How are rods classified? I see all these ratings or whatever it is called IM6, IM7, SCII, SC V. When I get asked to build a rod from someone, how do i determine what the rod blank shall be? Is there anything in a past issue of Rodbuilder that would help a builder determine the correct rod for the person? I see everyone coming here asking for suggestions, but was wondering if there is anything published to tell you how to figure a correct rod for the fishing person.

Alan--what you're asking seems to be what Dr. Hanneman's "Common Cents System" was designed to accomplish. This system was introduced in RodMaker Volume 6 Issue 2, then further explained and explored in Vol. 6 issues #3 and #4. You can also purchase a booklet from Tom K. which is a compilation of these three articles.

The basic premise is the system gives builders an objective measurement of the rod's "Defined Bending Index" which is made up of its intrinsic power (i.e. is that fly blank REALLY a 3wt or??) and its angle of action (i.e. instead of just "Fast", "Moderate", etc., it assigns an actual measurement/angle in degrees which gives an objective term for comparison).

You'll notice a link at the top left for the "CCS Data Site" which provices a database of numerous blanks/rods from a good cross section of manufacturers for comparison. The really exciting part from my perspective is the recent addition of measuring the frequency of the stick which directly effects its "feel"...a very important consideration for "is this the right blank for my customer's taste"!

Anyway, this isn't really an answer to your question so much as pointing you toward an answer! :)

Warmly,

thank you for the response