PERFORMANCE & DESIGN

The Precise Performance
of every Diamondback rod is the direct result of the innovative technology that Diamondback has brought to the craft of building fine rods. Through the use of state-of-the-art graphite composites and construction techniques exclusive to Diamondback, every Diamondback rod performs accurately within very exact tolerances. Unlike the past, when rod making was limited to cane or greenheart, today's variety of exotic materials has raised the level of rod performance and added to the number of options in rod design from which manufacturers may choose.

Along With The Choices Now Available,
however, has come more confusion as to what factors contribute to differences in the performance of one rod from another. For instance, at Diamondback, we often hear anglers contend that only certain kinds of materials and specific forms of graphite will make a quality fishing rod. In fact, what distinguishes the performance of one rod from another is hardly ever a matter of one graphite or material being used versus another, but more likely results from three fundamental factors in the design and construction process: materials, taper, and wall thickness.

How The Materials
chosen for construction, the relative thickness in wall design, and the degree of taper along the rod work together can be thought of as a performance formula for determining a rod's action and overall performance. How these factors work as a group separates great rods from good rods, and is more important to the quality of the rod's performance than whether the rod was made with whatever material is currently in vogue.

At Diamondback
all of our rods employ graphite that is made to our exact specifications. For the most part, Diamondback rods are made from three different materials. DGS700 (Diamondback Graphite System) is an intermediate modulus high strength graphite fiber blended with a lightweight, toughened epoxy resin system and lends its properties to medium- and medium-fast-action rods. DGS800 is at the upper end of the intermediate modulus scale and is a graphite material with very high tensile strength suitable for rods subjected to high strain situations such as our Backwater Series and conventional spinning and casting rods. Low profile S2 fiberglass allows us to create glass rods loaded with flexibility, strength and sensitivity far beyond anything available in graphite.

Taper Design,
wall thickness and the different materials available for construction are wide ranging variables in rod design. In many respects, taper design has the most dramatic effect on a rod's performance and is an important consideration early on in the design process. The initial phase of creating a new rod often begins with a rod builder envisioning a certain feel for a new rod. Answering a number of different questions that relate to the general characteristics of the rod helps the builder's vision take shape. Will the rod be light in the hand? What will the swing weight feel like? Will the whole shaft flex, or just the tip? Will the butt be stiff or soft?

Flex Profiles
are then plotted on paper and mandrel tapers are chosen to begin producing and testing the new shaft. After early stages of testing have been established, the best combination of materials is chosen to match the rod's intended performance characteristics. Wall thickness, the third variable in our performance formula, further refines the characteristics and performance of the new rod. Wall thickness is dependent on how many times the chosen graphite pattern wraps around the mandrel at any given point and is a key ingredient in determining the rod's hoop strength or resistance to deforming under load.

As Much As It May Seem
to be a science, building a fine fishing rod is still an art. There are no concrete directions for choosing the materials, taper design and wall thickness that go into a fishing rod. A rod builder's decisions as to how to incorporate these three fundamental variables are based on skills that blend craftsmanship with the instinct and sensitivity of a good angler. While understanding the interrelationship of these three variables is complex, keeping the performance formula in mind is a useful way to evaluate different fishing rods. With Diamondback, whether you choose to fish with a fly rod or prefer conventional tackle, you can be assured that you are investing in a rod of unequalled quality, performance and workmanship.