I just got a call from my local TU Chapter and they would like me to build them a rod from a donated Orvis blank. I expect to get the blank later this week and I am trying to come up with different ideas that would make this blank a special rod to be given away at our first annual banquet in March. Now I have some ideas of my own but the blank that they told me is a 4 piece 8'6" 8 wt. and the only 8 wt. blank that I can find from Orvis is listed as a saltwater fly rod. Any difference? When first told about the wt. I assummed it would be good for salmon and/or steelhead (prefer a 7 wt. but...).

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Get hold of Dan Craft. I'm sure he can give you some suggestions and most likely has the components you will need as well.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

How about a decal fish appropriate for an 8wt? Perhaps use TU green, blue & white as a color scheme. Maybe a TU logo, national's or local group's, woven in or again, a decal/applique. A feather inlay? An ultra-cool reel seat? Do the same kind of stuff with the tube and bag if possible. I have been doing this for my TU group for some time now and I found that with raffle items, it is best to have a finished rod/tube presentation piece that most people would not go out and buy for themselves, but would not hesitate to put a few $$ down for a chance. "Exotic" weights, like 1 and 2 or extreme multi-piece travel rods, 5 or 7 piece do well in a raffle. For example, not everyone would plop down a couple hundred for a finished 5 piece 3 weight, with bag & tube, but 10$ in raffle tickets? No question! BTW...save your receipts...they can be a charitable tax write off if you don't get reimbursed.

Tight Lines,

Tim

You can usually get a guide on each female ferrule of a 4 piece rod and make it look like a 1 piece rod. Don't know of any factory rods that will do this. You might include a short fighting butt permanently affixed. It can then double as fresh or salt.

8.5 foot 8 wt seems like a pretty unusal combination to me. Saltwater maybe a short rod for fishing in the mangroves? Maybe a largemouth bass rod. I would certainly use ceramics with the extra stripper and set it up to shoot line as well as possible. Spigot or tip over ferrules? I like the indicator marks for assembly. Woven in for me. On a 8.5 ft rod I might make the short fighting butt removable. Basically I think you are gonna have to get the blank, CC it, and then decide what it would be good for.