How to use CCS data and perform your own measurements

To deepen your knowledge of the CCS and put it to use, we’ll outline here the protocol to follow so you can run your own measurements and define the precise characteristics of your blanks. You’ll build a database that will grow over time—especially if you cross-reference it with those of other rod builders. These data will serve as objective comparison points to choose your future tools and pinpoint the desired characteristics for the intended use.

IP

Recall that CCS stands for Common Cents System, named after the tools used to carry out the measurement series. To run the tests, Dr. Hanneman used coins—cents—as weights.

To determine your rod’s IP, place it horizontally on a support (or under a weight), then attach a load to the tip-top guide (or to the tip of your blank) to put it under load.

Gradually increase this load until the rod bends enough for the tip to drop by one third of the rod’s length on the vertical plane.

For example, if your rod is 2.10 m long, the tip should reach a point 70 cm (210/3) below its initial position.

Once the necessary mass is in place, weigh it. For purists: a 1-cent coin weighs 2.5 g.

You’ve now defined the blank’s Intrinsic Power (IP)—i.e., its power.

ERN

For simplicity—and above all to make the collected data usable—Dr. Hanneman created the Rosetta Stone, a conversion table mapping the number of coins to the prescribed fly line size for a blank (remember, the protocol was originally designed for fly anglers). This power index is called ERN, for Effective Rod Number.

Over the years, rod builders keen to dig deeper have developed formulas to convert IP into a casting-weight range for spinning and casting rods. Thus, on U.S. specialist forums, you’ll find the following formulas (they may seem a bit involved due to U.S. units—grain, ounce—and because the original measures used coins):

• “Ideal” casting power (grams) = ((IP / 2.5) − 20) × 0.065
• High casting power (grams) = (1.5 × (IP / 2.5) − 20) × 0.065
• Low casting power (grams) = (0.8 × (IP / 2.5) − 20) × 0.065

AA

Recall that AA defines your rod’s action as considered—and labeled—by manufacturers, i.e., statically.

More plainly, it’s the portion of the rod that works when put under load: it’s the curve your blank takes when you load it.

Today we distinguish four main actions: parabolic, semi-parabolic, tip, and extra-fast tip.

AA lets you be more precise by expressing the rod’s action with a number rather than a category.

To obtain it, use the same protocol as for IP. Once the rod is loaded so that it bends by one third of its length on the vertical axis, use a protractor to measure the angle formed between the tip and the horizontal axis.

The resulting value, in degrees, is the AA (Action Angle), which quantifies and compares the blank’s curve—its static action.

CCF

You’ll have noticed that feel varies widely from one rod to another: some are very dynamic (fast), others seem much slower. This stems from the blank’s geometry but also from the materials used in its construction.

This characteristic can be defined as a blank’s reactivity—how quickly the tip returns to its initial position after being loaded; this is the CCF (Common Cents Frequency).

To determine it, after securing the rod horizontally, attach a small mass (tungsten or tin putty) to the tip, then load it over a height of 15 cm.

This mass depends on the rod’s IP and is calculated as follows:

0.085 × IP + 1.27 = required mass (in grams).

Then release the load abruptly and time how long it takes to complete 20 oscillations (video is a very helpful—if not essential—aid).

Finally, by dividing 1200 (60 seconds × 20) by the measured time, you get the CCF in cycles per minute, which quantifies your tool’s dynamic character.