I've been looking at breakaway blanks. They describe them as having a "zoned action". Could anyone enlighten me on exactly what "zoned action" means, and is it exclusive to breakaway blanks?

My Best
Dave

I'm pretty sure that Fenwick is responsible for coining that particular term, although it may have been in use by the British surf casters long before then.

The idea is that a light, fast taper tip blended into a powerful mid-section and then into a very stiff, almost non-flexing butt section would result in the type of flex necessary to send a casting weight a maximum distance. They talked about each section being a particlular "zone". You hear the long distance casters talk about blank "lock-up" and they are referring to getting the maximum load on the blank to the point where it will go no further. Until you reach that point, you have not applied the maximum load that the blank will handle.

If you can find one of the older Fenwick catalogs, from about the mid-1980's, you will find some description of exactly what they meant by "zoned action". Any of the long-distance casting boards would also likely provide you with more information.

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