The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-22
LONGER ROD MEANS
NEW WORLD RECORD
Caster Points Out That Big
Stick WIN Develop Greater
. Springiness.
LIGHTER LINE LIKELY
Less Chance Also of Making
Breaks in Launching The
Cast with Six Thread.
LIGHTER LINE LIKELY.
~ CHURCHILL HUNoEnponD.


Tho existing limit Of nine test In
length was placed upon surf castins
tournament rods good many yesrs ago
by the Asbury Park Flashing Club We
presume this CLUB arrived at this limit
after many years Of experience In cast.
Ing, and possibly after the elaboration
of many stormy nights.
Why they selected nine fset instead
Of eight feet or eleven feet 10 not known
" the writer but We imagine the orig
inator Of the standard felt that II would
be impossible TO swing any rod OF more
Than nine feet unless the caster WINS
Of exceptionally powerful build.
In those days most OF 10 used fishing
rods that were between seven and eight
feet In length. and regarded them as
quite lJ:.s enough.
A. the Asbury Park Fishing Cubs
tournament was the great event I'm the
surf casting world, and - they limited
fods to nine feet, other clubs very nat
uratly accepted this limitation. When
|rthe Association Of Surf Angling Clubs
was formed fhss orYantastion also &C.
copied the nine foot so,i In the face Of
very vigorous protest from Switch
Reel
Since that time Switch Hssl has been
kicking and back csgting 30 vigorously
that now most Of us have come to the
conclusion that his original stand that
there should be no limit on o rod 10 q
correct one.
Long Rea Reduces Breaks.
The long rod has one decided advan.
tage that docs not seem to have been
noted In the present discussion. TIL,
| advantage 10 q tendency 70 reduce breaks
in launching the cast.
Very few casters are able to use si1
| thread line with safety because The
strain on the line In getting the lead un'
der way 10 80 great that many breaks
occur Just as the lead Ia picked up
The short, stifr rod now used has auto
matically limited the sizo Of the Lint
used to a fifteen special or Its equivalent
casters do use the twelve special a.
times. but they have to limit the whia
| they put into their cast
The eleven and twelve foot rod viii
| permit of the use Of six thread or ever
| lighter line with safety. BY reason o.
| the much greater epringtness Of the Ions
rod the lead will be picked up with
much less tension on tho line and tn,
speed gradually accelerated until. O.
the elimination Of the cast, II will b,
possible by reason of tho greater ar
through which the lead Is travelling Il
develop n much greater velocity withou
having at any time put dangerou'
] stress upon the line.
VIII Mean New WORLDS Record
This. taken in conjunction with tn,
| finer line, means that the present recorC
Of 452 feet Inches will be left far be
hind and John Shaw will have TO bu!
himself long rod. After he has dom
| this and has learned how to make an en-
| tirely new cast-forced upon him by thu
springiness of the long rod-we will SCI
\ the 500 foot mark passed frequently.
As n matter of fact why shouldn't W,
have the long rod? Why shouldn't VI
use the tools that permit US to do on
level best? Suppose there Is a mould,
old record that goes with the nine foo
rod-we will soon forget II in the ligh
| OF the achievements OF the newer
! longer and better tool. The long rod 4
q more pleasurable thing TO fish with
and when the fishermen have seen wha
the tournament casters can do there viii
be many elongated butts on the beach.
Moreover. IL the Englishmen do com
over to this country with their long rod
and their peculiar crossed-arms scissors
like cast, they cannot complain that the.
have been unfairly limited to the use o
strange tools.
1t is n foregone conclusion that n ro'
longer than nine feet will give bette
distance. On observing the rods used a
the surf casting tournaments one vii
ind that every rod used Is nine fee
long exactly. Even the shortest o
casters will use the nine foot rod. Thi
OF itself ought to be proof enough tina
the perfect rod lies somewhere beyon
nine feet in length
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