I have a friend that has asked me to build a 0-1 wt. fly rod for him. He asked me about the how's and whys of short fly rods but anything I could tell him is just to the best of my knowledge which is limited re: this matter and probably just an educated guess. I told him though that I could find out.
Can someone please enlighted me to the how's and whys and any other information that may be revelant. Any recommendation for a blank that is suitable for small dries.

Thanks Scott

Short rods are fun but have limited functionality. Make it a 0-1wt and that further reduces its abilities. I fished a small bushy stream last week with a 8'6" 4wt. I was using a bow and arrow cast and side arm cast from the bank between the bushes with an 11' leader. My friend was using a 6'6" 2wt and wading and was not doing nearly as well.

Dan Craft 6' 10" 1wt that is really sweet. Soft and smooth. casts nicely out to 40'. Doesn't like long leaders with #14 flies.

Short fly rods with extremely light weights (0,1,2 wt) are often used on tiny mountain streams with lots of brushy cover. The idea is that it is easier to cast these shorter rods with all that tight cover. It helps to doctor the leader a bit to make casting easier in tight quarters. There are formulas out there for this type of situation. Also, it's just plain easier to maneuver around the banks and bushes with a shorter rod. However, many like a LONGER rod in tight cover for increased line control on the water, ease of roll casting and "flipping" type casts. It is mainly a taste thing...some like 'em short...some like 'em long.

I love short fly rods. They are limiting in that you can't cast far, or mend that well, but I prefer them over long rods. My longest rod that I fish for freshwater is 7.5ft, but I mainly fish warmwater ponds and lakes.

I do have 1pc 5ft and 6ft rods that I made from Forecast glass spinning blanks and fish them with 5 and 6wt lines respectively. The 5ft 5wt is a sweet little brookie rod and the heavier line loads nicely with less than 10ft of line out. Ed Shenk was a big fan of short glass rods and also made his out of soft spinning blanks.

I think that the short rods work better when they are intended for a bit heavier line, at least 4wt. You would need a very soft 6ft rod to throw a 1wt line and I don't know of any 6ft 1wt blanks.

The Dan Craft 6'10" 1wt might be the closest thing.

Lou

Dan Craft's the ONE [3 piece] is what you need. You could shorten up the butt if it has to be 6 foot. Dan has a 6 piece Sig IV in 0/1 that you could drop to 5 sections, but I tend to overline either configuration with a 2 weight Sylk for better castability. Like Lou, I tend to favor short rods for everything, as they are less strain on my ailing elbows. You will find that you need a very light reel to balance a short, light blank. Consider cork reel seat with rings or cap and ring. The Forbes magnesium and Bass Pro ultralights, both 2.2 oz. are good reel choices. As to mending line, a light rig can be held straight out, which adds 3 feet of length.

I too love short rods. My waters are tiny spring creeks and the shorter rod allows me to do much more than a longer rod. I have produced many converts to the short rod in my area, but as it was stated before some still prefer the longer rod. It is really up to the individual angler.

Scott,

I wouldn't go any shorter than a Dan Craft Sig III 6'10" for a 1wt rod. I find it hard to cast a 1wt with anything shorter than that rod. I too use a 2wt line on this rod for casting in close quarters. I do, however, love short fly rods for 2/3 weight lines for small bushy creeks. I have built many tiger eye 6' 2/3 wt rods and the Forecast 6'6 2wt, 4pc rods. If you overline them with 4wt lines, they even cast better to shorter distances. In the open, these rods casts pretty nice. I have longer 2/3 wt rods in the 7'9" - 8'9" range, but I have a special place in my heart for the shorter fly rods.

Don makes a great point about extending the arm to add length while mending. I also use all cork seats with slide bands on the short rods so that a 3.5 ouce reel balances nicely.

The 5 and 6ft rods are definitely a treat while walking through thick brush.

If you have limited experience with short rods, go to your local fly shop and see if they have any that you can cast. It is certainly a different casting stroke than that of a 8.5 or 9ft rod. Unless the rod is soft, you will need to work pretty hard to get it loaded. Hence my affection for 5 and 6wt lines on the short rods.

Again, it is basically a matter of preference.

Lou

Gentlemen:

I have made up a couple of the Lamiglas Appalachian Travel rods - all small stream, 3 piece rods. I did one that was a 6 foot, 3 wt, 3 piece. The customer loved it. I think that you should take a look at the Lamiglas AT blanks for this use. They start at 3 weight, so they are a little more applicable to more watrer than a one weight. I have used them with a furled leader and they throw the most delicate fly with ease. Todd Vivian makes these out of high modulus graphite and they are a treat to cast.

Doug Weber
Weber Rod Works