An aquantence gave me a flyrod kit with no information about it. He wanted to build it but lost interest. The only thing I have on it is the bag written in marker. SWGF 908-2. If I was a betting man I would say 9' 8wt 2 piece. Am I in the ballpark?

That would be my guess. You can confirm number of pieces and length by observation and measurement. Line weight is frequently a personal preference and typical distance for casts thing.

Yeah, the 9' and 2 piece were pretty obvious. I was assuming 8 wt because it's heavier than my current 6 wt rod. I'd love if someone recognized that model for mfg. The guy said he did not remember even where he purchased it.

Take care when you buy or recommend a fly line for this rod once you have built it. It sounds like an older blank. Recently an "arms race" has developed, where "the most powerful eight weight rod" needs a nine or ten weight line to properly load and cast it. Modern line manufacturers have accommodated by turning their 50-year-old AFTMA line weights up a notch or two, further concealing the physical realities of fly fishing from the common people.

Phil, I've observed this "arms race" when measuring CCS numbers for 8 wt fly rods (they are all about 9) and have an idea for finding the right line for rods, given what's going on now. Let me know your thoughts. Lines are rated by the weight of their first 30 feet, or 30 feet of their higher weight section, or some 30 feet , right? So any line that has the same 30 foot actual weight should cast the same, right? How about taking a length of 15 pound mono, which would weigh almost nothing, and put onto it a length of scrap fly line that weighs what that 30 feet is supposed to weigh. Have one each for the rod (or would it be line?) weights one is most interested in. Then, if I have a blank with a "mystery" power, or a product of the ""arms race," I could find the right line by finding my best-casting test mono/weighed section line then buying a line that has the same actual weighed section spec as my test. Right? There may be a better way to do this, but would application of the principals here result in being able to buy the right line the first time rather than guessing whether the line "weight rating" or rod "weight rating"are correct? It depends on the lines having their 30 feet specified correctly in actual weight/mass, not a "rating."

Rereading your post leads me to wonder if there is no way to find that actual 30 foot weight/mass of a line I'm considering.

I have resorted to measuring and stripping the 1st 30' of a fly line into the pan that sits on top of a Diet Workshop electronic scale, then converting the weight in ounces into grains in order to get a ballpark figure for the line's "weight". [I have a peck basket nearly full of fly lines, most of them left over lines I tested for a line manufacturer] The difficulty of matching line to rod is compounded by the taper of the line: some extreme weight-forward lines pack 90% of the head weight in the first 23' of line, while other "triangle-taper" type lines stretch the weight of the head out to 40' or more. With line prices soaring to $100 or more we are well-served by test-casting the line on the rod it will be used with to see if it fits the rod and our casting stroke - before buying the line. If you belong to a fly-fishing club you can usually find members who will let you put their reel & line on your rod to test cast and see how it works for you.

Dang Phil. You have serious flyrod knowledge. It's all new to me. I'm going to learn my 6wt and build the 8wt. I remember when this guy bought tghe kit it was like 8 years ago