Norwich
Fly Rod Performance Factor
Taking the guesswork
out of buying a fly rod by mail order.
The
basic principle behind the ev2 fly rod is that a rod should perform
in all three casting spheres, close-up requiring short line efficiency,
medium range casting where accuracy is important, and distance casting
where high line speed is essential. A tall order!
If you anchor the butt section of say a 9' 6" # 6 rod
on a wall horozontally, and hang a weight (let's say 142grams or 5ozs.)
from the tip and then examine the curve which the rod takes - what
does it tell you? Does it tell you that the rod has a more pronounced
bend in the tip (middle to tip)? Or does it have a bend in the middle
(medium)? Or does it show a pronounced bend in the butt (butt action)?
Or does it have a combination of all these. How do you describe that
combination with our simple system which is entirely subjective -
''Middle
to tip occasionally medium with a leaning towards the butt, parabolic?''
Confusing huh?
Then if you add into the equation that the diameter and the thickness
of the tube can be varied at any point, this would change the perceived
curve of the rod. Then throw into the equation the different elasticities
of the carbon fibre materials which could be used i.e. stiff, moderate-stiff,
less-stiff etc (these are layman's descriptions for modulus of elasticity),
and that these can be varied and mixed throughout the rod length,
then the subject gets even more complicated. For instance it is possible
to use a very low-modulus (less stiff) carbon-fibre to come up with
exactly the same curve under the 5oz load, as a rod using extra-high-modulus
(very stiff) carbon-fibre. One would be considerably thicker than
the other and an entirely different diameter but strictly speaking
the action would be the same (ie the curve they describe) - but the
recovery rate (and by this I mean the time taken from the release
of the load from the tip to the unloaded position) would be entirely
different.The extra-high-modulus would be quicker every time. So it
is a very incomplete and unsatisfactory system to label a rod as middle-to-tip,
or medium action etc without taking into account the taper and the
type of material used in the construction.
My Performance Factor allies a description of the curve that the rod
takes under load to a rating of how fast the rod takes to recover
from this load. This is measured in my workshop using the bare blank
and a further measurement is taken once the blank is fitted with guides
and the rod finished. The rod is then cast with a fixed length of
accurately rated lines of the correct grain AFTM weights. I then give
the rod a general casting/fishing workout before giving it its final
Performance Rating figures. Using this system my customers have a
much more accurate idea of how a rod from my production range will
perform and this is particularly important when the majority of my
rods are sold mail-order without the customer actually handling the
rod. This of course is not entirely fool- proof and the less experienced
you are as a fly fisher the more you have to take on trust. Undoubtedly
however this does go a long way to taking the guesswork out of buying
a rod mail order. Rod purchases can be made with confidence because
you then have a mental image of the rods general performance and feel.
Click
this link to go to rod models and how the performance factor relates
to each
NORWICH
ev Fly Rod
Please do not be
intimidated if you are a novice, I am more than happy to offer advice
by phone (best) or email and explain rod performance to you. Please
take a moment to read my line rating notes below.
I have for the last 27 years made my sole income from rod buiding,
with many many satisfied return customers who have made multiple purchases.
The continued success
of my business relies on you being entirely happy with your choice
of rod.
Performance
Factor & Custom rods.
This system also
gives customers the opportunity to discuss the modification of production
tapers and action to construct a custom-rod to their ideal specifications
- the Performance Factor gives us both the benchmark from which to
develop a rod to meet their needs. There are very few if any rodmakers
in the world offering a true custom service in carbon fibre.
NORWICH FLY ROD LINE RATINGS
On rods with a double line rating the first number is the
optimum line size when used with a double taper or longer
36ft belly weight forward fly line.
The
second number is the optimum line size when used with a standard
weight forward line with a 30ft belly.
Always
keep the following example in mind when looking at line ratings!
The
AFTMA line scale is based on the grain weight of the first
30ft of level belly (excluding front and back tapers) and
this means that 30ft of any given line e.g. 30ft of #6 line
is the same weight as 36ft of #5 line or 24ft of #7 line.
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Click
this link to go to rod models and how the performance factor relates
to each
NORWICH
ev Fly Rod
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eV2 - Two and Three
section Fly rods eV2
Multi-section Fly Rods eV4 Salmon double hand
Spey Rods
eV3 Saltwater Fly Rods
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David Norwich Rodmaking History
THERE
BE GIANTS.......(A
Parable for Our Time )
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