Old Fly Rod Weights

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Geoflaw
Member
Posts: 6
Joined: 04/21/22 12:14

Old Fly Rod Weights

#1

Post by Geoflaw »

I’m a newbie so I hope this question isn’t too basic, but I haven’t found the answer on the general internet so I thought I’d ask you guys.

Looking at the old catalogs on this site I see that the old rods were described by length and in ounces. Has anyone ever attempted a method of conversion to the current standard fly line weights, or is it a matter of trial and error? I picked up an old H-I rod at a flea market and was able to find it in the old catalogs, which was kind of cool. Thanks.

redietz
Master Guide
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Joined: 10/26/09 19:00
Location: Central Maryland

Re: Old Fly Rod Weights

#2

Post by redietz »

It's a matter of trial and error. A longer rod is going to weigh more than a shorter rod that uses the same line. The weight of reel seat, ferrules, wraps, varnish, etc will vary between rods, and some companies just listed the weight of the blank whereas others listed the weight of the finished rods.

The catalogs will usually include a recommended line size, as letters, e.g. HDH or E.

jeffkn1
Bamboo Fanatic
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Joined: 06/08/05 18:00

Re: Old Fly Rod Weights

#3

Post by jeffkn1 »

Geof

With some experience you'll begin to see general truths about the relationship between weights and lengths, and you may also see that knowing the ferrule sizes will also help narrow it down.

Low Profile
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Joined: 03/09/15 18:47

Re: Old Fly Rod Weights

#4

Post by Low Profile »

Geoflaw,

The other responses are dead on. There are plenty of conversion charts available by simply searching on the internet (modern to old line weight conversion tables). Take it with a grain of salt though because the older ratings were primarily for silk lines and they simply do not translate to modern lines. In addition, there are some rods that shine with either a DT or WF and flop with the reverse. It's trial and error. I sticker my rod tubes with the line it performs best with. In recent years it has also become more difficult to predict a rods optimal performance with a newly released line with all the specialized tapers and weights measured in grains. It's enough to drive someone bonkers. Sometimes I feel like going back to my childhood and using a level line - that performed quite nice for my needs and didn't break the bank. Have fun.

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