Talked to a good local guide the other day, and he mentioned guys going to 1 piece fly rods. Anyone else hearing interest on this?

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!

I see no real advantage to it as any increase in sensitivity or performance would be next to nil against modern multi-piece rods. It's most likely one of those novel trends that come around every so often, backed by supposed benefits that some will fall for.

On the other hand, if you have room and can deal with the storage and transport issues, it certainly doesn't hurt anything.

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Great rods if you have safe, secure under gunnel storage, or you walk from garage, or shed directly to your boat at the water's edge. I have neither option available.

Mail , $$$$$$$ on one piece rods com paired to 2 , 3 , or 4 section rods, I worry about the shipping

William Sidney
AK

I build only fly rods and the trend I have experienced is exactly the opposite! No 1 pc anymore and very few 2 pc, most want 4pc for travel and storage convenience without sacrificing performance.

Mark - I'm a proponent of 1-pc rods in the larger sizes. There is a thread farther down the forum on this issue.
There are casting benefits if you are an aggressive caster and don't have to travel much with them. Many of the guides in the Keys have been using these rods for over a decade (or longer in the case of the Biscayne Rod users) and the reasons why are many (great casting feel, lighter swing weight, fewer breakages due to ferrule or ferrule connection issues), but of course most of those are boat rods and don't travel much outside of the boat. If you have the means to transport (and I don't mean mail or flights), they are worth a test drive.
There may be many who question this trend, but for the proponents of these rods, this is a golden age. As for blank availability, that's another issue entirely. The earlier thread lists all the makers I know of or have tried or own.

OK, Then what company wont be selling one piece fly blanks. Someone may want a one piece fly blank. I think the struggle of transporting a one piece is minimal compared to performance.At least they should be available and let the demand decide its fate. After all, look at how far the micro guide concept has gone. I believe, to the purest of fly fishers, there will be a resurgence of one piece fly blanks. Those who lag will be lost.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

I would strongly challenge any real practical performance or durability advantage of the one piece models.

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Doors and ceiling fans LOVE one-piece fly rods.

One of these days I am going to build myself a one piece fiberglass little stream rod around 7 foot just to put in a rod tube and toss in the bed of the truck. No ferrules to worry about loosening while fishing.

Tom, I have to respectfully disagree with you on the performance and durability issue. Preface by acknowledging the subjective nature of "feel" and your experience, but with so many guides and anglers asking for the rods even with the transport headache, this may be more than a trend or fad. The Crosscurrent Pro-1 came out over 10 years ago, and though a niche, guides have asked their other sponsors to get on board. Granted, there are many differences in feel between a 1-pc and 4-pc rod in the same series (Crosscurrent Pro-1 vs 4-pc, same with Hardy, same with Orvis), so much that it's even hard to tell they are suppose to be in the same series and may not be a good way to compare. But the difference in swing weight and tip feel is very noticeable, and may be the reason for disparity between rods of the same line weight from the same series. And like many rods, there were some real dogs no matter how many pieces there are, especially early on. But enough guides jumped to Loomis to be able to fish those 1-pc rods that other manufacturers had to at least notice.
As far as durability, when I was product testing for a few different rod companies years ago (guiding days), many breakages occurred at the ferrule. During dry-land testing and trying to break the rods with the line attached to chatillon scales, the breakage rate on multi-piece rods was around 50% ferrule breakages under very high load. On the boat, the worst period I had was a 6-week window with 11 breakages, most at a butt or mid-ferrule. From 2 different manufacturers. That was around the time that the Pro-1 came out, which I used for several years with many clients, and never had a breakage. The years since I've added many 1-pc rods from different manufacturers, and have yet to have a fishing failure under some very rough conditions. Anecdotal? Yes. I have 4-pc rods that never broke under similar conditions. And 4-pc rods these days feel connected, continuous, and great. Manufacturers have gone to 4-pc because the majority of their clients prefer the convenience, and have adapted materials, tapers, and ferrules to accommodate. And done a darn fine job. But I'll still take a 1-pc because of how they feel/cast.
Are 1-pc rods for everyone? No. Do I want one for trout fishing? Not sure. A fad? Maybe, time will tell. But many of the guys who make their living at flyfishing are demanding them, quite a few clients, especially tournament clients are pushing them (Andy Mill got Hardy to do the 1-pc for tarpon fishing), and now that I have no stake in the game except enjoyment, I'm very happy these rods and some blanks are available. And coupled with a carbon grip, I'm about as happy a flycaster as I think I can be.

One of the problems in making these type comparisons centers around the fact that most single piece rods and their counterparts are not designed around the same parameters. In other words, the design and tapers aren't the same to begin with. A company's 9' 5-weight single piece rod and the same rod in a multi-piece rod aren't the same rod to begin with. You can't really compare them fairly - they weren't designed to be the same.

Beyond that, there is a difference for sure, but the practical difference is what I'm going after and I don't see it. Just because people ask for single piece fly rods does not prove that they are somehow better. Remember that 20 years ago most anglers were asking for 3 and 4-piece fly rods rather than 2-piece models. Consumer demand doesn't necessarily indicate that something is better, only that for that time period it's what they want, and they often want it because of marketing to that effect.

A few years back when we were doing the article on rod breakage, I consulted with 6 rod companies to ascertain if they found more breakage (on a percentage of rods sold in both versions) in multi-piece rods versus single piece rods. In all 6 cases they responded that the difference was within a single digit of percentage. In other words, they had not found any appreciable difference.

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If you get a QUALITY rod the way they make them they fit like a glove ( if you put them together correctly )
You can change fishing places easily and not get them hung up in trees etc. Storage is also easy
And like said many times you Probably can not tell the difference from one or the other

I do prefer a 2 piece ( I don't like putting pieces together Unless a 12 - 14 footer

Or are you listening to others that think they know what YOU LIKE

Bill - willierods.com

Dennis......demand is what signed their fate! A one time there were many 1 pc, no ones going to keep making and stocking them if they don't sell. A 9ft fly rod in one piece is NOT easy to transport, whether in and auto, or plane. Here in the West most of us die hard fly fishermen travel long distances to fish desirable waters, ie. Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and California. Schlepping a one piece would not be fun, and on a plane would have to be checked baggage with it's risk!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2016 02:33PM by Phil Erickson.