I don't think I've said anything to upset anyone in awhile, so it's about time I do! "Balancing" a reel and a rod has been one of my pet peeves for almost as long as I can remember. I can't tell you how many well meaning folks have come into the shop and tried all kinds of reels on a rod they were interested in. some going as far as taping coins to the reel until it all balanced perfectly right at their grip point, and then they would ask to use the shop scale to find the "perfect reel weight".
If they were cool about things I would talk to them before they got that far, if they were know it all jerks (and you know who you are out there folks!) I would wait until they asked for the scale and then ask them: "how much line you expect to be out of the guides on your average cast?" Most of them would understand the question and buy whatever reel they wanted and not worry about the weight. Others wouldn't even come close to grasping it and would peel 45 feet of line off the reel and want to weigh it again and add that to the equation, which if funny on many levels. That's one reason two of my most used reels are an Orvis Vortex, and Pate Tarpon (aka the "coffee grinder") . They can always double as Anchors in a strong wind. Worrying about weight and its placement on the rod makes about as much sense to me as worrying if you're using a 95% knot or a 97% knot... Grab what you got and fish with it. If you're building one, grab what looks good to you and fish with it. Just fish... Rant concluded. I've enjoyed it, and I hope you have to. Phil, who is feeling particularly cranky today because he didn't get to wet a line last night. P.S. If he gets to wet a line tonight, he will most likely apologize tomorrow. ----- Original Message ----- From: rderedfield <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2002 10:11 AM Subject: Re: Reel seats? Uplocking vs. downlocking. > Hmmm, interesting comment, Rob . . . I don't know that many folks who cast > with that much momentum or acceleration to cause that degree of intertia. > I'll work on it . . . my casting stroke must be too wimpy. > > Here are two other perspetives, both that I've heard before from industry > folks. The first perspective is balance. If you are familiar with the item > Abel sells calls the Abel Arm, it's an angled reel foot extension that moves > the weight of the reel forward and more under the grip. This places the > weight of the reel more towards the grip. An uplocking reel seat is similar > in concept, but in a less extreme sense. In an uplocking reel seat, the > weight of the reel is moved more towards the grip and your hand, for better > balance; a downlocking reel seat moves the weight of the reel away from the > grip. Balance, for most rods, would be better if the weight were moved > closer to the grip (that which supports the rod/reel/line assembly). > > The second perspective is the "teeter totter" perspective. The further the > weight is from the grip, the larger the 'moment arm', which during a long > day of casting, requires that you use more force to cast. Think of a teeter > totter and how it moves relative to if the weight(s) are moved closer or > further from the pivot point. The further weight moves from the pivot point > (which would be your grip/hand on a fly rod), the larger the counter weight > (force) on the other side needs to be. So, the further you move the reel > (as in downlocking reel seats) from the grip, the more force you need to > exert at the opposite end (rod tip end). > > Another item not discussed; the uplocking reel seats protect my reel. > Walking along rivers I've fallen a few times where my hand hold the rod > jammed on the shore. If I had a downlocking reel seat, the reel would have > smacked the rocks. Instead, my reel seat sacrifices itself for the reel. > So, instead of a beat-up reel, I have a beat-up reel seat end. Although > reel seats can be expensive, they are a whole lot cheaper than a reel, and a > scratched up reel seat end won't end my fishing day, where a dented reel > could end my fishing for the day. > > Richard Embry > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rob Blomquist" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 8:35 PM > Subject: Re: Reel seats? > > > On Tuesday 14 May 2002 09:26 am, Kent Lufkin wrote: > > A discussion a week or so ago about switching out reel seats has had > > me wondering about the difference between uplocking and downlocking > > seats. > > Nobody got into the physics of it: > > Basically, when you cast, there is an upward force that runs through the > rod, > and can cause a downlocking reel seat to loosen. Uplocking reel seats will > tighten with this force. > > I have had many a reel drop off a rod while fishing with downlocking seats, > but nary a one with uplocking. > > Rob > > -- > Rob Blomquist > Kirkland, WA > > On the side of the software box, in the 'System Requirements' section, it > said > 'Requires Windows 95 or better'. So I installed Linux and lived happily ever > after. > > >
