GRAND PRIX SPECIFICATION

ROD LENGTH - The price list for GRAND PRIX rods is broken-down into groups on a length basis, and advice is given regarding the types of fishing each length is best used for. Very popular models are underlined to assist with the selection process. The principles behind these recommendations are: Use 9' as the basic single handed length, shorter for more accuracy and concealment, longer for line and fly control purposes. Use 13' as the basic double handed length, shorter, usually single handed for delicacy of presentation, longer for better line control in fast water on large rivers. As an aside, it is generally believed that long rods are needed for distance casting, but this is not so. Most single handed tournament casters find their best distances come from rods 9' 3" to 9' 6" long.

LINE RATING - In stillwater and river fishing single handed rods need to cast great variations in distance, from very short to long, with many different types of line. As can be imagined the line weight outside the rod tip varies greatly, but a well designed rod blank will deal with this efficiently if it is limited to one line weight. GRAND PRIX rods are rated in this way, the only exceptions being the 10' and 11' loch-style rods that will also cast a WF fast sinking line one weight heavier than stated. Double handed rods are rated for spey casting double taper and spey lines, and for overhead casting with weight forward or shooting head lines. Very long double taper overhead casts are best made with one line weight less.

CARBON (GRAPHITE) BLANKS - These are slim to cut through wind and the tube walls are very strong to resist damage, particularly important when boat fishing where there are many hard edges, and when using weighted flies. Ultimate lightness is not one of the primary design objectives, but the highest performance and durability are. Finished weights are stated in the price list and you will notice they are not at all ‘heavy’. Carbon fibres in various tensile strengths are used exclusively to achieve the various performance criteria for the whole range. This same material is used for tournament distance rods, but it is subject to inconsistency in manufacture, which must be allowed for. During recent years there has been a bewildering number of different technical specifications given for blanks in general, the various rod makers often suggesting improved casting performance and lightness, or both. However, please remember that the so-called ‘new’ materials have similar strength characteristics to carbon, and that it is the correct action and precise stiffness, together with the caster’s ability which are the main contributors to good performance.

The action of stillwater and saltwater blanks is special middle-to-tip to provide the potential for fast, long casts, whereas the action of river rods is moved somewhat lower down to facilitate roll and spey casts. However, the most important factor regarding blanks is the stiffness in relation to the line rating and this is accurately defined for every model. To achieve precise consistency blanks are received ‘in the rough’ from definitive mandrels, then graded and hand ground on a special rig to a deflection tolerance of plus or minus 2.5 percent, in relation to the design figure. Special blanks can be ground at this stage, when a bespoke rod is needed. Blanks are then finished with a very tough low gloss, transparent, beautifully rich burgundy varnish coating. Incidentally, once a design is finalised it is never changed, so it is entirely possible to buy ‘pairs of rods’ years apart. Furthermore, the first GRAND PRIX rod made was the 9' #8 which, although slimmer, is exactly the same today. Regarding multi-piece travel rods there is a widespread misconception that they are inferior to two-piece rods, but this is not so and more can be done in performance terms, rather than less. A major example of this is the remarkable new XD range of GRAND PRIX Travel and 10' #7 rods that are made with crisper and faster, more exciting actions from #3 to #8 for tough conditions and double-haul casting. This unique range effectively provides the choice of Travel Rods in half AFTM steps from #3 to #9.

FERRULES - All blanks have very strong overfit ferrules which do not wear loose and resist spey casting twist well. The spigots themselves are not varnished, and are carefully hand finished to provide a very accurate fit. Domed cork plugs close the ends of all spigots. By comparison, much smaller step-down solid spigot ferrules wear loose as the blank ends meet, twist more, and the top spigot of travel rods is very slim and weak.