ordered a kit from h&h to build a 4pc. 8'6" 5wt rod for son. will use brown thread with gold trim. Has anyone built a rod using this blank/kit? comments?

I've built the green 7'9" 3 wt rx7 from the kit. An amazing deal. last year it was 40% off -like $66 with a aluminum rod tube and bag! The components were quite nice. The cork grip was decent quality and the reel seat was a pac bay u3 with a beautifully figured birds eye maple mortised insert! Very nice indeed for a kit. The guides are chrome snakes. I"ll put single foot TiCh on it when I build another. I used the included green thread w/o color preserver and and silver trim wrap. It looks great. I'd also get a silver or aluminum winding check instead of the black rubber one that comes with it.

The 3 wt rod is very light with a moderate action. It's not slow but there's not much reserve power in the butt. Very nice at close range for me but that's it. I tend to overpower softer rods on casts >35'. But that's just me. The 8'6" 5 wt is a great all around trout rod. I'm sure your son will be very pleased with it.

Tony