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“Sticky” Glass
Post 23 Nov 2022, 22:09 • #1 
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Joined: 03/02/14
Posts: 144
Location: US-peripatetic
Over the past few years, I’ve seen references to “sticky” rods. Admittedly, I have not had the chance to fish (or even cast one, for that matter), but am intrigued.
Here’s a good description, I think:
Chform says, “This is quite far from the crisp, progressive US tapers we love to love. It's a bit tippy, very slow. It has a certain hang to it ... Hard to describe. It "paints" in the air and moves the line in slow motion.” From viewtopic.php?f=8&t=42469
It seems many of these are Japanese rods, but maybe not exclusive to that market.

I am curious about people’s opinions about these; do you like/dislike them, advantages/disadvantages, etc?


Last edited by oldriverman on 24 Nov 2022, 09:42, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: “Sticky” glass
Post 24 Nov 2022, 08:47 • #2 
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Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
they are very pleasant to fish, under the right circumstances.

I tend to like them in #3 and #4 weights, and for short casts on small wild trout streams

these tapers tend to not do as well in windy conditions and/or larger streams where you are covering a lot of water, and where line control/mending of dry flies is more important


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 24 Nov 2022, 21:53 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/21/21
Posts: 447
Location: Florida
I just picked up a very “sticky” Axisco Airrite Feelex II and now I understand what sticky is all about. Got it from Amazon Japan for a great price along with a Scientific Anglers Overhead and D fly line that compliments that rod nicely. As has been mentioned before the rod is a paint brush that you have to let do it’s thing, it cannot be forced or rushed or you end up with a pile of line in front of you. But when you slow it down and wait for the rod to uncoil it throws a very nice loop and is very accurate. I have really enjoyed the discovery learning with this rod and its slow action, very addictive to cast. What is also great about this rod is landing a fish on it, that tip oscillates wildly and allows you to quickly land the fish.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 24 Nov 2022, 23:54 • #4 
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Joined: 01/26/07
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Location: Ada, Oklahoma
I have the 7'6" 6 piece 3 weight Axisco Airrite Stream, and it certainly seems to meet the definition of "sticky". As mentioned above I have found it useful on small waters for relatively close in casting. The rod is so soft and slow that the line just feels like a continuation of the rod, just flowing out in a lazy loop. You certainly don't try to fight a larger fish with the "Orvis pose" with rod tip held overhead. Fish of a pound and a half or more should be fought from the butt of the rod., with the tip held low.

Larry


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 25 Nov 2022, 21:48 • #5 
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Location: US-peripatetic
A different post states: There is "...reference to a "parabolic" action, but...the rod actually bends quite a bit at the middle. (the one consistent trait of a parabolic action is a *stiff* middle...) In my hands, the rod is typical "sticky" slow Japanese action, where the tip is relatively stout, and the rod work from the middle down. (very similar to a Studio Thin Line, if you've ever handled one of those....). This also may be characterized as a "British" action, akin to early Hardy bamboo, for example."
viewtopic...
Another says:
"We Japanese often use the word "stickiness (粘り)" for explaning the "rod's feel" (not action)
It's an abstract expression and doesn't have concreteness.
Probably, it means slow and smooth, lot of reserve power, etc ... in this case."
When I wiggle the rod its very slow but also very stable. Not wispy or wimpy. It feels progressive with some reserve power, just very slow. Almost has a more natural feel to it. This enables one to throw some beautiful slow rolling loops.
viewtopic...

However, I've never handled a STL, so just trying to understand what "sticky" is. It sounds like a small stream rod.
Are there any other companies that make sticky rods, other than the Japanese market?


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 25 Nov 2022, 23:14 • #6 
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Joined: 08/11/20
Posts: 229
Location: Ontario, Canada
Chris Barclay describes some of his parabolic rods as “sticky”. I’m intrigued by the concept and wouldn’t mind getting my hands on such a rod. http://cbarclayflyrods.com/fiberglass-fly-rods


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 26 Nov 2022, 12:25 • #7 
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Joined: 12/20/19
Posts: 101
Location: Christchurch, NZ
My take on sticky means applying the correct power at a very specific time. But isn’t that what parabolic rods are all about?
Just my thoughts and I may be way off.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 26 Nov 2022, 13:45 • #8 
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Joined: 02/06/16
Posts: 328
Location: US
Soft to the point of frustration, until you get it, then...Oh Boy....

As another member mentioned, best in 4wt or lighter rods and not on windy days.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 26 Nov 2022, 18:18 • #9 
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Posts: 144
Location: US-peripatetic
Thanks all for the responses. BigHeavy-probably a good call on C.Barclay, although I haven't played with one of those, either-guess I should get out more, lol. Are there others In the U.S.?
Which models are favorites (overall)?


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 27 Nov 2022, 11:27 • #10 
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Joined: 02/12/16
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Location: USA-CO
I might understand, based on old experience with '50s and early '60s glass. A sticky rod loads deeply, and then you don't apply forward thrust so much as just let the load release. Of course you're applying some power, but it's mostly stored in the rod, as BD suggests above.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 30 Nov 2022, 19:54 • #11 
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Location: US-peripatetic
I'm not sure if parabolic & sticky are the same thing. Seems like I read somewhere that Chris's rods have some sticky characteristics, but may not have the stickiness found in the (described) Japanese rods. I've also seen sticky described as gooey-but I don't think I'd describe parabolic that way-though I may be off on that.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 30 Nov 2022, 20:38 • #12 
Sport
Joined: 11/13/20
Posts: 33
Location: Southern VT
I have a couple of short rods from Japan that are decidedly sticky: Norie Flextailor and CAPS Kids. They both have oversized guides, not good enough at physics to know if that factors into the sticky equation. But the rod I find stickiest is a 8’ 4wt black James Green minimalist custom build. Very slow delivery with no wobble on the recovery.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 01 Dec 2022, 08:28 • #13 
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Hoping Chris Barclay (or other experts) will chime in on this & enlighten the followers…


Last edited by oldriverman on 13 Dec 2022, 20:06, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 01 Dec 2022, 08:54 • #14 
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Joined: 10/09/09
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I don’t know about sticky but if I had to pick one of Chris’s rods it would have to be the 6’2” 3wt. 4 pc.bends into the handle,can’t wait to get mine..........Aurelio


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 14 Dec 2022, 19:33 • #15 
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Location: US-peripatetic
From my understanding, a progressive action means that the rod bends deeper into the blank as pressure is increased during the casting stroke. Furthermore, most would probably agree that parabolic rods have a stiff middle-but flex all the way into the butt of the rod.
But do "sticky" (or gooey) (& maybe mostly Japanese) rods exhibit stickiness at certain points-or throughout the rod's entire length? Or is the taper curve altogether different from most modern US rods?


Last edited by oldriverman on 20 Dec 2022, 20:06, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 15 Dec 2022, 07:05 • #16 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/21/21
Posts: 447
Location: Florida
Kelleystand,

Is that Caps Kids a graphite rod? How do you like it? Have not heard a lot about Caps but always interested in slow Japanese rods.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 15 Dec 2022, 20:26 • #17 
Sport
Joined: 11/13/20
Posts: 33
Location: Southern VT
It’s a really sweet little rod. From the tiptop Dow about 12 inches it is pretty stiff, and then it wiggles. Like the norie I have it recovers well. Very slow, light, and delicate. Have only lawn cast to this point (norie). I was offered a price that my curiosity could not resist. Definitely fiberglass.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 15 Dec 2022, 21:40 • #18 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/21/21
Posts: 447
Location: Florida
Sounds very interesting…


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 28 Dec 2022, 20:46 • #19 
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Joined: 03/02/14
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Location: US-peripatetic
I'm looking at the tiemco glassmaster euflex 7'8" #3. Sounds like a fun small stream stick, & probably quite sticky.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 30 Dec 2022, 23:37 • #20 
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Joined: 07/21/21
Posts: 447
Location: Florida
The Glass Master sounds like a great choice. The new Glass Master NSF will be out this Summer according to Tiemco, cost is @ ¥62,000.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 12 Apr 2023, 00:41 • #21 
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Joined: 12/14/11
Posts: 212
Location: Oregon
The closest I have come to the Japanese rods were builds I did on blanks that I think were built in the Norie factory, these blanks go back a decade or more, they are soft rods with spigot ferrules. I cant relate to the words "sticky or gooey" but I do like a soft rod now & then and would second the James Greens Heritage Trout series rods/blanks. I have his 8'3" 3wt blank built up, its soft enough that I have thought about trying a 2wt line on it to see about speeding it up. Its very lite in hand, not tippy at all, I like it alot for a soft glass rod.


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 13 Apr 2023, 02:48 • #22 
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Joined: 02/10/07
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Location: The Netherlands
In the Q&A I did with Chris Barclay, he tells how the parabolic action works:
https://bassbug.blogspot.com/2019/09/q- ... rclay.html


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 13 Apr 2023, 21:05 • #23 
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Joined: 03/02/14
Posts: 144
Location: US-peripatetic
ibookje, good stuff!


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 15 Apr 2023, 15:08 • #24 
Sport
Joined: 09/21/13
Posts: 71
Location: US-VT
If you think more about tenacity and persistence, it may make more sense and is what is meant. It's another meaning of the characters. It's not the gooey, food- and adhesive-related concepts. It describes more the character of the rod tempo than the bend form itself. Earlier comments about stability and deep working are also helpful. Another help in English (via Dutch) are the words of Bjarne Fries in describing his rod actions (he was well acquainted with and popular in Japan). Look especially at Parabolic and Deep Working Semi-Parabolic.

Other translations about fly rods that are often used in my conversations with Japanese friends and Japanese internet blogs, etc. that we don't really use here are "torque" or "torqueful" and "sharp". Most Japanese anglers are familiar with the words we use to describe rod actions, but have added their own. It seems that they, too, have difficulty describing rod action. :eek


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Re: “Sticky” Glass
Post 17 Apr 2023, 03:40 • #25 
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Joined: 06/24/11
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Location: Belgium
I think sticky ultimately describes a combination of how the rod damps and its mass distribution. To me a sticky rod eats up some of the power that's stored in the spring (bent rod) when it's unloaded. That doesn't mean the rod doesn't feel powerful, it does however feel a little slower and heavier and deliberate - "sticky".

Mind you, I happen to be of the opinion that the casting arm is doing most of the damping. On a fast tip action rod, the arm is asked to damp high frequency vibrations of the tip - mostly by relaxing the grip at the right time at the end of the stroke. On a sticky rod you are managing much lower frequency vibrations such as you might have from the swinging of a heavy mid and tip on a "hard parabolic" rod and that requires deliberate control applied to the butt through the grip to eat up the energy that's stored in that large swinging mass.

Very difficult to describe, I hope I haven't lost everyone with this description. :)


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