I want to build a 3 weight for my son for Christmas. I ordered the back issues of Rodmaker, or so I thought but I guess the internet ate my order, so I have to do it again. I need a bit of help until I get those back issues about the CC data. It appears that ERN relates to line weight. If I want to build a true 3 weight, do I look for a rod with an ERN as close to 3 as possible?

Thanks

That's a good place to start, especially if your son will be fishing the rod with typical 20-40 feet of line past the tip top. You'll find that most blanks rated as "3 weights" have ERNs in the 2.2-4.2 range. On the Common Cents ERN scale, an ERN of 3.5 ought to hit the sweet spot for most casters with 30 feet of line past the tip. Which one you choose should depend on how "loaded" you like the rod to feel and how much line you like to have out when you're fishing. Since 3-weights are often fished at relatively close distances, I think a rod with an ERN in the upper 2s. or low 3s is just about ideal.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but I am currently building the new 2005 St. Croix 4F793.4 that I bought from Custom Tackle. The blank retails at $155 and has an ERN of 3.1 and an AA of 62. It test casted beautifully at the 20-40ft. range and now I am wrapping the guides on. Light and crisp, very easy to cast. You have litterally dozens of 7-8 foot 3wts. to choose from ranging from as little as $20. And some of those short, inexpensive 3wts. build into beautiful rods.

Hope this helps - have fun.

Gerry, I should point out in case you don't know yet that ERN is a relative index of rod power and the higher the number, the more power the blank has. That being said, minor differences in ERN can be achieved (say 0.1) by building spine-up versus spine-down. There is also some variation, as you will not from the database, in blanks of the same model. So, don't get overly hung up on the exact number and expect to feel a difference in 1 or 2 tenths of a point. On the other hand, if you plan to cast and fish very close, then you would probably want to lean toward blanks on the lower end of the ERN range than the higher end.

Also, how a rod feels is sort of an interaction between the ERN, AA, blank material and other factors. If you choose a blank with a high AA, that will indicate a soft flexible tip and fast action. So, even if the rod had an ERN of 4.5 say, you could fish the rod close by casting mostly off the soft tip, then put more of the blank into play as you cast more line and move the load down deeper into the blank. So, how you cast is a factor too, not just what or how much you cast.

See, it is rocket science! But, getting back to basics, if you choose a 3wt. blank with an ERN around 3.0-3.5, it should cast well at most typical fishing situations with the rated line.

At the top of the list to the left see and click the "CCS Data Site". There you will see many dozens of blanks rated. Find the ones that show the numbers you want. Easier, call any one of the vendors at left and ask. They will either set you up or refer you to someone who has some true skills in starting out a toe-head to being an addicted fisherman for the rest of his/her life.

Asking here was the very best first step. I have a lot of ideas about how I would set up a toe-head, but many here know better than I. You might try the search function here for "youth rod"? The subject has come up every month or so.

I do recall offering info from a friend who recently has been doing just this. Building rods for his grandkids and family. This last year the 7 year old was landing 20+ pound salmon and steelhead.!! Shoot me a p-mail and I will hook you up with him. In just a very few years those kids are better at results than I am with over 40 years of flailing the waters.

Steve,
Thanks for the explanation. At least now I have a better understanding of what the numbers mean and should be able to make a more informed decision. I had been thinking about using the Pac Bay TRF793-2 or an All Star blank of the same length and if I remember the numbers correctly they were both quite similar.

Tim,
My son is not exactly a beginner. He's 14 and caught his first trout on a fly rod when he was 5. I built him a 5 weight when he was 6. The grip is now too small, so I have to rebuild it. This will be his small stream rod.

Thanks again. I'm re-ordering the back issues of Rodmaker today.

Gerry, I built the TRF793-2 and it makes a real nice rod. I think the ERN on the one I had was 2.97 and it had a nice soft tip. Good looking blank too and very affordable at about $30 retail. Almost every company makes a 793 so you can really choose your color and price range. Enjoy your project.