Long and light

Long and light

Viking Lars | Saturday, 9 November 2024

When I’m fishing medium sized and big rivers no one can be surprised that I use a long rod. In the opening weeks of the Norwegian salmon season the rivers are often big and there’s a real chance for a big fish (which I deftly seem to avoid catching). The long rod makes casting easier, especially with the sinking lines we also often use. It can’t necessarily put a higher pressure on a fish, but a long rod allows me too keep the line clear of obstacles during a fight and maybe even more importantly to control the line, so the fly fishes the way I want it to - and where.

But one thing is the big, cold rivers of the opening weeks in Norway. There are other rivers as well and even the big ones become small in summer and the late season. In these conditions most, including me, go to shorter two handers and single handers.


Even a low summer river can be big and wide and if there’s one style of rod I’d love to have in those situations, it’s a long - preferably 14’6” rod (because those 6 inches are very crucial, obviously and as it turns out, I now have half of one). And while they are out there, they are often too soft and bouncy. I’d like a long, light line snappy two hander that will still allow the compact Scandi casting style with shooting heads. I haven’t been able to find one.


Then in Norway this year, where there were no salmon and very little water, I tried a friend’s 14’6” 8-wt. 8-wt not really making any sense in the two hander world any more, but hang with me. My friend had never really liked the rod and hadn’t used it for a few years. It had just been sitting there in his place in Norway.


I thought it sounded interesting and I put it together and did the obligatory wiggle, which is the main selling point for rods in most shops. Well, I’ve cast and fished enough two handers and had a feeling. We were heading far up river to where it’s a lot narrower: “Hey - let’s bring that long, light one.” After testing a few line setups, I found the line that clearly suited the rod perfectly. It cast the same lines as my 13’ rods (30-32 grams), but the way it handled them was nice. Also not quite as snappy as I’d like it to be, but once I found the rhythm, I was quite happy.


Out to maybe 25 meters or a little more, I became more and more happy with the rod. Now, unfortunately for my friend he’d actually gifted me the rod the same morning because, “It’s a hope less rod, Lars”. Well, he tried it and regretted and generous as I am, I decided that it’s now *our* rod.


Back to a long, light rod. For a 30 gram line this 14’6” inch was close to what I had dreamt of, but ideally I wanted a rod for an even lighter line. A 7-wt - what ever that means, so screw what ever number is on the rod and find a line that suits your rod and your casting style. Even better a rod that suits the line you want to fish. I want to fish 26-27 gram lines.


“I also have a 14’ 7-wt”, he then said. Hmmm… I have yet to try it, because it’s actually not a rod, it’s still a blank. I’ll have it built this winter (by someone that’s not me, because I’d like it to look nice) and if the 14’6” is anything to go by, this is interesting.


A long, light rod isn’t just interesting for bigger, low water Norwegian rivers. The banks along Danish salmon rivers become quite over grown with all sorts of flora and as summer progresses, so does the river. I have both 14’ and 15’ rods, but they cast so heavy lines that they make absolutely no sense for a Danish salmon river. I’ve used a 12’6” and a 13’ for decades and it’s not as if that has left me without opportunities. But a light line 14’ rod will once again let me steer the line more, lift it from bank vegetation, get a higher back cast, fish my own bank and much more. So I hope.


A longer rod will always be softer than a shorter rod for the same line, so I can’t and won’t expect a snappy, Scandi style rod. I certainly don’t mind adapting my stroke. We all do that for every, single cast. Casting 25 meters requires alterations to stroke and force applied compared to a 15 meter cast. As long as it doesn’t become a spaghetti noodle (I love spaghetti). That’s a project for later in the winter. Now I need to stick the pontoon boat and some pike gear in the car and go test some new water.


Have a great weekend!
Lars

PoD: On the Dee, contemplating rods and thinking, "Please make a proper 14'6" 7-wt, Paul."