I have seen my rod in slightly different sizes and am interested to find out what difference a few inches makes on the length.

The rod in question is a 6/7 weight and I have seen 9', 9'6" and 10'

Do the longer rods have a slower action and therefore the short a faster action?

If so when would you use a shorter and longer rod?

Thanks in advance

Its not really action but usually where you intend to fish.....e.g. from a boat you want a longer rod to allow you hang a longish leader before lifting off.
So I'd say a 10ft for boats , banks a 9ft or 9ft 6 is usually fine.

For streams and small rivers you would use a smaller rod maybe 8ft 6 or if stalking in small streams with a lot of over hanging trees and stuff perhaps even shorter.

One thing - a longer rod will be heavier !

Nobody knows much any more .
What you will have is three different blanks off of 3 different mandrels and maybe eve4n made out of different specs of carbon .

All painted up the same and with serialised in factory stickers on them .

Hopefully if they've been correctly rated they will all be capable of coping with the same line .

However the hope that you have that they've also been tuned to be identical in action ( or even similar ) is likely to be vain - the Chinese just ain't that good .

As to application - 10' for most stillwater , shorter and shorter for smaller and smaller streams is the simple answer .

Depending on the carbon and hang on bits used the 10 could technically actually be lighter than the 9' . Just depends on which Chinese factories they bought the similarly finished job lot from !

Be lucky

Steve parton

the only difference is, the shorter the rod, the less strain on your casting arm.
if you think that 6 inches is gonna make a difference for boat fishing, then........

Your casting arm shouldnt experience strain on any rod, regardless of length or line weight. A longer rod certainly makes a huge difference for boat fishing for several reasons, but to me, the best reasonis the higher your line off the water during the cast, the better you can use the wind to carry the line out, and turn the leader over. Also the longer the rod, the better you are able to manage longer leaders. For river, a long rod is great for high sticking and mending, and also good for using the wind if it is blowing with your cast, but terrible to fish into the wind. In very tight rivers, a shorter rod is obviously better.

A long rod will not give you a higher back cast unless you use it correctly. An 8 foot rod can cast just as higher back cast as any longer rod as long as you stop the back cast in the correct position.
Whist I appreciate the advantage of ten foot rods as listed in prior thread ie. a longer dibble on the lift at the end of the retrieve, longer rods can be tiring to use over long periods of casting especially if very strong winds coming from behind. If you get tired your casting stroke will suffer and you will get a low back cast.
My favored rod length is nine foot, but then I am probably classed as getting on a bit in years, And I frequently use 15 to 20 foot plus leaders. The ability to use long leaders has nothing to do with rod length, but definitely the ability to cast well and control casting loops.
If you young and fit or do a lot of fishing the by all means opt for a ten foot rod but it will not necessarily give you a higher back cast than shorter rods.

[QUOTE=andreb;719947]Your casting arm shouldnt experience strain on any rod, regardless of length or line weight.

A longer rod gives greater leverage, so it will fatigue your arm quicker.

I will give you the point on river fishing, but not the boat fishing

[quote=shrek;719982]It's not the length of the rod, or the leverage that causes fatigue, but innefficient casting that does. Any rod, or any action will cause fatigue over time casting. Humans get fatigeud, and that is a fact. A smooth efficient casting action will help prevent fatigue and give the angler greater endurance. You will find that a good caster will be able to go on for hiours, long after someone who believes he has to force the cast, regardless if the rod is 9 or 10 feet long.
I fish stillwaters from a boat with both a 9 foot 6wt Z-Axis, and a 10 foot 6 wt Z-Axis, and I am of the opinion that the 10 footter is more efficient.
In terms of fishing a 20 foot leader from a boat, with three flies spaced 4 feet apart, there is unquestionable a difference in leader managment. The longer rod just makes it a little easier fishing the hang, and lifting the flies out to get the next cast loaded. Regarding the type of drift fishing I do, where two anglers are sitting side by side, both casting in the same direction, the littler extra height makes life slightly more comfortable.
I agree in a very strong wind from behind, the longer rod can be a disadvantage, due to the absence of load on the back cast. but in wind like this, fishing becomes uncomfortable anyway.