Shortenting a rod

[MudRiverDan]

I have broken a few in car doors and what not and usually there is a fine line between regaining a slightly beefier rod that you can lay into the cast a bit more and a broomstick that is useless and horrid to use.

I find if it can be done; a rod with a strong butt end can usually be converted as the bottom end of the rod is initially built for the extreme work and will hold up when laying your arm into it, but you can still end up with a broomstick if too much comes off the top.

A rod built for casting and cut down to a bottom basher will still most likely have the casting rod bottom end and not be overly strong in the grunt department because it was never made strong in the bottom end of the rod.

I see your point, I have just repeated it...

oh well

Cheers

[roz]

I just remembered something!!!!!! It taught me a lesson on messing about changing the intended function of manufactures ratings..re fishing rods.
I was given a beach rod that had been accidently shortened, having a car run over a fishing rod will always end up messy I was told I could rebuild it into a "good little boat rod", being early days in my rod building life meant i was a little clueless.
Cut a long and sad story short, it cost me a rather massive cobia when it snapped down near the butt end.
cheers r.

[chris69]

Hi Roz ,yer when you change the taper and stress load for what its designed for things happen,but its all a learning experience and a bit of fun and pratice and now you have some bragging rights about the cobia that broke your rod lol,cheers Chris.

[Noelm]

I have never been a fan of shortening any rods more than a few inches at the most, if a shorter rod is desired, then (if new and unbuilt) cut it from the butt section, an already built rod I usually leave as is, unles the tip has been snapped off a bit or something, the tip section is what gives a rod "feel" and when it's gone, it makes a good rod into a "stick" without feel or action (well I reckon anyway) a soft tip rod with some strength in the butt can still be used with heavier line, the tip just folds away before the real power is exposed.

[Stuart]

There is some truth in what you say. If a tip folds away too much then it’s useless, redundant and should be cut. Just because a tip folds away, doesn’t make it a better rod or offer any function other than costing you casting distance and accuracy. Whatever the ratting of the blank then that’s more a function of the mid to butt section depending on the rating and true drag capability of the blank/rod.
Every blank can be cut to better suite the requirements of the angler, with in set parameters of course. There are dangers in cutting from the tip if you don’t know what your doing or unsure of what the outcome may be. I have designed and built my own jigs I use to load blanks and from that, I can measure accurately what the outcome will be. If you cut too much from the tip and you go up in line weight and drag to compensate then you ultimately move the stress point further down the blank. This will result or at least in interlaminate delamination making for a softer rod.

Chris69,

Just a technical point mate. Taper and action are very different things. The taper of a rod is governed by the taper of the mandrel. For example a fast taper mandrel would be 1mm OD at the tip and 12mm at the butt over 5’6” total length. A slow taper could be 1mm OD at tip and 6mm OD at the butt over 5’6”. When referring to how a rod bends that is an action.

Stu

[Noelm]

I guess in a way, thats what I was trying to say (kind of) it is a real science, no two ways about it.