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UPDATE (October 2009)

While in Sarnen, I had the opportunity to learn about this very interesting test which I propose to you:the “15 degree power measure” by Mr Theodor Matschewski and Ludwig Reim, from Germany.

These two gentlemen have spent the last 20 years in developing this very simple but stunning test which provides a measured account of how your bamboo fishing rod (actually ANY kind of fishing rod) performs. The characteristics and performance are simply derived by  the basic physical  law of Newton. In practical terms you set the rod at a “zero” level, horizontally, the tip touching the line marked as “zero”, then you add a weight M1 at the tip until a “static” level just below is reached and then again another weight  M2 till the tip of the rod is bent so to touch a 15 degree line with line “zero”. The two masses M1 and M2 give you the kind of rod action you have (e.g. medium-fast) and the equivalent line number. We tried with an Alberto Poratelli’s IRP, 7.2’, #3 rod and the result confirmed that it was a medium-fast, #3 rod as Alberto and IBRA stated.
By means of this test, one can compare rods (and bamboo fishing rods) independently from line, length and material. Beginners and interested anglers could then use it before buying a new rod knowing what they are looking for. Mr Reim also developed a test to measure the speed of a rod but we do not enter into it in detail in this article.
The declared  target is to have this system adopted as THE worldwide standard by rod manufacturers. Besides, more and more people are recognizing its importance. “The test is as simple as effective, so what could be against it?”, say the two entrepreneurs? More about their test at www.solitip.de and soon also in English (www.solitip.com ).

MAIN TEXT

For the best fishing rods there are some criteria to consider, but alas, the price is not really the most reliable of them. For instance a blind test is very revealing: you can give a fishing rod to an expert without saying its brand name and the expert will be in serious problems. Sometimes, cheaper "blanks" are considered good rods and viceversa, rods from respected company fails to pass the test. This happens also because a fishing rod's judgment is a personal thing. There is no perfect rod for everyone.

Most people today find that for a quality rod you should spend around $170 to $180. This is the "feeling" price. But to achieve this, rodmakers are sometimes forced to move production to Asia. The same rod would be much more expensive if manufactured in the USA or Europe (e.g. S-Glass and E-Glass blanks, the former being superior and more expensive than the latter, fiber-glass rods having witnessed a comeback for bass fishing with cranckbaits recently).

Broadly, you can approach fishing rods from two perspectives:

• how to present lures (done by all rod manufacturers; creations of specialist rods)
  
• how to hook and land fish (done by a few, e.g. ice fishing rods; lure presentation comes second)

In any case, today's fisherman is not a generalist anymore but a specialist. So there are rods especially designed for a certain technique and fish and you don't need to overspend to get the results which you expect if you know it (e.g. swimbait rods). There are other rods which are more universal and can deal with 4 or 5 fishing techniques. Good to know, uh?

Then there are rods which have the same name and belong to the same serie, have the same length (e.g. 7'0'') and same action (e.g. moderate-fast action) but have different power. Not easy to choose eh?

In this part of this website I tried to explain all these subtilities of a rod property which, although referring to a fly rod, still applies here.

Then, what is the difference between a casting and spinning rod? Well, I understood that casting rod are shorter, might have a thicker butt, have smaller guides and the stripper (the first guide next to reel) is closer because the line come from a casting reel and not from a spool (coil) of a spinning reel. But the blanks could be the same.

Generally speaking with longer rods you can cast further but they have to be balanced right or it will feel like you are fishing with a stick. Yeah, I said, "feel". Much is done to improve your feeling and so the sensitivity of the rod. One way to do so is to make the rod as light as possible. Lighter then means less material and less material means that the vibrations (of the line in the water, of the fish bites, etc..) can travel in a easier way through the rod and to your hand.

Warranty and customer care are also important factors which distinguish respected rod companies and all serious manufacturers know that this is a must. Many offer limited time warranty which is better than say 5 years. But rod companies know that rods can be misshandled and broken down (e.g. by closing or crashing it in car doors, stepping on it, clicking rods together, grabbing the blank above the grip, using a heavier line than the rod is designed for, hitting the edge of the tube rack, dead-lifting fish, etc.) so don't expect to be refunded for that.

The International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) is the world largest tackle trade show. It is usually held in Las Vegas between in Mid-Summer. About 200 companies enter more than 600 products. The recent "Best of Show" winners are:

2008 ICAST New Product Showcase Award Winners
Category	Company	Product
Freshwater rod	Shimano	Clarus A Series
Saltwater rod	Shimano	Tescatta
Best combo	FisherGirl	The Jewel

Last year, 2007:

In any case, there are a few names which are considered the top (including for entry level). Here they are:

• FLY RODS
• Berkley
• Fenwick
• Hardy
• Sage
• Orvis
• G.Loomis
• Fulling Mill
• Cortland
• Redington
• Gatti
• Modern Fly
• St.Croix
• Shimano
• Scott Fly Rods
• Thomas & Thomas
• Winston Fly Rods

Custom Fly Rods

• SPINNING RODS
• Berkley
• Fenwick
• Browning (see Quantum)
• Lamiglass
• Shakespeare
• Shimano
• Quantum
• Daiwa
• St.Croix
• G.Loomis
• All Star
• Kistler rods
• Castaway rods
• DAM
• e21
• Powell

• CASTING RODS
• Quantum
• Shakespeare
• Shimano
• Daiwa
• Lamiglass
• G.Loomis
• St.Croix
• Kistler rods
• Castaway rods

• SALT-WATER
• Berkley
• Fenwick
• Penn
• Sage (Fly Rods)
• Daiwa
• Shakespeare
• Shimano
• G.Loomis
• Lamiglass
• St.Croix
• Crowder
• All Star Rods
• Castaway rods
• Winston Fly Rods

 

• ICE FISHING RODS
  

I created this little side-chapter for ice fishing rods. I invite you to explore it.

Fishing Rods in Bamboo

All bamboo rods fans can tell you that fishing with a bamboo rods compares to nothing.

Although this types of rods are by large used for fly fishing, it is also possible to have spinning rods made in bamboo, as Rolf Baginski, the great German bamboo rodsmith, suggested at the recent First European Bamboo Rodmakers Gathering Held in Sansepolcro, Tuscany (Italy).

Bamboo rodmakers manufacturers (established large companies, no artisan, one-man operation)

• Orvis
• Hardy
• Winston Fly Rods
• Thomas and Thomas