You'll find that rod technology has moved on in 25 years but not by as much as perhaps you'd expect. It is now possible to make good 4 piece rods and now most if not all are, but the change is for convenience not performance.

Rods are generally a little lighter too. But apart from that you'll find that yours still work just fine .

No doubt if you get back into the sport you'll feel like you need a new rod - we all do - then god help you, you're into the retail quagmire and endless discussions of what's best!

 

Have they just evolved better materials to be able to make a four piece rod that is good for casting, or is it just a case of portability of a four piece being better? As I recall I always thought it had to be two piece to get the proper casting action of the rod.

My first fly rod, in 1968, was a two piece hollow glass, Milbro Trufly, 9ft 6", 6wt. It boasted a metal ferrule and the reel fitting was mounted on a piece of metal tube that may previously have been intended for a central heating system! Early glass rods then arrived with solid glass spigot joints which were lighter yet produced 'flat spots' in the action of the rod - better to have one (two piece rod) than 3 ( 4 piece rod).

The development of modern carbon weave material and resins, and the ability to produce hollow spigot joints has effectively eliminated the flat spot scourge in modern, multi-piece rods - , I have a 6' 9", 3wt,5 piece rod which is a very 'sweet' casting rod.

 

As the guys above said. Like the OP, I used to have a visceral suspicion of 3- and 4-piece rods, but the 2 main fly rods in my collection are both 4-piece bought in the last 5 years and I honestly could not tell the difference between them and 2-piece. They are easier to transport, as well.

 

I prefer 4 piece rods but would like proper bags/socks to be more common, keeping them in a tube is great, but walking to the bank is better with the rod in a bag rather than a tube, you can put the bag in your pocket.

 

Unless you are walking a great distance to the bank (over 3 miles) or walking through dense woodland and scrabbling about in ravines and boulder fields I've never understood the idea of making the rod up at the waterside. Stick it all together (including the reel) at the car and save the hassle of finding somewhere to put the rod bag/tube etc.

Andy

 

It's not obvious why the rod bag with tube died out - probably just fashion imposed by the premium brands.

As for travel, I was overjoyed to find that I could put a 9'6” rod into a 9’ rod case along with 9' rod. Very useful.

 

To the OP's question, I'm sure your 25 year old rods will catch plenty of fish, but I'll bet you'll be surprised how light and progressive a modern rod will feel. The number of sections is not relevant.

Having said that, my Sage SLT is probably 15 years old and an absolute joy

 

Welcome to the forums and back to fly fishing hooferinsane.
25 years on and the main improvement for rods seam to be the use of new resins, thinner carbon cloth, carrots ?(nano technology) and better rod furniture (reel seat, rings).
I well remember 2 piece 10ft rods, dammed hard work fitting them (when apart) into a mini.
Later I got a Grey's 9.6ft #7 G-Tec 3 piece and 6 piece rods. Very little difference when in use though the 6 piece had very slightly more bounce (slower recovery) only noticeable when initially switching from one to the other.

Douglas, I'd rather try hitting the bull with a full length rod than a split one. Much prefer to be on the other side of the fence though. ?

 

I have 2, 3 ,4,5,& 7pc rods, all of which are a pleasure to use, the 7pc is a 4wt and a joy up at the distant hill lochs all of them are home built except the 5pc which is an American rod I bought from wingman a few years back FS Horsburgh , a great rod for a back up , the 2 weight is great at some of the lochs stuffed with midgets, easker1

 

OP , check out the 'cost of rods' thread .

 

I suspect the terrorist incidents affecting airlines had more than a little to do with the rapid development of 4 piece rods. Anglers travel and as airlines are loath to accept longer items as cabin luggage it was a good idea to be able to pack one's rods in a suitcase and stick them in the hold. 4 piece rod tubes also take up a lot less space in a car and thus are much easier to transport.

 

Loomis made 4 piece fly rods 30+ years ago, many for other companies selling them under their own label.
Nothing to do with terrorism at all. Top of the line Loomis rods at the time always had the Loomis name on them. Not getting into the rod B.S debate.
I still travel with 9ft 3 piece saltwater rods on the plane when the desk says I can.

 

putting the Rod up at the waterside is part of the ritual, an hour or more to a hill loch get a brew on an set up the gear, easker1

 

I have 2, 3 ,4,5,& 7pc rods,

I have 6 and 8 too. I didn't realise until now that I had the full set

But I suppose I'm missing a one piece

 

I have that set!
The one piece is a 120lbs test marlin rod!
regards
Bert

 

all my rods except the 7pc are all 4pc, easker1

 

That's not what you said on friday....

 

Oh dear, I should have said all my rods the 2,3,4,&5 weights are all 4pc except the fs Horsburgh this is a 5 pc and my travel rod is a 7pc 4wt, now is that better? easker1

 

Well done in getting rid of the kids.

The important thing to remember is that first, you have got rid of the kids and now you will be able to buy any rod you want ,be it a 2 piece or whatever. Just try before you buy.

 

I have one 3 piece rod, a Gordon 2, and the rest are 4 piece including a Gordon 3. All of them are 9' or 9' 6" and easy to get in the boot or back seat of my car when in their tubes.

Both Gordon rods came with a sock as well as a tube. Socks for rods would be take all of 15 minutes for the 'cheese and kisses' to do up on the old Singer.

 

Socks for rods would be take all of 15 minutes for the 'cheese and kisses' to do up on the old Singer.

I have a few of those, a couple made by Steve Parton, and a couple by the local sewing shop.

I don't want to get into a what can you carry on debate, but 4 piece rods were very well established before 911. I think it's a myth that anglers buy 4 piece rods just because of air travel - what proportion of rods actually get to an airport.

Manufacturers began to drop 2 and 3 piece rods because anglers stopped buying them because of the convenience of 4 piece rods, With no penalty in performance why would anyone buy not buy a 4 piece rod.

 

Hardy made a 6 pc Cane rod called the Kenya, the for runner of the smuggler, there was a cane smuggler, easker1

 

You are correct. Sleep deprivation and being awake in the wee hours are to blame. ?

 

I have been a travelling fly fisherman since the late 80s. I started off with 2 piece and 3 piece rods. I would transport them in rod cases, sometimes bought and sometimes of my own manufacture. Early on in the 2000s coming back from the Seychelles my rods did not arrive. They were apparently stolen.
I now only use 4 piece rods and pack them in a large suit case with most of my clothes etc. I have not had a problem. For salmon fishing I have 6 piece rods.

I still have a few 3 piece rods and also some 4 piece 15ft rods that I have not used for a long, long time.

 

The Locherbie disaster was in 1988, if air safety was the main driver for 4 piece rods I think there would have been a few more 4 piece rods advertised by 2000.
As I said I believe the main drivers were convenience for the angler and rod makers seeking a competive advantage through developing 4 piece rods that were indistinguishable from 2 piece.

 

The Locherbie disaster was in 1988, if air safety was the main driver for 4 piece rods I think there would have been a few more 4 piece rods advertised by 2000.
As I said I believe the main drivers were convenience for the angler and rod makers seeking a competive advantage through developing 4 piece rods that were indistinguishable from 2 piece.

ASs far as I can remember the Locherbie crash did not really affect air travel despite the fact that a friend of mine lost his sister.
The real lock down in security came after 9/11 and that was in 2001. I can remember that very well as I was on my way home from a trip to the US at the time.

 

It's not obvious why the rod bag with tube died out - probably just fashion imposed by the premium brands.

Was it not a cost-cutting exercise? Dunno. I also hate divided tubes - in my case because I am a boat fisher and take a pulling rod, a nymphing rod and a dry fly rod with me, and sometimes a dapping rod. I can get them all inside a carrying case, but I want each of them in a rod sock first...



If I buy a new rod that comes in a divided tube, I have to go on eBay or Google and source a sock for it.

 

atr

New to the forum, just getting back to the hobby after 20/25 years (the kids have left home now

change the locks before they return

 

12 and 13ft beach casters were two piece, it was such a relief when they made them 3 piece

 

Still have a couple of two piece 13' beachcasters. Still cant fathom out how I got them into motor safely! Me and passengers must have had rods over our shoulders!
And by the way guys, it was Lockerbie, not Locherbie
pedantic maybe, but I have my memories.
regards
Bert

 

Gordon read my post about hardys multipiece Cane rods, the Kenya and the early smugglers easker1

 

Haha you think

 

Not sure what that means Gordon, but I do know that the hardys Kenya was made in the 30's
easker1