Modern fly rods and The Short strike phenomenon

Often, fly fishermen stumble upon topics of discussion that are inconclusive and downright controversial. But they are worth writing about since they are inclusive topics that concern everyone who uses a fly rod, regardless of whether it is graphite, glass, or bamboo. 

This discussion is meant to ignite further insights, not antagonism or criticism. Keeping an open mind with such a creative sport is definitely a mantra for me. Many who read my entries about cane rod making and fly tying have given excellent support over the last 25 years and continue to inspire me. For those who mentored me, such as A.K. Best and George Maurer, they cannot participate in this entry, but surely are here in spirit. I used to write A.K. Best back in 1993; we were pen pals, and I have a stack of memoirs from both of us. He used to send me off the beaten track feathers and nicknamed me “Grasshopper.” I was deeply saddened when he passed away recently. I know he would be particularly interested in this topic.

Short strikes are a common problem for all fly fishers. Often, we blame ourselves for short strikes, or should we? Recently, I had a discussion with a few of my friends about the short strike. What made it a compelling conversation was that these fly fishers used not only cane rods but also graphite and glass rods. When we define a short strike, it means the fish either hits the fly or takes it, with little or no resistance, and our quarry disappears into the depths as well as our despair. Did we miss it, or did the fish miss it?

If we use common logic and reverse-engineer this problem, we can at least reduce the probability of the short strike phenomenon. My father was a MIT engineer, so I'm constantly questioning the mechanical aspects of all products, the cross I must bear. 

Now logic tells us that if a rod tip is stiff and we lift to set a hook, the fly is going to move faster than a rod that flexes appreciably more. Simply put, the mere drag on the water will cause a delayed response in a soft, more deeply bending rod. A stiff tip will lift the line fast because the flex rate is lessened, simple physics at work. If this is scientifically agreed upon, then we have solved at least half our problem. So if you are using a fast-action boron, graphite, or glass rod, you are increasing your chances exponentially for short strikes.

Now the hate mail starts to trickle into my inbox. But wait, there's more! All three of my buddies use both cane, graphite, and glass. I'm the only exception. However, this last season, in over 25 years, I used a fiberglass rod for a few fishing sessions. Not graphite, mind you. The rod I was fishing was a wee little 2-weight rod, all of 6'2". I had to purchase a rod on the fly because I forgot my cane rod back home on a trip to eastern PA. It was all of $70.00 at Cabelas. 

Above: the Cabela's “micro-noodle” 6'2" with a Letort sweetheart Brown

loaded with RIO LightLine Premier 2wt. DT

I still know nothing about this rod.

Many would consider this rod a noodle, but I liked it! I ended up having a great session on the Letort Spring Run with it, a very technical session, catching some nice Browns on tiny dry flies. This is when the conversation was initiated because my buddies, the other two fly fishers I was with, were using graphite and not necessarily “fast action” graphite, but very pricey rods, to say the least. Continually, they were short striking fish while I was making very positive hookups with the “micro-noodle,” as they nicknamed it, and I was making giggling sounds while fighting some pretty decent trout with it. It was hard not to. With the cane out of the unintentional control group mix, some very heated conversations started to rise, intermixed with expletives that I will leave out of this entry.

What we have here is an extreme circumstance in which three very seasoned anglers have unintentionally created a wonderful control group for about 3 hours of fly time. The metrics told us after those three hours that their $800.00 plus graphite got out-fished by a $70.00 glass mystery rod! My only conclusion through the heated post-mortem on the way home is that short strikes “can potentially” occur because of the laws of simple physics at play. Don't panic yet and sell all your graphite rods, wait till I write up a follow-up entry after all the hate mail floods my inbox! Part 2 next week...

Thanks for letting me share!     ~Clint Bova               www.cjbovarods.com