| Fishing Rod Casting | | | | Dry Fly Fishing Rod Casting |
| | | | |
| The action of a fishing rod is the behavior | | | | DRY FLY ACTION: There are many ways to build |
| of the rod while being cast by an individual. | | | | a dry fly rod or dry fly action into a rod. |
| The action of the rod may be the same for all | | | | Most of these methods produce good dry fly |
| the people who cast with it and it may be | | | | rods. I will briefly describe some of the |
| different for every person who casts with it. | | | | better known methods of producing dry fly |
| Very few casters cast exactly alike. Their | | | | action in a rod. |
| hand, arm, muscular and nervous systems are | | | | |
| never exactly alike and they con¬sequently | | | | HEWITT DRY FLY ACTION: Edward H. Hewitt, as |
| perform a cast with a rod differently than | | | | you un¬doubtedly know, was considered the |
| any other hand and arm, etc. The action of | | | | best fly fisherman for trout in the world. |
| most rods will react substantially the same | | | | There are those who are prone to minimize |
| for all casters, however. When a rod does not | | | | Hewitt's abil¬ities for personal reasons or |
| react the same for one caster as another, the | | | | self glory. However, I have never known or |
| action of the rod for each caster is | | | | heard of anyone from reliable sources who |
| different. That is, a rod may be called a | | | | could beat Hewitt for actually putting trout |
| stiff action by one caster and a med¬ium | | | | in a creel. Hewitt used a rod with action or |
| stiff action by another, and both are | | | | the bending in the lower or middle part but |
| correct. The action of a rod, then, depends | | | | not as pronounced as in the standard Dry Fly |
| directly on the particular caster using it | | | | action. On a three piece rod, for example, |
| and may vary from caster to caster. | | | | the upper half of the middle section and the |
| | | | lower half of the tip have "level tapers", |
| We will discuss rod action as it applies to | | | | that is, the tapers are slight. This leaves |
| fly rods, only. The rod actions are only | | | | these areas a little stiff. Such a rod has |
| discussed in general terms. | | | | action all over but slightly more of the |
| | | | bending is in the butt section, the lower |
| Wet Fly Fishing Rod Casting | | | | half of the middle section, and the top half |
| | | | of the tip. |
| WEJT FLY ACTION: Years ago, a "wet fly | | | | |
| action" fly rod was considered to be a rod | | | | Hewitt action is identical to the Standard |
| that was very limber and which bent freely | | | | Dry Fly action describ¬ed below, except that |
| from the grip to the tip. The theory of such | | | | the variations in the "level tapered" areas |
| limber, soft rods was that they allowed the | | | | are less from a straight taper than the |
| flies to fall gently into the water and the | | | | Standard Dry Fly action "level tapers." |
| line to fall straight into the water. Either | | | | |
| claim has questionable advantages under many | | | | In one of the last letters from Hewitt, he |
| conditions. Gradually, as the years have gone | | | | wrote me that he much preferred this type of |
| by, fisher¬men began to find out that these | | | | rod to all others and that he never was able |
| old "buggy whip wet fly rods" were actually | | | | to wear one out or soften up the action of |
| poor rods for casting the wet fly and that | | | | such a rod no matter how long he use it. This |
| rods suitable for dry fly casting generally | | | | means something coming from Hewitt. He not |
| cast wet flies much more satisfactorily. | | | | only had used rods of various types for a |
| Act¬ually, wet fly rods are non-existent | | | | great many years but used them a great deal |
| today except when a maker turns out a poor | | | | ever year. As always, Hewitt had Leonard make |
| dry fly rod and sells it to some novice as a | | | | his rods and he always had the highest |
| "wet fly rod." | | | | praised for them. |
| | | | |