CCS — an objective, scientific measurement system for fishing-rod characteristics

At first glance, nothing seems to differentiate a fast-tip, MH-power rod from another; yet once you fish them, you realize their behavior differs noticeably. From this observation—and in the name of precision—the Common Cents System (CCS) was born: it now makes it possible to define a blank’s characteristics precisely and, above all, to compare it objectively with another that nominally belongs to the same category. After these few lines, there’s no doubt you’ll look at your rods with fresh eyes.

History of the CCS

The Common Cents System was developed and published in the early 2000s in RodMaker Magazine by an American, Dr. Bill Hanneman, in order to characterize and objectively measure fly-rod action—to put a number to a feeling—and thus compare one rod with another.

This protocol establishes quantifiable points of comparison in terms of power, static action, and also frequency.

Its name comes from the use of series of coins—“cents”—to carry out the measurements.

IP, or the notion of power

The first measurement provided by the CCS is power (IP), which corresponds to the mass required to deflect the blank by a predefined length.

Once this mass is determined and measured, it is associated with a number—the ERN—using a table created by Dr. Bill, nicknamed his “Rosetta Stone.” This table defines the fly-line number to use with the tested blank (the original study focuses on fly rods and lines).

However, a blank is still a blank regardless of use, so there are formulas that map that mass to a casting-weight range, analogous to the identified line numbers.

Because the U.S. measurement system differs from the metric system, this mass is initially expressed in ounces; it can, of course, be converted to grams.

AA, a rod’s static action

The CCS’s second measurement is AA: the angle formed by the tip with the vertical axis. This angle characterizes the blank’s static action—fast-tip, semi-parabolic, or parabolic.

As an indication, an angle greater than 70° is synonymous with a fast-tip action, but this datum is only truly useful when put into perspective with others.

CCF, a dynamic dimension

Finally, the CCS provides a third measurement, CCF, which reflects the blank’s dynamic behavior: its frequency—in other words, how quickly the tip returns to rest.

After attaching a mass to the tip and loading it, you release it and time how long it takes the tip to oscillate 20 times. Naturally, the faster those 20 cycles are completed, the higher the frequency and the more reactive the blank.

On this basis, a blank can be qualified as “fast” or “slow.”

Raw data

While the CCS quantifies a rod’s characteristics, the results remain raw data that are hard to exploit until they’re considered alongside other measurements.

Above all, they are comparison points that translate feelings and possible use-ranges of a blank—whose usefulness and value grow as the number of available data increases.