Surf rod and bass rod builders frequently discuss adding weights to the butt ends of rods to improve balance and sensitivity. Fly fishers do a lot more casting than other anglers, and fish take a fly a lot more gently than they take bait or lures. If I build a fly rod for a customer should I suggest adding lead weights to the butt end of his fly rod to improve balance and sensitivity?

Adding weight doesn't improve sensitivity in the most often use sense of the word.

The fly angler holds the line in his/her hand, so the rod is not in the picture for the most part where sensitivity is concerned. Other times you're using a visual indicator so again, rod sensitivity isn't in the picture for the most part.

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NO!

As Tom wrote above, fly fishing is a different game.

Sensitivity is not an issue for dry flies, poppers, and other on top flies. Sensitivity is also not and issue for nymphs and other sub-surface flies fished with a strike indicator. Streamers and wet flies fished without an indicator in moving water are more probably fished with a slack line or bend to make the drift more natural, so, again, sensitivity is not an issue. Sensitivity could arguably be desirable for a sub surface fly in still water, but most fly fishers will, as Tom notes, detect a strike with the line hand, or visually from a sideways movement of the line.

If a rod "needs" butt weight (actually the fisherman wants more butt weight) a heavier reel or down-locking reel seat are better options.

Feeling that little pull - the rod loading at the end of the back cast, is critical to fly casting but not a factor in spinning or bait casting. Maybe adding weight to the butt of a fly rod would make it easier to feel the back cast straighten out?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2016 05:17PM by Phil Ewanicki.

Feeling that little pull - the rod loading at the end of the back cast, is critical to fly casting but not a factor in spinning or bait casting. Maybe adding weight to the butt of a fly rod would make it easier to feel the bad cast straighten out?

Yes, feeling a fly rod load and, to a lesser extent unload, is an important casting feedback, but additional butt end weight does nothing to help in that regard.

Some fly casters want a rod's "balance point" somewhere in-the-hand, which is sort of logical provided all casts are of similar length. Unfortunately, not all casts are of the same length, and the "tug" of the rod loading on the back or forward cast varies with the power applied and length of line beyond the tip top.

Rather than add weight to the butt, elimination of weight in the tip sections is another and better alternative - no decorative wrap for the tip top, light wire guides, short as possible guide wraps with no trim wraps, and of course no excess wraps finish can in total help move the balance point aft.

Frankly, if there is 25' or more of line beyond the tip top (and maybe even less) I doubt that most casters could tell you where the static balance point might be with any accuracy.

If you point the fly rod at the fly then the characteristics of the rod are moot. It will all be about the characteristics of the line and leader.

I don't add weight to any rod to help achieve balance. I build as light as possible, especially in the upper half of the rod, and as ergonomically correct as possible, and the balance is what it is.

As Mike said, give me minimum swing weight over balance any day.

My experience with fly fishing is that I want to feel the rod load the line, and overall light weight is a true bonus. Adding weight to the butt of the rod is just more weight that the fishermen has to have in hand. The lighter the better.

Adding any weight to a fly rod is an anathema ! If you are looking for sensitivity in casting, the lighter the rod the better. As pointed out earlier, the sensitivity in casting can be quite variable, as determined by the length of line being cast.

Rather then adding weight, better to find ways to lighten the build.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/2016 11:50PM by Phil Erickson.

The butt weighted bass rods generally being discussed regarding this topic bear little resemblance to a flyrod. Some experimentation is in order.

Because of this discussion I took all of my fly rods (3wgt to 9 wgt) plus a couple of bamboo rods and put reels on all of them to see where they balanced. They all balanced where my thumb goes on the handle, with no additional weight added. The reel + line was adequate to balance everything nicely. I should mention that I am not using the lightest top of the line high priced reels, but they work. Never had a problem with fly rod balance.
Norm

Fly rods can often be balanced just by the addition of a slightly larger diameter reel, which also pays dividends in terms of bringing in more line per revolution of the spool.

Generally, a lighter rod, regardless of balance, is a better overall rod in terms of performance and sensitivity. However, there are some technique specific applications, notably in bass fishing circles, where certain balance points may trump overall light weight. Steve Gardner covered some of these in an Expo seminar last year and Rich Forhan has done a few articles in the magazine regarding these situations.

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Tom's suggestion of a heavier fly reel to "balance" a fly rod has an economic benefit as well. The lightest fly reels are generally the most expensive, by a good margin. You can pay over $1000 for a super-light high capacity single-action fly reel when you could balance your outfit with a heavy, rugged and serviceable fly reel for under $150.