I'm building a 14' spey rod. It's labeled as a 10/11 weight.
So here's the weird part: I always check the ERN / AA and the CCF.
On this rod the ERN readout was out of the charts. At a 1/3 deflection, I needed to add 7994 grains!
After double check and re-checking, I received the same result.
ERN 16 equals 6680 grains, and I need to load this blank with 7994 grains and it's labelled as a 10/11 weight?
What am I missing?

Mr. Sandberg,
That would be 518 grams if my conversion is correct, and that would make it the highest power I've ever seen on any spey blank. It sounds more like a surf blank power. That the blank sounds almost uncastable to me, and even a 750 grain skagit head wouldn't load it in my estimation. Would you mind posting the tip and butt dimensions along with the blank's weight also? I'm curious.

-The Batson TEAM
BatsonEnterprises.com

Hi Geoff.
That's correct. Exactly 518 grams. I have never experienced anything like that. It's a three piece blank with following dimensions:
But dia. 17,5mm
Mid dia. 11,2 mm
Tip dia. 2,3 mm

I have already added the reel seat and the grips so I can't give you the blank weight.

Does that make any sense?
Kind regards
Göran.

That's a pretty large butt diameter. Can you post the action angle you measured? I'm guessing it's really steep.

-The Batson TEAM
BatsonEnterprises.com

AA is 68 degrees.
The top section looks really sturdy compared to other rods I've built.

Wow, I was way off. I would have thought it to be a faster AA measurement given the tip and butt diameters. After it's done would you please post a report regarding how it casts and how large a line it takes to load it?

-The Batson TEAM
BatsonEnterprises.com

Will do. I just hope I can find a line that can load this sturdy monster rod.
Get back to you with a report when I've tried it.

The rod may indeed by a 10/11 weight per the manufacturer's feelings on the line and distance it should be fished at. Of course, you can't fool the CCS any more than you can fool a tape measure. It is what it is. But you may find that at some length/distance a 10/11 weight will indeed load it. The weight changes as you put more or less of that line beyond the tip.

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Understood. But a 10 weight rod dealing with 30 feet of #10 line should handle about 3400 grains. This rod needs 7994 grains to be deflected a 1/3 of its length.
Although I'm fairly good handling a spey rod, I do not think I can manage that length needed.....
But I will test some different lines when I have added the guides. Will get back then.

Who made the blank and what is the model #? And what do you intend to fish for?

And there is always the chance that it was mis-bagged. You may have the wrong model. Does it meet the manufacturer's specs for butt and tip diameter?

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I couldn't find the specs for but & tip diameter. I'll check further.
But could it be that other parameters should be in the picture since this is a spey rod? The casting technique for a spey cast is quite different than a normal overhand cast.There are two groups of Spey casts, the "splash and go" and the "waterborne anchor". Splash and go casts contain a backstroke that is in the air. The line then falls to the water, and the forward cast starts as soon as the tip of the line touches the water. The waterborne anchor casts are different, as they contain a backcast that stays on the water. In these types of casts, there is no requirement to achieve perfect timing in order to forward cast after.
My thought is that when you have "anchored" the line just before the forward cast, maybe the actual load should be measured right there, and not the normal way, deflecting a third of the blank.
This is of course just my thoughts. I could very well be wrong. This is the first time I have applied CCS on a spey blank so I have nothing to compare with.
Your thought about this?

Kind regards
Göran Sandberg

Randolph Ruwe Wrote:
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> Who made the blank and what is the model #? And
> what do you intend to fish for?

Steelhead and salmon.

I could not get this out of my head so I checked two other spey rods and did a CCS analysis. So here is the results:

First rod, another 14', three pcs. This was labeled as #9/10. A 1/3 of the blank was flexed at 7186 grains (466 grams)
AA 70
Tip dia 2,7 mm
Butt dia 16,5 mm

Second rod, 15', also three pcs. 1/3 of the blank flexed at 6846 grains. (444 grams)
AA 77.
Tip dia. 2 mm
Butt dia 19,5 mm

So, all tree rods are showing values way out of the rosetta stone chart. But the two rods above, I have fished with and they work as expected.
Thanks for any input in advance.

Kind regards
Göran.

Sounds like 13 - 14' hot shot blanks ??? Power in the butt and mid sections yet flexable tip

Bill - willierods.com

The CCS still holds true, just as a length measurement with a tape measure would. The blank has whatever power it has and that's that. But remember, the CCS doesn't dictate a specific line weight must be used - far too many people don't understand that the ERN is a power measurement, not a line number. Depending on the rod type and person doing the casting, ERN might equal ELN+1, or even ELN+5. The two are not the same.

As I said above, with some amount of line and caster input, that blank may cast just fine with the manufacturer's line rating.

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Also understood. Testing different line weight and the preferred line lenght with the rod is crucial. No argue there.
So, what ERN does 7994 grains equals? Something in the neighborhood of 18?

That would be pretty close. Of course, that doesn't mean you should be using an "18-weight" line (if such a thing even existed).

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Haha.. :-) Point taken Tom.
I actually do have a 16 weight line though...
Guess I just got to try different lines.
Thanks.

When you find the right line for it and your style of casting, note how it relates to the ERN. If you find it works out to ERN-5 (or whatever) equals ELN, then keep that factor handy and you will likely find that it holds true for the rest of your spey type rods as well.

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