Do older rod lose their strength?

[chrissh]

I have shimano super ultrga match 390 the older one it the dark red`ish black colour I haven’t use it for a few years I think I bought the rod around 2000-2002 .it has been keep in it hard tube it was supplied with out of sunlight.
Will carbon brake down or weaken?

[thecrow]

Anything that is continually flexed will loose some of its inherent stiffness, rods are no different.

[sam vimes]

Whether or not a rod softens over time depends largely on how much it is used and the resins used in the construction of the blank.
It would be a pretty poor rod that got noticeably softer without actually being used. There's a fair chance that an older match rod might feel softer in comparison to a modern equivalent though.

[tigger]

If a rod does soften a little with use I don't think it's a huge ammount. I've use d a normark avenger a hell of a lot over 12yrs and it has been bent dramatically on lots of sessions and still seems fine.
I used an im8 specimen float rod for the same applications and over the same kind of period. This thought crossed my mind also and so I ran line through my old im8 which was second hand when I got it so i've no idea how much stick it had had over the years previous to coming into my hands, I did the same with a brand new im8 specimen rod and tied an equal weight to the line on each rod. There was a noticeable difference in the two but nothing drastic, the older rod just starting to bend slightly further back along the blank so the tip hung down a little more than the new rod. Now wether this slight difference was due to use or if the rods where like this straight out of the factory I have no idea. All the test did prove to me was that if the rod did weaken or soften after time and use it was pretty negligeable and especially with the ammount of hammer the rod had taken!

[dicky123]

100% yes they do.

When I use to fly fish a lot, most fly anglers talked about their rods losing power, not casting as well. One rod I still have is an old Sage rpl+ in a 5 weight Ive used and abused. Its like my right arm, and I can cast a fly line to the horizon on it. But it is noticeably softer than when I brought it 20 years ago.

And no, as the guys say it will not lose that power without use.

Rich.

[barbelboi]

f a rod does soften a little with use I don't think it's a huge ammount. I've use d a normark avenger a hell of a lot over 12yrs and it has been bent dramatically on lots of sessions and still seems fine.

I'm with you on this one Ian - my 19 year old Titan2000 has been around the block a heck of lot and still feels top class.............

[whitty]

There must be some blanks that deteriorate more than others,plus some manufactures would try to incorporate materials to lessen the problem,I have quite a few 'old ' quality rods that still seem better than what's currently available,if they've lost a bit,it isn't a lot and I have been known to be hard on them...

[thecrow]

I think that a rod that has continually been used to cast weights near its limit for a long time will weaken more than a rod that has been used to play fish no matter how hard.

[nottskev]

I wouldn't risk using it - that old Shimano stuff is hopeless. If you like, I'll dispose of it responsibly for you.