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It's not always easy to make a reasonable, objective choice when it comes to all the components of a tool. Compromises often have to be made, with budget being the main criterion. So, for those for whom budget is a limiting factor - the majority of us - here are some answers to consider when making your purchase.
Braid and abrasion
Twenty years ago, braid made its appearance on anglers' reels. As this material is much more abrasive than nylon, the question of rings arose and the development of SIC rings took place.
While it's true that braid is more abrasive than nylon, we mustn't forget that in 20 years there has been a major evolution in terms of glide and coatings. For example, the much rounder 8-strand (and now 12-strand) braids, often coated, have become more widely available, and their abrasiveness has been reduced.
Today, apart from really intensive use and fishing under very high pressure, i.e. long, powerful fights, alconite ceramics are perfectly suited to braid use.
The power of the rod
The power of your rod and the targets you want to target will determine the number of legs you choose. Indeed, for fishing where your rod is subjected to very high pressure, it's important to multiply the number of attachment points (and make sure there's an under-tie too...).
In this logic, the use of two-legged rings is ideal for exotic fishing or for fish that are really out of the ordinary in terms of size or power. I'm thinking of tuna, meagre or catfish, but objectively, single-leg rings are more than sufficient for stalking bass, pike-perch or pike. This is a source of savings and lightness.
The need for lightness
For a blank to retain all its original characteristics and qualities, it must be "hindered as little as possible". The lighter your rings, the more dynamic and responsive your blank will be.
With this in mind, it seems obvious that the lighter the blank, the more advantageous it is to use lightweight rings (i.e. small and made of titanium/torzite). But when you're talking about an H-power blank, the use of this same type of rings is less justified.
Moreover, torzite ceramics are thinner than sic or alconite ceramics, so to have the same internal diameter, you can use a smaller ring size and therefore gain even more lightness.
Number of rings
The question of the number of rings needs to be considered from several angles.
- The more rings there are, the more points of contact (and friction) are multiplied. As a result, more information is transmitted but casting distances are theoretically less good. What's more, number is associated with weight, and we've just seen that this is detrimental to the dynamic action of the blank. The use of titanium/torzite compensates for this.
- Conversely, reducing the number of rings saves weight and maximizes casting distance, but penalizes feedback and the perfect match between the curve of your line and that of your rod.
The number of rings is then to be defined in relation to your priorities. We'll come back to this later, but the KR Concept developed by Fuji (the world's largest supplier of rings) effectively addresses all these criteria and compromises.
The price
The last but not least criterion to take into account when choosing your rings is price. In fact, for the same size, the price of a steel/alconite ring ramp can be triple that of a titanium/torzite one.
For those who have no budgetary limits, you might as well go for full torzite, because who can do more can do less. But for the average angler, perhaps you can make a more judicious choice, allowing you to allocate more of your budget to other criteria, notably the blank.
