Fishing Rods

The fishing rod goes back to the times of ancient Egypt, China, Greece and Rome. According to inscriptions made, the earliest rods were Tonkin bamboo, Calcutta reed or ash wood with cork or wooden handles and inserted eyes along their shafts. Even for that time fishing rods were especially designed for their intended task. Modern fishing rods, however, have grown more sophisticated, although with the same fishing dynamics in mind, and as human understanding of marine behavior has developed, so has the diversity in the designs of fishing rods.

Perhaps due to the sake of tradition, bamboo fishing rods are still made and used today. Identifying bamboo fishing rods isn’t only done by appearance, but also by feel and performance. They are typically used for fly fishing and are therefore usually light and designed for casting light lures and retrieving light fish on the slow or medium-slow run.

One important thing to remember, however, is the distinction between the fishing rod and the fishing pole. Although the terms are quite often used interchangeably, the two are technically different. Where fishing rods are high-tech and made with components that allow the rod’s use to be very specialized (such as the telescopic fishing rod. Some Fenwick fishing rods are designed like this), fishing poles are very basic in construction and general in application, much like that used by Tom Sawyer during those daydreaming afternoon on the lake. The fishing pole is really nothing more than a pole with a line appended to the end. This is, perhaps, aside from the long stick with a tied string or piece of rope, although it is closer to the fishing pole than a fishing rod is. As far as an antique fishing rod, red glass guides or steel inserts and tapered shafts show that even these were more intricate than the older or modern fishing poles.

Another distinction with fishing rods is fishing rod blanks, which are used to create a customized fishing rod. Blanks are pieces of rod, made out of metal, fiberglass, or composite material such as graphite/carbon or graphite/boron, that can fit on the butt or with other blanks to form a fishing rod that easily facilitates an angler’s personal needs and preferences.

As for storing fishing rods, many can be disassembled and even the line disengaged when not in use. Fishing rod holders accommodate whole-piece rods, as when anglers are fishing. Vertical fishing rod holders are like those found on fishing carts or in a boat. Fishing rod storage, then, is contingent on the type of fishing rod being used. Considering the simple shaft indigenous to fishing poles, any fishing rod holder will suffice. That is to say, fishing pole holders are, or at least can be, virtually the same, although it’s probable that there are separate holders available for poles than for rods.

Fishing rods come in a variety of designs, depending on the environment and especially the target species. The four primary specifications—power, action, line weight and lure weight—must be just right for the most ideal fishing rod.