Im wanting to build a 9'ultralight spinning rod.Ive been looking at mhx flyrod blanks.MHX F903-4
9' 3wt 4 piece.orMHX F904-4 9' 4wt 4 piece. Im thinking microwave guides (worth it?)
my worry is the weight of the guides messing up the rod.TFO gave me the idea with theyre 6' spin/fly.what handle would you pug on this? I was thinking simple tennessee.

You might consider using the main MicroWave butt and secondary guides and then finishing out with small single foot wire guides or Minima's the rest of the way.

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I used to build a lot of long spinning rods on fly blanks. These were used for float and fly with microjigs under a clear float for trout or for the Statech Spinfly line (which was an awesome tool for non-fly fishernen looking to fly fish). I built them all with single foot ceramic guides and as long as you use the right number you will not have any problems with the weight impacting the blank.

That being said, ultra light outfits using fine, supple lines - either braid, mono or fluoro - are much more forgiving of set up than outfits that must manage heavier line and pass knots. The MicroWave guides function as designed and they'd work fine on this rod. However, if you really are going ultralight you could easily put a high frame 12 or 16 on as your first stripping guide and be fine. So, the 'one size fits all' Microwave guide is much larger than needed for a true ultralight that will be running say 4 lb. mono. The guide may be the same size as your spinning reel spool. But that is just my opinion based on my experience.

It is also hard to build a spinning rod that long that does not get soft and noodly. The ones I liked best were generally #5 and #6 weight blanks rather than #3 or #4 and they handle 6X and 7X tippets fine. So, you might try an ultralight spinning reel on some of your existing fly rods. Do some test casting to get a feel and I think you can kind of calibrate your blank selection from there. Hope this helps.

unfortunately I dont have a rod to try it on.Just getting into this.I had a diawa 8' ultralight but its only a 7' now(oops)and much stiffer. the real is a mitchell 308. current production
from your experiance im leaning on the 4wt now.
what handles did you use?
im gonna.pick your guys brains as mu h as possible



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2015 12:47PM by larry roby.

I build lots of 8' and 9' crappie rods all on 5 wt. fly rod blanks. most are for jigging. some for casting. I start with a 20 stripper and work down to the 3.5 or 4's.

Bill has a good idea on starting with a 12 or 16. i may have to try that next time.

Larry, I have built them both with split grips and with more traditional handle configurations. For balance purposes. you want a pretty long rear grip in my experience. So, the front hood of the reel seat is probably about 18" - 21" from the butt of the rod. But that may be too long for some...it is what worked well for me.

If you are new at this and figuring it out, you might buy a split grip set and then you can figure out exactly where you want to glue it. That is generally more simple than trying to guess the fixed butt grip length you need when you have not even handled the blank or picked the reel yet. If you bought an EVA butt grip, an EVA rear grip and the seat, you can ream them close to fit, mount them on the rod, put a reel on it, and move them around (since EVA stretches)

For example, the Aero Reel Seat Kit Swampland sells in EVA (I'm sure other sponsors have them, too) will make testing and try fitting super easy. You might not even have to ream at all. You will feel when you get the length and balance point right. Hopefully this makes sense but let me know if not.

If I were building it I'd build a carbon fiber grip set but that may be more than you want to attempt on your first build.

ooh carbon fiber..sounds sensitive.I like. you can feel him burp.lol.
iwas looking at the carbon tubes.as well as the lamiglass tubes. I like the black best. unsure of what parts id need for assembly.does the tube slide into reel seat or but against?

Honestly depends on the seat and tube you are using. I was talking about fabricating your own custom handle using carbon fiber sleeving and a urethane foam core.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Best bet is to get with one of the suppliers / sponsors at left. Get on the phone with them and tell them what you want to build. They can walk you through what you need and your choices that best fit your build.

Larry,
As long as you are using a moderate action blank, you can use a relatively few number of guides. I also think that a size 16, 10 and 4 runners are all that you need for a guide set for a rod like this. Light and simple.

If the rod has a moderate or slow action, you can likely use as few as 7 or 8 guides on an 8-10 foot rod.

Folks can mention carbon grips and that is fine. Personally, I dislike the feel of any grip over than cork. Really tough to beat the light weight and feel of a tennessee grip with the reel taped to the cork.

If you build the grip as a split grip, you could find the balance point, put 6 -8 rings at that point and have a very very light and usable grip. The grip would also be short enough so that you could easily keep your finger on the rod for touch.

However, I have found that when using an ultra light moderate action rod, that one normally does not fish by "touch". Rather the long soft tip becomes an excellent antenna that quickly and easily signals the light bite of a fish before you can even feel the bite on the grip or the blank.

Good luck

You mention a 6 foot possible build early on - IMHO that is too short. You want more length for better hook sets and longer casts, possibly more "forgiveness."

I have a Amtac Matrix 7 1/2 foot 3 wt built into a spin rod, with true micros as the running guides, and I really like it. Long casting, comfortable casting, great on crappie/bluegill sized cranks, feather light. . I've caught some pretty good sized bass and walleyes on it in open water, too.

Friends who have build a lot of spin rods off fly blanks for panfish now swear by the Revelation REVS72UL-SB
UL Trout & Panfish
7'2" 2-6 1/32-3/16 0.393 5 Fast 1.48 UL

It will give more precise feel than fly blanks. You might want to consider that option.

Or, build two. The blanks are not that expensive. You probably already know that building a spin rod off a fly blank will often cancel the warranty.

the 6' was a reference.
i was really hoping for something in the 9' range.
if it ends up being to much bother Ill just get another 8' diawa ultralight.
keep those opinions coming.

I too think that 3 weight 9 feet long will be quite noodly.

Why 9'? If it is for casting distance, you are likely to get less casting distance than 7'. However if it is to have a long bend, shock absorption or to clear obstacles etc, then makes sense.

Mo

I too think that 3 weight 9 feet long will be quite noodly.

Why 9'? If it is for casting distance, you are likely to get less casting distance than 7'. However if it is to have a long bend, shock absorption or to clear obstacles etc, then makes sense.

Mo

ok 4wt it is then maybe 5

Look what I found what do you guys think of this vs 4wt fly blank.although I thought fast action was better.
SPECIFICATIONS
Length 9'0"
Pieces 2
Line Weight 2-6
Lure Weight 1/8-3/8
Power Light
Action Mod-Fast
Butt OD .445
Tip Size 4.5
Color Slate
Recommendations UL, SD, FL
Product Description Steelhead
Application Index Float RodSide DriftingUltra Light

That is a "light" steelhead rod for drifting spawn, etc. It is not an ultralite panfish rod. I think you are going to find it a little heavy for what you are looking for.

I was worried about that since its
2-6 lb.

just looked at my broke diawa 8' ultralight and its listed as 2-6 lb now im confused again always thought of ultralight as 1-4