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Help
Section
Here we
provide some additional information on the
products that we sell that will help you choose
the right item to suit your needs.
How
to choose a fly rod
Regardless
of manufacturer, there are characteristics common
to all fly rods. In order to make an informed
choice, however, a prospective fly rod purchaser
should learn a little about how to choose a fly
rod. There are several definitions that a neophyte
fly fisher should become acquainted with before
choosing a rod.
1) Action:
The action is a clue to how the rod will perform.
Basically, the faster the action is, the more
quickly the rod will return to the straight
position after being loaded or bent, as if
casting. Older style fiberglass rods are described
as having a slow action, while graphite rods
generally have a moderate or fast action. The
faster action a rod has, the shorter the casting
stroke.
2) Power:
A powerful rod is one that can throw a heavy
sinking line or sinktip line without overpowering
the rod. A rod is overpowered when even with
significant effort, the line cannot be lifted from
the water to begin false casting. Larger fish are
angled with more powerful rods.
3) Line
weight: Rod or line weights have been
standardized through all manufacturers for many
years. Any 5 weight rod should cast any 5 weight
fly line. As the size of the stream and fish
increase, so do the line or rod weights. A 3
weight rod is suitable for a small stream with
small fish but will not be good in strong winds. A
13 weight rod requires a 13 weight line and is
very powerful. It is suitable for big game fish
like Tarpon and can be used in much windier
conditions.
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How
to choose a Sage fly rod
There are
basically two different methods to choose a Sage
fly rod: by price or by performance, and the two
are linked. Sage's base model is the DS2
series. This series has similar characteristics to
Sage's original series of rods. Sage's strategy so
far has been to introduce new models from time to
time while continuing to offer their original
models as well. The DS series rods are
moderate action, with a longer casting stroke
required, and are also the most economical. Next
in the line-up are the VPS series. The VPS
series replaced the RPL series several
years ago but feature the same blank and therefore
the same casting characteristics. The casting
stroke is shorter than the DS series and
the action is a little faster. The RPLxi series
is primarily a saltwater series with very fast
action and powerful rods, suitable for windy
conditions common to saltwater flyfishing.
The double
handed series is for spey style casting and
is available in Traditional action or
faster Euro action. The XP series is
a new high performance rod for both freshwater
species and smaller saltwater game fish like
Bonefish. The SP series is a smooth
casting, high performance series for those who
prefer a slightly slower action with reserve
power. Note; only series carried by Tyee Marine
are described here. For more information on
choosing a sage rod, refer to the Sage web site at
www.sageflyfish.com.
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How
to decode the label on a Sage rod
The rod
label says XP890-4 and you are stumped. It's
simpler than it looks. Sage codes their rods as
follows. Series first, followed by line weight,
then length in feet and inches. If the rod has
more than two pieces, the length designation will
be followed by a dash, then the number of pieces
the rod has. For our example, the line or rod
weight is 8, the length is 9 feet, zero inches,
the number of pieces is 4 and the series is XP.
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How
to choose a G. Loomis Fly rod
The G.
Loomis series begins with the GL2. The GL2
has moderate action and can be used for most types
of lake and small to medium stream fishing. The New
Adventure series fits in just above the GL2s
and features slightly nicer appointments (guides,
Reel seat). The GL3 is a faster action rod
with more power for longer casts and more
demanding fishing conditions. The world distance
casting championship has been won several times
using a GL3 rod. The GLX is the
highest performance, fastest action rod from G.
Loomis. It is extremely powerful and has a very
short, controlled casting stroke, to easily cast
longer distances with less effort. The GL3
and GLX series are also available in two
handed models. Note; only the series carried by
Tyee Marine are featured here. For more
information on G. Loomis rods, refer to their web
site at www.gloomis.com
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How
to decode the label on a G. Loomis rod
The label
on your G. Loomis rod reads FR108-4 GLX. The FR
signifies fly rod, 108 is the rod length in
inches, -4 is the number of pieces the rod has and
GLX is the series.
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How
to Choose Optics
The
most important thing to consider when choosing
optics is the uses expected from the binocular,
spotting scope or riflescope. Matching the use to
the design of the optical item insures many years of
service.
There
are two basic types of binocular designs on the
market. The porroprism design, which is more
traditional, and the roof prism design, which
is newer. Roof prism binoculars can be
differentiated from porroprism binoculars because of
their straight tube design. Although there are many
high quality porroprism binoculars on the market,
the newer design roof prism binoculars are easier to
waterproof because there are less seams and less
places for water to get in.
Most
people are unable to hold optics with more than 10x
magnification steady enough for more than a 30
seconds while attempting to focus on an objective.
For this reason, most manufacturers recommend going
no higher than 10 power for hand held optics. 10
power optics are usually matched to 40-50mm
objective lenses, while 7 or 8 power optics are
usually matched to 35-42mm objective lenses. Compact
binoculars will have smaller objective lenses and
therefore somewhat less ability to gather light.
Marine
use, because of its predisposition for movement,
usually suits 7x or 8x magnification.
Spotting
scopes and telescopes, because they are used in
conjunction with tripods, can have much higher
magnification, up to 60x magnification for spotting
scopes and much higher for astronomical telescopes.
A
very important rule to follow when choosing any
optic is that the higher the magnification, the
narrower the field of view. This means the image
will be narrower as magnification increases. If the
ability to scan a large area is necessary, a low (7x
or 8x ) optic should be chosen.
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