Overlining a 5wt rod

[ifishutah]

I'm replacing some old line I've used for a few years and I've been told about "overlining" (at least that's what I think it's called). Why would going up a half weight or full weight make a difference? Thanks in advance for the input.

by the way the rod is 5wt with a pretty fast tip. I'm refering to floating line.
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[pookiebar]

Over-lining a rod can help slow the action down. If you have a stiff action rod, or one with a fast tip, as it sounds like you do, the over-lining can help you sense when the rod loads on the back-cast.

The additional weight of the line makes the line speed go slower, and you can feel it better. By having the right timing on your forward stroke from the back cast you can achieve a cast with a bit more distance to it.

If you have a slow action/soft rod then you do not want to over-line it, that just makes the rod harder to cast. In fact a soft rod sometimes is easier to cast by under-lining.
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[flygoddess]

I agree with Pookie except I use slow action rods and really like the GPX (1/2 size larger)
It loads up better, easier to cast farther. However, the bigger the line the larger diameter it is as well (floating)
More wind resistance and a little harder to mend.
That is why I stick to 1/2 size larger.
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[ifishutah]

Thanks for the feedback I appreciate the knowledge sharing.
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