10 ft, 4 wt, 3 or 4 piece fly blank

Custom Rod Builders - This message board is provided for your use by the sponsors listed on the left side of the page. Feel free to post any question, answers or topics related in any way to custom building. When purchasing products please remember those who sponsor this board.
Manufacturers and Vendors - Only board sponsors are permitted and encouraged to promote and advertise products on the board. You may become a sponsor for a nominal fee. It is the sponsor fees that pay for this message board.
Rules - Rod building is a decent and rewarding craft. Those who participate in it are assumed to be civilized individuals who are kind and considerate in their dealings with others. Please respond to others in the same fashion in which you would like to be responded to. Registration IS NOW required in order to post. You must include your actual First and Last name and a correct email address when registering or posting. Posts which are inflammatory, insulting, or that fail to include a proper name and email address will be removed and the persons responsible will be barred from further participation.

Registration is now required in order to post. You must include your actual First and Last name and a correct email address when registering or posting.

Re: 10 ft, 4 wt, 3 or 4 piece fly blank

Posted by: wayne chubb (---.hsd1.ca.comcast.net)

Date: May 13, 2005 04:55PM

Sam,

I'd have to echo the above sentiments regarding the Dan Craft rods, but my experience has been slighly different. I built the FT1004-7 as a steelhead / shad switch rod. and it actually has more flex (a softer butt) than I expected. It's a little stiffer than my old, dearly loved fenwick HMG, but if I had it to do over I'd probably order the 8 wt and fish it as a seven if I were going to throw mostly sinking lines and shooting heads.

I missed the steelhead run this season, but got it done in time for the start of the shad run. I found out Wednesday that it can quickly whip a 4 pound shad in heavy current, and either they were taking better than normal or the rod is more sensitive to the strikes, as I hooked 13 and landed 12. That ratio is normally more like 13 and 6.

Plus, Dan Craft is a helluva nice guy. He and his distrubutors sell his blanks too cheaply (don't tell them, though).

Wayne Chubb

Options: Reply•Quote