Could someone please let me have these.

Doing a author search of Bob Meiser's posts for Dan Craft FT blanks will get you started, I think the post was somewhere around Aug. this year.
If it's another blank doing a "switch rod" search should give you some info.

Here is the spacing for the FT 1010-4 that I built last winter. If you decide to use less guides than normal be sure to test cast the rod many times to determine the final location as no two blanks are the same. Also note that the guide sizes are for a 10 wt. rod. You did not say what weight you were building so you might whant to use different sizes.

Hope this helps,

Bob
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Dan Craft FT Switch Rod Update
Posted by: Bob Crook (---.nas3.portland1.or.us.da.qwest.net)
Date: January 25, 2005 12:24PM


Awhile back there was a post with quite q bit of discussion about the Dan Craft FT blanks being built as a swtch rod. I built a Dan Craft FT 10 wt 10 ft 4 pc as a switch rod and followed the advice of Bob Meiser and used only 8 guides. It will cast a Delta Spey WF 10/11 line 80 feet with no problem. Started out with a guide on each ferrule and used the static guide placement method for the others.

Butt Section: No guides
Section 2: 2
Section 3: 3
Section 4: 3

Guide Spacing: 5 5/8 19 29 1/4 39 1/2 49 59 /12 74 1/2 87 1/2

Ring Size: 6 6 8 8 8 10 16 20

The grip is a stained full wells, A8 reel seat hardware with a Redwood insert and a 3 1/2" Redwood butt.






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2005 11:22AM by Bob Crook.

Al,

I built a 10' 7wt FT earlier this year, with a 9.5" "extended full wells" (I guess that's the best description) foregrip and REC's old telescoping rear grip, the thought being that the longer fore grip would facilitate 2 handed casting. If I had to do it over again, I'd use a standard 7.5" foregrip. Whether it is the longer grip or the heavy reel seat, or both, it threw off the balance and I still haven't found the most comfortable position for single hand casting. It's the only black mark on an otherwise fine rod, but on the upside has made my right wrist and forearm on helluva lot stronger!

Good luck.

Wayne

PS If I had listened to Bob Crook when he emailed me and pointed out that most of the fishing is likely to be done single handed (he's right), I might have saved some trouble.

Well, for what it might be worth. I recently finished a first "switch" rod that I use for flyfishing and float fishing trout, but will hang a spin reel below it when the mood strikes.

It was crafted using a St. Croix 3F904 (9 foot 4 wgt). I used all single foot Hardloy, with the #10 stripper being the largest. I know it is only 9' and light weight, but I tend to fly and drift fish, so stayed with a fly guide set-up. Surprise, it works just fine.

Rod has 11 Hardloy singles including TT (and employs a 3-guide butt set and why the extra guide). the grip is 10" hand-turned cork slider with graphite rings overa graphite Fuji fly rod seat, though one could simply use a slider for whole grip. I just went for more a fly rod base.

I guess I could have gone with a larger Hardloy at butt but the 10 single does not interfer with the small diameter spin reel I use. Try using a guide that is about 1/2 to 1/3 the width of the reel spool diameter.

If I were to build a heavier rod, and still wish to spin cast it with one hand, I would likely not go much heavier or over 10' unless it were as light a rod. Getting longer lengths means longer grips etc and two hands. I build lots of steelheada/salmon float/spin rods over 10 feet, and when you get into heavier longer wands, balance and two hands are factors that enter into it. A fly rod with the heavier reel at butt makes for easier toss than a spin reel when you have a 18 to 20 inch grip.

Hope this helps.

Hive

Thanks a lot guys. As usual this is the place to come for rod-building information.