Overloading

I've heard of people "overloading" their fly rods. IE....using a line wt heavier than the rod weight. Like using 8wt line on a 7 wt rod.
 
Can someone explain the reason you would do this and the benefits and setbacks...

Would that work better on faster action rods?

Personally, I think your right paxtim when you say that this works on faster action rods but I think it all really depends on ones own casting style and how they like the rod to "feel" or load when they cast. I've known rod makers who will build a rod to a specific weight knowing full well that designation is just a suggestion. I have a 7 weight that I cast with an 8 weight line. A real good friend of mine who is a fine caster who owns the exact same rod feels that the line is too heavy for him on that rod. To each his own I guess. 

i used it for carp or nymphing steelbows

for carp
i can false cast/ re-position for tailing fish with the lighter line
easy to pick up
tight accurate loops... great placement
i feel that i have complete control
there is no need to shoot line

when i use the WF9 line... the backing knot gets wet
finesse is not a priority




tim--
i also like to work dries with skagit casts on my 2wt and the 3wt line helps to get the rod loaded

my 5wt line is junked up... another reason i abuse it in erie

it doesn't roll cast well

Each rod has its own preferred weight where it bends into the sweet spot that feels good for you. It could be 160 grains (a 6-wt AFTMA standard) or it could be anywhere from 120 to 210 (4-8 wt standards). It will depend on the design of the rod and your own preferences. Thing is, even if you find that magical weight that the rod likes, you'll only have that weight at one single length of line. That's part of the difficulty of fly fishing- compensating for the changes in casting weight while maintaining a good looking loop that turns over where you want it.

Overlining just means using a heavier line than the rod is rated for by the factory. The first sentence above has a lot of fudge factor. Where is the sweet spot? What 'feels good' to you? And what weight of line does it take to get there? Without measuring the rod and line and then casting a bunch of different measurements, you can't definitively answer that one. The common cents method gives you a way to know what your preferred measurements are.

Overlining doesn't change the action of the rod. The action is defined by the graphite and the pattern. Overlining will change how far the rod bends for a given weight, but it doesn't change the relative bending pattern, which is what action is.

If you are pushing the limits of how much weight a rod can handle but still need to cast further, then you can go down a line weight or two. If you aren't loading the rod enough to have good feel at short distances, then overline one or two. Most of my own rods get the rated line weight, but that is largely because I picked the blanks because of their CC ratings and my own preferences. For instance, my 9' 7 wt is a true fast action 7 wt and casts a 7 wt airflo perfectly for smallmouth and carp (my primary use for it). When I want to use it for steel I either fish indicators and shot (which add casting weight) or bump up to a heavier, short belly 8 wt. My 2 wt is about the only rod I consistently overline, but it is rated a 4 wt by the CC system anyway.

And, none of this is dealing with the massive variation in weight of lines themselves. One company's 5 wt line (heavy end of the 5 wt spectrum) is another companies 6 wt line (light end of spectrum).

Thanks
Rick

When I got my sage 5wt it was quite a bit faster than the 6wt I was used to. By using the 6wt line and then the 5wt line I was able to "ease" into the faster rod.

Can I have a sip of your chardonay at the speak easy?

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