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