I am about to build my first fly rod. It will be a 6'6" - 7', 2 or 3 wt. for fishing the mountain streams of N. Georgia. I am trying to maintain a reasonable budget yet still get a rod worthy of the effort to build it.
I "think" I have narrowed my blank choices to either a St. Croix SCII for $42, a St. Croix SCIII for $63, or a Pac Bay IM6 (tradition series?) for $31. I like the idea of a Loomis GL3, but can't seem to find one for less than $88.
Any advice on these or other blanks? Feel free to throw your 2 cents worth (or more) in on any other issues that may come to mind as well.
Thanks for your consideration,
Brett

Brett,

I am not familiar with Pac Bay's IM6 blank, but other IM6 blanks I have tryed are slower than St. Criox's SCs. Are you already a fly fiaherman? If you are not, you might be happier with a rod alittle longer, 7'-6" is a good length to learn on. Shorter rods are a touch harder to learn to cast. For mountain streams, 9' or 10' would be too long. Mouintain streams are narrow.

Bill Doherty

Brett....my only experience with short rods are a PacBay 8' 4# IM6 rod I built last summer. I would not call it a fast rod, but more a medium fast. It is about the right length and weight for smaller stream fishing, but has a solid backbone in case of larger "surprise" fish. It cast great for dries and handles small nymphs well. It has turned out to be the most "fun" rod I own. I can't really comment on lighter 2 or 3 # rods, but I do know from trying a few that short rods that they seem to be working hard to cast in anything but absolute calm conditions. Good luck and have fun.

All are fine blanks, but I believe I would go for the SC-3. I have built on all the above mentioned blanks in one configuration or another and I feel the St. Croix blanks are more "thought out". However, you really just have to cast each one and pick the one that is best suited to your casting and fishing style.

I just finished my first rod. It came out great (that was a relief). It is a 6'6" 2wt. PT and it is a fairly slow rod. I like slower fuller flexing rods though because i use alot of 8X tippet. The rod is specialy made by st. croix for cabelas and the blank has a 2 yr warranty. It is very accurate and will cast 40+feet with a DT line. I think that the blank is about $60
good luck
brian

I've built on both the SCIIIs, and the Pac Bay blanks, but nothing in a 2 or 3 wt. I feel that both are really good quality, and if those are the only two options, I might lean a little toward the Pac Bay (mainly because I think that "plum" color is really pretty).

That being said, if you can find a few more bucks, I must say that I absolutely love the SCIV 7.5 ft. 3 wt (i.e. Legend Ultra). It's very light, very crisp, but still has a soft enough tip to fight and land a good-sized fish. I built one as a gift last year, and now (because some friends and I went out and played with it) I have several more orders. And, I'm definitely going to "need" one myself. St. Croix does a good job with all its blanks, but the SCIV fly blanks are just phenomenal.

Regardless, though, I'm sure you'll do great, whatever you choose!

Brett - are you familiar with N GA Trout Online (www.ntgo.com)? It is an active board of trouters, including several pro and amatuer rod builders. Several have discussed building 6' 6" 2/3 wts on Rainshadow and a private label blank from a builder\supplier in Athens. There is also a very big following for St Croix.

If you are an experienced caster and like a mod fast action, you may want to look into the Rainshadow 6' 6" 2wt (btw, several people use a 3 wt with it). With slide ring\cork insert reelseat, the Pac Bay light wire snakes, it makes a nice Mtn rod.

I will tell you that there is a school of thought that prefers longer light rods in the mtns so that you can "cane pole" through the rhoderdendrons (sp). I just built a 9' 4wt for this and non-wndy days on the Chattahoochee in Atl.

If you haven't, you may want to post your question there too. I'm sure several people will help you "dial" your rod in for N GA (and W NC)

Oops - www.ngto.org