Monday
Apr192010
Could the future of fishing rods be triangular?
Monday, April 19, 2010 at 12:03AM 
After 30 years of making prosthetic hearts and artificial blood vessels fly-fishing physicist Dr. Chris Underwood realised he could adapt the same technology to develop his D-Flex rod technology
D-Flex’ technology allows the manufacture of rods with an over-emphasised ‘spine’, meaning they are significantly stiffer bending one way than the other.
According to Underwood, the D-Flex cross section reduces stress loading, making casting control easier, more accurate and significantly more powerful, and can be used to make rods for fly fishing, spinning, waggler fishing, distance casting and even pole fishing.
LINK (Via: Go Fishing)
Reader Comments (26)
I will volunteer my services as a rod sampler.
Forward cast and back cast are essentially the same movement--not to mention codependent. Why would you want a rod that is much stiffer flexing one way than the other? Not convinced.
Somebody smarter than me should answer this....oh well
All rods have a stiff "spine" running along them. The one way bending property applies to all direction on that plane. So, forward and back in a single plane. HAving it built in a triangle, IMO, would thus correct movement of the angler that was superfluous better than a round version, allowing for more accurate casting in a more powerful stroke.
I'll try anything once, sign me up.
Seems like it would be more difficult to cast because of the such varying stiffness, on the forward and back cast. I would also think that it would be less forgiving for the casters that have a tendencey to open there hand up on the back cast (showing the face of the reel), hence casting off spine or torquing the rod. Could be a night mare for newbies, but could be very interesting in the hands of a fundamentally good caster. I guess we'll find out.
Just another attempt to charge more money for something thats not necessary, nor required. I still fish with old fiberglass and early graphite rods that still catch many fish as the day I got them. Its just another marginal "improvement" in technology that separates fishermen from dollars with no improvement in catching. You want to catch more fish? Try working on your casting and fly tying techniques and you'll catch more fish. Its like a new fad diet that doesn't work but costs a shit load of money when the real truth is that eating less, eating better and exercise is the only proven way to lose weight. Just another gadget scam for the marginal fisherman.
i'll try anything twice. which hasn't worked out well for me. cant find any pictures of the rods. did anyone see one?
preach it elsewhere bullshit. do you drive a car with no stereo, or windows or AC, it just moves?Are there cheaper, simpler alternatives to your car. I bet there are, so shut your mouth, quit being a hypocrite, go play with your old shit and let the guy try to make a buck. we don't need advice as to how we can improve our "fish catching". TOOL!
Gimmick-Another Idiot making a buck off the loons at the fly shop. I don't buy the idea at all. But hey if can make a buck. Get the didiots lined up. Roland Martin laughed all the way to the bank with the helicopter lure.
Go ahead and blow another $800 out your ass then, what do I care, sucker. I'll still fish your ass under the table with your store bought flies and your equipment with the price tags still on. I love nothing better then to be hammering fish with my old ass stuff while some orvis catalog display stands there and thrashes around like a idiot until he finally asks me what I'm throwing. Then I tell 'em that I'm out of the flies I tied THAT WORK and they go away pissed. So go fuck you.
OH MY! Just when the dumb asses figure out what we said was truff- sharkskin is shit this comes along. I see this being the next new great must have bullshit wallet emptying propaganda.
Just figure out how to keep my XP's in only 4 pieces you miserable fucks.
Love my 1985 Fwt. Fenwick E-Glass. Heavy or not it's paid for along with my Martain 66. I hand tie all my flies. I never run out of my favorite pattern because i carry a dozen at a time. So go blow that out your 800 dollar Helios.
With the sale of fishing rods exceeding 100 million annually, Chris is looking to sell his design concept to any major rod manufacturers who think it might help them secure a larger share of the $5bn a year global market.
I met a guy at a bamboo rod builder's gathering in Arkansas that was doing this with bamboo. Check out his website and mine if you'd like.
http://www.almightyrod.com/Tri-Hex_Rods.html
www.crookedletterrods.com
Making money is about as much fun as catching fish, this guy got a twofer.
The real scam isn't the $800 rod versus your 1977 fish stick; it's the $200 rod that is made from the same blank.
You can catch fish casting with a willow branch.
Let the guy have a go at it, I don't understand all the haters. Whether it be flashy high end equipment fishing is fishing. Go out and have all the fun you want with whatever equipment you have, use, or afford. Get real people we are talking about fishing. There will always be new stuff that will be a hit or bust, that costs a pretty penny. I don't give a rats ass what people use for equipment to try and prove their capability of catching trout or species of choice, just learn stream etiquette. This is this the biggest problem with Fly fishing now stream etiquette. Jealousy of high end equipment or thinking your better than others because you use old school stuff or new school stuff is a moot point. Just my thoughts as a former guide and fly shop owner with 25+ years of fly fishing. Take it for what you want.
http://myspaceantics.com/images/myspace-comments/days/garfield_monday.gif
I actually see how this technology might be used in spey rods since they use side to side and forward and back motion all in many spey casts. This may yield more power to the forward stroke for more distance while also allowing for proper flexing used in casts such as skagit style casting.
Spey casting may be the best use of this design. But ya, suckers will always be suckers. So Suckit
Im amazed at the ignorance displayed here. Honestly, you're going to rip a guy for trying to make something better? Thats what you're doing when you practice fly-tying technique. When we add rubber legs or a titanium cone head... If you're that concerned go way back and throw a willow with a worm on it. It catches fish, alot of them. This rod may not immediately catch "more" fish in all situations, but so what? They could make you more accurate, and help get that last four feet to a cruising bow thats headed the wrong direction.
I can see how this would add to the experience a good deal actually, since no one has bothered to explain it better. The Guy who is making them is a physicist and would likely not jump out there like this if it were purely a gimmick.
The Spine ridge that runs along the center of the pole would bend forward and back of the cast, though the feel would be slightly different . once you got used to the new feeling (every rod feels different anyway) it could be a great boost to our efficiency. A Rod in theory only bends in one plane while casting (in theory only since casting errors cause extracurricular movement). This is the "one way" that it bends, Along that Plane it bends well. However, it being triangular, it would have less tendency than a circular Rod to also oscillate side to side some, which all poles due depending on your own ability to cast on a level plane. By controlling the oscillation side to side better and enhancing the front to back flex through a more efficient stroke it would boost performance and accuracy. Loops would be tighter and quicker, and lines would shoot straighter, more effeciently. The line lift off of the water would feel quick and smooth like a good roll casting rod, while shooting the line in front of you would be relatively effortless like a fast rod.
Go ahead and bash it. But if you are sitting in a float tube or in a boat with your graphite or glass road, drifting quickly and have to get the line up and shoot 10 extra feet, now, this rod would likely be a better tool. To say that your glass rod will cast further and more accurately is just ignorant, since you've never had a rod like this in your hands. I haven't either, but why the hell not give it a try??? IF you wanna save bucks, go ahead.
But being frugal or a spendthrift aren't the deciding factors in fishing, performance is. And some tools aid greatly in this.
what's the big deal? the guy is trying some new ideas. its pretty rad to bash ideas you don't understand or have never tried. call it a rip off after you've tried one and it sucks. or call the second guy a rip off after this one dominates and more companies follow suit. i like to see technology and innovation. it's all trial and error anyways. relax.
what the hell happened to this blog? why is this an issue. if you like it buy it. if you don't then don't. how is there even an argument? i vote to eliminate commenting on posts altogether. bunch a idiots on here.
Stuff like this Kills fly fishing. You know the real diffrence in a 300.00 rod & 800.00 rod is DEALOR MARK UP!!! Yuppie technology for wanna be Yuppie fly fishermen. With a fat Yuppie Wallet. 1988 loomis came out with a IM6 technology. I baught that rod from a docter that used one time. To day IM6 is every 20.00 rod.
Agreed herb... HAPPY 420. EVERYONE needs to chill.