You're welcome, Doc!

All in good fun!

FREE PAKER!!!! (so I don't have to do his dirty work for him...hehe)

CM

I'm only free for 30 minutes at lunch and two fifteen minute breaks. Still gotta use this damn iphone though. Good thing it's got a bluetooth keyboard!

I got's 5 minutes left......

Made me smile.... and chuckle a bit inside.

Anyone who's fished on my barge knows I'm all bark, no bite. It's all hugs and kisses after the fish is securely in the bag.

She still lives!

And she's still killin'em!

Keep your right hand on the cork not the rod as it may snap some day.Xrodz has solved that problem with a longer front cork section.Just sayin.Ginger has been so good to you over the years I'm surprised your not married by now.Have you even proposed to her yet?????.......................................................Good luck,
SZ

Marriage?

YGBFKM, right?

Been there, done that... no thanks.

BTW does anyone really think a broad hand applied in that spot creates any more risk to the blank than if it were covered with an extra 1/4" layer of cork? Physically, it's the same amount of force applied over an almost equally wide area of contact so, I'm not that worried. I just bow to the fish when the rod tip lunges.

Don't worry Doc, the new design is in the works....your ultimate B10 and GH rod is almost here. I will guarantee you will be very impressed. Although you might be pissed at me because you are going to want a whole set of them for team eyeFISH!

CM

I don't think it creates more risk. I've heard that argument and am convinced that unless you are a total Clifford at fighting a fish, you don't have a helluva lot to worry about by using a hand on the blank in that way. As you said, bow to the fish when pressure gets excessive....not a big deal.

I've never broken a rod by grabbing it a bit above the cork, but a friend of mine once posed a real stumper when he saw me doing it. His question was, "If the rod maker intended you to grip the rod there, don't you think he would have put cork there?"

Of course, he was right, but I still catch myself cheating up a bit, especially when applying side pressure.

I have seen a number of dudes that know their spey rods pretty well, walk the fight right to the tip of the rid before hand lining the fish to the bank. As Doc mentions, it is a force applied vs. strength of the rod (with consideration for angle) equation. Watch that video about Bob Clay's family again for an example or two.

When I first heard that bit about only holding the rod where cork was present, I thought about it for a second, and then quickly realized it was bullshite. Hold the rod wherever you want, it is a tool to hook and land a fish, just realize that you might break it if you exceed the blank's capabilities in any given section.

When using a rod longer than about 9.5' and faced with no option to sweep the fish onto a gently sloping bank, once has few other choices than to choke up a bit.

The farther up the rod blank you place your hand the greater the torque on the remander blank.

Well, not quite.

Actually torque = force applied x length of the lever being torqued... as in ft-lbs of torque. 3 pounds applied 6 ft from the grip = 18 ft-lbs of torque. Same amount of force on a shorter lever means less torque. That's the only reason to reach higher up the blank.... to diminish the torque that must be overcome by the anglers biceps.

BUT....

At some point up the blank, the strength of that blank diminishes FASTER than the torque being applied..... reach too high, and snappo!


As long as the blank still "gives" at the point where it is being held, there is still some cushion to absorb any sudden increase in torque when the fish lunges away. That cushion is what allows the rod to buck in the anglers hand.... it's also a pretty good signal of when to "bow" to the fish.

Explained only as Doc can do!

CM

WOW, I didn't know my smart assed comment was gonna go all scientific and chit.That being said most of us know when to and know when not to tweek the rod as it's called angling for a reason.Good luck,
SZ

Simple. When I am holding one of my rods I hold it wherever I want to. When a newb is holding one of my rods "Hold it by the cork, and do NOT thumb the spool."

"Bad" habits are hard to break...







When it comes to coaching newbs, I agree with Ryan. Do as I say.... DAMMIT.... not as I do.

Back on topic....

What the hell were we talkin'bout anyway? Oh yeah... Rachael Rae.

Pleased to report that Achewter delivered a couple more of the coveted RR blades last weekend. Gonna have to giv'er a try for springers and summers before my estuary troll fishery starts in earnest in 2012.

Gonna have to find me a slimmer 4.0 sized Rachael Rae for R&D trials behind a kicker flasher this fall.