MK,,
Rods have gotten lighter and faster over the last 4 decades of graphite rod development. I think everyone can agree with that.
With that said ... lighter is generally good in that angler fatique is minimized,,,, but is stiffer better? In the sense that a stiff rod can hold more line in the air and responds better to quicker, tighter casting stroke than slower action rods, they do perform better at distance and into the wind,,, great attributes if you need to fish 50 - 80 feet away in windy environments (ie saltwater flats fishing)..
Most modern fast action rods will easily cast 1-3 line weights heavier than their stated line rating, In fact,, many of them will actually feel better with a line rated 1-2 weights higher than the rod class simply cuz the heavier line loads the rod quicker with a deeper bend into the rod. For many anglers shorter casts (more typical for fresh water trout fishing) are more easily accomplished with a rod that loads more fully with less line out ,,,in other words slows the rod action down!!!
I suspect you already know that...
But Don's point,,, while bluntly put,,,,, is simply why buy a stiff rod that you would be happier with over lined as opposed to a slower action rod that will do the same job without being over lined. And excluding custom built rods,,, the "older" model slower action rod will be significantly less money out of your fishing budget!!!
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