Fishing rod technology has come a long way over the years; the use of new materials from which to make the rods combined with advances in reel technology have changed angling forever by allowing fishermen a much greater level of control over how and where their casts land. For years fishing rods were made of solid materials such as wood, bamboo, and metal, but in more recent years advances in using fiberglass and carbon fiber materials have led to increases in rod strength and flexibility while simultaneously reducing the weight of the rod itself.
As the use of carbon fiber rods becomes more popular in Europe and around the world, a number of advances in using carbon fiber for fishing rod construction have been made. By using different grades of carbon fiber and different construction techniques, rods of varying flexibility can be created which give anglers a degree of control over their casts that would previously be thought impossible. As this technology continues to develop, the limits of what is possible with a fishing rod are going to continue to expand until the future of angling has a precision that modern anglers wouldn’t even dare to dream.
Of course, to understand how carbon fiber technology is improving sport and recreational angling it’s important that you understand exactly what carbon fiber is in the first place. Though there are many products which can fall under the name of “carbon fiber”, the term basically refers to a number of products which are made using carbon filament threads.
These threads are bundles of carbon filaments which are woven or bound together, and a single carbon filament thread can contain thousands of filaments.
Once made into carbon filament threads, there are a variety of different ways that this thread can be used. Some manufacturers use the carbon filament thread as a means of simply reinforcing another material such as molded plastic, while others weave the threads into sheets of carbon fiber cloth and then use this cloth in the materials that they construct. Regardless of the method on which it is used, carbon fiber materials are able to withstand much higher amounts of stress without breaking because of the large number of carbon filaments which add both strength and flexibility to the material that they’re used in.
Depending upon the manufacturer and the type of carbon fibre fishing rod that is being made, there are actually several ways that carbon fibre can be used in the rod manufacturing process. The rod that is made will differ greatly depending upon the method that is used, and differences in strength and flexibility can also exist depending upon the grade of carbon fibre material that is used to make it. There are a number of different types of carbon fibre threads and materials which can be used in the manufacturing process depending upon the qualities that the manufacturer wants the fishing rod to have as well as the price that they want the rod to sell for in the end.
One of the more popular methods of using carbon fibre in fishing rods is to make the rods out of materials such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic. These plastics are made in a manner similar to fiberglass; they’re molded into the shape that is desired, but instead of being reinforced with pieces of glass as fiberglass is they have carbon filament threads throughout the molded plastic. The fibers increase the strength of the plastic significantly, all while reducing the weight and allowing it to be much more flexible. The final product will be much more durable than standard plastic, and depending upon the type of carbon fibre material used it may have an appearance similar to that of fiberglass.
Another popular method of using carbon fibre in the manufacturing of fishing rods is to use flat carbon fibre tape as a means of making the rods themselves. This tape is very similar to standard carbon fibre fabric, and is generally very flexible when laid flat. The tape is rolled tightly around a form known as a mandrel, which is basically a model of the final rod’s shaft that is tapered to one end. A heat-shrink wrap is placed over the rolled tape, making sure that it maintains the same shape and pressure until it is finished. The tape rod is then placed into a curing oven, where a bonding agent in the tape itself melts the layers of the roll together and then hardens. This allows the rod to be made almost exclusively of carbon fibre material, and different types of tape may be used to give different sections of the rod slightly different characteristics.
Carbon fibre materials can also be used to reinforce certain portions of different rods, and also may be added to rods in order to adjust their weight, flexibility, and control. The quality of carbon fibre materials used in rods can vary from one manufacturer or product line to another, so it’s important that you realize that just because one carbon fibre rod acts in a certain way it doesn’t mean that all rods made of or containing carbon fibre materials will have the same characteristics.
One of the largest areas in which carbon fiber fishing rods is becoming popular is in Europe, where the rods are a favorite for use in coarse fishing. Carbon fibre rods are generally considered to be very accurate and allow for very precise placement of baits, and as such they are ideal for the demands of coarse fishing. This doesn’t mean that carbon fibre rods are only popular in Europe or for use in coarse fishing, however; many anglers around the world are learning exactly how much they enjoy using carbon fibre equipment when they go fishing.
Because of its durability and the ease with which the rods can be used to control casting, a larger number of recreational and sport anglers have begun using fishing rods with carbon fibre materials. They are becoming especially popular for use in fishing for large fish, as they provide extra strength to help prevent the rod from bending or breaking under the weight of the fish and the force of its struggles.
There are a number of advantages to be found in choosing to use a carbon fibre rod (or a rod that contains some carbon fibre materials.) Of course, these advantages may differ depending upon the exact nature of the rod (such as whether it is purely carbon fibre, if it’s made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic, or if the carbon fibre is simply used to add extra support to certain portions of the rod) as well as the quality of the carbon fibre that was used in the manufacturing process.
Because of the lightweight nature of carbon fibre materials you may find that you can exert a much greater control over where and even how your bait hits the water… many carbon fibre rods have a superior stiffness to allow for added control while still being flexible enough to let you cast smoothly. Small motions during your cast can help to pull your bait back to avoid hazards, and may also help you to land your bait in areas that would otherwise be all but inaccessible.
Another major advantage of carbon fibre rods is the added strength that the carbon filaments add to the material as a whole. This means that your rod is going to be much more difficult to break or damage than it would be if it were made of other materials; this helps when dealing with especially large or strong fish, as well as in those moments when you snag something under the water or get your line tangled and haven’t realized it. The durability of carbon fibre rods can outlast that of even some metals or reinforced materials.
As time continues to pass and carbon fiber rods become more popular in different parts of the world, more and more applications will likely be found for carbon fibre materials in angling products and fishing rods. Advanced materials may result in more use of carbon fibre materials to make the entire rod, and new manufacturing techniques can help to reinforce the carbon filaments even more so as to create an even stronger and more flexible rod.
New techniques for using carbon fibre to reinforce other materials will likely be found as well, resulting in more advanced compositions of lightweight plastics which are strengthened by carbon fibre threads. This will help to create lines of carbon fibre rods which have improved strength due to the carbon fibre but yet are sold at a lower cost than those rods which are made of carbon fibre materials exclusively. Having products such as this available at a lower cost would also help to make carbon fibre fishing rods become popular in a wider variety of angling activities, and would make them feasible even to recreational anglers and those who don’t go fishing often.
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