CARPSKILLS HENRY LENNON
Henry Lennon explains the many advantages offered by shorter blanks, and how to use them
NOWADAYS, I probably fish with traditional length carp rods – those of 12ft or 13ft – on no more than a handful of sessions a year.
I have been an avid user of much shorter versions for a long time, and use them for 95 per cent of my angling.
To my mind, they offer many significant benefits, while the drawbacks are minimal when put into practice. That being said, it’s important to be aware of a few aspects that present themselves when angling with these rods to ensure your fishing tools are able to perform to the best of their ability.
WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS?
It seems strange to begin an article by discussing the negatives of an idea that you are championing , but this needs to be addressed if we are to look at the subject in its entirety. Rods have two main factors that need to be considered – length and test curve. As a rule, the longer the rod and the higher the test curve, the more distance you are able to reach and the greater the weight you can safely cast.
With this in mind, it doesn’t follow that any rod below 12ft will only allow you to fish up to 60 yards. I have many sets of rods for carp fishing , but most of them are below the traditional length, and the only long rods I own are a set of 13ft, 3.75lb rods that I use in extreme casting situations where I need to fish at ranges of more than 110 yards.
While the strongest of ‘short’ rods, such as 10ft, 3.5lb models, can just about hit 110 yards, I’d not be comfortable casting such a distance regularly with them.
Another consideration with regard to shorter rods is the tip speed of the blank. As the shorter rods must take the force of the cast or fish they are playing over a shorter distance, this results in the overall rod being stiffer, with a faster tip speed.
This is a slight drawback when playing fish, because it means that drastic lunges from the fish are sometimes not absorbed and this can lead to hook pulls. Additionally, it means that you can’t exert the same degree of gradual pressure on a weeded or snagged fish before you max out the power of your blank.
Nonetheless, I have only found this to be a significant issue when I have gone extremely short with the rod (such as 6ft), or fished with braided mainline where the lack of stretch in the line also plays a role.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
Beyond the casting restrictions and minor playing shortfalls of shorter rods, I feel like everything else about them is a benefit.
Most shorter carp rods will encompass a t
