fishing rod parts

 

Parts of a Fishing Rod

 

In the old days, a pole fisherman would tie one end of some length of horsetail to a hook, the other end to a length of stick, bait the hook, slap the bait and hook into the water, and he's in business. He's push the stick into the sand between his legs, lie back into the tree trunk, then drift off to sleep waiting for that telltale tug indicating a fish is on.

 

Today a fisherman takes out his rod, connects the segments or pulls out the telescoping parts, aligns the guides, screws the reel onto the rod, threads the line through the guides, attaches the swivel and sinker or float to the line, connects the leader to the swivel, ties the hook or lure onto the leader, baits the hook, then makes his cast.

 

Tedious it may be, but the features built into the modern fishing rod are there to aid the angler as well as for better fishability, i.e., use of the rod for fishing. Each stage of its development to its present form has been made possible by the use of new materials and systems and the increasing sophistication of the angler's needs. While for that rustic fisherman asleep at the river's bank a pole and line may be enough, it will hardly suffice to a bass angler and much less to a tuna chaser or a fly fisherman. For each field of piscatorial pursuit has different parameters, and therefore requires a different set of tools to operate. So rods are built to various specifications and forms, yet still retain if not enhance the essentials of fishability.

 

A Fishing Rod

To better understand how the fishing rod works to assist the angler in his exercise, perhaps we can enumerate the parts and how each relates to the total effort in catching fish.

A rod is divided into two general parts: the rod itself -the part that bends and plays like a piece of stick-- and the handle, which is, of course, the part grasped by the hand or hands.

The Parts of the Handle

At the bottom is the butt. Depending on the style of the rod, it may be just a piece of wood, cork, plastic, or rubber, or it may be a short rod of stainless steel split into four to fit the gimbal belt used by deepsea sportfishermen. In certain boat rods, the butt is bent to fit it into its trolling position in the boat.

Next to the butt for most fishing rods is the lower handle, which is the general place one holds the rod. Normally this part if short but can be long -9-18 inches-in beach rods. Long butts and handles assist in the two-handed stroke usually used by beach or surf fishermen to cast the lure or bait far into the water.

In fly rods, the reel seat is next to the butt, not between the lower and upper handles in ordinary rods. As its name implies, the reel seat is where the reel is locked into place, either by a threaded ring in the rod, or a rack and clip assembly tied into the rod. Either way, the reel must be secure and firmly locked in its seat to prevent unnecessary accidents such as the reel flying away. In big game fishing, reels have straps screwed enclosing the rod to prevent the reel being ripped away by strong fish action.

The upper handle is the part grasped by the other hand when the strong hand is cranking the handle of a conventional or baitcasting reel. (A fly rod has only one handle just above the reel seat.)

The Parts of the Rod

Above the upper handle starts the rod --- called blank when no guides or anything has been attached to it yet--, the dynamic and most important part. It is the part that plays the action, bending and straightening according to the pressure it is put into, and keeps the line taut so as not to free the fish.

Line guides are tied to the rod blank, starting from the biggest at the lower part to the smallest at the end, the tip top. Guide styles vary: large ones are used for spinning rods to facilitate line passage, and smaller guides are for baitcasting or trolling rods, which may have more guides than spinning rods. Line movement from reel to first guide is less in baitcasting and trolling rods -mainly the width of the reel for the level wind ones - that large guide hoops are unneeded. The opposite is true for spinning reels.

Guide materials range from simple stainless steel wire hoops in less expensive rods, through hard plastic ones to ceramic guide inserts, which is so far the best material to minimize line abrasion. Deepwater fishing rods also employ roller guides, the best ones with roller bearings that allow line to move without being damaged which lessens its useful life. These rods also use tip tops with an extension, as a way of indicating which way the line is heading ---a very important information when fighting a thousand-pound marlin or tuna--- as well as prevent the line from wrapping itself around the rod tip, which event would cause the line to break.

Line guides are tied onto the rod with colorful synthetic threads that enhance the beauty of the equipment without lessening its utility. Some rods - particularly the handmade bamboo fly rods-- even use silk thread which stay strong but almost disappear when covered with resin varnish. Varnishes and other kinds of coatings protect the rod materials from oxidation and chemical damage, prolonging its life while adding to its aesthetic value.

Which must be so. For a rod is not only a functional tool, but must also be a prized possession and an heirloom. Because fishing is not simply a trade, but a tradition to pass on to the next generation.