On the current site of the CCS database there are numerous fly rod data submissions. How do I use that data to choose a fly blank of a certain length, action and weight. Say I want an 9' 7wt fast action, what would I look at to choose the right blank? I want to get more up to speed on this CCS stuff so that when someone comes to me for a fly rod I can immediately determine which would be the best blank for a particular application.

Thanks,
Steve

The terms you're giving above are extremely vague - with the CCS you can dial in a lot closer. You can be much more specific. Exactly how fast an action do you want? Under what circumstances and situations do you plan to cast and fish the rod mostly? Are you going to be using a 7-weight line in close, out far, in-between?

If all you want is a 9' 7weight rod blank and don't care about specifics, just use the manufacturer's catalogs to pick a 9' 7-weight. Granted, they're all different even though they carry that same designation, but if you know what you have now and what you really want incomparison, the CCS will do the job.

So what you'd be better off asking is something like this: "I want a 9' rod and will be using it with a 7-weight line. I plan to reach fish at distances usually beyond 50 feet and prefer a very fast tip." With the CCS you can be that specific and come very close to finding what you want.

I would also suggest running the CCS measurements on rods you have now and getting a feel for how they rate, and then you'll be able to compare other blanks that show ERN and AA figures that are higher or lower. Everything is relative to something else.

Another component of the CCS that hasn't really been exploited enough in my opinion, is the CCF. The frequency of the rod can tell you a lot about how that rod is also going to feel compared to your current rods.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2006 09:06AM by Tom Kirkman.

I see what you're saying Tom. To be more specific about a blank how 'bout a 9' 5wt blank for 40-60 feet casts in a moderate action? When looking at the CCS data what numbers in that data would I be looking for? I'm trying to understand this CCS thing. I even printed out all the articles on the CCS info site. It's easier to carry those around than each issue of rodmaker.

I've built several fly rods just going with the manufacturer's rating and been quite pleased so far. But if I can make it even better because CCS data helped choose the right blank then the customer and I are both happy.

Thanks,
Steve

Again, you'll probably want to measure some of the rods you have now and that you know the characteristics of very well - this will help you get a better feel for what each unit of ERN and AA represent.

However, without knowing your casting and fishing type, I'm going to suggest that you look for an ERN in the range of 5.5 to 6.0 and with an AA of beween 60 and 65.

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