I am planning a backcountry trip through Shenandoah National Park this year, and need a backpackable fly rod. Does anyone have any blank suggestions?

you might want to tell us what kind of water that involves. small streams, lakes? what overall rod length do you like to fish with in those conditions that you will encounter there.

Actually, I was hoping that someone who has actually fished the area would chime in.

a few years ago i made a dan craft sig III 5piece 9" 4wt. its very packable you may want something shorter since you will probably encounter a variety of conditions. check with dan and see what he has
in 5 or more piece blanks. i woul go with a four wt because it will give you some reach. maybe even a 5wt.
the rod i made is a great casting rod.

Thanks Larry! I built a 9' 5wt Sig V last year with lightweight snakes, and it is a cannon! I took this rod to Penn's Creek during the green drake hatch, and could not believe how well it performed. My local stream is so tiny that I usually use a 2-piece 8' 4wt Avid or a 2-piece 7' 4wt RX7 that I also built last year (lately, the seven footer sees the most action on this stream). From what I have read, it seems that the most fishermen use short 1-3wts in Shenandoah National Park (the brookies are small and easily spooked).

A 6'6" 2 weight or 3 weight would be a great rod back there. The Rapidan, Hughes, etc. are all small brush covered streams with 6-8" and sometimes larger brookies...#12-16 dries worked best for me.

Forecast Rx6 662-4 would be my rod there...or maybe Dan Craft 701-2 SigIII with a 2wt line.

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

Thanks Scott! I see that you used live in Rockville. I gather that you have fished the Patuxent River headwaters between Maryland routes 27 and 97. I live about fifteen minutes North of that stream; however, I usually fish Morgan Run (the multiflora rose is just too nasty on that stretch of the Patuxent).


By the way, did you use the Forecast 6’6” blank on the “McKenzie” rods on your site (nice work)? Did you make the reel set?

Steve Kartalia is the guy who really knows that area...I think he lives up near Morgan Run...Westminster...

I was not a big fan of the Patuxent...seemed like it was always over an hour to get there because of traffic on Georgia Ave. coming north, and for that I could be on Big Hunting or Owens or something similar. I was only in the area for a rather short while so I can't really speak authoritatively about MD/VA fishing...but can try :).

Another rod to consider might be the 7'6" 4wt 5pc Rx6...a really sweet and very packable rod which fishes with a 3 and 4 weight line. I took that one to the Frying Pan in Colorado last week, and scored some BIG trout on tiny flies...worked great for that purpose.

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

That Forecast 4 piece 2 wt blank is NICE!! Being only 6'6" it breaks down to a nice compact package and would be ideal on the small, tight, streams in the Shenendoah.

Fishsticks4U can get one for you quick.

/Scott

Those are my "home" waters. Your average cast will be with less (far less most of the time) than 15' of fly line past the tip. I'd recommend a 2 or 3 wt in 6'6" - 7'. My favorite rod to use while dry fly fishing up there is a 6' 6" Pac Bay Rainforest or Traditional series 2wt with an ERN of 1.9. It's slow and loads with a minimum of 2wt line. The fish up there are small, and the Dan Craft 6' 10" 1 wt would be a good choice for fishing dries on those waters. If I'm going to be nymphing, I prefer a 7' 3wt with a moderate fast action. Whatever you blank you pick, choose a line that will load it with 10-15' of fly line. There are few places where you'll ever cast 20', and that's including leader and tippet.

Take a look at the Lamiglass Appalachian Traveler series. I fish a 7' 3 wt 3pc a little further down the Appalachians in N GA/ W NC and I really like it for its versatility. I roll cast the majority of the time, and this rod (along with a RX6 7' 9" 3wt 2 pc that wouldn't fit the packing size criteria) is a favorite. I like a little longer rod for "doodling" from behind trees and Rhodies and I find the little extra length helps with line control on the fast pocket water, especially nymphing. Even at the short casting distance, there can be a lot of current seams between you and the fly. I don't use an indicator on this water and like to high-stick the extra foot or so over the really short sticks helps me stay connected during the drift.

Sounds like a great trip.

Mark: Lamiglas used to have a 9 piece, 6'6" blank. I think the no. is FL 7839. I built one of these for my brother-in-law who through hiked the AT in 1999 and each year goes back for a month or so on different sections. John