Yes, it is true. Think about it. The fisherman is on the short end of the lever, the fish is on the long end. The longer the lever the fish has, the harder he is to land.
As I said before, Lee Wulf used 6' rods to land some big steelhead and salmon.
Gene L
Guessing you have not spent much time on the short side of the lever... I guarantee you a long rod will whip a fish in a fraction of the time possible with a short rod, all else equal. The difference is too dramatic to argue.
To start, small rods are hand held and the wrist is all that "works" the fish. As rods get a little bigger the butt is placed against something and leverage is applied. Fighting butts get longer and grips extend farther up the rod. If serious work needs doing a second grip is added way up forward.
Then there is the simple fact the long rod can be changed from hard left to hard right in a second... Even fish with a fair amount of line out recogniize that distinction quickly.
A couple years ago I was catching grayling up to about 18" and caught two lake trout in very unexpected fashion on a 2wt rod, 7'6" long. Both grayling and the lakers were significantly larger than a 2wt is really designed for. And further, I had no desire to kill them, either to eat or just because I did not care how rapidly I got them unhooked and revived.
By running downstream and burying a bunch of fly line in the relatively swift water I managed to turn both lakers loose in just a few minutes. The "buried" fly line was nothing but a substitute for a long rod. A long rod would have allowed their landing and release in even less time.
Long way of saying I know exactly what is involved in fighting fish on a short stick and long... Give me the long for almost every reason. Boat use is the sole exception to the short rod advantage. I generally prefer a long rod in tight quarters for dapping, but in tight places where dapping is not the right way to go I also prefer short rods, though a long rod and a snappy roll cast can be done in surprisingly little room...
art
