have encountered is that a Spey rod has a two or three line size designation. To me this is a clue that:
- the rod was designed for a Windcutter type line
- the rod designer thinks the rod will work with any of these size lines
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Then, when we start looking at lines we find weights, lengths all over the place. 'Nuff said.
Even for one who has been around the Spey world for a few years, it can be confusing.
So here is where I put my foot in my mouth.
I'll probably get some flack on this but, I really don't think that a rod that was designed to cast a short belly line will do well (or as well) with a long belly line, and visa versa. Now. before all the rod builders jump on my butt, I will conceed that there may be some rods that will cast a heavy short belly line as well as a light long belly line reasonably well. But, give me a break here, 8/9/10 doesn't get it. We're probably talking in the range of at least 9/10/11 WC as opposed to 7/8 XLT or GS. So how do we know when we pick up a rod whether it was designed to load with a short stroke/short belly line, or a long stroke/long belly line?
My answer to this is to begin with the line designations.
Since we have found that a 9 wt (at least what we are calling a 9wt) short belly line has a lighter grain weight than (again, what we are calling) a 9 wt long belly line, rather than try to standardize these different line types by the weight of the first xx number of feet (which we know won't work) how about a different approach?
If short belly lines were to have only single odd number designations. and long belly lines were to have only single even number designations, (or visa versa) we would then at least have a clue when we picked up a rod with, again a single size designation, as to what the manufacturer had in mind. Not only for grain weight, but what type of action, where, or how, the blank was designed to load with what type of line.
If you want to go against the manufactures recommendations,,,hey,,,you pays youur money, and takes your chances. But at least you have a better idea where to start.
This may not be the complete solution. And some may argue that they they lost a line size in between for short (or long) belly lines. So what? Do we really need a that many lines? Do we really have that now? :whoa:
Comments welcome. Especially from the rod & line manufactures.