Uptide Rods

What constitutes an uptide rod?

Replies:

1. "The only real difference between a beach rod capable of casting 6-8 oz and an uptide rod is the length, simply because mucking about with a 12 foot beach rod with a butt to match is likely to lose you friends in a boat!

Uptide rods are slightly stiffer to cope with a shorter length, and have a more manageable butt length to use in a boat. Casting distance is usually only 50 yards from a boat so the shorter length of 9 feet or so is no handicap. I use an uptide rod for most light boat fishing, whether fishing uptide or not as I like the control the extra length gives over conventional boat rods."

2. "Uptide rods differ greatly from any other sea fishing rods available. A good uptider should be around 9ft 6in to 10ft long with progressive power working from the top of the butt section to the tip. The top 18 inches of the tip is usually made from glass fibre that is rolled into the carbon blank. It's this tippy action that determines whether or not the rod can be used for uptiding.
If the tip is too stiff the rod will be useless. The whole point of uptiding is to 'anchor' your bait uptide of where you are fishing. You cast out a grip lead (a lead with wires), then let out a small belly of line so the tip bends round and actually points downtide. The reason for the soft tip is so that when the weather is rough or there is a swell, the action of the boat moving side to side/up and down doesn't break the grip lead out. Instead, the tip should be soft enough to 'move' with the boat.

Uptide rods have come on leaps and bounds in the past three years, and there's a huge assortment from various tackle manufacturers available. My personal reccomendations are the Abu Conolon, Conoflex Majestyk, Shimano Technium and the Penn Extreme II. However, in my opinion, the best value for money uptider on the market is the Gemini - top class! (Murph, you've seen it in action!"