What is a Rod’s Weight?
All Rods are manufactured to cast well with a specific line weight. These standards are set forth by the AFFTA. The heavier the line weight the larger the number. This is to say a 9 weight is heavier than a 5 weight. The fly cast is made possible by the weight and mass of the fly line traveling through the air. As opposed to traditional fishing methods, the fly is simply along for the ride.
Rods should be selected based on their intended purpose. The larger flies require larger line sizes to propel them through the air. Bigger fish can require a heavier rod. Heavier lines are easier to cast in windy conditions. The heavier the line the harder it lands on the water. A rod that is too heavy may spook fish as the line is too heavy as well.
“Over lining” rods is not a good thing. At its roots, over lining is deceptive. “Over lining” is putting a 6 weight line on a 5 weight rod. If it takes a 6 weight line on a 5 weight rod to make it cast well, the owner has actually purchased a 6 weight rod.
Line Weight Grains Tolerance in Grains
1 60 +/- 6
2 80 +/- 6
3 100 +/- 6
4 120 +/- 6
5 140 +/- 6
6 160 +/- 8
7 185 +/- 8
8 210 +/- 8
9 240 +/- 10
10 280 +/- 10
11 330 +/- 12
12 380 +/- 12
What Is Tippet? Tippet is the material that is used in leader construction. For the same pound test regular fishing line, it has a much smaller diameter and less memory. It is sized by diameter not by pound test. This is left over from the earliest days of fishing when lines were made from horse hair. You may notice that the pound test of tippet varies dependent on manufacturer. This is due to variations in technology, patents, and a company’s dedication to research and development. Fluorocarbon’s advantage is having lower visibility in the water, while Monofilament is stronger in the same diameter. This gap continues to close as technology improves. Tippet should be selected based on the size of fly, water conditions and the size of fish you may catch. One other difference of note, is Monofilament is more bouyant than Fluorocarbon. The standards for tippet are as follows: Size Diameter 0X .011 1X .010 2X .009 3X .008 4X .007 5X .006 6X .005 7X .004 8X .003 9X .002 10X .001