HOW TO SELECT A BETTER FISHING ROD
Fishing rods are as diverse as the fish they are used to catch. Each one is designed to perform one or more of six primary functions: casting, fighting, extending your reach, sensing bites and bottom, and being a shock absorber.
Some rods perform well in more than one of these functions, but if you’re looking for optimum casting distance, or for outstanding fish-fighting ability, you must choose carefully or you’ll end up with a poor compromise.
The first step is to think about how and where you’re going to use the rod, and what outcomes you want it to achieve. The variables include what type and how large a fish you’re intending to catch; whether casting is involved; length needed to reach around an obstacle or shortness for mobility; the strength and physical size of the angler; and what strength of line you’ll be using.
Choosing a new fishing rod is a whole lot easier when you understand what you’re looking for. Even for the same type of fishing, a rod to suit a child should be designed differently to the one used by the parent.
CASTING AND ROD TAPER
You could cast a line with guides strapped to a cricket bat, but you wouldn’t cast it very far. To achieve distance, a rod needs to flex during the swing, loading energy that will catapult the object as it straightens out. The quicker it straightens out, the more the object is accelerated and the
