Are newer rods more fragile?

[luckydude]

I've gotten back into fly fishing after a ~10 year "vacation".

My old rod was a Sage RPL 590-4. It is built like a tank and feels like you are casting one :)

I bought a Sage Z-axis 590-4 and broke it while pulling out line (no, not a newbie, I did not jerk it down towards the reel, when I pull line out my arms are wide apart and it stresses the rod no more than a fish would). That rod should be back from Sage waiting for me when I get home.

I also bought, after the Sage broke, a Hardy Zenith 590-4. Just broke that yesterday on the stream on a set that missed, the fly went into a rock, rod snapped.

It probably sounds like I'm some loser going around breaking rods but I'm 50 years old, I've been fly fishing since I was 12. I've never broken a rod before this year and I'm relatively rough on them, I take them backpacking with no tubes (too heavy), I fish them hard, etc.

The newer rods are definitely much lighter in my hand than my old RPL, I think people call it the swing weight; whatever it is, it's much more fun to cast the newer rods than the older ones (in my experience).

Which leads into the question: are they more fun to cast because they are lighter (and more fragile)? Or did I just get unlucky (twice!)?

[Darian]

Are the newer rods more fragile??? Well, the answer to that question is it depends on which brand/manufacturer you buy your rods from and the composition of the materials used. I'm sure an engineer can give you a more detailed response but, in general, the rods that use graphite extensively or exclusively are going to be lighter and less durable. Those that include some glass or other material in their composition are going to be slower action, heavier weight and more durable (in terms of lifting power).

In reality, it's more complicated than that but it gives you an idea or place to start. You'll get a lot of opinions/responses from the guys on this board about it.