Today I tried out the 4pc 7'6" 3-4wt Tiger eye that I picked up from Neal's and built over the winter. What a sweet rod! Nice feel, good power, roll casts like a dream with a triangle taper #4. My new favorite short rod.

A few questions for those that have used these blanks:

Are they all this good?

Is there a difference in action between the two and four piece blanks?

Which are your favorite models?

Thanks,

Tony

These are a great bargain, I've built dozens of them. I think the smalller blanks are their "sweet spot" but the bigger 2 pc. spinning blanks are nice too.
I don't find much difference between the 2 or 4 pc. blanks, performance wise.

Tony, I built that blank for my brother-in-law and had a hard time giving it away. The 6023 is my daughters first rod and the 7034-2 is fantastic as is the 7645-2. An all around great rod is the 8656-4 but beware it has a large butt (some guys like that) and you can't use just any reel seat with it. The tiger eye blanks rank second, in my opinion, in value behind Forecast. And the color is beautiful, especially outdoors in the sun.

i have that very rod and it is my go to rod for packing. i built my hiking partner the 4/5 version and lawn casting it i could feel that it was going to be a sweet rod for him. i was able to build it very reasonably with a kit from neal. put candy apple red wraps on it. very nice. i also have a
9' 4pc 10 wt salt water blank that i will build for yellowtail fishing this summer. i'm told its a cannon but a little heavy.

i've got a tiger eye 9 foot 5/6 i think, 4 piece. it too, truly, has a big booty. none of the reel seat inserts i've stockpiled fit it and would probably take waaay too much reaming to get them to work.

still, one day, i'll build it.

eric
fresno, ca.

Thanks for all the feed back. I built it from the kit with brown transparent wraps and gold hardware and snakes. The cheap imitation rosewood seat is killing me. Now that I'm turning my own seats I want to build another with a nicer insert.

Can anyone tell me if the finish holds up on the cheap gold snakes or if I should go for the TiNi plated?

Tony

A few years back, I had the chance for the FREE trip of a lifetime...1 week Bonefishing in Belize! Being a guy with a family and a budget, I had little to spend on a salt-safe 8wt, 4-piece. The Tiger-Eye fit my budget & performed like a champ! It cast as well as the big name rods my buddy brought along & I didn't notice (& still don't) any extra weight to it. A nice rod that I still fish often.

2cents,

Tim