Hi Everyone:

This is my first post, but I've been lurking for a few weeks. I'm currently on my first rod build on a Hook & Hackle Xi 9' 4 wt, with Rec uplocking nickel silver reel seat, and Ti Stripping/snakes/ and tip top, Hook & Hack half wells cork grip, nickel silver winding check, and nickel silver strap & loop hook keeper. Its going well so far and I am starting on the guide placement and wrapping tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be all finished by Monday.

Anyway I'm already attempting to plan my next rod build which I'd like to be a 3-4 piece 10' 3wt single handed Czech Nymphing rod. However I'm having great difficulty finding rod blanks. So far the only ones I can find are Dan Craft, but they are out of Stock and truthfully out of my price range at least for the time being. Hook & Hackle has a 10'4" 4wt. that I might end up settling for. I hoped that Greys Streamflex came in blanks, but I've been told they do not. I have a preference for moderate action rods. Right now my favorite rod is my TFO Finesse 8'9" 4wt.. Some people think I'm crazy, but I like it even better than my Sage 486 LL. I like the Finesse, because it has an even more moderate action then my LL. I've been told the Greys Streamflex have a fairly moderate action also. Since I'm enjoying the rod build so much I hate the idea of buying another factory built rod.

Do you all have any suggestions for blanks. I've scoured the interwebs as best I know how and find nothing, fitting my criteria. I have also tried using the search function here and found zilch.

Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Tom



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2010 09:18AM by Thomas Wilson.

[www.schneidersrods.com] (3/4 of the way down on the page) might fit your needs

George Forster
Fort Collins, CO

George Forster Wrote:
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> [www.schneidersrods.com]
> .htm (3/4 of the way down on the page) might fit
> your needs


Thank you for the suggestion, but if you are referring to the 'Special "White River Tailored" Fly Blanks,' I really am not interested in a 2 piece rod blank, especially in a 10' rod.

Try here, middle of the page : [www.meiserflyrods.com]

Bill - willierods.com

You might try the Rainshadow RX6's. They're a little "slower" or "moderate". F968-4 might fit your needs.

Ken Preston Wrote:
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> You might try the Rainshadow RX6's. They're a
> little "slower" or "moderate". F968-4 might fit
> your needs.


Ken (That's my Son's name): I'm not sure how I let that one get past me, that might just be close enough. Thank you.

In the mean time any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Tom

Tom,

I've searched up and down for 3wt's for that very application and have yet to find the "dream blank". Noted fly rod builder Terry Henson is on the same quest and recently purchased one of the Meiser blanks mentioned above. He found it too heavy for the application (they're Spey blanks) but I'm sure would make you a heck of a deal on it... In fact he dropped it off at my shop hoping that I could sell it for him.

Thus far, the closest thing we've come up with "off the shelf" is a Sage 499, but it's still a 4wt. The Z-Axis 9' 3wt has worked well, but again it's a 9' blank and we both want that extra couple of feet of drift that a 10' or longer blank will provide, so we're trying to get some prototypes rolled. The first go-round had the length right, but was too stiff to actually be rated as a 3wt. We're using these in the Eastern Sierras on 10" class wild Browns, so there's a 'big" difference between 3 & 4wt's...

If you're not in a big hurry, stay tuned. There are two different manufacturers working on this, and in fact we're shooting for a 2wt as well. I'm hoping to have more prototypes by November.

PS: The 968-4 is an 8wt. If you're willing to go heavier, Pac Bay makes a 5pc 10' 5wt that's gpoing to be closer to what you're after.

Mark Griffin
[]
C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2010 12:12PM by Mark Griffin.

Thomas,
You might consider a 10'6" steelhead noodle rod like the St Croix 2S106ULS2.
Slow action to open the casting loop and should cast a 3 or 4 weight line with a long leader.
Mud Hole has them at a reasonable price but don't know if they're in stock.
Sorry but it's still a 2-piece blank.

Eugene Moore

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Mark the fact that there are a couple companies working blanks with you is good news. I do not know if this helps, but Hook & Hackle "XG" 10'4" 4wt rod is built for them by the Great Bay Rod Company in Vermont. Perhaps they would be worth contacting for you. My plan is to use this on rivers like the Truckee, Upper Sac, and McCloud. So I might just go with the Hook & Hackle Blank, but its still $130.

Last month I broke the tip of my two piece Sage 486 LL and this morning I just went to Keine's Fly Shop in Sacramento to pick the blank Sage sent me through their Lifetime Warranty program. Perhaps I'll just sell that blank I would get enough money for it I would think to buy the XG 10'4" and maybe nearly everything needed to built it. What you all think I could get for that blank. I've seen Sage LL rods sell on a really famous online @#$%& site for $250-$600.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2010 03:40PM by Thomas Wilson.

I had the same delima not to long ago and at first I tried to go with the hookhack blank you posted, but I would call them because they didn't have any or know when they would. I went a different route and am glad I did. I ordered a CTS Afinnity X 10' 3wt 4peice from Scott at fishsticks. I received it last week and built it up, Wow! what a nice rod very light wieght, nice soft tip and real shoots the line nice. The only thing you might not like is the wait. It took 10 weeks to get here but in that time I read up and build a carbon fiber grip and researched and ordered the minima guides.

Bob