Explaining the New Fly Rod

Mary just doesn't get it.

“Is that your new fishing pole?” she asked as I excitedly opened the Cabelas package that the UPS guy had just dropped on our doorstep.

“It’s not a fishing pole, it’s a fly rod”, I replied. “A Redington Predator”.

“And why again do you need another fly rod?”, she politely asked.

“Well”, I said, “catching big largemouths with my 6wt Winston, the one you call my fancy pole , is a bit dodgy. It's more suited for trout. I got this rod specifically for bass down on the river”.

“So this is bigger than a 6wt? I thought that’s why you bought the blue one in February.”

“No, that’s an 8wt and I got it for even bigger fish; stripers, reds, bonefish and the like. Maybe I’ll use it for the occasional bass, but only in certain conditions”.

“Oh, so how much does this new rod weigh?”

“It’s a 6wt. And wt is not how much it weighs, but a reference to the line that it uses”.

“Oh. Another 6wt? But I thought you just said your fancy 6wt wasn’t good enough.”

“Well, this 6wt is different. It’s much faster, I mean stiffer, making it better for setting hooks and pulling bigger bass out of cover, like rocks and branches. It’s also a foot shorter, good for those tight places down on the river”.

“But it’s still a size 6?”

“6wt. Yes”

“So at least you can use the same line that you use on the fancy pole”.

“Well, I could, but I'm putting a 7wt line on it because it’s so fast, I mean stiff, and it's a bass specific line, with a heavier taper, I mean, weighted end”.

“So, you’re telling me that they’re both 6wt fishing poles, I mean fly rods, but this one is shorter, stiffer, uses a different line and catches different fish”.

“Um, yes.”

“I don’t get it.”

Exactly.


Written with love and profound appreciation for the lady of the house who, despite my jest, really does get it. At the very least, she gets me, which is all the more amazing. LM