Is it true what I have just heard...has Rainshadow closed down ????
Are Tim and Bob Batson no longer producing or selling Rainshadow or Forecast ????

How many blank builders have bitten the dust over the past year ????

Hi Fred--Bob actually passed away a couple of years ago, and the company (Batson Enterprises) is in the capable hands of his family, with Bill (son) at the helm. They were having Cascade Composites roll the Rainshadow blanks for them, but Cascade closed down and Batsons have since released the finest fly blanks on the market, IMO, the RX8+ as well as its sibling, the RX7+. They are still producing the RX7, and they have a very diverse line of blanks under the Forecast label as well.

You are right that there's been some movin' and a-shakin' in the blank end of the industry of late though!

All the best,

John Launstein Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Fred--Bob actually passed away a couple of
> years ago, and the company (Batson Enterprises) is
> in the capable hands of his family, with Bill
> (son) at the helm. They were having Cascade
> Composites roll the Rainshadow blanks for them,
> but Cascade closed down and Batsons have since
> released the finest fly blanks on the market, IMO,
> the RX8+ as well as its sibling, the RX7+. They
> are still producing the RX7, and they have a very
> diverse line of blanks under the Forecast label as
> well.
>
> You are right that there's been some movin' and
> a-shakin' in the blank end of the industry of late
> though!
>
> All the best,
>
> John
>
> The Rocky Mountain Rodbuilding Supply Co.
> Your source for the finest in fly rod blanks and
> components.
>
>
Hi John...Sorry about putting Bob's name down instead of Bill's...I knew better

I understand about the fly rod blanks...the blanks I was interested in were the surf and salmon/steelhead blanks

Fred,
I have used a lot of the Rainshadow blanks particularly the Salmon and Steelhead blanks. I think that I was one of their early customers and was a big fan of the blanks made by Cascade Composites. If your question is how do the present Rainshadow and Forecast Salmon and Steelhead blanks compare to the older ones, here is my take on it based on probably two dozen of the new blanks. I think that the present Forecast blanks are even better. They are still standard modulus material but the blank designs are very close or identical and the fit and finish has been improved. The present design and performance of the Rainshadow blanks is very close to the Cascade blanks, in fact I would not be surprised if they were using the same mandrels to make them. The ferrules may even be a bit stronger. I think the fit and finish may also be just as good if not better. If I had anything negative to say it would be that some of the new Rainshadow blanks that I received have not been as arrow straight as the Cascade blanks were.

Emory is right. Rainshadow and Batson Enterprise is alive and well. The new line is beautiful, you'll forget about the Cascade Composite blanks the minute you see the new stuff. Now if only the RX8+ would show up, but it'll be worth the wait.

One of those who did not bite the dust but is no longer selling blanks is All Star. They had a great line of surf rods but, Shakespeare ran the numbers and it did not make sense to have a blank program. They also dropped five models from the salt water finished line, the Big Game, Western Inshore, Gulfstream, Ben Doerr, and Breakaway. They will still be making finished rods.

As for Batson, I have to agree with the folks above, the product is really good. I have not built on any of their surf rod blanks yet but they do have a good line with models similar to the All Stars. Lamiglas is big on the East Coast for surf work and St. Croix also has a good line.