Hi Russ,

I was looking through your photo gallery and noticed that we have similar tastes in blanks and hardware. I have built 3 rods on those Dorber 6' 3wt blanks and 1 on a Dan Craft 6' 10" 1wt. I also have a J. Ryall Junior reel that I use on my 1 wt.

What is your opinion of the Dan Craft 8' 3wt 5pc and Sig IV 7' 1wt 6pc blanks?? I'm considering both of these blanks for future building projects and would like some feedback.

Thanks,

Bill

Hi Bill,

The DC 6'10" 1wt, 3pc is a true one weight rod CC of 1.08 and ERN=57. It flexes all the way to the handle, which is perfect for light tippets and small stream fishing. It is easy to make 15 ft casts as well as 40 ft casts. I also like to use a 2wt on this rod to feel the rod load even better. I don't have any data on the SIG IV 7' 1wt, 6pc, but it feels more like a 2wt to me, it definitely feels stronger and not as whippy. I used it this last fall with the Ryall Jr reel (WF2F line) and the 10-12" trout felt great on the line and I had no problems landing and releasing them quickly. It is a 7 piece rod and takes a little longer to put together, but it is very convenient for putting in a daypack and hiking to streams/ponds in the Sierras. The DC 8' 3wt, 5pc is a nice true 3wt with a CC of 2.97 and an ERN=68. It is a moderate action rod. It throws a WF3F extremely well and loads the rod nicely with a WF4F line. This is a rod I am going to fish more with this year. The 5 piece configuration is also convenient for a daypack.

Just a side note on Dorber: I really like some of their blanks, but I went to their website recently and all their rod prices have doubled!
I don't know why (although they were a great deal for the money before the price hike).

Hope this helps,

Russ

Thanks for the info, Russ!

I, too, noticed that Dorber had doubled the prices on their blanks and raised the price by at least 50% on their built-up rods. I emailed them asking why the prices had gone up so much. Of course, I didn't get a reply. They're still a good deal. but a 100% price increase is a little steep, IMHO.

Bill

Hi Russ,

One more question-can you provide me with your guide spacings for the 7' 1wt and 8' 3wt blanks that were discussed above??

Thanks,

Bill

Hi Bill,

Here is the guide spacing for the Sig IV 7' 1wt, 6pc:

4 (1/0), 8.5 (1/0), 13.5 (1/0), 18.75 (1), 24.25 (1), 30 (1), 36.50 (2), 44.50 (2), 54.25 (3), 65 (8mm)

Here is the guide spacing for the Sig III 8' 3wt, 5pc:

4 (1), 8.5 (1), 13.5 (1), 19 (2), 25 (2), 32 (2), 40.25 (3), 49 (3), 59.25 (4), 71 (8mm)

Hope this helps,

Russ

Thanks, Russ!